Content in Other Languages

September 1, 2026

“Not Genuine with Justice”

Sri Lanka’s Lack of Will to Prosecute Past Abuses

The 49-page report, “‘Not Genuine with Justice’: Sri Lanka’s Lack of Will to Prosecute Past Abuses,” provides an overview of domestic justice efforts in seven prominent cases of grave abuses in which the Dissanayake government has made a measure of progress since taking office in 2024. Human Rights Watch found that many emblematic cases, including a massacre of aid workers, the targeting of journalists, and enforced disappearances of academics and others, remain stalled, while families of victims and human rights defenders face threats and intimidation.
 

Report cover in English
September 1, 2026

Sri Lanka: Tepid Progress on Justice for Past Abuses

The Sri Lankan government’s prosecution of past grave abuses has lagged, raising concerns for future progress, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. United Nations officials and UN member countries at the Human Rights Council should call on the government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to show greater determination to address emblematic rights cases and cooperate with international accountability efforts.
A police officer stands guard in front of the Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, July 26, 2025.
September 1, 2026

Chile: Reject Constitutional Changes

The Chilean Congress should reject a proposal to amend the Constitution introduced by President José Antonio Kast that would threaten a broad range of human rights.
Chilean President José Antonio Kast greets police officers after announcing a new security agenda and stricter immigration enforcement, at the Plaza de Armas in Santiago, Chile, August 6, 2026.
August 28, 2026

Harmonizing the Fragmented Right to Education: The Proposed Free Education Optional Protocol

Nothing inherent in children’s development explains why their right to education should be more or less accessible depending on whether they are 4, 8, or 16. Yet international law treats financial barriers to education as more or less problematic depending on their stage of childhood. For primary education, the obligation to remove fees is clear and urgent. For secondary education, it is weaker and easier to postpone. For pre-primary education, there’s largely silence.
Proposed caption: A preschool in Rzeszow, Poland.
August 28, 2026

Cameroon Grapples with Gender-Based Violence, Increased Femicides

Several women were killed, including by current or former partners in Cameroon between August 6 to 26, some in the presence of their children. These killings are the latest signs that women in Cameroon, including domestic violence victims and survivors, have little protection or access to justice.
Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa, Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family, at the International Day of Rural Women celebrations in Nguibassal, Centre Cameroon, October 17, 2022.