Category: Human Rights

Egyptian authorities have arbitrarily detained women and girls related to suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate in North Sinai, some for months or years. Some were themselves victims of abuses by the ISIS-linked group, including rape and forced marriage, and were detained after they escaped and sought help from the authorities. The authorities […]

Today, the European Union adopted an important new law requiring EU-based companies to ensure their imports and exports are “deforestation-free” and not driving human rights abuses. The European Union Deforestation-Free Products Regulation puts the onus on companies registered in EU member states to ensure seven agricultural commodities – cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soy, […]

Mentioning this year’s theme in a statement to mark the day, Together Always: United in Diversity, the UN chief called on leaders ‘to speak with one voice” to eliminate stigma and discrimination, that result in sometimes deadly attacks targeting LGBTQI+ communities. The Secretary-General showed his deep concern over the levels of violence directed towards LGBTQI+ […]

On May 18, Tamils in Sri Lanka will mark Mullivaikkal Memorial Day, in remembrance of those who died in the final stages of the country’s brutal civil war that ended in 2009. Thousands of Tamil civilians were killed when the Sri Lankan army bombarded self-declared “no fire zones” in fighting against the Liberation Tigers of […]

Last Saturday, dozens of people dressed in black carried a coffin through the streets of Warsaw to the presidential palace. The mourners in this symbolic funeral procession were people with disabilities and supporters urging Polish authorities to adopt a law guaranteeing access to personal assistance – one-on-one support a person with a disability might need […]

On April 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree establishing a simplified procedure for issuing Russian passports to residents of Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizka, Khersonska, Donetska, and Luhanska regions of Ukraine. The decree states that Ukrainian citizens or those holding “passports” issued by the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic will be […]

EU experts were immediately deployed to South Sudan’s border with Sudan, to assess the situation and, with our humanitarian partners, organise the provision of aid. © European Union, 2023 (photographer: Olivier Beucher) In the middle of April 2023, violent armed clashes broke out in Khartoum, capital city of Sudan, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) […]

There’s one thing that Abari cannot stand: being underestimated. “I want to do everything that the people that can see are doing,” he says, a look of determination on his face. Abari lives in the Diffa region of Niger, where conflict and instability have displaced thousands. In addition, food and water supplies are scarce, and […]

(Johannesburg) – The Angolan government should immediately end its longstanding crackdown on political and human rights activists in the oil-rich province of Cabinda, Human Rights Watch said today. Since President João Lourenço took office in September 2017, Cabinda authorities have arbitrarily arrested and detained over 100 activists for engaging in human rights and peaceful pro-independence […]

These schoolgirls in Afghanistan are determined to get an education, no matter the obstacles. Meet Bibi, Lialoma, Zahra, Sana, and Marzia – 5 intrepid girls that continue to dream big! Afghan girls face significant challenges, such as growing up in remote villages without schools. In addition, all girls over the age of 12 are now […]