Category: Human Rights

(New York) – Indian authorities should urgently intervene to address renewed violence between ethnic groups in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, Human Rights Watch said today. Both the Manipur state and central governments should take prompt measures to resolve disputes, investigate abuses, and appropriately punish those responsible. Armed groups from the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo community and […]

“The Islamic Republic of Iran relies on a system, both in law and in practice, that fundamentally discriminates on the grounds of gender,” the update noted, highlighting the far-reaching impacts on women and girls’ bodily autonomy, freedom of expression and religion, as well as a wide range of economic, social and cultural rights. The heightened […]

Global Witness released a report on Tuesday that again showed the alarming level of violence against land and environmental defenders in the Philippines. Of the 196 defenders reportedly killed or forcibly disappeared globally in 2023, 17 were in the Philippines, the highest toll in Asia. More environmental defenders have been killed in the country than anywhere […]

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles announced this week that he has stripped distinguished service medals from some military commanders who served in senior roles in Afghanistan. The move was described as a “final step” in enacting recommendations from the 2020 Independent Afghanistan Inquiry, known as the Brereton Report, which found credible information of war crimes, including the […]

(Bangkok) – The Vietnamese authorities should immediately drop all charges and release the democracy campaigner Phan Van Bach, Human Rights Watch said today.  Hanoi police arrested Phan Van Bach, 49, on December 29, 2023, for his posts on Facebook, and charged him under article 117 of the penal code, which prohibits distributing “anti-state propaganda.” A court […]

Last week the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in the Central African Republic arrested and charged Abakar Zakaria Hamid, known as “SG”, a former Seleka leader for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes linked to a brutal attack 10 years ago on a church and displacement camp in the country’s capital, Bangui. Seven other individuals have already […]

A United Nations panel issued guiding principles today making clear that the pursuit of minerals needed to transition from fossil fuels needs to safeguard human rights, justice, and equity. The Guiding Principles on Critical Energy Transition Minerals arrive at a crucial moment. Around the globe, governments and companies from industrialized countries are competing for “critical” minerals required for […]

(Johannesburg) – Mozambican police have committed widespread abuses against journalists and civil society activists that could seriously impair their work ahead of elections scheduled for October 9, 2024, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities have rarely investigated formal complaints of harassment, threats, physical assault, and arbitrary arrest and detention targeting those covering election activities. “The […]

(Bangkok) – Thailand’s new government should take concrete steps to make human rights a priority, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Prime Minister Paetongtarn is expected to take office on September 16, 2024. “The Paetongtarn government needs to act quickly to address Thailand’s widespread human rights problems,” said John […]

Today, the Australian government committed to developing the country’s first data protection law for children. The decision, which rights organizations including Human Rights Watch, Australian academics, and many Australians have long called for, comes as part of a package of reforms to Australia’s privacy law. These reforms include creating the right to sue for serious invasions […]