• France: Candidates Pledge to Address Human Rights Issues
    Press release
    May 1, 2012
    A survey of candidates for the upcoming French presidential election, which both candidates still in the race completed, reveals differences in approach on some significant international and domestic human rights topics.
  • Beyond Breivik, Hate in Europe is on the Rise
    Commentary
    Apr 25, 2012
    With the eyes of the world on the Oslo district court, there are stark contrasts on display. The twisted and hate-filled logic of Anders Breivik contrasts with the calm, dignified and above all fair criminal process against him.
  • France: Presidential Candidates Reveal Human Rights Views
    Press release
    Apr 19, 2012
    A survey of candidates for the upcoming French presidential election reveals important differences among them on significant topics, Human Rights Watch said today. The differences emerged for issues such as the response to the situation in Syria, relations with Russia, identity checks by police, and freedom of movement for Roma people in Central Europe.
  • NATO: Clarify Response to Deaths at Sea
    Press release
    Mar 26, 2012
    NATO and its member states should provide information to help clarify the chain of events that led to the death of 63 boat migrants in the Mediterranean a year ago.
  • Joint NGO Letter to the French Minister of Defense Regarding Investigations into Boat Incident from March-April 2011
    Letter
    Mar 26, 2012
    We are writing to inquire further about internal investigations into the fatal boat episode of March-April 2011, in which a disabled boat filled with migrants fleeing Libya drifted for two weeks in the Mediterranean before landing back in Libya on April 10, 2011. Sixty-three out of the 72 people on board died.
  • Letter to French Prime Minister Regarding the Extradition of Mourad Dhina
    Letter
    Mar 12, 2012
    We urge you not to sign such an order because by doing so, you would be sending Mr. Dhina to a country where he would be at risk of torture or of conviction on the basis of evidence obtained through torture.
  • France: European Court of Human Rights Condemns Faulty Asylum Procedure
    Press release
    Feb 2, 2012
    France should learn the lessons of the European Court of Human Rights decision today concerning a serious deficiency in its asylum procedure.
  • France: Abusive Identity Checks of Minority Youth
    Press release
    Jan 26, 2012
    French police are using overly broad powers to conduct unwarranted and abusive identity checks on black and Arab young men and boys.
  • EU: Rights Abuse at Home Ignored
    Press release
    Jan 22, 2012
    The European Union and member governments proved unwilling to tackle human rights abuse at home during 2011, even as they proclaimed the issue’s importance in inspiring the Arab Spring, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2012.
  • Letter to President Sarkozy on Camp Ashraf in Iraq
    Letter
    Dec 16, 2011
    We are writing to you before the December 31 announced closure of Camp Ashraf (also known as Camp New Iraq) to urge the French government to take proactive steps to help prevent the stand-off between the Iraqi government and the leadership of the Mohjahedin-e Khalq (MEK) from deteriorating further at a critical moment in Iraq’s precarious transition to democratic rule. France has a unique role as host to the MEK leadership as well as good relations with the government of Iraq.