• Malaysia: Violence, Cyber Attacks Threaten Elections
    Press release
    May 1, 2013
    Malaysia’s ruling party and opposition leaders should rein in their supporters to end intimidation and violence that threaten general elections slated for May 5, 2013.
  • Iran: Government Trampling Workers’ Rights
    Press release
    Apr 30, 2013
    The Iranian government is increasingly violating workers’ rights to peaceful assembly and association. Dozens of labor and independent trade union activists are in prison for speaking out in defense of workers.Human Rights Watch called for the government to end the crackdown and free labor rights advocates in anticipation of International Workers’ Day on May 1, as part of a joint campaign by Iranian and international rights groups to highlight the plight of workers.
  • Iraq: Cancel Revocations of TV Station Licenses
    Press release
    Apr 30, 2013
    Iraq’s media commission should immediately reverse the license suspensions for ten satellite television stations and allow them to continue broadcasting. A senior official has admitted the suspension was not according to any law, nor could the commission produce any evidence of direct incitement to violence by any of the stations, leading to the conclusion that the suspension was arbitrary.
  • South Africa: ‘Secrecy Bill’ Improved But Still Flawed
    Press release
    Apr 29, 2013
    South Africa’s “secrecy bill,” adopted by the National Assembly on April 25, 2013, lacks essential protections for whistleblowers.
  • NGOs Have a Right to Receive Foreign Funding
    Commentary
    Apr 26, 2013
    The first lesson taught in the School for Autocrats is to keep people isolated.
  • Uganda: No Justice for April 2011 Killings
    Press release
    Apr 25, 2013
    Police and prosecutors in Uganda have turned a blind eye to the killings of at least nine people by security forces during protests in April 2011. Human Rights Watch issued a video in which relatives of the victims explain the impact on their families and their struggle to secure justice and compensation.
  • Burundi: Concerns About New Media Law
    Letter
    Apr 25, 2013

    Letter to President Pierre Nkurunziza

    Human Rights Watch urges President Pierre Nkurunziza not to sign the new media law adopted by the Senate on April 19, 2013, and to prevent it from being enacted in its current form. Human Rights Watch urges him instead to send it back to Parliament for amendment and ensure that the final version restores media freedoms, in line with Burundi’s national and international commitments.

