Reports

The Persecution of Environmentalists and Indigenous Leaders in Indonesia

The 70-page report, “Grabbed Land, Silenced Justice: The Persecution of Environmentalists and Indigenous Leaders in Indonesia,” documents how Indonesian police have responded to complaints filed by company officials or politicians by silencing Indigenous villagers who demand their customary land rights and the activists who defend them. The authorities have targeted environmental and Indigenous community defenders using the criminal code and other laws to bring charges ranging from defamation to “spreading communism” to silence protest over environmental harm.

An Indigenous Dayak villager shows pictures of her rubber plantation destroyed by an industrial logging company
A man holds a flower and the message "Humanity for All" in front of a line of soldiers

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  • January 12, 2015

    Violence, Repression, and Corruption in Cambodia

    The 67-page report chronicles Hun Sen’s career from being a Khmer Rouge commander in the 1970s to his present role as prime minister and head of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). The report details the violence, repression, and corruption that have characterized his rule under successive governments since 1985.

  • January 12, 2015

    The Tribal Council at Lower Brule and its Impact on Human Rights

    This 112-page report documents many of the problems with tribal governance at Lower Brule for the first time. It details how the Tribal Council has diverted millions of dollars in federal funds away from key social programs without explaining how those funds were spent.

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  • December 15, 2014

    Violence and Harassment against LGBT People and Activists in Russia

    This 85-page report is based on dozens of detailed interviews with LGBT people and activists in 16 cities across Russia who experienced attacks or aggressive harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • December 10, 2014

    Advancing Prosecutions for Serious Crimes Committed in South Sudan’s New War

    This 38-page report draws from interviews with South Sudanese judges, prosecutors, private lawyers, victims, government officials, nongovernmental groups, UN staff, and foreign diplomats in October 2014 to explain why justice is needed, and makes recommendations to ensure perpetrators are held to account.
  • December 3, 2014

    Abuses against Women and Girls with Psychosocial or Intellectual Disabilities in Institutions in India

    This report documents involuntary admission and arbitrary detention in mental hospitals and residential care institutions across India, where women and girls with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities experience overcrowding and lack of hygiene, inadequate access to general healthcare, forced treatment – including electroconvulsive therapy – as well as physical, verbal, and sexual violence.

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  • November 17, 2014

    Police Killings and Enforced Disappearances in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

    The 57-page report details how uniformed police, often wearing masks, dragged kuluna, or suspected gang members, from their homes at night and executed them. The police shot and killed the unarmed young men and boys outside their homes, in the open markets where they slept or worked, and in nearby fields or empty lots.
  • November 17, 2014

    Abuses in Crimea

    This 37-page report and <a href="http://youtu.be/AyA3Rg4gFJY">accompanying video</a> document the intimidation and harassment of Crimea residents who oppose Russia’s actions in Crimea, in particular Crimean Tatars, as well as activists and journalists.

  • October 29, 2014

    Child Marriage and Human Rights Abuses in Tanzania

    This 75-page report documents how child marriage severely curtails girls’ access to education, and exposes them to exploitation and violence – including marital rape and female genital mutilation (FGM) – and reproductive health risks.

  • October 22, 2014

    Abuse and Exploitation of Female Migrant Domestic Workers in the United Arab Emirates

    This 79-page report documents how the UAE’s visa sponsorship system, known as kafala, and the lack of labor law protections leave migrant domestic workers exposed to abuse. Domestic workers, most from Asia and Africa, cannot move to a new job before their contracts end without the employer’s consent, trapping many in abusive conditions.

  • October 21, 2014

    Violence and Discrimination against LGBT People in Jamaica

    This 86-page report documents 56 cases of violence in which victims reported they were targeted because of their actual or perceived sexual identity. Human Rights Watch found that police investigations are often inadequate or lacking altogether, in some cases due to homophobia within the police force. Discriminatory laws contribute to the specific vulnerability of LGBT people.

  • October 18, 2014

    Human Rights in the Tindouf Refugee Camps

    This 94-page report is among the most detailed studies of the subject by an international human rights organization. It is based on interviews conducted during a two-week visit to the camps, as well as interviews conducted elsewhere.
  • October 16, 2014

    US Border Screening and Returns of Central Americans to Risk of Serious Harm

    This report details the US border policies and practices that place migrants at risk of serious harm back home, based on the accounts of people sent back to Honduras, people in detention, and an analysis of deportation data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.