Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 16hSince August, there's been an escalation in airstrikes in Tigray. The resumption of hostilities in northern Ethiopia heightens concerns about unlawful attacks and the grave threat posed to civilians. HRW's Laetitia Bader spoke to BBC News' Focus on Africa: 0176
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 17hFrom 2023 to 2026, Google Earth's updated satellite imagery shows what's left of Gaza. The images reflect what Human Rights Watch has already found: Israel has caused deliberate, widespread destruction throughout Gaza ⤵️ 8210172
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 19hThe Trump administration’s decision not to invite the leading international election observation body to monitor US midterms fuels fears of serious election-related human rights concerns. This is the first time the US has declined to invite in OSCE monitors since they began observing US elections.hrw.orgUS: Trump Administration Rejects External Election ObserversThe Trump administration’s decision not to invite the leading international election observation body to monitor crucial US midterm polls fuels fears of serious human rights concerns around the upcomi... 43431
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 29/09/2026Over 540,000 people have been deported since the start of the second Trump administration in January 2025. This has had a devastating impact not just on those detained, but on the children left behind. Human Rights Watch spoke to many parents in the aftermath of their deportations. Read more:hrw.orgChildren in Anguish as US Immigration Arrests SurgeTeresa M., a 30-year-old Guatemalan woman, had just left home for her job manufacturing cabinets when she was stopped by Alabama police in June and asked about her immigration status. A colleague was ... 02818
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 29/09/2026On September 29, 1994, Algeria lost one of its most beloved voices when Rai singer Cheb Hasni was killed. He was killed during Algeria’s civil war, a conflict marked by mass killings, rape, and disappearances. The killing of Hasni, like so many other crimes during the civil war, went unpunished. 0168
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 27/09/2026The Syrian transitional government is signing billions of dollars in reconstruction deals. But the plans lack a human rights framework, which could leave many Syrians with a raw deal. Our new report: www.hrw.org/news/2026/09/27/syria-r… 15521
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 25/09/2026Zara Larsson has cancelled her upcoming performance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Might it have something to do with the UAE's role in helping to fuel war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan? 04011
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 24/09/2026Russian authorities are doubling down on their efforts to quash freedom of expression, including access to information, by increasingly suppressing tools to circumvent draconian censorship laws. These repressive tactics affect millions of people in Russia seeking to access information.hrw.orgRussia Crackdown on Bypassing Online CensorshipRussian authorities are doubling down on their efforts to quash freedom of expression, including access to information, by increasingly suppressing tools to circumvent draconian censorship laws, Human... 12614
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 24/09/2026Fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions erupted on September 22 between the Ethiopian military and forces aligned with the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front. This follows reported clashes and airstrikes in Tigray since August. Civilians must be protected. 11611
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 24/09/2026US President Donald Trump is welcoming Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Washington, DC. Both leaders’ attacks on human rights have a global impact. Human rights are non-negotiable. World leaders should reject Xi and Trump’s attack on human rights. 05421
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 24/09/2026Over 3.5 million Syrians have returned home. Many came back to find nothing. On Sept. 28, we're bringing this reality to the European Parliament. Join Human Rights Watch in Brussels for a photo exhibition and roundtable on Syria's reconstruction. Register here: bit.ly/4hlg3VF 13321
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 23/09/2026The UK government has said it will renegotiate its agreement with Mauritius over the future of the Chagos Islands. Decisions about the Chagos islands need to be centered on the Chagossian people, still forcibly displaced from their homeland by the UK and US. 12415
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 23/09/2026At least 28 political prisoners are still being held in dreadful conditions in Bhutan. When Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay meets world leaders at the United Nations general assembly this week, they should urge him to release all remaining political prisoners.hrw.orgBhutan Should Release All Remaining Political PrisonersWhen Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay meets world leaders at the United Nations general assembly in New York this week, they should urge him to release the at least 28 political prisoners who a... 24325
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 23/09/2026The junta should urgently and unconditionally release all women political prisoners and their children. Read more: bit.ly/4h3pmec 1162
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 23/09/2026Among the over 30,000 political prisoners detained since the junta’s February 2021 coup, there are about 6,600 women and 640 children. In 2025 and 2026, Human Rights Watch interviewed 17 former women political prisoners, 3 family members, and 4 lawyers and advocates. 2176
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 23/09/2026NEW: The Myanmar military junta subjects women political prisoners to torture, sexual violence, and life-threatening denial of medical care. 🧵⤵️ 13621
Reposted by Human Rights WatchPhilippe Dam @philippedam.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Form 28 Sept - 2 Oct, visit 'Return to Nothing' by Ali Haj Suleiman at @europarl.europa.eu. Join opening reception on Monday 28 Sept, 6.30pm - hosted by MEP Marco Tarquinio & with opening remarks by @eudiplomacy.bsky.social SecGen Kajsa Ollongren. Need access to EP? 🔗 t.co/mXKFQ7Zcpw 154
