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Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization based in New York. Its stated aim is to promote human rights and justice around the world.

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Zanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan inspects the guard of honour at Uhuru Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Zanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan inspects the guard of honour at Uhuru Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Has Tanzania's protest crackdown dented democratic gains?

A recent protest crackdown shows that progress on political freedom in Tanzania has been inconsistent.

The Maasai people in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, Tanzania.

The Maasai people in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, Tanzania.

Tanzania: Plan for Maasai removal putting people at risk

A report outlines how Tanzania is cutting access to essential services to force the relocation of Maasai.

A Chinese police officer at a vocational center in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region

A Chinese police officer at a vocational center in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region

China changes names of Uyghur villages, says report

China changed names of villages inhabited by Uyghur people and other minorities to generic terms, a rights group said.

DW Dokumentation | Philippinen - Kinder tauchen nach Gold

DW Dokumentation | Philippinen - Kinder tauchen nach Gold

Dangerous diving - Child gold miners in the Philippines

The Philippines has vast deposits of gold. But much of it is mined by children.

Human Rights Watch reports that there are indications that genocide has been or is being carried out in Sudan.

Human Rights Watch reports that there are indications that genocide has been or is being carried out in Sudan.

Sudan conflict: Human Rights Watch warns of ethnic cleansing

HRW reports that there were indications that genocide had taken place or was still being carried out in Sudan.

Ethiopian migrants run from Yemen towards the border with Saudi Arabia

Ethiopian migrants run from Yemen towards the border with Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Are the killings of Ethiopians systematic?

Saudi Arabia is playing down repeated accusations of killing Ethiopian migrants.

Cambodia Parliament

Cambodia Parliament

Cambodia lawmakers who boycott election face ban from office

Opposition lawmakers who were considering a boycott of the election are set to be banned from running for office.

A person watching a TV screen

A person watching a TV screen

Uganda's anti-LGBTQ law restricts media and activists, too

Some journalists in Uganda say new anti-LGBTQ legislation would infringe on their rights to report.

Internally displaced Afghans queue up who took refuge in Kabul return to their homes after a year of war

Internally displaced Afghans queue up who took refuge in Kabul return to their homes after a year of war

HRW says thousands of Afghan evacuees 'locked up' in UAE

Over 2,000 Afghan asylum seekers are living in "miserable" conditions in the Gulf country, waiting months for a move.

Äthiopien Premierminister Treffen mit Führern von Tigray

Äthiopien Premierminister Treffen mit Führern von Tigray

AfricaLink on Air — 13 March 2023

Ethiopia seeks to block UN probe into massacres in Tigray region+++Tems' outfit at the 2023 Oscars criticised

Border fence with barbed wire

Border fence with barbed wire

New Frontex boss vows to protect human rights

Hans Leijtens takes over as new Frontex chief pledging to change the agency's credibility. Will he be able to deliver?

Ukrainian sappers collect mines for detonation in April 2022

Ukrainian sappers collect mines for detonation in April 2022

Ukrainian Red Cross warns of land mine threat 'for decades'

The Ukrainian Red Cross chief has told DW that Russian land mines are spread across "significant areas" of the country.

Ukrainians stand at a train station in Poland ahead of traveling to Ukraine for the Christmas season

Ukrainians stand at a train station in Poland ahead of traveling to Ukraine for the Christmas season

HRW asks countries to 'replicate' response to Ukraine crisis

The rights group also said the support shown for Ukraine also "exposed the double standards" of some EU countries.

Soccer fan holding small rainbow flags in hands

Soccer fan holding small rainbow flags in hands

HRW report alleges abuse of LGBTQ Qataris

A new Human Rights Watch report increases scrutiny on the 2022 World Cup organizers.

An miner who was trapped in an illegal gold mine sits in an ambulance and speaks with police near the access site of the mine in Benoni, in the East Rand, on February 17, 2014.

An miner who was trapped in an illegal gold mine sits in an ambulance and speaks with police near the access site of the mine in Benoni, in the East Rand, on February 17, 2014.

South Africa: Flooding from burst diamond mine kills 1

The burst diamond mine flooded a residential area, causing a power outage in the town of Jagersfontein.

Russische Kalibr Rakete

Russische Kalibr Rakete

A Calibrated Crime

At 8.35 am on the morning of 29th March 2022, a Russian missile hit the Regional State Administration building in Mykolaiv. Maryna Slobodianiuk, head of analytics for the Ukrainian investigative organisation Truth Hounds, was one of the investigators who pieced together what happened, and who was responsible.

