Category: Human Rights

When Elianu Hia shared a video on Facebook in January 2021, he never imagined that act would lead to him losing his home and small business in the Indonesian city of Padang, West Sumatra. Hia was upset that school regulations required his 17-year-old Christian daughter to wear a hijab to school. He recorded his meeting […]

(Beirut) – Saudi authorities executed Hussein Abu al-Khair, a Jordanian citizen, on March 12, 2023, after his conviction for a nonviolent drug crime, Human Rights Watch said today. The judge ignored his allegations that he had confessed only after days of torture and ill-treatment. In January 2015, a Saudi court convicted Abu al-Khair of attempting […]

On February 16, Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament passed a bill to beef up the role of provost marshals, who are responsible for discipline in the armed forces and the protection of detainees’ rights during military operations and at military posts. Under article 241 of Burkina Faso’s code of military justice, provost marshals previously operated mainly […]

(Brussels) – At their forthcoming meeting on March 20, European Union foreign affairs ministers should publicly press the Tunisian authorities to reverse their crackdown against perceived critics, four human rights groups said today. The foreign affairs ministers should critically review their cooperation with Tunisia to avoid contributing to the ongoing undermining of human rights and […]

On March 8, Representative Ilhan Omar reintroduced in the United States House of Representatives the Stop Arming Human Rights Abusers Act, which proposes placing “universal human rights and humanitarian conditions on security cooperation with the United States.” The legislation would help ensure the US government is not arming governments that commit rights violations. If the […]

Human rights defenders in Greece working to protect asylum seeker and migrant rights are facing threats and attacks from authorities, according to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor. Lawlor, who visited Greece in June 2022 to assess the situation for rights defenders in the country, presented her findings to the […]

According to the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, set up one year ago at the request of the Human Rights Council, Russian troops committed a “wide range” of violations across the country, many of which are war crimes. These included attacks with explosive weapons in populated areas, wilful killings of civilians, unlawful confinement, torture, rape […]

(Johannesburg) – Mozambican authorities should promptly and impartially investigate the police use of teargas on the funeral procession of a famous rap star on March 14, 2023, in Maputo, Human Rights Watch said today. Edson da Luz, known as “Azagaia,” who died on March 9 from complications of a sudden illness, was known for his […]

“You can lose your life along the way. There are many dangerous people: they rob you, stab you, attack you. We could stay in some hostels, but they are often not safe,” says Mariana*, a Venezuelan woman who received support in an EU-funded shelter in Santiago de Chile. When her family had nothing to eat, […]

(Beirut) – FIFA should commit to using the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Legacy Fund to compensate migrant workers and their families for serious abuses related to the 2022 World Cup, Human Rights Watch said today. FIFA is holding its 73rd Congress on March 16, 2023, in Kigali, Rwanda.  New Human Rights Watch research found […]