  • Iraq: Investigate Deadly Raid on Protest
    Press release
    Apr 24, 2013
    Iraqi authorities should ensure that a promised investigation into a deadly raid on April 23, 2013, in Haweeja, near Kirkuk, examines allegations that security forces used excessive and lethal force.
  • Kenya: New Leaders Should Put Rights First
    Press release
    Apr 23, 2013
    Kenya’s new administration should take urgent steps in four key areas to address longstanding human rights challenges, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The administration should ensure that abusive security forces are held to account, protect independent voices, accelerate key police and land reforms, and cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
  • Kuwait: Ex-Lawmaker on Bail in ‘Insulting Emir’ Case
    Press release
    Apr 22, 2013
    Kuwait’s Court of Appeal released a former member of parliament on bail on April 22, 2013, in his appeal of a five-year sentence for insulting the emir.
  • Saudi Arabia: End Prosecution of Human Rights Lawyer
    Press release
    Apr 19, 2013
    Saudi authorities should immediately halt the 18-month prosecution of a Jeddah-based human rights lawyer.
  • World Bank: Commit to Rights in 2030 Vision
    Press release
    Apr 19, 2013
    The World Bank’s “vision” statement will be undermined if it fails to recognize the importance of human rights, nine organizations warned. The human rights and development groups called on President Jim Kim to make a firm commitment to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights in all of its activities.
  • World Bank: Uphold Rights to End Poverty, Economic Exclusion
    Press release
    Apr 19, 2013
    The World Bank Group should uphold human rights as it works to create a world free of poverty and economic exclusion, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the Group’s president, Dr. Jim Kim.
  • Letter to President Kim Re. a Human Rights Agenda for the World Bank
    Letter
    Apr 19, 2013
    Human Rights Watch recognizes that the World Bank operates in countries and environments where there are many human rights challenges. A commitment to human rights would greatly enhance the impact of the Bank’s efforts to reduce poverty and promote inclusive and sustainable development.
  • Universal Periodic Review: HRW Submission on Bangladesh
    Written statement
    Apr 18, 2013
    Bangladesh’s human rights situation has seen little improvement since its first UPR review in 2009. A key undertaking in the 2009 UPRwas to take a “zero tolerance” stand against abuses by security forces, and bring an end to impunity. Yet extrajudicial killings by the country’s security forces continue with impunity.
  • Universal Periodic Review: HRW Submission on Azerbaijan
    Written statement
    Apr 18, 2013
    Azerbaijan’s human rights record has been on a continual decline since the previous UPR in 2009, casting serious doubt on the government’s willingness to abide by its commitments and to reform. The long-repressive atmosphere for independent journalists, political activists, and human rights defenders has grown acutely hostile, with authorities using imprisonment as a tool for political retribution and clamping down on freedom of assembly, breaking up peaceful demonstrations, often violently.
  • Universal Periodic Review: Joint HRW submission on Cameroon with Affirmative Action, Alternatives Cameroun, ADEFHO, Camfaids, Evolve, Humanity First, IGLHRC
    Written statement
    Apr 18, 2013
    This submission, by Affirmative Action, Alternatives-Cameroun, the Association for the Defense of Gay and Lesbian Rights (ADEFHO), Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS (CAMFAIDS), Evolve, Human Rights Watch, Humanity First Cameroon, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), highlights shortcomings in Cameroon’s human rights record related to its treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. It is based on research conducted in Cameroon in 2009 and 2010 by ADEFHO, Alternatives-Cameroun, Human Rights Watch, and IGLHRC and published in our 2010 report Criminalizing Identities: Rights Abuses in Cameroon based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, and on follow-up investigations conducted between 2010 and 2012.
  • Universal Periodic Review: HRW Submission on Cuba
    Written statement
    Apr 18, 2013
    Cuba remains the only country in Latin America that represses virtually all forms of political dissent. In 2012 the government of Raúl Castro continued to enforce political conformity using short-term detentions, beatings, public acts of repudiation, travel restrictions, and forced exile. During its first UPR review, Cuba rejected all recommendations addressing the arbitrary detentions of political prisoners, the lack of protection of human rights defenders, and restrictions on freedom of expression. Since then, Human Rights Watch has continued documenting cases of serious abuses of these rights.
  • Universal Periodic Review: HRW Submission on Russia
    Backgrounder Briefing
    Apr 18, 2013
    Starting in June 2012, the Russian government reversed small, positive steps taken since the previous UPR, which had slightly loosened excessive government control over civil society organizations and aimed to improve pluralism in the political system. It launched a broad crackdown on freedom of assembly, association, and expression. Abuses in the counterinsurgency campaign in the North Caucasus continue. Several Russian regions have adopted homophobic laws, and preparations for the 2014 Olympic games in Sochi have been tainted by abuses.
  • Bahrain: F1 Ignores Rights Abuses Ahead of Race
    Press release
    Apr 17, 2013
    International racing bodies responsible for scheduling the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix from April 19 to 21, 2013, have taken no steps to address human rights abuses that appear to be directly linked to the event.
  • UN/Western Sahara: Give Peacekeepers a Human Rights Mandate
    Press release
    Apr 17, 2013
    United Nations Security Council members should task the United Nations with monitoring human rights violations in Western Sahara and in the refugee camps around Tindouf, in Algeria, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to all 15 Security Council member countries.
  • Venezuela: Respect Free Speech and Assembly
    Press release
    Apr 17, 2013

    The government of Venezuela should not limit citizens’ rights to freely express their views and assemble peacefully in response to the disputed presidential election, Human Rights Watch said today. It should respect freedom of the press and all violent incidents should be subject to prompt, thorough, and impartial investigations, Human Rights Watch said.