Soldiers take part in a parade to celebrate the National Day in Yaounde, Cameroon

Soldiers take part in a parade to celebrate the National Day in Yaounde, Cameroon

HRW: Cameroon troops killed at least 10

The fighting between troops and English-speaking militants is intensifying, according to rights groups.

A burnt out car following an alleged attack by separatists

A burnt out car following an alleged attack by separatists

Cameroonian separatists commit abuses: HRW

A report by Human Rights Watch has accused Anglophone rebels of "terrorizing civilians" in parts of Cameroon.

DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

Inside Europe 19.05.2022

Finland and Sweden join NATO, Turkey’s president raises objections, a conversation with Human Rights Watch, and a French film with a message. Also: Kalush Orchestra return to Ukraine after winning Eurovision, Ukrainian children struggle with the German school system, a new front opens up in the UK’s so-called “culture wars”, and pangolin diplomacy in the Czech Republic.

A woman walks past a burnt house in Bagui

A woman walks past a burnt house in Bagui

HRW cites evidence of CAR massacre

"Russian-identified forces" may have executed civilians in the Central African Republic, Human Rights Watch has said.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch

Head of Human Rights Watch to step down after 30 years

Kenneth Roth has led the human rights group since 1993, during which time it has grown into a global rights watchdog.

Malian soldiers during a training session in the desert

Malian soldiers during a training session in the desert

Malian troops accused of massacre of civilians

Around 300 civilians were killed in a central Mali n in late March, according to Human Rights Watch.

Ethiopia's Tigray conflict: Rape as a weapon of war

Ethiopia's Tigray conflict: Rape as a weapon of war

Tigrayans in Ethiopia face ethnic cleansing: report

Tigrayans are reportedly being targeted with an ethnic cleansing campaign in the contested Western Tigray zone.

Female fans in Tehran's Asadi Stadium

Female fans in Tehran's Asadi Stadium

FIFA warns Iran against 'turning back' on women attendance

This came after hundreds of women were reportedly denied entry to a World Cup qualifying match.

Xi Jinping meets Thomas Bach

Xi Jinping meets Thomas Bach

HRW slams IOC, FIFA over awarding of events

HRW's Germany director has criticized IOC president Thomas Bach for "pandering" to China.

Stadium 974 in Doha

Stadium 974 in Doha

Qatar 2022: Still a long way to go on human rights

Despite years of international pressure, the human rights situation in World Cup host Qatar remains cause for concern.

Mohammed bin Salman (center) seen during the Grand Prix Formula One of Saudi Arabia in Jiddah and Jean Todt, FIA President during the Grand Prix Formula One of Saudi Arabia

Mohammed bin Salman (center) seen during the Grand Prix Formula One of Saudi Arabia in Jiddah and Jean Todt, FIA President during the Grand Prix Formula One of Saudi Arabia

Grand Prix of double standards

The Saudi Grand Prix raises questions as to how seriously Formula One really takes its commitment to human rights.

Cambodian flag on a laptop screen

Cambodian flag on a laptop screen

Cambodia to implement 'firewall' despite glitches

Cambodia is looking to imitate China's internet restrictions but it has already run into technical issues.

A US air force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at the Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait

A US air force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at the Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait

US cuts military aid for Egypt after arms sale

The US State Department has said that Egypt has not met the conditions to receive the $130 million in aid.

A Taliban fighter stands at a checkpoint near Bamiyan, Afghanistan

A Taliban fighter stands at a checkpoint near Bamiyan, Afghanistan

LGBTQ Afghans face growing abuse by Taliban: report

A report by rights organizations said LGBT individuals in Afghanistan were targets of violence and sexual harassment.

Men with chained wrists

Men with chained wrists

Setback for human rights in Egypt

The closure of a prominent human rights group and a controversial NGO law do not bode well for Egypt's future.

HRW: West needs to 'do better' against autocrats

Western politicians have not adequately stood up for democracy, the Human Rights Watch said in its annual report.

A group of soldiers stand in front of a truck in Yangon, Myanmar

A group of soldiers stand in front of a truck in Yangon, Myanmar

HRW accuses Myanmar junta of blocking aid

The number of people in need is expected to jump into the millions amid a violent crackdown on anti-coup protesters.

DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

Inside Europe 09.12.2021

Germany has a new government, the US looks to Europe to calm tensions with Russia, the UK takes a new tack on drugs and a Norwegian football team stands up for human rights. Also on Inside Europe: Natalia Kaliada, artistic director of Belarus’ not-so-free theatre, Barcelona resists airport expansion, and Cornwall considers going solo.

Postpone the AFCON due to the Anglophone crisis

Rebecca Tinsley

January's AFCON soccer matches should be delayed because of the Anglophone crisis, writes Rebecca Tinsley.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Is Saudi Arabia winning the fight to rehabilitate its image?

Senior US and EU officials are visiting Saudi Arabia again. But activists say the Saudis have gotten away with murder.

A woman wearing a protective face mask carries a child

A woman wearing a protective face mask carries a child

Mozambique jihadis abduct 600 women, girls since 2018: HRW

A group allegedly tied to the "Islamic State" has "enslaved and sexually abused" its female victims in Mozambique.

A silhoutte of a woman.

A silhoutte of a woman.

HRW: Gender-based violence remains rampant in South Africa

Human Rights Watch says authorities desperately need to do more to address the violence, particularly amid the pandemic.

Eritrean Refugees protest in-front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offices to condemn the attacks on the refugees in Hitsats and Shimelba camps during the fight between Ethiopia’s National Defence Force and Tigray People Liberation Front

Eritrean Refugees protest in-front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offices to condemn the attacks on the refugees in Hitsats and Shimelba camps during the fight between Ethiopia’s National Defence Force and Tigray People Liberation Front

Eritrean, Tigray forces committed 'war crimes': HRW

Human Rights Watch report details atrocities committed against Eritrean refugees around two camps in northern Ethiopia.

Migrant workers finishing the pavement on Bluewaters Island

Migrant workers finishing the pavement on Bluewaters Island

UAE's new human rights institute: Genuine or joke?

State media has trumpeted a new human rights body. But critics say it's just image washing.

Villagers are seen sitting in the shade

Villagers are seen sitting in the shade

Gunmen kill 37 in Niger village attack

The shooting left 14 children dead as the assailants reportedly "shot at anything that moved."

The site of the explosion in Beirut

The site of the explosion in Beirut

HRW: Key officials 'criminally negligent' over Beirut blast

Lebanese officials had been warned about the dangers of chemicals stored in the port but failed to act, said HRW.

A protester holds up a painting of Myanmar's detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi

A protester holds up a painting of Myanmar's detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar junta slammed ahead of coup anniversary

Human Rights Watch has accused the military of committing "crimes against humanity."

A Palestinian woman holding her son walks past her house that was destroyed by an Israeli air strike in June. There is another boy say on a bit of debris. The building next door is also highly damaged.

A Palestinian woman holding her son walks past her house that was destroyed by an Israeli air strike in June. There is another boy say on a bit of debris. The building next door is also highly damaged.

HRW: Israel and Hamas committed 'war crimes'

A report from the rights watchdog has concluded that violence during the May Gaza conflict amounted to war crimes.

Covid-19 Special BKS

Covid-19 Special BKS

Poverty and COVID vaccination reluctance

Some of the world's poorest countries and communities are also some of the most jab-wary.

Demonstrators take cover behind a mattress during clashes with riot police which erupted during a protest against the government of Colombian President Ivan Duque

Demonstrators take cover behind a mattress during clashes with riot police which erupted during a protest against the government of Colombian President Ivan Duque

Colombia police killed 20 protesters — HRW report

Human Rights Watch thinks that the killings were systemic and "not isolated incidents by rogue officers."

Israeli border police fire in the direction of Palestinians taking part in an anti-Israel protest

Israeli border police fire in the direction of Palestinians taking part in an anti-Israel protest

Israel committing 'crime of apartheid': HRW

Human Rights Watch wants the International Criminal Court to probe "systematic discrimination" against Palestinians.

Belgian climate activists yelling

Belgian climate activists yelling

Belgians sue state over climate targets

In what is becoming a global trend, Belgian citizens have taken the state to court to demand tougher climate action.

Äthiopien Konflikt Tigray | Mai Aini-Flüchtlingszentrum

Äthiopien Konflikt Tigray | Mai Aini-Flüchtlingszentrum

Ethiopian forces 'shelled civilians'

Human Rights Watch wants the UN to investigate reports of Ethiopia's army indiscriminately shelling towns and cities.

The Capitol building in Washington D.C.

The Capitol building in Washington D.C.

US must restore its human rights role — HRW

The Human Rights Watch said US President Donald Trump "abandoned" the fight for human rights and called for a change.