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The conviction, in 2016, in Senegal of the former Chadian dictator Hissène Habré was a pivotal moment in the pursuit of justice for atrocity crimes.

May 25, 2026, marks the 63rd anniversary of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union. A date that carries the weight of a continent's longing for self-determination and stands as a central expression of the Pan Africanist thought. Yet, across the continent, a cluster of laws criminalizing same-sex sexuality have sharpened the question of liberation into something urgent and concrete. In Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Ghana, new legislation extends criminal exposure not only to individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics, but also to those who stand in solidarity with them. Waves of arrests, forced HIV tests, and shuttering of civil society organizations have followed.

In late 2024, the international football association (FIFA) announced that Saudi Arabia would host the 2034 World Cup. This means the world’s largest sporting event will be taking place in a country where the government imprisons scores of activists and dissidents for peaceful criticism, denies women fundamental civil and

On May 26, Russia’s State Duma is scheduled to review a draft law that targets exiled critics for allegedly acting “against Russia’s interests overseas.”

A court decision ordering the removal of the party chair and leadership of Türkiye’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is the latest deeply damaging blow to the rule of law, democracy and human rights in Türkiye, Human Rights Watch said today.

Hundreds of immigrants, community members, and allies gathered in Washington DC on May 20 for a peaceful march from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) headquarters to the Capitol.

The Human Rights Watch executive director, Philippe Bolopion, urged senior Congolese officials to respect freedom of expression, end arbitrary arrests and detentions, and ensure accountability for abuses during his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo from May 17 to 21, 2026.

There is growing recognition that current economic metrics fail to capture much of what really matters. When economic decision-making is narrowly focused on GDP growth, it leaves human rights behind.

In this blog post, Skye Wheeler reflects on advocacy and research in Sierra Leone and introduces an upcoming webinar hosted by Human Rights Watch and the Center for Reproductive Rights. Bringing together speakers from Mexico, South Africa, Malawi, Nigeria, Mali, and Senegal, the event explores how different communities are responding to obstetric violence through feminist advocacy, accountability mechanisms, and disability-inclusive approaches to respectful maternity care.