  • Kuwait: Drop Charges for ‘Offending Emir’
    Press release
    Apr 15, 2013
    The Kuwaiti authorities should drop criminal charges against dozens of online activists, journalists, and politicians for legitimately exercising their rights to freedom of expression. The authorities should also withdraw charges and overturn the sentences for at least 10 people already convicted in such cases, as recently as April 15, 2013.
  • Burundi: New Law Would Muzzle Journalists
    Press release
    Apr 12, 2013

    The adoption of a new media law by Burundi’s National Assembly on April 3, 2013, is an attempt to curtail free speech and independent journalism. The Senate and president should reject this version of the draft law, which would undermine Burundians’ hard-won struggle for fundamental freedoms.

  • Libya: Release Ailing Newspaper Editor
    Press release
    Apr 12, 2013
    Libyan authorities should immediately drop criminal defamation charges and free Amara Hassan al-Khatabi, editor of al-Ummah daily. Al-Khatabi, who has been in detention since December 19, 2012, is on trial for “insulting” and “slandering” members of the judiciary. His private lawyer was not allowed to visit him while he was detained in prison and says he was transferred to a medical facility due to his fragile health on April 6, 2013, where he remains detained under guard.
  • Tunisia: Release TV Station Director
    Press release
    Apr 12, 2013
    Tunisia’s new justice minister should ensure the immediate release of Sami Fehri, the director of the privately owned Attounissia TV channel.
  • Egypt: Address Recurring Sectarian Violence
    Press release
    Apr 10, 2013

    Egyptian authorities should bring to justice those responsible for the sectarian violence that left five Christians and one Muslim dead on April 5, 2013, in the town of Khosus, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should also investigate police failure to intervene effectively to prevent an escalation of violence outside the main Coptic cathedral in Cairo on April 7, after a funeral service for the Christians killed at Khosus.

