Search Results

Sort by
News

UN Human Rights Council: Advance Accountability in Myanmar

Statement under Item 4 | ID with Special Rapporteur on Myanmar | HRC49

Human Rights Watch welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar. Since the February 1, 2021 coup, Myanmar’s junta has carried out a brutal nationwide crackdown aimed at suppressing the millions of people bravely opposing…
Anti-coup protesters gather during a candlelight night rally in Yangon, March 14, 2021.
News

Myanmar: UN Rights Body Should Advance Justice

Support Arms Embargo, Stronger Targeted Sanctions

(Geneva) – The United Nations Human Rights Council should adopt a strategy for accountability in Myanmar to end abuses by the military junta, Human Rights Watch said today. The council will discuss Myanmar and the new report by the UN Human Rights…
Smoke rises from burning buildings in Karenni (Kayah) State, Myanmar, February 18, 2022.
News

UN Should Create New Yemen War-Crimes Investigation

Saudi Arabia and UAE Fight for Impunity in Yemen Conflict

Last month, the Netherlands’ ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) had “failed the people of Yemen” by rejecting the renewal of an investigation into alleged human rights abuses and war crimes…
People stand in front of a damaged building
News

Targeted sanctions, arms embargo needed to stem Myanmar military abuses

HRC47: Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on Myanmar

We welcome the Council’s decision to proceed with this important dialogue.   Myanmar once again stands at a precipice, threatening to become an international human rights pariah. Since the February 1 coup, the military junta has arbitrarily…
Myanmar police block a road near the US embassy in Yangon, Myanmar, February 22, 2021.
News

Myanmar: Security Forces Arrest Defense Lawyers

Wrongful Prosecutions Violate Rights to Counsel, Fair Trial of Accused

(Bangkok) – Myanmar’s security forces have recently arbitrarily arrested at least six lawyers defending political prisoners, violating both the lawyers’ rights and those of their clients, Human Rights Watch said today. The arrests deprive defendants…
Police car is seen on a street during the military coup demonstration.
News

Myanmar: Stop Holding Family, Friends Hostage

Detaining People to Coerce Others is Collective Punishment

(Bangkok) – Myanmar security forces are arbitrarily arresting and detaining family and friends of activists, protesters, and opposition members, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should immediately and unconditionally release all those…
This image from an April 18, 2021 news report by Myawaddy TV shows people who security forces detained in the Yankin township of Yangon, Myanmar.
News

UN top rights body should condemn Myanmar military coup, ensure accountability

HRW Statement - UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Myanmar

Myanmar once again stands at a precipice. Hundreds of people including elected political leaders, human rights defenders, activists and members of the business community have been arbitrarily detained. President Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi continue…
202102asia_myanmar_min_aung_hlaing
News

Saudi Arabia: ‘Image Laundering’ Conceals Abuses

New Human Rights Watch Campaign Against Whitewashing Rights Violations

(Beirut) – The Saudi government has spent billions of dollars hosting major entertainment, cultural, and sporting events as a deliberate strategy to deflect from the country’s image as a pervasive human rights violator, Human Rights Watch said today.…
Nicki Minaj
News

UN: Release Saudi Dissidents, Activists

29 Countries Call for Accountability for Torture, Khashoggi Killing

(Geneva) – Saudi Arabia should release all political dissidents and women’s rights activists, provide accountability for past abuses, and end persistent discrimination against women, 29 countries said today. The statement, delivered by Denmark at the…
201911MENA_SaudiArabia_Repression_main
News

Saudi Arabia: Prominent Detainees Held Incommunicado

Safety Concerns for Activists, Ex-Crown Prince, Cleric

(Beirut) – Saudi Arabia has denied some prominent detainees contact with their family members and lawyers for months, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter requesting access to the country and private prison visits with detainees. The situation…
Prominent women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul had been on hunger strike for six days before Saudi authorities finally allowed her parents to visit on August 31, according to family members. Al-Hathloul had spent almost three months before that in incommunicado detention.
News

Human Rights Council should urgently address impunity for summary executions

Item 3 interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on summary executions - 9 July 2020

Thank you, Madam President. Human Rights Watch welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur and the recommendation to adopt a strong political declaration on strengthening the protection of civilians from the harm arising from the use of explosive…
Delegates sit at the opening of the 41th session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, June 24, 2019.
News

No May Day Marches in Myanmar

Workers Fear Increase in Union Busting at Factories During Covid-19 Lockdown

In previous years on May 1, workers across Myanmar would rally and march in solidarity for workers’ rights and justice. But this May Day the streets will be quiet, as no marches are allowed with Covid-19 lockdowns and curfews in place. Most…
Workers shout slogans during a May Day march in Yangon, Myanmar, May 1, 2019.
News

Brands Abandon Asia Workers in Pandemic

Companies Canceling Orders, Adding to Job Loss, Unpaid Wages

  (London) – Apparel brands’ business practices in response to COVID-19 are exacerbating the economic plight of millions of garment workers in Asia, Human Rights Watch said today. Scores of clothing brands and retailers have canceled…
202003wrd_garment_cambodia
News

Saudi Arabia: New Mass Corruption Arrests

Previous Campaign Marred by Lack of Due Process, Torture Allegations

  (Beirut) – Saudi Arabia’s new mass arrest of 298 government employees on suspicion of corruption raises human rights concerns, Human Rights Watch said today. Saudi…
Women walk past a poster of Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during Janadriyah Cultural Festival on the outskirts of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia February 12, 2018.
News

Human Rights Council Should Take Action on Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and India

Item 4 General Debate – Oral Intervention

Under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government, Egyptians continue to face some of the worst human rights abuses in decades. The government’s zero-tolerance policy to peaceful dissent means that civil society organizations are under continuous attack,…
News

Implementation is Key to UN Rights Response

Human Rights Watch statement - Secretary-General’s report on Myanmar

The Secretary-General’s report on the UN involvement in Myanmar states that it: explores the structural and systemic factors that, notwithstanding the lessons learned in previous cases – notably, in Sri Lanka – appear to have been repeated in…
News

Five Human Rights Issues That Defined 2019 for Australia

As we approach the last days of the decade, it’s important to reflect on the fight for human rights, the setbacks and successes over the past year in Australia and around the world. Our list isn’t ranked, and far from exhaustive – we…
A Uighur woman picking up school children rides past a picture showing China's President Xi Jinping joining hands with a group of Uighur elders at the Unity New Village in Hotan, in western China's Xinjiang region.

Refine Search

Filter by Country
Filter by Topic
Filter by Type
Filter by News Category