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 22/09/2026In Iran, an average of one protester per week has been sent to the gallows since March. Scores of protesters remain at risk of execution. At the UN Human Rights Council, HRW spoke about the ongoing atrocities Iranians are facing, including possible war crimes by Israel and the US. Learn more ⤵️ 24525
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 22/09/2026The discovery of several women’s bodies on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa, has caused fear, anxiety and outrage across the country. These mysterious killings of women are not isolated crimes but part of a longstanding crisis about gender-based violence in South Africa.hrw.orgSouth African Women Need Protection, Not WarningsThe discovery of several women’s bodies on the outskirts of South Africa’s commercial capital, Johannesburg, has caused fear, anxiety and outrage across the country. 13210
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 21/09/2026This week, world leaders are gathering in New York at the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. Leaders should use the UN podium to speak out forcefully against efforts by some major powers to trample on human rights. #UNGAhrw.orgUN: Commit to Human Rights, Justice for Grave CrimesWorld leaders at the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City from September 22-28, 2026, should commit to defending human rights, Human Rights Watch said. They should co... 25215
Reposted by Human Rights WatchLou Charbonneau @loucharb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026🚨It's UN General Assembly time again! Here's a short thread🧵 on @hrw.org's preview. ➡️ World leaders should recommit to defending human rights & resist the push by the US, #Russia #China & others to undermine the UN and other intl orgs & kill off accountability avenues for grave crimes.hrw.orgUN: Commit to Human Rights, Justice for Grave CrimesWorld leaders at the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City from September 22-28, 2026, should commit to defending human rights, Human Rights Watch said. They should co... 2278
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 21/09/2026US President Donald Trump recently announced a ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico for White House coverage. When you attack the independent media, you undermine democracy. Access to information is a critical human right. 18528
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 21/09/2026The US government should immediately halt these removals. Learn more: www.hrw.org/news/2026/09... 0177
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 21/09/2026The United States is returning people, some with pending asylum claims, to a country that doesn’t have the capacity to protect them from violence, let alone help them find food and shelter. 1136
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 21/09/2026Since ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti in late July 2026, US authorities have deported hundreds of Haitians back to their country, where they face threats to their lives and safety and receive little to no support. 12012
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 18/09/2026The Turkish government’s major crackdown on groups and activists defending LGBT rights threatens the rule of law and fundamental rights in Türkiye. Following coordinated police raids, police arrested at least 112 people, with 82 still detained under court order.hrw.orgTürkiye: LGBT Rights Crackdown Strikes at Rule of LawThe Turkish government’s major crackdown on groups and activists defending the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people threatens the rule of law and fundamental rights. 23523
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 18/09/2026Nigerian authorities have launched an investigation into the deaths of over 30 people who were in custody after being arrested for illegal mining. The deaths raise deeply troubling questions. Nigerian authorities should ensure investigations lead to concrete answers, justice, and accountability. 02113
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 17/09/2026The US Environmental Protection Agency announced on September 14 that it is repealing limits on climate-warming pollution from coal and gas-fired power plants. By gutting the 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards, the EPA is eliminating most of the limits on power plants’ carbon emissions.hrw.orgUS Revokes Limits on Power Plants’ Climate PollutionThe United States Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it is repealing limits on climate-warming pollution from coal and gas-fired power plants, the second largest source of greenhouse g... 62723
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 17/09/2026The Chinese government is tightening its rules to decide arbitrarily who can and cannot leave China, violating the internationally protected right to leave one’s country. Learn more: bit.ly/4hhPsJl 13115
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 17/09/2026Millions of Yemenis are nearing starvation, two-thirds of the population need urgent humanitarian aid, and more than 4.5 million remain internally displaced, per UNHCR. Yemeni authorities should prioritize ensuring people in Yemen have access to their most basic needs. 13224
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 16/09/2026"I was not counted as a human being. I was counted, like a number, like ‘ah 16!’. They never called me by my name." Since 2001, Australia has forcibly transferred more than 5,000 asylum seekers to offshore detention, causing profound harm to those seeking refuge. Learn more: bit.ly/4ixAWzu 23630
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 16/09/2026Hungary’s new government has taken an important step toward dismantling a key discriminatory legacy of the Orbán era—the legal targeting of LGBT people. But the government’s plans leave other discriminatory provisions in Hungarian law intact. Learn more:hrw.orgReforms to Hungary's Anti-LBGT Laws Welcome, but More to DoHungary’s new government has taken an important step toward dismantling a key discriminatory legacy of the Orbán era—the legal targeting of LGBT people. The job is not finished, however. 15121
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 16/09/2026The conviction of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, alongside three other former senior KLA leaders, for war crimes, shows that high office, position, or wartime affiliation should not shield anyone from accountability for serious crimes. This verdict is an important moment for victims. 13313