  • Bahrain: Targeted Raids and Arbitrary Detentions
    Press release
    Apr 10, 2013
    Bahraini authorities are carrying out home raids and arbitrarily detaining opposition protesters in advance of the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend of April 19 to 21, 2013, Human Rights Watch said today, based on information from a variety of local sources.
  • Peru: Reject ‘Terrorism Denial’ Law
    Press release
    Apr 9, 2013
    The Peruvian Congress should reject a legislative proposal that includes overly broad language to criminalize the denial of terrorist crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • Egypt’s NGO Funding Crackdown
    Commentary
    Apr 9, 2013
  • Yemen: Reveal Any Military Role in Journalist’s Killing
    Press release
    Apr 3, 2013
    Yemen’s Defense Ministry should cooperate in bringing the killer of a journalist and his friend to justice, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the defense minister, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, requesting information about possible military involvement in the case.
  • Letter to Yemeni Minister of Defense on Death of Journalist Wagdy al-Shabi
    Letter
    Apr 3, 2013
  • Ethiopia: Muslim Protesters Face Unfair Trial
    Press release
    Apr 2, 2013
    The prosecution of 29 Muslim protest leaders and others charged under Ethiopia’s deeply flawed anti-terrorism law raises serious fair trial concerns. The trial is scheduled to resume in Addis Ababa on April 2, 2013, after a 40-day postponement.
  • Algeria: Activists Barred from World Social Forum
    Press release
    Mar 27, 2013
    Algerian authorities illegally restricted rights to free movement when they barred 96 Algerian civil society activists from travelling to Tunisia, without giving any reason.
  • Burma: Rohingya Muslims Face Humanitarian Crisis
    Press release
    Mar 26, 2013
    The Burmese government is systematically restricting humanitarian aid and imposing discriminatory policies on Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State.
  • Algeria: Activists Barred from World Social Forum
    Press release
    Mar 26, 2013
    Algerian authorities illegally restricted rights to free movement when they barred 96 Algerian civil society activists from travelling to Tunisia, without giving any reason. Border officials stopped the activists on March 25 as they were about to enter Tunisia, where they intended to attend the World Social Forum. The forum, a global gathering of approximately 50,000 activists on areas such as human rights and the environment, runs from March 26 to March 30, 2013.
  • UN: Emphasize Rights in Development Agenda
    Press release
    Mar 25, 2013
    The United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda should be grounded in human rights, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the UN High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
  • Indonesia: Order an End to Church Demolitions
    Press release
    Mar 25, 2013
    President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia should order local governments not to demolish houses of worship and should revoke discriminatory regulations on religious structures.
  • Leadership deficit fuels intolerance
    Commentary
    Mar 25, 2013
    A new report from Human Rights Watch documents how religious minorities, including several Protestant groups, Shia Muslims and Ahmadiyah, are targets of increasingly routine intimidation, threats and violence.
  • Letter to the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
    Letter
    Mar 24, 2013
    Human Rights Watch welcomes the High-level Panel’s efforts to advance a Post-2015 Development Agenda that seeks to learn from and build on the progress achieved through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Post-2015 consultations have revealed a strong international consensus for placing human rights at the center of the Post-2015 framework. The human rights framework unites the core aims of economic development, equality, and environmental sustainability, and its use will ensure accountability for the new agenda by anchoring it in existing international human rights obligations.
  • Tunisia: Repeal Criminal Defamation Law
    Press release
    Mar 20, 2013
    New criminal defamation charges against a university professor and a blogger for allegedly libeling public officials underscore the need to end the criminalization of defamation in Tunisia. They face up to two years in prison for publicly exposing alleged wrongdoing of the minister of foreign affairs and the general rapporteur of the constitution at the National Constituent Assembly.
  • Yemen: Possible Military Role in Journalist’s Killing
    Press release
    Mar 16, 2013
    Yemeni authorities should ensure that an investigation into the killing of a journalist and another man in Aden fully and impartially examines the military’s possible role and brings those responsible to justice.
  • Is Bahrain serious about reform?
    Commentary
    Mar 15, 2013
    Bahrain’s Sunni ruling family and their allies in Washington and London say they are pinning their hopes on a new “national dialogue” to break the bitter stalemate with the country’s political opposition among the majority Shia population. But a just settlement will remain elusive unless the government delivers on two outstanding reforms: accountability at the highest levels of the country’s security forces for their abusive response to the 2011 uprisings, and freedom for the country’s unjustly imprisoned opposition and human rights leaders.
  • 'Clock ticking' for Indonesia to tackle religious intolerance
    Commentary
    Mar 12, 2013
    As long as its leaders fail to acknowledge or act against the increased violence suffered by religious minorities, Indonesia's reputation as a country that balances diversity and tolerance will be in question, says campaign group
  • Saudi Arabia: Disclose Whereabouts of Jordanian Activist
    Press release
    Mar 8, 2013
    Saudi authorities should immediately disclose the whereabouts and condition of the Jordanian activist Khaled al-Natour, and free him or charge him with a recognizable criminal offense.
  • Iran: Prosecute Officials in Detained Blogger’s Death
    Press release
    Mar 7, 2013
    Iran’s judiciary should conclude a speedy, independent, and transparent criminal investigation followed by prosecution of those believed responsible for the death of the blogger Sattar Behesht. Beheshti died in the custody of Tehran’s cyber police in November 2012. Iranian officials should stop harassing his family and hampering their efforts to seek justice and ensure that those responsible for the blogger’s death are held to account.
  • Jakarta Condones Religious Violence
    Commentary
    Mar 6, 2013
    The worst fears of the Shia Muslim community in Sampang in Indonesia's East Java came to pass on Aug. 20, 2012. That morning, hundreds of Sunni militants attacked the community, torching some 50 homes, killing one man and seriously injuring another.
  • Somalia: Woman Alleging Rape Cleared, Journalist Convicted
    Press release
    Mar 3, 2013
    An appeals court’s ruling to uphold the conviction of a journalist who interviewed a woman alleging rape by government forces is a major setback for freedom of the media in Somalia. The woman, who had also been convicted of “insulting the government” and other alleged crimes, was found not guilty.
  • UAE: Ensure Fair Trial of 94 Political Activists
    Press release
    Mar 3, 2013
    The trial of 94 Emirati citizens accused of crimes against national security on March 4, 2013, raises serious fair trial concerns, including limited access to lawyers and withholding of key documents concerning the charges and evidence against them. The detainees include two prominent human rights lawyers, Mohammed al-Roken and Mohammed al-Mansoori, as well as judges, teachers, and student leaders, at least 10 of whom are women. Several defendents have alleged that they were subjected to ill-treatment in detention.
  • Bahrain: No Progress on Reform
    Press release
    Feb 28, 2013
    Bahrain’s rulers have made no progress on key reform promises, failing to release unjustly imprisoned activists or to hold accountable high-level officials responsible for torture, Human Rights Watch said today at a news conference in Manama.
  • Indonesia: Religious Minorities Targets of Rising Violence
    Press release
    Feb 28, 2013

