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A protester in Istanbul, Turkey, holds a portrait of Mahsa (Jina) Amini during a demonstration on September 20, 2022.

Top Human Rights Videos of 2022

A protester in Istanbul, Turkey, holds a portrait of Mahsa (Jina) Amini during a demonstration on September 20, 2022. The death of Amini in Tehran, Iran, after being arrested by the “morality police” for wearing an “improper hijab” sparked protests in Iran and around the world.  © 2022 Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images

What were your favorite human rights videos of 2022? Millions of you watched our reels on topics ranging from the United States Supreme Court’s blow against reproductive rights to Ethiopia’s ruthless ethnic cleansing of Tigrayans. We counted the views on social media and YouTube, and below are our top ten videos of the year – with the number one video, hitting on a story we bet you know, garnering nearly 4 million views.

10. The US Supreme Court Strikes Down Roe v. Wade 

In a predicted but nonetheless stunning discission, the United States Supreme Court overturned the constitutional guarantee of abortion access in the United States, opening the door for government control of one of the most private decisions someone can consider.

 

9. No Justice, No Freedom for Rohingya 5 Years On

Rohingya Muslims are still awaiting justice and protection of their rights five years after the Myanmar military began a sweeping campaign of massacres, rape, and arson in northern Rakhine State in 2017.

 

8. Russian Forces Tortured Detainees in Izium, Ukraine

Russian forces routinely tortured detainees during their six-month occupation of Izium, a city in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine. The cruel violence and abuse in Izium were not random incidents and must be investigated accordingly.

 

7. Ethiopia's Ruthless Ethnic Cleansing of Tigrayans

Ethiopian authorities have severely restricted access and independent scrutiny of the Western Tigray Zone, keeping the government’s campaign of ethnic cleansing largely hidden.

 

6. FIFA/Qatar: Compensate Migrant Workers for Abuses

Migrant workers and their families are demanding compensation from FIFA and Qatar authorities for abuses that workers suffered preparing for the 2022 World Cup. We stand with them.

 

5. Mannequin Heads in Afghanistan

The Taliban dealt another blow to women's rights -- although this time it involved  inanimate women. 

 

4. The Last British Colony in Africa

Did you know that Britain still has a colony in Africa? The UK rules over a group of islands in Eastern part of Africa called the Chagos Archipelago. Chagossians should have the right to return to their homes and live free from stigma and discrimination.

 

3. Pakistan: Floods have killed more than 1,000 people

Catastrophic floods in Pakistan have caused billions of dollars in damages to crops, houses, and other buildings, severely impacting the lives of 33 million people, many of whom have been displaced.  

 

2. Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza

The Israeli military’s airstrikes in Gaza City have violated the laws of war and may amount to war crimes. The long-term effects of the attacks extend beyond the immediate destruction of the buildings, leaving many people displaced and unemployed.

And the most watched video of 2022:

 

1. Iran: Woman Dies in Custody of Iran’s ‘Morality Police’ 

“Women, life, freedom.” In a country where expressing autonomy as a woman is extremely dangerous, thousands of protestors swept through the streets of Iran, following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa (Jina) Amini while in custody of Iran’s notorious morality police, who arrested her for “improperly” wearing her headscarf.

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