• US: Senate Vote on Violence Against Women Act a Victory
    Apr 26, 2012
    Press release
    The US House of Representatives should move quickly to renew the Violence against Women Act (VAWA), Human Rights Watch said today. The US Senate, in a bipartisan vote on April 26, 2012, passed the bill, the primary federal law providing legal protection and services to counter domestic and sexual violence and stalking.
  • US: Transfer CIA Drone Strikes to Military
    Apr 20, 2012
    Press release
    Remarks by a US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official suggesting the agency is not legally bound by the laws of war underscore the urgent need for the Obama administration to transfer command of all aerial drone strikes to the armed forces.
  • US: Momentum Against the Death Penalty
    Apr 12, 2012
    Press release
    Connecticut is poised to become the fifth US state in five years to abolish capital punishment, a clear sign that the momentum against the death penalty is gaining force.
  • Alabama: Repeal Unjust Immigrant Law
    Apr 10, 2012
    Press release
    A bill before the Alabama legislature to amend the state’s law restricting immigrant rights does little to remedy the severe harm caused by the law. The Alabama House of Representatives Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security will hold a public hearing on the amendments, contained in House Bill (HB) 658, on April 11, 2012.
  • US Supreme Court: Take Into Account Prison Hardships for Youth
    Mar 29, 2012
    Press release
    The US Supreme Court, in its deliberations on the cases Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, should consider the harsh conditions juvenile offenders face in adult prisons. On March 20, 2012, the US Supreme Court held oral arguments in the cases, which question the constitutionality of sentencing youth below the age of 18 to life without parole.
  • US: Investigate New York Police Surveillance of Muslims
    Mar 20, 2012
    Press release
    The US Justice Department should immediately investigate the New York City police for alleged religion-based discrimination in their surveillance of Muslim communities, and make its findings public.
  • US Senate: Renew the Violence Against Women Act
    Mar 19, 2012
    Press release
    The US Senate should renew the Violence against Women Act (VAWA) when it votes on the measure later in March 2012. The act is the primary federal law providing legal protection and services to counter domestic and sexual violence and stalking. Approval will maintain critical programs and improve legal protection against violence.
  • US: Victory for Rights in Alabama
    Mar 9, 2012
    Press release
    A decision by a federal appeals court to block two major provisions of Alabama’s immigrant law is a significant victory not just for immigrants but for the rights of all residents of Alabama.
  • Colorado: Assembly Acts to Protect Youth Accused of Crimes
    Mar 6, 2012
    Press release
    Colorado’s General Assembly passed a bill on March 5, 2012 that will help keep children accused of crimes out of adult jails when they are awaiting trial.
  • California: Over 300 Youth Face Life Without Parole
    Feb 29, 2012
    Press release
    Approximately 300 youth offenders have been sentenced to die in California’s prisons for crimes committed when they were teenagers, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The United States is the only country in the world where people who were under age 18 at the time of their crime serve sentences of life without parole. Nationally, more than 2,500 youth offenders are serving these sentences.