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Cuba: Peaceful Protesters Systematically Detained, Abused
Arbitrary Detention, Ill-Treatment, Abusive Trials Affect Hundreds
(Washington, DC) – The Cuban government has systematically engaged in arbitrary detention, ill-treatment of detainees, and abuse-ridden criminal prosecutions in response to overwhelmingly peaceful anti-government protests in July 2021, Human Rights…
Cuba: Telecommunications Decree Curtails Free Speech
Latin American, US, EU Leaders Should Condemn New Restrictions on Internet
(Washington, DC) – A new decree and accompanying legislation announced by the Cuban government severely restricts freedom of expression online and threatens users’ privacy, Human Rights Watch said today. Governments in Latin America, as well as the…
Written Testimony to the US House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee on Cuba
José Miguel Vivanco
Americas Executive Director, Human Rights Watch
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration, and International Economic Policy
Historic Protests in Cuba and the Crackdown on Free Expression
July 20…
Letter to the Editor: the Turmoil in Cuba
Just as largely unprecedented mass street protests erupted on the streets in Cuba [“In the streets, Cubans ‘have lost their fear’, ” front page, July 13], the Coast Guard’s interdiction of a boat off the coast of Key West and summary return of Cubans…
Cuba Responds to Landmark Demonstrations with Brutal Repression
Internet Outages as Protesters Are Detained, Held Incommunicado
Since July 11, thousands of Cubans have taken to the streets across the country in landmark demonstrations protesting longstanding restrictions on rights, scarcity of food and medicines, and the government’s poor response to the Covid-19 pandemic.…
Cuba: Clampdown on Artists, Journalists
Arbitrary Detention, Restrictions on Movement, Communications
(Washington, DC) – The Cuban government is committing systematic human rights abuses against independent artists and journalists, Human Rights Watch said today as it released a video on the abuses.
In recent months, Cuban authorities have jailed…
What Cuba doesn't want you to know about its artists and musicians.
(Washington, DC, June 30, 2021) – The Cuban government is committing systematic human rights abuses against independent artists and journalists, Human Rights Watch said today as it released a video on the abuses.
In recent months, Cuban authorities…
Angola: Security Forces Kill Protesters in Lunda Norte Province
Independent, Thorough Investigation Needed
(Johannesburg) – Angolan authorities should immediately ensure a prompt, independent, and thorough investigation into the killing by security forces of at least 10 unarmed protesters on January 30, 2021 during a protest organized by the Lunda Tchokwe…
Cuba: Covid-19 Rules Used to Intensify Repression
Critics Imprisoned, Fined, Harassed
(Washington, DC) – The Cuban government is using regulations designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 to harass and imprison critics, Human Rights Watch said today.
On November 26, 2020, Cuban security forces detained 14 government critics in…
Angola: Police Fire on Peaceful Protesters
One Man Killed; Prominent Activists, Others Beaten
(Johannesburg) – Angolan police used live bullets, teargas, and dogs to disperse a peaceful anti-government protest, killing one protester, in the capital, Luanda, on November 11, 2020, Human Rights Watch said today. Police severely beat the well-…
Cuba’s Government Targets Social Media Influencers
YouTubers Have Faced Police Harassment and Death Threats
Cuba’s government has a well-documented history of harassing dissidents, journalists, and opposition party members. Now it has a new target: social media influencers.
On October 14, police arrived at the homes of four Cuban YouTubers about to…
UN: Deny Rights Council Seats to Major Violators
General Assembly Members Should Not Vote for China, Saudi Arabia
(New York) – United Nations member countries should not vote for China and Saudi Arabia, two of the world’s most abusive governments, for seats on the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights Watch said today. Russia’s numerous war crimes in Syria’s…
Statement on the Continued Detention of André Bonzela, Maurício Gimbi and João Mampuela and the Human Rights Situation in Cabinda, Angola
We, the undersigned organisations, note with concern the continued arbitrary detention of Maurício Gimbi, president of the Union for the Independence of Cabinda (UIC), João Mampuela, vice president of UIC, and André Bonzela, director of UIC president’s…
Cuba’s Government Throws Its Repressive Playbook at a Journalist
Camila Acosta Endures a Year of Harassment, Arrest, and Forced Relocation
The Cuban government’s brutal restrictions on free speech fall particularly hard on journalists. Camila Acosta has learned this from experience. In just the one year since August 2019, when she began working as an independent journalist for the news…
Cuba: Protest Over Police Killing Suppressed
Covid-19 No Excuse for Arbitrary Detention, Communication Restrictions
(Washington, DC) – Cuban authorities committed numerous rights violations in June 2020 against people organizing a protest over police violence, effectively suppressing the demonstration, Human Rights Watch said today.
Many Cubans planned to gather…
Cuba: Repressive Rules for Doctors Working Abroad
Receiving Governments Should Press for Change
The Cuban government imposes draconian rules on doctors deployed in medical missions globally that violate their fundamental rights, Human Rights Watch said today. Governments seeking support from Cuban health workers to respond to the Covid-19…
Angola’s Prisons Ill-Equipped to Curb Covid-19 Spread
Release More Detainees to Reduce Overcrowding
Angolan authorities have released nearly 1900 people in pretrial detention to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic to the nation’s prisons. While the release of detainees will reduce prison overcrowding, it is not enough to avoid…
Southern Africa: Weak Rights Protections
Leaders Should Promote Human Rights Across Region
(Johannesburg) – Weak domestic and regional institutions undermined human rights in several Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries during 2019, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2020…
UK's Prince Harry Should Highlight Landmines During Angola Visit
17 Years After War’s End, Mines Still Killing, Maiming Children
Today, Britain’s Prince Harry starts a two-day visit to Angola as part of a tour that will take him to South Africa, Botswana, and Malawi. While in Angola, Harry will visit a HALO Trust demining project in Huambo province, which his…
