Category: Human Rights

(Sydney) – Australia has refused to commit to reforms for the incarceration of children, offshore detention of asylum seekers, and phasing out fossil fuels, despite repeated calls to do so from United Nations member countries, Human Rights Watch said today. In its written response to its fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human […]

When the Egypt and Iran teams meet at Lumen Field in Seattle tonight, soccer fans will be free to wave the rainbow flag. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) confirmedThursday that it would not bar the symbol from the stadium over formal objections from both countries’ football federations. It is the right call.  On June […]

18 months ago, Niger’s military junta arrested and detained Moussa Tiangari, a prominent human rights defender in the country. Following an investigation, the United Nations is now calling for his release.  The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, an independent expert body that investigates cases of deprivation of liberty, found that Tiangari’s detention is arbitrary and violates […]

Click to expand Image A German police officer takes a man to a deportation flight to Pakistan, February 25, 2025, Hesse, Germany. © 2025 Boris Roessler/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Photo The European Union is forging ahead on its quest to increase deportations regardless of the consequences for people’s rights. On June 17, the European Parliament approved a Return Regulation […]

In all, up to 6.8 million people could be impacted by Wednesday’s emergency, based on the latest available population and damage projections, according to the UN agency for migration, IOM.  More than 41,000 people have also been reported missing through an online portal.  And amid reports that rescuers are digging with their bare hands in […]

The European Commission is deploying rescue teams and other emergency assistance to Venezuela after the occurrence of 2 strong earthquakes which caused numerous casualties on 24 June. So far, 8 Member States – Czechia, Spain, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands – are sending assistance through the EU civil protection mechanism. President Ursula […]

The European Union conveys its condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela. At this difficult moment, the European Union expresses its solidarity with the people of Venezuela and with all those engaged in rescue and relief operations.  These earthquakes come at a time when millions of […]

The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) rejected its ombudsman’s findings about harm related to investments in Cambodia’s microfinance sector, failing a critical test of accountability, Human Rights Watch said today. In its response, published on June 24, 2026, the IFC refuted the ombudsman’s determination that it had violated its own environmental and social policies.  […]

(New York) – The censorship of prominent social media accounts, foreign films, and events with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) themes around Pride month illustrates the deteriorating rights situation for LGBT people in China, Human Rights Watch said today. A number of these events were organized by foreign embassies and cultural institutes. “Under Xi Jinping, […]

HRP Associate Director Abadir Ibrahim Co-Authors Submission Calling on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to Recognize the Right to a Healthy Climate  Photo by Kaouane Hichem via Adobe Stock Abadir Ibrahim, Associate Director of the Harvard Human Rights Program, together with Salma Waheedi, Executive Director of the Program on Law and Society in […]