In October, the leadership and multiple members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party were convicted of running a criminal organization. Greece continued to host large numbers of asylum seekers while failing to protect their rights. Thousands are confined to…

There remained serious human rights concerns in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in 2020 over ethnic divisions, discrimination, and the rights of minorities and asylum seekers. Pressure on media professionals continued. A long-delayed strategy was adopted to…

Human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo under President Felix Tshisekedi took a downturn in 2020, against the backdrop of the gains made during his first year in office. Congolese authorities cracked down on peaceful protesters, journalists, and…

The Covid-19 pandemic altered the lives of everyone in the European Union in 2020, with some member states more affected than others by the public health emergency and socioeconomic consequences of lockdown measures. Despite some efforts at the EU and…

Nine people were killed in February in a racist attack. Right-wing extremist structures are surfacing within the police and armed forces. Crimes committed based on far-right and antisemitic ideology remain a serious concern. Protests against the…

The United Kingdom exited the European Union in January, and then faced the public health and economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. The government’s response to both highlighted its willingness to set aside human rights for the sake of…

The assault on human rights and the rule of law presided over by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continued during the Covid-19 pandemic. The president’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and an allied far-right party enjoy a…

Morocco cracked down harder on social media commentators, artists, and journalists critical of the monarchy. Despite a press code devoid of prison sentences as punishment, authorities continue to resort to penal code articles to imprison critics. Before…

Six years into an armed conflict that has killed and injured over 18,400 civilians, Yemen remains the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Yemen is experiencing the world’s worst food security crisis with 20.1 million people—nearly two-…

In 2020, United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities continued to invest in a “soft power” strategy aimed at painting the country as a progressive, tolerant, and rights-respecting nation, yet its fierce intolerance of criticism was on full display…

The 2019 legislative elections in Tunisia, the third to be held since massive street protests ousted previous president and autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2010, produced a fragmented parliament. The Islamist Ennahdha party came first, with 52 out of…

Saudi Arabia held the presidency of the G20 in 2020 despite the country’s longstanding human rights abuses, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced authorities to turn G20 events, including the leaders’ summit, into virtual forums. Authorities…

In September, Qatar introduced significant labor reforms allowing migrant workers to change jobs without employer permission and setting a higher and non-discriminatory minimum wage. Earlier, in January, Qatar extended the right to leave the country…

In his first year in office, President Mohamed Ould Ghezouani did not progress in overhauling existing repressive laws on criminal defamation, spreading “false information,” cybercrime, and blasphemy that authorities use to prosecute and jail…

Since April 2019, the United Nations-recognized and Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), supported by armed groups in western Libya nominally under its control, has been embroiled in an armed conflict with the rival Interim Government based…

In 2020, civilians in Syria faced another year confronting stark challenges and abuses, first and foremost at the hands of the Syrian government and other authorities, despite a discernible decrease in violent conflict. With the unprecedented…

After four years of a president who was indifferent and often hostile to human rights, the November 2020 election of Joe Biden to the presidency of the United States provides an opportunity for a fundamental change of course. Donald Trump was a…

Japan is a liberal democracy with an active civil society. On September 16, Yoshihide Suga became Japan’s prime minister after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his resignation due to health concerns. Japan has no law…

Important human rights failings of the United States were laid bare in 2020. The grossly disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black, brown, and Native people, connected to longstanding disparities in health, education, and economic status, revealed…

The security and human rights situation in Ethiopia deteriorated as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed struggled to maintain order amid growing unrest and political tensions. The rights landscape was defined by ongoing abuses by government security forces, attacks…