Category: Human Rights

From the morgues of Cairo to the cells of Guantanamo, I’ve seen a lot of anguish and cruelty in my human rights work over the years. But often more than blood spilled, it’s the lives stunted, solely because of a person’s identity, that hits the hardest. I had one such moment visiting a Palestinian refugee […]

For the past 11 years, Syria’s conflict has taken a massive toll on every Syrian, particularly women and girls. What drives them to live another day, despite the myriad of dangers they face? What gives them the strength to disrupt the social norms that limit their lives? EU humanitarian partner World Vision has joined British […]

Afghanistan has largely disappeared from the media, but it remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. Two-thirds of the country’s population is food insecure, including 875,000 children facing acute malnutrition. Women and girls remain most at risk. The ongoing crisis has thrust upon the United Nations two vital but seemingly incompatible responsibilities in Afghanistan: […]

Bangladesh’s southern district of Cox’s Bazar hosts hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. “There are not many opportunities for women and girls in the camps,” says Rahima, a Rohingya refugee. “The cultural norms also make it more difficult for us to improve our capacities.” With EU humanitarian funding, the International Organization for Migration […]

The acquittal of former Senator Leila de Lima in the second of  three drug cases against her and her likely continued custody in police detention highlight the political nature of the charges against her. De Lima, who has now been in detention for more than six years, was acquitted for allegedly trading illegal drugs while […]

Riya Moni is putting her makeup on. She is not afraid of being caught or humiliated anymore – her makeup is her transgression. She is a transgender woman living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Born intersex, she was named Zia by her parents, who ensured no one ever knew about her gender identity. Cultural stigma and […]

(New York) – Human Rights Watch has won two 2023 Webby Awards, the leading international prize honoring excellence on the internet. One award is for a series of social media videos that draw attention to human rights abuses in Russia’s war in Ukraine. The second Webby is for an interactive campaign about online learning products […]

(The Hague, May 15, 2023) – Governments should protect the integrity of the international treaty banning chemical weapons by fully carrying out its provisions and by ensuring accountability for any violations, Human Rights Watch said today. A Review Conference of the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention is scheduled to take place in The Hague on May […]

(Paris, May 12, 2023) – Two decisions by France’s Court of Cassation on May 12, 2023, related to Syria atrocity crimes cases have recognized France’s ability to address serious international crimes, nine rights groups said today. While the decisions confirmed the jurisdiction of French courts over a significant number of pending cases, they do not […]

As voters in Turkey prepare to head to the polls in May 14’s pivotal parliamentary and presidential elections, social media is playing a central role in shaping the debate. Turkey’s mainstream media, where most people get their news, is overwhelmingly aligned with the government. A recent study found that over the past month state broadcaster […]