• Q&A: Raised on the Registry
    May 1, 2013
    Questions and answers about Human Rights Watch's recent report, "Raised on the Registry: The Irreparable Harm of Placing Children on Sex Offender Registries in the US."
  • Kenya: Q&A on Recent Developments on the International Criminal Court
    April 8, 2013

    On April 9, 2013, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta was sworn in as Kenya’s president, following a Supreme Court decision rejecting challenges to the March 2013 election. Kenyatta, along with the deputy president-elect, William Samoei Ruto, both face trial (in two separate cases) before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of committing crimes against humanity during Kenya’s 2007-2008 post-election violence.

  • Q&A: Laurent Gbagbo and the International Criminal Court
    February 12, 2013

    Laurent Gbagbo is the former President of Côte d’Ivoire. He has been charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with four counts of crimes against humanity: murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, other inhumane acts, and persecution. The crimes were allegedly committed by forces under his control during post-election violence in Côte d’Ivoire, between November 28, 2010 and mid-May 2011. He has been charged as being responsible for these crimes as an indirect co-perpetrator or, in the alternative, because he contributed to the commission or attempted commission of crimes “by a group of persons acting with a common purpose.” The confirmation of charges hearing against Gbagbo—the first former head of state to be in ICC custody—brings victims one step closer to learning the truth behind his role in the post-election violence.

  • Q & A for Governments on a United Nations Commission of Inquiry on North Korea
    January 21, 2013
  • Q & A for Activists on a United Nations Commission of Inquiry on North Korea
    January 21, 2013
  • Q & A on Hostilities between Israel and Hamas
    November 21, 2012
    The following questions and answers address issues relating to international humanitarian law (the laws of war) governing the current conflict between Israel and Hamas and armed groups in Gaza. Human Rights Watch has not yet been able to undertake a significant on-the-ground investigation in Gaza. The purpose here is to provide analytic guidance for those who are examining the fighting, as well as for the parties to the conflict and those with the capacity to influence them.
  • Q&A on the Human Rights Debate in the UK
    September 19, 2012
  • Q&A: The Case of Hissène Habré before the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal
    September 11, 2012

     

    On February 8, 2013, the Extraordinary African Chambersin the courts of Senegal will be inaugurated to prosecute the person or persons most responsible for international crimes committed in Chad between 1982 and 1990. It is expected that only the former dictator of Chadduring those years, Hissène Habré, who is accused of thousands of political killings and systematic torture, will be prosecuted. 

  • Q & A on Laws of War Issues in Syria
    August 10, 2012
    The following Questions and Answers (Q & A) address aspects of international humanitarian law (the laws of war) governing the armed conflict between the government of Syria and the Free Syrian Army and other opposition armed groups. The purpose is to provide legal guidance on the fighting, including to the parties to the conflict and those with the capacity to influence them. This Q & A does not address the justifications or the legitimacy of resorting to armed force by any party.
  • Tunisia: Q&A on the Trial of Ben Ali, Others for Killing Protesters
    June 11, 2012
    Verdicts are expected next week in the trial of former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and his security chiefs, the first concerning the killing of protesters during Tunisia’s uprising in December 2010 and January 2011.