    The Indonesian government is failing to protect the country’s religious minorities from growing religious intolerance and violence. 

  • Sudan: Crackdown on Political Opposition
    Press release
    Feb 26, 2013
    Sudanese authorities should charge or release six members of opposition parties who have been detained in poor conditions by Sudanese security, most of them for weeks, without access to lawyers or adequate medical care.
  • Egypt: Amend Draft Demonstrations Law
    Press release
    Feb 25, 2013
    The government-proposed draft law in Egypt concerning public demonstrations would severely limit the right to peaceful public assembly and is open to abuse by police, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the president and the Justice Ministry.
  • Oman: Free Reform Activists
    Press release
    Feb 22, 2013
    Omani authorities immediately should release and expunge the convictions of a group of reform activists jailed solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association. Twenty-four members of the group who are serving prison terms have been on hunger strike since February 9, 2013, to draw attention to their plight.
  • HRW submission on Angola to UN Human Rights Committee
    Written statement
    Feb 15, 2013
    This memorandum provides an overview of Human Rights Watch’s main concerns with respect to the human rights situation in Angola. We hope it will inform the Committee’s preparation for its review of the Angolan government’s compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (“the Covenant”).
  • Iran: End House Arrests of Mousavi, Karroubi, and Rahnavard
    Press release
    Feb 14, 2013
    The Iranian authorities should immediately release from arbitrary house arrest two former presidential candidates Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, an author and political activist, the Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi and six leading human rights groups said today. The authorities should also stop harassing or detaining without cause the couple’s two daughters and Karroubi’s son.
  • Kuwait: Court Acquits Activists of ‘Offending Emir’
    Press release
    Feb 14, 2013
    The acquittal of five Kuwaiti online activists charged with “offending the emir” could help ensure that Kuwaitis can freely express critical political opinions.
  • Israel/Palestine: New Abuses, No Justice
    Press release
    Feb 14, 2013

    Israel engaged in discriminatory practices and other rights violations against Palestinians during 2012, while Palestinian authorities committed abuses against their own population, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013.  

  • Joint NGO Letter to the Member States of the United Nations: Supporting Human Rights Accountability and Reform in Bahrain at the UN Human Rights Council
    Letter
    Feb 14, 2013
    The Council should explicitly address the ongoing human rights violations taking place in the country and the lack of sufficient implementation by the government of Bahrain of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry’s (BICI) recommendations, especially those calling for accountability. We also urge the Council members to call for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor and report on the human rights situation within the country.
  • Should Companies Take Responsibility for Repression?
    Commentary
    Feb 13, 2013
    The Arab uprisings have been a poignant reminder of how the Internet can promote free expression and assembly, but also how governments can try abuse it. The medium used by demonstrators to organize protests and bring medical supplies to Tahrir Square, for example, was also used by the government to pinpoint human rights defenders for arrest, harassment, and even torture.
  • Letter to Paul Biya, president of the Republic of Cameroon
    Letter
    Feb 13, 2013
    We are writing to call your attention to a series of death threats received in the last four months by Alice Nkom and Michel Togué, two Cameroonian human rights lawyers who defend clients charged with homosexuality under Cameroon’s article 347 bis. We are deeply concerned by the apparent lack of state action in response to these serious threats.
  • Cameroon: Stop Turning Blind Eye to Death Threats
    Press release
    Feb 13, 2013
    The government of Cameroon should immediately take action against a series of death threats made over the last four months to two lawyers who represent clients accused of homosexual conduct, Human Rights Watch said today in an open letter to President Paul Biya. Alice Nkom and Michel Togué, Cameroonian human rights lawyers, began receiving death threats in October 2012, in the form of emails and text messages, assailing the lawyers for their work defending clients charged with homosexuality. Consensual same-sex conduct is criminalized under the Cameroonian penal code’s article 347 bis, and at least 28 people have been prosecuted under the law since 2010. Nkom and Togué are among the only lawyers courageous enough to take up these cases in a country where homophobia is pervasive.
  • Saudi Arabia: Free Ex-Judge Sentenced to 15 Years
    Press release
    Feb 13, 2013
    Saudi authorities should immediately release and drop all charges against Sulaiman al-Rashoodi, a 76-year-old former judge and president of the Saudi Association of Civil and Political Rights (ACPRA). He is one of 16 people detained in 2007 and convicted in 2011 for peacefully trying to establish a human rights organization in Jeddah. Four others also have been sentenced to long prison terms.
  • Kuwait: Rights Setbacks Amid Political Crisis
    Press release
    Feb 12, 2013

