Category: Human Rights

Draft Article by Professor Gerald L. Neuman: Lessons for Birthright Citizenship from Suspension of Deportation Credit: Maria-stock.adobe.com HRP Director and J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law Gerald L. Neuman has released a new draft article, “Lessons for Birthright Citizenship from Suspension of Deportation.” While much has been written about why the […]

Sexual violence by criminal groups is not new in Haiti: Human Rights Watch has documented how criminal groups have used widespread sexual violence in recent years to terrorize communities and assert control. However, the intensity and brutality of these attacks are worsening and, for those who survive, resources are increasingly scarce according to a new report by […]

Over 1 million Ukrainians are without electricity, water and heating in freezing temperatures following relentless Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. The European Commission is today deploying 447 emergency generators worth €3.7 million from EU strategic reserves to restore power to hospitals, shelters and critical services. The generators – mobilised from rescEU strategic reserves hosted in […]

In his 10th Holocaust Remembrance Day address, Secretary-General António Guterres told survivors and their families gathered in the General Assembly Hall that honouring the dead “and the fight against the ancient poison of antisemitism – is not abstract, but personal”.  Every year on the day the concentration camps were liberated in 1945, the world unites […]

Thousands of children remain in custody without access to legal counsel; a situation the experts warn is forcing minors to navigate complex immigration proceedings alone and undermining their fundamental rights.   The three Special Rapporteurs, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, said they are in contact with the US Government on the issue.  Duty to care  They explained that under the 2008 Trafficking Victims […]

2026-2027 Henigson Fellowship Application Now Open The Human Rights Program is pleased to announce that the application for the 2026-2027 Henigson Fellowship is now open.  The post-graduate fellowship is open to Harvard Law School graduates only. The application deadline is on March 16, 2026. Prospective applicants must email HRP Associate Director Abadir M. Ibrahim ([email protected]) before March 2, 2026, to discuss […]

Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) sentenced Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (also known as Ali Kosheib), a former leader of Sudan’s “Janjaweed” militias, to 20 years in prison. It follows his conviction in October for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sudan’s Darfur region between 2003-2004. The long-awaited, landmark sentence is an important moment for victims and […]

Each year, Human Rights Watch reflects on progress in children’s rights worldwide. From better access to education to stronger protections in wartime, these are some highlights from 2025. New data from the International Labour Organization and UNICEF found 20 million fewer children involved in child labor than in 2020. Malawi and Japan both abolished school fees […]

(New York) – The Hong Kong High Court’s conviction of Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, is the latest marker of Hong Kong’s dramatic shift from respecting press freedoms to endorsing outright hostility toward the media, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should quash the baseless conviction and immediately release Lai. On December […]

On December 13, Belarusian authorities released 123 prisoners following negotiations led by the US administration, which had agreed to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash. The majority were sent to Ukraine, and a group of nine to Lithuania. Most of those released had been prosecuted and imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of their human rights. Among […]