Human Rights Watch

The Turkish government has jailed 13 members of the pro-Kurdish democratic opposition in parliament on terrorism charges and taken direct control of 82 municipalities in the Kurdish southeast region, suspending and incarcerating elected mayors, Human Rights Watch said today. The crackdown on democratically elected officials not only violates their rights… »

By Baher Kamal – Human Wrongs Watch ROME, Jan 5 2017 (IPS) – When British naturalist Charles Darwin published in 1859 his theory of evolution in his work On the Origin of Species, he most likely did not expect that robots, not nature, would someday be in charge of… »

The government of the United Kingdom should make full use of all existing laws and regulations to accept transfers of unaccompanied migrant children currently in France, Human Rights Watch said today. The government of France should ensure that unaccompanied migrant children on French territory have full access to asylum… »

By Roberto Savio Is the demise of Matteo Renzi really a local affair? There is no doubt that a referendum on a constitutional change can be a matter of confidence in him, having personalized the issue to a point that it became… »

A close vote on November 21, 2016, by a United Nations General Assembly committee affirming that the newly appointed UN expert to address violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity should continue his work is a victory for human rights, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights… »

By Helen Griffiths On Monday, the French government intends to demolish migrant camps referred to as the “Jungle” in Calais. This could be particularly harmful for unaccompanied children. During the last demolition, 129 children went missing. Today, French police estimate 900 unaccompanied children live in the camp, while some… »

One Year After Aylan Kurdi’s Drowning, Mediterranean Death Tolls Rise By Judith Sunderland One year ago today, a three-year-old boy named Aylan Kurdi drowned in the Aegean Sea. Having fled the war in Syria with his family, Aylan died on the final stretch of the arduous journey to safety… »

Clockwise: Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, Burundi, Ratnaboli Ray, India, Nicholas Opiyo, Uganda, Kalpona Akter, Bangladesh, Yonous Muhammadi, Greece. Four courageous and tireless advocates for human rights are the 2016 recipients of the prestigious Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism, Human Rights Watch said today. The winners, leading voices for… »

The authorities should take strong action to curb xenophobic attacks and abuse in the United Kingdom in the wake of last week’s European Union referendum, Human Rights Watch said today. Individuals from minority ethnic and religious groups and people of other EU nationalities have reported being victims of verbal and… »

In the latest attack on free speech in Turkey, three academics who signed a peace petition in January 2016 have been jailed by an Istanbul court on suspicion of “making terrorist propaganda,” Human Rights Watch said today. The three were jailed on March 15, 2016, pending the completion of a… »