    (Kuwait City) – Human rights conditions deteriorated in Kuwait in 2012 during an ongoing political crisis, Human Rights Watch said today at a news conference for its World Report 2013. The security forces used what appeared to be excessive force to disperse stateless bidun residents and anti-government demonstrators on multiple occasions, and authorities briefly banned protests in October. 

  • Azerbaijan: Stop Harassing Writer
    Press release
    Feb 12, 2013
    The Azerbaijani government should immediately end a hostile campaign of intimidation against writer Akram Aylisli. Aylisli recently published a controversial novel depicting relationships between ethnic Azeris and Armenians in Azerbaijan.
  • Yemen: Political Interference in Massacre Probe
    Press release
    Feb 12, 2013
    Investigators never questioned top officials in the criminal investigation by Yemen’s previous government into the shooting of demonstrators during the so-called Friday of Dignity Massacre on March 18, 2011, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh dismissed his attorney general when he demanded that government officials be questioned in the shooting deaths of 45 protesters – three of them children – and wounding of 200 others. It was the deadliest attack on protesters of Yemen’s uprising
  • Somalia: Second Journalist Detained Without Charge
    Press release
    Feb 11, 2013
    Somali authorities should immediately charge or release Daud Abdi Daud, a journalist who has been in custody since February 5, 2013. On February 11, he was transferred from police custody to Mogadishu Central Prison. Daud Abdi, who works for Kulmiye Radio, is secretary general of the Somali Media for Environment, Science, Health, and Agriculture.
  • Cambodia: Government Muzzles Lawyers
    Press release
    Feb 11, 2013
    The Cambodian government and bar association should drop their efforts to prohibit lawyers from giving media interviews without the permission of the national bar association.
  • Iraqi Kurdistan: Free Speech Under Attack
    Press release
    Feb 10, 2013
    Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) should stop arbitrarily detaining journalists, activists, and political opposition figures, and end its prosecution of journalists for insulting or defaming public figures. The Asayish – the Kurdistan Security Agency – and police arrested without warrants journalists and others who published articles criticizing public officials, and detained them without charge or trial for periods ranging from several weeks to a year.
  • Kuwait: Quash Convictions for ‘Offending Emir’
    Press release
    Feb 7, 2013
    A criminal court conviction of three former members of Kuwait’s parliament for “offending the emir” violates their right to freedom of expression. On February 5, 2013, the court found the defendants guilty, based on speeches they gave at a gathering in October 2012, and sentenced all three to three years in prison. The defendants have appealed their sentences, one of their lawyers told Human Rights Watch.
  • Qatar: Promises, Little Action on Migrant Workers’ Rights
    Press release
    Feb 7, 2013
    Qatar has not delivered on its pledges to improve migrant workers’ rights, Human Rights Watch said today at a news conference in Doha about its World Report 2013. More than two years after it won the right to host the 2022 World Cup, It is high time for Qatar to deliver on its promises for reforms to prevent the trafficking and forced labor of migrant workers, Human Rights Watch said. The Qatar Supreme Committee for Qatar 2022 – the tournament’s quasi-governmental delivery committee – has made encouraging pledges on workers’ rights, but these lack detail. Nor do they mask the failure of the Qatari authorities either to reform exploitative laws, such as the kafala system of sponsorship-based employment and the prohibition on trade unions, or to enforce the prohibition on illegal recruitment fees and the confiscation of passports.
  • Libya: Slow Pace of Reform Harms Rights
    Press release
    Feb 6, 2013
    Libya is still plagued by serious rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and deaths in detention nearly a year-and-a-half after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, Human Rights Watch said today at a news conference for its World Report 2013.
  • Somalia: Woman Alleging Rape, Journalist Convicted
    Press release
    Feb 5, 2013
