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Evicted from Their Office, Al Jazeera Works from a Front Yard in Tunisia

Authorities Arbitrarily Target Media and Critics

I first met Lotfi Hajji some 15 years ago, after Tunisian authorities under President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali had refused a request by Al Jazeera, the Qatar-funded pan-Arab television station, to accredit the Tunisian journalist as their local…
Al Jazeera correspondent Lotfi Hajji reporting from Tunis after Tunisian authorities evicted the pan-Arab television network from its offices, November 5, 2021. 
News

Tunisia: Attack on Director of LGBT Group

Police Officers Suspected; Investigation Needed

Two police officers apparently brutally attacked the director of a Tunis-based LGBT rights group on October 21, 2021, Human Rights Watch said today. The attack on Badr Baabou took place against a backdrop of mounting abuses targeting LGBT activists by…
Badr Baabou, director of Damj Association for Justice and Equality, following his assault by suspected police officers in Tunisia. © 2021 Badr Baabou
News

Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan remains vital

HRC48 - Item 10 Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on on technical assistance and capacity-building for South Sudan

The situation of human rights and impunity in South Sudan remains of deep concern. In July we documented how security forces in Warrap state under the orders of the state governor summarily executed at least eight suspected criminals, including two…
Southern Sudanese wave the national flag and cheer at South Sudan's first national soccer match after the country declared its independence, in the capital Juba on July 10, 2011
News

Scrutiny by UN Rights Body on South Sudan Remains Critical

Item 4 Enhanced Interactive Dialogue with the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan

Thank you, Madam President.  South Sudanese continue to live in a context of widespread impunity and insecurity, which threatens the enjoyment of their most fundamental rights, and highlights the ongoing need for Human Rights Council scrutiny…
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

South Sudanese Officials Intimidate Sex Worker on Camera

Government Should Protect Sex Workers, Enhance HIV/AIDs Education

A video, posted to Facebook by the Office of the Mayor of Juba City Council, shows a group of male officials and armed police officers harassing and taunting a female sex worker. “Are you a sex seller, don’t you know you are spoiling this country……
Three sex workers sit at their workplace in Juba, South Sudan on March 5, 2018.
News

Tunisia: President’s Repressive Policies Abrogate Rights

Dozens Placed Under Arbitrary House Arrests

(Tunis) – Arbitrary and politically motivated acts of repression have proliferated in Tunisia since July 25, 2021, when President Kais Saied suspended parliament, Human Rights Watch said today. He also lifted parliamentary immunity, dismissed the head…
Tunisian President Kais Saied raises his fist to bystanders as he walks along the avenue Bourguiba in Tunis, Tunisia, August 1, 2021.
News

South Sudan: African Union Disappoints on Justice

Rights Groups Urge AU to Deliver on Commitments for Accountability

(Nairobi) – The African Union Commission’s failure to advance justice for the countless victims of atrocities in South Sudan raises concerns about the regional body’s commitment to accountability, 34 South Sudanese, regional, and international rights…
201708africa_southsudan_refugees_main_preview
News

South Sudan: Summary Executions in North

Investigate Officials and Security Forces; End Killings, Other Abuses in Warrap State

(Nairobi) – South Sudanese security forces summarily executed at least eight suspected criminals, including two children, as part of their anti-crime campaign in Warrap state, Human Rights watch said today. The executions apparently were…
Governor Aleu & Kiir meeting
News

Tunisia: President’s Seizure of Powers Threatens Rights

A Dangerous Move Capitalizes on Popular Frustration

(Tunis) – Tunisian President Kais Saied should safeguard the human rights of all Tunisians and reverse any repressive measures taken since announcing July 25 measures that largely concentrate powers in his office, Human Rights Watch said today. On…
Kais Saied during the sworn ceremony in Bardo, Tunis, Tunisia on October 23, 2019.
News

South Sudan at a Crossroads

Challenges and Hopes 10 Years After Independence

Ten years ago, on July 9, 2011, South Sudan gained its long-fought independence from Sudan. Since then, the new country descended into a bloody seven-year civil war, and while a peace deal was inked by warring parties in 2018, fighting between communities…
Southern Sudanese wave the national flag and cheer at South Sudan's first national soccer match after the country declared its independence, in the capital Juba on July 10, 2011
News

Persons with Disabilities in the Context of Armed Conflict

Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Human Rights Watch welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for his thematic report to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the rights of persons with…
News

South Sudan’s Arms Embargo Still Crucial for Civilian Protection

UN Security Council Should Renew Embargo, Demand Concrete Rights Reforms

The United Nations Security Council should renew an arms embargo on South Sudan this week along with travel bans and asset freezes on designated government officials. With attacks on civilians and aid workers in South Sudan rising, the arms embargo –…
South Sudan People's Defence Forces conducting drill military
News

Middle East/North Africa: End Violent Punishment of Children

Human Rights Watch Introduces Country Index Based on Laws, Policies

(Beirut) – Governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) should outlaw the violent discipline of children, Human Rights Watch said today, introducing an index categorizing countries in the region based on their laws and policies. The MENA…
2020 Dadu Shin for Human Rights Watch
News

Will South Sudan rein in its notorious National Security Service?

The NSS has become a feared agency and a vital tool in the government’s campaign of silencing dissent.

We met a young man on a hot and humid Saturday morning along the banks of the Nile in South Sudan’s capital Juba. With misty eyes and a shaky voice, he spoke about his new wife who was being held at a detention center known as the “Blue…
man. hands. cuffs.
News

Tunisia Jails Repatriated Women With Suspected ISIS Ties

Ensure Humane Treatment, Due Process, Medical Care

(Tunis) – Families of women and children with ties to suspected members of the Islamic State group (ISIS) who were recently repatriated to Tunisia say that all of the women are in detention, Human Rights Watch said today. Some have faced abuse, have…
The Palace of Justice in Tunis, Tunisia, on January 29, 2019.
News

A Plea to the UN to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict

Deaf Activist Warns “Our Wounds Will Never Heal”

When Caroline Atim, founder and director of the South Sudan Women with Disabilities Network, spoke to the UN Security Council this week, I watched her hands intently and listened to her sign language interpreter, as she described the devastating…
Caroline Atim, wearing a blue dress, addresses the United Nations Security Council during a virtual meeting, April 14, 2021. She is seated in front of a black background.
News

The human rights of older women

Submission to the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons

This submission is based on Human Rights Watch research on human rights issues impacting older women,[1] including domestic violence, abuse, and neglect in residential institutions for older people, abuses during armed conflict, and health disparities…