Category: Human Rights

The killing  by the Israeli Defence Forces of seven members of a humanitarian team of World Central Kitchen, while they were travelling to deliver food to the most vulnerable in Gaza, is appalling. We urge a swift implementation of the announced commitment by the Israeli authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure accountability for […]

We are deeply concerned by the Kyrgyz Republic’s enactment of the so-called “Foreign Representatives” bill into law, which puts at risk the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are essential to a more democratic and inclusive Kyrgyz Republic. This is the latest in a series of Kyrgyz government actions that have undermined democratic governance and civil society.  NGOs play a critical role in linking government and the community to improve the welfare of all Kyrgyzstanis. The “Foreign Representatives” law will place undue burdens on NGOs and […]

“The scale of human rights violations is unprecedented in Haiti’s modern history,” Volker Türk said in a video statement to the UN Human Rights Council, part of an interactive dialogue on his most recent report on the Caribbean country.  “This is a humanitarian catastrophe for an already exhausted people.” State of emergency  Speaking in French, […]

“You’re speaking about the greatest crime against humanity ever committed,” said renowned historian Sir Hilary Beckles, who also chairs the Caribbean Community’s Reparations Commission, reflecting on the transatlantic trade that enslaved more than 10 million Africans over four centuries. “One could say it was an institution that was abolished 200 years ago, but let me […]

(Nairobi) – Human Rights Watch announced today that it is releasing a series of archives highlighting the extraordinary efforts of human rights defenders in Rwanda and abroad, to warn about the planned 1994 genocide and attempt to stop the killings. The documents painfully illustrate leading international actors’ refusal to acknowledge the slaughter of more than […]

The United States is deeply concerned by ongoing convictions of Vietnamese ethnic minority and religious freedom advocates, including five convictions since January 2024. We are particularly troubled by the recent 13-year sentence of Y Krec Bya, who has been a peaceful voice for freedom of religion or belief in Vietnam. We also continue to be […]

Iranian authorities’ decades-long systematic repression of Baha’is simply because they belong to a faith group amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution. Government agencies arrest and imprison Baha’is arbitrarily, confiscate their property, restrict their school and job opportunities, and even deny them dignified burials. UN member states should support national prosecutions under the principle […]

Gangs reportedly control up to 90 per cent of Port-au-Prince, raising concerns that hunger is being used as a weapon to coerce local populations and hold sway over rival armed groups. They control key routes to farming areas to the north and south and have disrupted the supply of goods, including food.  This in a […]

Rokaya needed time to recover after illness forced her to quit as a live-in maid in Malaysia and return home to Indramayu, West Java. However, under pressure from her agent who claimed two million Rupiah for her initial placement, she accepted an offer of work in Erbil, Iraq. There, Ms. Rokaya found herself responsible for […]

(Nairobi) – Somalia’s parliament should reject any proposed constitutional amendments that would weaken rights protections for children, Human Rights Watch said today. On March 30, 2024, both houses of parliament are expected to vote on the proposed amendments, which would reduce the age of majority – increasing the risk of child marriage and lowered juvenile […]