    A Somali court’s conviction of a woman who alleged rape by security forces, and a journalist who interviewed her, is a serious setback for ending sexual violence and protecting press freedom, five human rights and media organizations said today. The government should drop its groundless case against the journalist and the woman, and immediately order the release of the journalist, the organizations said.
  • How to Keep the Arab Spring Blossoming
    Commentary
    Feb 4, 2013
    As rioting resumes in Egypt, militias reign ominously in parts of Libya, and relentless slaughter proceeds in Syria, some are beginning to question whether the Arab Spring was such a good idea after all. But would we really want to condemn entire nations to the likes of Mubarak, Gadhafi and al-Assad? As we know from the fall of military dictatorships in Latin America and the demise of the Soviet Union, building a rights-respecting democracy on a legacy of authoritarian rule is not easy. However, there are steps that both the people of the region and the international community can take to make a positive outcome more likely.
  • Pakistan: Abuses, Impunity Erode Rights
    Press release
    Feb 1, 2013
    Pakistan’s government has failed to act against abuses by the security and intelligence agencies, which continued to allow extremist groups to attack religious minorities, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013.
  • UAE: Backsliding on Human Rights
    Press release
    Jan 31, 2013
    The Human Rights situation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) deteriorated rapidly during 2012, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013.
  • Morocco/Western Sahara: Repression Belies Reform Pledges
    Press release
    Jan 31, 2013
    Moroccans still await tangible improvements in human rights a year after the adoption of a progressive new constitution and the election of an Islamist-led parliament and government, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013.
  • Iraq: A Broken Justice System
    Press release
    Jan 31, 2013
    Iraq’s leadership used draconian measures against opposition politicians, detainees, demonstrators, and journalists, effectively squeezing the space for independent civil society and political freedoms in Iraq, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013.
  • Saudi Arabia: Sweeping Injustices
    Press release
    Jan 31, 2013
    Saudi Arabia arrested hundreds of peaceful protesters during 2012, and sentenced activists from across the country to prison for expressing critical political and religious views, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013.
  • Bahrain: Widespread Suppression, Scant Reforms
    Press release
    Jan 31, 2013
    Bahrain’s failure to release political prisoners or hold accountable high officials responsible for torture, and its escalating campaign to silence human rights defenders, exposes the government's fraudulent claims that it is carrying out promised reforms, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013.
  • Iran: Consolidating Power as Elections Near
    Press release
    Jan 31, 2013
    Authorities arrested, detained, and harassed some of Iran’s most celebrated rights lawyers, and stepped up their assault on critical journalists, bloggers, and their families in 2012, HumanRightsWatchsaidtodayinitsWorld Report 2013.The government also prevented reformists and opposition leaders from participating in parliamentary elections, and is holding the opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard under house arrest as Iran prepares for its presidential election in June 2013.
  • Letter to EU Foreign Ministers regarding their meeting with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud this week in conjunction with the EU Foreign Affairs Council
    Letter
    Jan 30, 2013
  • Letter to EU High Representative Catherine Ashton regarding her meeting with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
    Letter
    Jan 30, 2013
  • Somalia: Alleged Rape Victim Charged
    Press release
    Jan 29, 2013
    Somali authorities should drop politically motivated charges against five people including a journalist and a woman who alleged she was raped by state security forces.
  • Iran: Free Journalists Swept Up in Raids
    Press release
    Jan 29, 2013
    Iran’s judiciary should charge or immediately free more than a dozen journalists arrested in recent days,. Any criminal charges would have to be based on clear evidence, and not in themselves amount to a violation of the journalists’ fundamental rights, including their freedom of expression or association. The judiciary and all Iranian authorities should ensure that the rights of all journalists in Iran to freedom of expression are fully protected, particularly in the period leading up to the 2013 presidential election.
