Category: Human Rights

The Israeli military’s announcement that its forces in Gaza shot and killed three Israeli hostages despite them being shirtless and waving a white flag raises core issues about the protection of civilians in the current hostilities. First, these men and the other civilians abducted on October 7 should not have been in Gaza in the […]

In October 2023 a series of catastrophic earthquakes affected 96,000 children and their families in western Afghanistan. Partners like UNICEF support them on their way to recovery thanks to EU humanitarian funding. 11-year-old Milat was just a few metres away from the wall of his neighbour’s house, when it fell on his little brother Serajuddin. […]

That’s according to UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director Regina De Dominicis who said in a statement on Monday that bombardment was “particularly unrelenting” in the east and south of the country. The UNICEF official said the past week provided a concerning trend with an increase in ballistic missiles and mass drone attacks, including widespread […]

After almost two years of a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests, the transitional government in Chad will hold a constitutional referendum on December 17. The referendum seeks to accomplish one main goal: ending a transition that never should have occurred. It also takes place after the government allowed a prominent political opponent back into the […]

Since the onset of the invasion the UN human rights office (OHCHR) has meticulously monitored the situation. As of December 4, there have been over 10,000 civilian deaths, including 560 children, with an additional 18,500 civilians confirmed injured, with actual figures believed to be much higher due to the difficulties of verifying figures. “I feel […]

(New York) –The Hong Kong authorities should drop the baseless charges against Jimmy Lai, founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, and release him from prison, Human Rights Watch said today. Lai’s national security trial is scheduled to start on December 18, 2023, and is expected to last for 80 days. Lai, 76, faces three […]

Speaking at the awards ceremony of the UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2023, Mr. Guterres stressed that rights defenders themselves were in need of greater protection. “The world needs leaders of countries, corporations, political parties, religious and civil organizations and beyond, to speak out against antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, attacks on minority […]

Women and girls with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan experience abuse, including rape, beatings, neglect, and humiliation, often by those closest to them. The government has made tackling domestic violence a priority, but the laws don’t take into account the special needs of women and girls with disabilities, leaving them at risk of continued violence. Kyrgyzstan should […]

Speaking at the closing of the Global Refugee Forum, the Secretary-General said that protection and help for these most vulnerable of people, was “an obligation shared by all of humanity”.  He was speaking after three days of intensive activity geared to finding solutions and building partnerships, which saw pledges from multiple stakeholders that have the potential […]

(Beirut) – Emirati authorities have brought new charges against 87 defendants under its counterterrorism law in retaliation for forming an independent advocacy group in 2010, Human Rights Watch said today. Those recently charged include prominent activists and dissidents already serving prison sentences, including human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, as well as those convicted following the […]