• A victory against modern day slavery
    Commentary
    Dec 1, 2012
    Growing activism against modern-day slavery has highlighted the abuse and exploitation suffered by millions of men, women, and children around the world. Donor funding has flowed to create shelters and services for victims while a proliferation of anti-trafficking legislation has focused on arresting and prosecuting traffickers.
  • Australia: End Offshore Transfer of Migrant Children
    Press release
    Nov 24, 2012
    The Australian government should immediately stop transfers of migrant children - including unaccompanied migrant children and child asylum seekers - to offshore processing sites in Manus Island of Papua New Guinea, and Nauru.
  • Malta: A mandate for reform
    Commentary
    Nov 19, 2012
    Malta should be proud of its recent ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a crucial tool for protecting the rights of more than one billion people with disabilities worldwide. As the Government begins to integrate the convention into its laws and policies, it should understand that the protections apply to the thousands of migrants and asylum seekers who linger in immigration detention in Malta each year.
  • UAE: Make Good on Human Rights Commitments
    Press release
    Nov 16, 2012
    The United Arab Emirates should swiftly end the arbitrary detention and harassment of its critics in line with its obligations as a recently elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
  • Greece: Strengthen Proposal for Hate Crime Units
    Press release
    Nov 13, 2012
    New police units to address racist violence need a strong mandate, proper staff, and clear guidelines, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the Greek minister for public order and citizen protection, Nikos Dendias.
  • Greece: Letter to Greek Minister of Public Order on Specialized Hate Crime Units
    Letter
    Nov 13, 2012
    We write to provide our support for your initiative to create special police units to address racist violence. We take this opportunity to share our observations on the draft decree and to recommend the crucial steps we believe are necessary to ensure these units are effective in curbing the alarming phenomenon of xenophobic violence in Greece.
  • Greece to Take Tougher Line on Xenophobic Violence
    Impact
    Nov 1, 2012
    After Human Rights Watch issued a report on violence against migrants in Greece, the country announced plans to establish a new police unit to deal with racial violence. The justice minister also promised stiffer sentences for hate crimes. Both were key recommendations from our report.
  • EU, as peacemaker, should welcome those fleeing war
    Commentary
    Oct 16, 2012
    Human Rights Watch gives its view of the award of the Nobel peace prize to the European Union.
  • It's time for governments to finally put an end to child marriage
    Commentary
    Oct 11, 2012

    The first UN International Day of the Girl, designed to promote education for young women everywhere, is the perfect opportunity to finally stamp out child marriage, writes Gauri van Gulik from Human Rights Watch.

  • Lebanon: Investigate and Punish Army Attacks on Migrants
    Press release
    Oct 10, 2012
    Lebanon’s judiciary should investigate and prosecute any army and intelligence officials responsible for the beating and serious abuse of at least 72 male migrant workers on the evening of October 7 in the Beirut neighborhood of Geitawi, Human Rights Watch said today. According to victims and other witnesses, those beaten include at least 45 Syrian, 20 Egyptians, and 7 Sudanese migrant workers.