Category: Human Rights

(Brussels) – Hungarian authorities should arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters Hungarian territory, Human Rights Watch said today. Netanyahu is expected to travel to Hungary on March 21, 2026, to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference Hungary, an official source reported. The visit comes shortly before Hungary’s national elections, scheduled for […]

Tomorrow, the 1st session of the European Citizens’ Panel on Preparedness will start in Brussels and run until Sunday. 150 randomly selected citizens from across Europe will discuss recommendations on how to implement the Preparedness Union Strategy, which emphasises active citizen engagement for effective crisis preparedness. Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis management, Hadja Lahbib, […]

(Beirut) – Bahraini authorities have arrested dozens of people for exercising their right to peaceful expression, seeking the death penalty in some cases, amid the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, Human Rights Watch said today. “At this critical moment, Bahrain authorities should be expanding their efforts to protect people, not arresting them for […]

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, issued the following statement: ‘The strike on a medical facility in Kabul is another deadly escalation in a conflict that needs to end as soon as possible. Civilian and medical facilities must never be targeted as […]

While breaking news stories capture our attention—North Korea’s recent launching of 10 ballistic missiles grabbed headlines—there’s a tendency to ignore long running but dire issues such as North Korea’s ongoing human rights crisis.  On March 13, the United Nations special rapporteur on North Korea, Elizabeth Salmón, reminded us of the latter’s importance. She told the UN […]

The European Commission is confirming €450 million in humanitarian aid for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt in 2026. With major donors withdrawing from the region and international humanitarian law under unprecedented strain, the EU is sustaining life-saving assistance to millions of people. In Syria, €210 million in EU humanitarian funding will sustain life-saving emergency […]

(New York) – The Chinese government’s proposed law to combat cybercrime extends far beyond addressing legitimate legal concerns and contains sweeping provisions that pose a significant threat to human rights, Human Rights Watch said today.  China’s Ministry of Public Security on January 31, 2026, published a 68-article Draft Law on Cybercrime Prevention and Control. If enacted, […]

The 5th evacuation flight from the Middle East, chartered and fully funded by the European Commission landed yesterday in Bucharest, Romania. The flight enabled the safe repatriation of 134 European citizens, following a request from the Romanian authorities.  Departing from Oman, the flight transported 96 Romanian nationals and 38 citizens from other European countries, who […]

Yemeni government-aligned forces appear to have used excessive force in February against protesters supporting the Southern Transitional Council in Aden.  Government forces in three locations fired at protesters supporting the group and made arrests and held people for days without due process in Aden and Hadramout.  The Yemeni government should provide accountability and justice for […]

The European Commission announced today €36 million in EU humanitarian aid that will reach 6 countries across Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean region. Millions of people face acute food insecurity, and conflict in northern Mozambique continues to drive one of the world’s most severe displacement crises. Commissioner Lahbib meets today with the President of […]