• Colombia: Letter to President Santos on Military Jurisdiction

    I am writing once again to make a final appeal to you to withdraw your government’s proposed amendment of article 221 of the Colombian constitution, which would give the military justice system initial control over investigations of abuses by the Colombian security forces. In a previous letter, which we sent to you on December 12, 2011, I provided a detailed explanation of why we oppose the proposed constitutional amendment. I subsequently received a letter from your Minister of Justice, Juan Carlos Esguerra, which he claimed would address our “unfounded” concerns. In light of the minister’s response, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify our position.

    Feb 9, 2012
  • Letter to EU officials concerning EU-India Summit

    We write to request that human rights form a significant part of your dialogue with the Indian government at your upcoming summit in New Delhi to strengthen the strategic partnership.

    Feb 8, 2012
  • Letter to the Ministry of Mines
    Feb 3, 2012
  • Letter on Sri Lanka to Permanent Representatives of Human Rights Council Member and Observer States

    We write to urge your delegation to work with other member and observer states of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) to bring the issue of accountability for wartime abuses in Sri Lanka onto the agenda of the Council during its March 2012 session.  

    Feb 2, 2012
  • US: U-Visa Provisions in the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
    In anticipation of the Committee’s consideration of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act tomorrow, Human Rights Watch writes to express our strongest support for expanding and improving the protections afforded to immigrant victims of crime by the U-visa.
    Feb 2, 2012
  • Letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Regarding Contact between UN Representative Gambari and Sudanese President al-Bashir
    Feb 1, 2012
  • Kazakhstan: Letter to the Prosecutor General regarding the December events in Zhanaozen and Shetpe
    I am writing to express Human Rights Watch’s profound concern about several issues related to the December 16 and 17 events in Zhanaozen and Shetpe. These include allegations about excessive use of lethal force by law enforcement, ill-treatment and torture of detainees taken into custody following the December 16 violence in Zhanaozen, allegations of theft and extortion by police officers, and arrests of oil workers and labor and political activists charged in connection with the violence.
    Feb 1, 2012
  • Ukraine: Open Letter regarding the Arbitrary Detention of Somali Asylum Seekers
    We are writing to raise our concern about the arbitrary detention of some or all of a group of 125 Somali nationals detained at the Zhuravychi Migrant Accommodation Centre (MAC). Some of them are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or the Ukrainian authorities as asylum seekers. Around 80 have told UNHCR they want to apply for asylum in Ukraine, but have not been allowed to do so.
    Jan 31, 2012
  • Letter to Foreign Ministers of African States Parties to the ICC

    On the occasion of the 18th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU)–which will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on January 29-30, 2012–we, the undersigned African civil society organizations and international organizations with a presence in Africa, write to share some important developments affecting international criminal justice in Africa and to encourage African states parties to reaffirm their strong support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its goal of ending impunity for grave international crimes.

    Jan 26, 2012
  • Letter to President Obama regarding the visit of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping
    We write in regards to the forthcoming visit of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. We urge that you raise the human rights situation in China, which Ambassador Locke has recently characterized as “worsening,” in all your public and private interactions.
    Jan 25, 2012