  • Syria: Attacks on Religious Sites Raise Tensions
    Press release
    Jan 23, 2013
    Armed opposition groups appeared to have deliberately destroyed religious sites in mixed areas of Northern Syria, in November and December 2012.An armed opposition group destroyed a Shia place of worship in Idlib governorate, and two Christian churches in Latakia governorate were looted.
  • Russia: Investigate Death Threats Against Defender
    Press release
    Jan 21, 2013
    Russian authorities should investigate death threats against Vitalii Ponomarev, the lead Central Asia expert with Memorial Human Rights Center. The investigation should be prompt and comprehensive, and Russia should seek cooperation from Uzbek authorities to ensure its thoroughness.
  • Hungary’s Alarming Climate of Intolerance
    Commentary
    Jan 18, 2013
    A prominent columnist calls for a “final solution” for Hungary’s Roma population. A member of parliament calls for drawing up a list of Jewish people involved in Hungarian politics. Two-thirds of those asked in an opinion poll say they wouldn’t let their child be friends with a Romani child. Another poll suggests a similar number believe Jewish people have too much influence. One doesn’t have to be a student of history to be worried about the growing climate of intolerance in Hungary.
  • Sudan: End Crackdown on Civil Society
    Press release
    Jan 13, 2013
    Sudan should immediately rescind its decision to shut down four civil society organizations in Khartoum in December 2012. The government should allow independent groups to operate freely and conduct peaceful protests.
  • Venezuela: Halt Censorship, Intimidation of Media
    Press release
    Jan 12, 2013
    Venezuela should end censorship and intimidation of media that challenge the official line regarding President Hugo Chávez’s health and inauguration, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • UAE/France: Hollande Should Convey Rights Concerns
    Press release
    Jan 12, 2013
    President François Hollande of France should publicly and privately convey concerns about deteriorating human rights conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on his visit there. Hollande is scheduled to arrive for his first official visit to the UAE on January 15, 2013.
  • Vietnam: Release Convicted Activists
    Press release
    Jan 9, 2013
    The conviction and prison sentences of 14 activists by the People’s Court of Nghe An province on January ­­­9, 2012, marks a sharp escalation of government attacks on critics
  • Bahrain: Highest Court Upholds Grossly Unfair Convictions
    Press release
    Jan 7, 2013
    Bahrain’s Court of Cassation ruling on January 7, 2013, upholding lengthy prison terms of 13 prominent dissidents appears to confirm the inability of Bahrain’s judicial system to protect basic rights. A military court had convicted the dissidents solely for exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.
  • China: Renewed Restrictions Send Online Chill
    Press release
    Jan 4, 2013

    The Chinese government’s further tightening of internet controls and mandating real name registration threaten security and privacy of internet users. On December 28, 2012, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s legislative body, passed the “Decision to Strengthen the Protection of Online Information.” The Decision contains troubling provisions that require internet access and telecommunications providers to collect personal information about users when they sign up for internet access, landline, or mobile phone service.

  • Bahrain: Charges Against Rights Defender Raise Concerns
    Press release
    Jan 3, 2013
    Bahraini authorities should provisionally release a human rights activist who faces charges over his tweet reporting about a wounded demonstrator. The activist, Sayed Yusuf al-Muhafadha, has been charged with “willfully disseminating false news” amounting to “incitement to violence.”
  • Letter to Bahrain on the Pre-Trial Detention of Sayed Yusuf al-Muhafadha
    Letter
    Jan 2, 2013
    We are writing you this open letter to express our concerns about the prosecution and pre-trial detention of Sayed Yusuf al-Muhafadha, acting vice-president of the Bahrain Human Rights Centre (BHRC), on charges of “willfully disseminatingfalse news” that amounts to “incitement to violence.”