Category: Human Rights

Tensions appear to be rising in Mozambique as the country awaits the results of municipal elections held on Wednesday. Ahead of voting day, authorities had increased security measures throughout the country, following violent incidents reported in some municipalities during the election campaign. While election day was largely peaceful, the following day violence re-emerged in several […]

(Nairobi) – Separatist fighters publicly executed two unarmed men in Guzang, Cameroon’s North-West region, on October 4, 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The execution, which was filmed, corroborates previous accounts of killings by armed separatist groups, some of them also captured on video. “Separatist fighters show wanton lawlessness and cruelty against civilians in Cameroon’s Anglophone […]

“We share the concerns expressed on Tuesday by the Presidency of the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties that these actions are unacceptable, and we call for them to be promptly withdrawn,” said Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, speaking in Geneva. Last month, Russia issued arrest warrants against the President, deputy and one of the judges at the […]

(Nairobi) – Arrests of supporters of Chad’s main opposition party seem to be an attempt to limit political dissent before an upcoming constitutional referendum, Human Rights Watch said today. The arrests came days after a June 2023 arrest warrant for the leader of the Les Transformateurs party (The Transformers, in English) appeared on social media. At least […]

One home fire can wipe out an entire neighbourhood in western Nepal’s urban areas, where buildings are often in poor condition and built close together. An EU-funded initiative teaches women, who are often the first responders, how to battle flames before they spread. It was a slow afternoon when Nazma Salmani sat down on her […]

(Beirut, October 12, 2023) – Israel’s use of white phosphorus in military operations in Gaza and Lebanon puts civilians at risk of serious and long-term injuries, Human Rights Watch said today in releasing a question and answer document on white phosphorus. Human Rights Watch verified videos taken in Lebanon and Gaza on October 10 and […]

The UN Human Rights Council also “strongly urged” Russian authorities to comply with all the State’s obligations under international human rights law. It also called for upholding fundamental freedoms, including those of thought, opinion and expression, and peaceful assembly, “in particular by removing restrictions on diversity in ideas, criticism and dissent as well as associated […]

  Chinese authorities recently forcibly returned more than 500 people who had escaped North Korea. The returnees, mostly women, are at grave risk of being detained in forced labor camps, and face torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, and execution. Stephen Kim, an underground missionary from South Korea with extensive contacts in North Korea and China, […]

(New York) – Pakistani authorities’ threats to deport more than one million Afghans puts them at grave risk of being returned to persecution and other abuse, Human Rights Watch said today. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry announced on October 3, 2023, that all migrants living without legal status in Pakistan had 28 days to leave voluntarily or […]

France’s parliament has approved changes to legislation that will allow for easier prosecution of serious crimes, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide. However, while some changes provide a step forward, not all the restrictions that prevent France’s justice system from pursuing the prosecution of serious crimes have been addressed. The investigation and […]