Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the European Commission to revise the text of its anti-deforestation regulation, scheduled for implementation by the end of 2026, after critics condemned the legislation for its potentially devastating exclusion of leather, a key driver of forest destruction. Commenting on the unforeseeable consequences that may arise due to the exclusion [...]

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Tuesday urged Tunisian authorities to halt their persecution of civil society organizations, journalists, human rights activists, and members of the judiciary, who have been subjected to criminal proceedings in retaliation for their outspoken criticism of government policies and the president’s consolidation of power. Türk criticized the growing trend [...]

UN experts on Friday condemned the dismissal of Peruvian Judge Oswaldo Ordóñez Alcántara, formerly the president of the First Constitutional Chamber of Lima, from his post. The move was described as a reprisal for his defense of judicial independence and his public criticism of legislative reforms that could weaken the rule of law in the [...]

Human Rights Watch on Friday questioned the Zambian government’s latest decision to postpone RightsCon 2026, a global summit intended to foster collaboration between civil society activists and industry on the impact of digital technologies on human rights. Technology deputy director at Human Rights Watch, Deborah Brown stated: “By shutting down RightsCon, the Zambian government is [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday condemned the decision by authorities in Thailand to bring criminal defamation lawsuits against two renowned journalists who reported on a bribery case. HRW cited the importance of safeguarding press freedom as a cornerstone of democratic society. In late February, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin filed criminal [...]

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday welcomed the recent arrest by Australian police of Ben Roberts-Smith, an Australian soldier accused of committing five counts of war crimes in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012, as a step towards justice for victims. The arrest comes almost six years after release of the Independent Afghanistan Inquiry, or the Brereton [...]

The UN Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday called for international accountability in the midst of the Iran war, which it says has led to an unprecedented increase in human rights violations against civilians residing in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Stressing the severity of the situation in the region, with the rising death tolls as a [...]

Human Rights Watch on Sunday called for the dismissal of charges brought by authorities in Kazakhstan against outspoken feminist and LGBTQ+ rights activist Zhanar Sekerbayeva. Commenting on the difficult circumstances faced by Sekerbayeva, Mihra Rittmann, Central Asia adviser at Human Rights Watch, stated: “The Kazakh authorities should drop the charges against Sekerbayeva and put an [...]

Amnesty International on Thursday called on Tunisian authorities to cease their persecution of judges, especially pointing to the case of Judge Anas Hmedi, who has spoken out against the government of Kais Saied and its attacks on judicial independence in the country. Highlighting the harshness of the situation against judicial figures in Tunisia, Sara Hashash, [...]

UN experts on Thursday urged Venezuela to ensure that the country’s Attorney General and  Ombudsperson are appointed based on merit, stressing that both positions play a crucial role in protecting human rights and upholding the rule of law. The experts further added: We regret that in the past, appointments to these positions were made outside [...]