Category: Human Rights

As many as 1,360 children have never been reunited with their parents six years after the United States government forcibly separated them at the US border to deter migrants. The program constituted enforced disappearance and may have constituted torture. US efforts to help separated families have not adequately reckoned with the severe harm inflicted on […]

However, the report, The Right Start in Life: Global Levels and Trends in Birth Registration, also highlights a troubling reality: 150 million children under five still go unregistered, meaning they don’t officially exist as far as government systems. According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, it is crucial that we provide “stronger efforts to ensure that […]

Human Rights Day stands as a powerful reminder of our enduring commitment to dignity, freedom, and justice – values fundamental to the founding of our nation and to the world we envision.  Today, we celebrate achievements in advancing human rights, while humbly recognizing the challenges that remain.  We also showcase the courageous individuals who champion them […]

(Seoul) – The South Korean National Assembly’s 204 to 85 vote to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol on December 14, 2024 after his rejected imposition of martial law has reinforced democratic rule and checks and balances in South Korea, Human Rights Watch said today.  All 300 National Assembly lawmakers participated in the vote, with 204 votes […]

More than 60 per cent of these killings occurred in countries experiencing conflict – the highest percentage in over a decade. “Reliable information is vital in conflict situations to help affected populations and to enlighten the world,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “It is unacceptable that journalists pay with their lives for this work. I call on […]

Thank you, Dafna, and good afternoon, everyone! I am so honored to join Secretary Blinken, Assistant Secretary Rand, our partners at the McCain Institute and Humanity United, and all of you in celebrating the truly remarkable recipients of the 2024 Secretary of State’s Human Rights Defender Award! Our honorees hail from diverse countries – from […]

(Beirut) – Saudi Arabia is hosting a major United Nations conference on internet governance while dozens of people remain imprisoned for peaceful online speech, Human Rights Watch said today. Many are charged under the country’s abusive counterterrorism law, and the authorities conduct invasive surveillance of civil society members at home and abroad.  The 19th annual […]

Hundreds more were reportedly injured in clashes following the disputed elections and around 2,000 arrested, including teenagers, young adults, opposition members, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers, as well as bystanders. Since then, the Government has announced the conditional release of over 100 of those detained. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, High Commissioner Volker […]

SPEAKER:  Distinguished guests, please welcome the Secretary of State, accompanied by Under Secretary of State Uzra Zeya, the Assistant Secretary of State Dafna Rand, and the 2024 Human Rights Defenders Award recipients.  (Applause.) ASSISTANT SECRETARY RAND:  Good afternoon, and may I be the first to wish you a happy International Human Rights Day. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  All […]

(Beirut) – Several recent cases confirm the continuation of Iran’s longstanding policy of denying political prisoners medical care as a tool to silence dissent, Human Rights Watch said today. This worsens the health conditions of detainees who should not have been imprisoned in the first place, causes unnecessary suffering, and leads to preventable deaths. Human Rights Watch […]