Reposted by Human Rights Watchhderengerve.bsky.social @hderengerve.bsky.social · 16/09/2026#SOTEU @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu says trade inbalance with #China is unsustainable & that EU will use all tools at its disposal to rebalance our relationship. Indeed, EU need to takes into account the cost of China Human Rights violations. 166
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 15/09/2026The Houthis’ latest attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden most likely amount to war crimes in at least 3 cases. The Houthis are again putting seafarers’ lives at risk through their attacks on commercial ships, this time as part of hostilities with the Saudi-led coalition.hrw.orgYemen: New Attacks by Houthi Include Likely War CrimesThe Houthis’ latest attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden most likely amount to war crimes in at least three cases. 12813
Reposted by Human Rights WatchClaudio Francavilla @claudiofrancavilla.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Last year, @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu proposed suspending the #EU - #Israel trade agreement and sanctioning "extremist" ministers & settlers One year on, she has almost nothing to show - and a lot more to deliver, starting with a settlement trade ban: hrw.org/news/2026/09... #SOTEU 13113
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 15/09/2026Whenever democracy is undermined, rights inevitably are too. On this International Day of Democracy, we remind people around the world that voting is important for electing representatives, but promoting and protecting democracy is an everyday endeavor. 03917
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 14/09/2026The government should end its crackdown on LGBT rights groups, immediately release detained activists, and end discriminatory targeting of LGBT people and their advocates. 0323
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 14/09/2026Everyone in Türkiye should be concerned: when authorities abuse the criminal justice system to silence lawful expression, they undermine the rule of law for everyone. 1302
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 14/09/2026Authorities have blocked or restricted access to the social media accounts and websites of dozens of LGBT, media and rights organizations. This operation marks a dramatic escalation in Türkiye's campaign against LGBT people and civil society. 1142
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 14/09/2026In fact the arrests have nothing to do with making families safer. Instead, they weaponize the rhetoric of “family values” to pursue discrimination, stigma, and state repression. 1141
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 14/09/2026The arrests are allegedly for offenses such as “obscenity,” prostitution, and drug use, effectively conflating defense of LGBT rights with criminal conduct—all under the pretext of a government campaign to “protect families.” 1132
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 14/09/2026In the largest crackdown in years, Turkish authorities raided LGBT rights organizations and arrested activists in major cities on September 12-14. 🧵⤵️ apnews.com/article/turk...apnews.comTurkish authorities launch crackdown on LGBTQ+ and HIV support groupsTurkish authorities have cracked down on multiple LGBTQ+ groups and individuals, detaining dozens and raiding association offices and popular hangouts. 36849
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 14/09/2026On every inhabited continent, communities are being displaced by the climate crisis. But Solomon Islands is among the worst affected. HRW partnered with Solomon Islands communities, NowHere Media, and Agog to create the film “Solwata,” which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. 03015
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 11/09/2026Criminal gangs in Kenya have carried out a spate of violent attacks targeting civil society and opposition gatherings ahead of the 2027 elections. The authorities need to break this cycle of violence by ensuring that those responsible cannot act with impunity.hrw.orgKenya: Organized Gang Attacks in Lead-Up to ElectionsCriminal gangs have carried out a spate of violent attacks targeting civil society and opposition gatherings ahead of the 2027 elections, Human Rights Watch said today. 12012
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 11/09/2026In a significant step this week, the UK, France, and Canada announced a trade ban with Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank. Other countries and the European Union should follow suit, banning trade that supports Israel’s unlawful occupation, ethnic cleansing and apartheid. 77532
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 11/09/2026Finding safety and refuge is a "human instinct," says HRW Africa Director Mausi Segun. "If we block all of the legal channels, it’s like water, it will find a way." Segun speaks to SABC News on migration: 02414
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 10/09/2026Singapore should drop a wave of charges against seven activists and human rights defenders. The charges relate to protests, vigils and other public advocacy concerning the ongoing conflict in Gaza and opposition to the death penalty. Criminalizing such activities is a clear violation of rights.hrw.orgSingapore: Drop Wave of Charges Against ActivistsThe Singapore government should drop a wave of charges against seven activists and human rights defenders under the Public Order Act and other overly broad and restrictive laws, Amnesty International,... 13112
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 10/09/2026Iranian authorities are unlawfully executing protesters and political dissidents on a weekly basis, a relentless attack on the right to life. From March 18 to the end of August 2026, Iran’s authorities announced the executions of 29 people in connection with recent protests. bit.ly/4cA0RCP 23719
Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 09/09/2026Hezbollah unlawfully fired widely banned cluster munitions into a town in northern Israel on March 4, 2026, and again on March 15. Cluster munitions should not be used under any circumstances, and their use may amount to a war crime.hrw.orgLebanon/Israel: Hezbollah’s Use of Cluster MunitionsHezbollah unlawfully fired widely banned cluster munitions into a town in northern Israel on March 4, 2026, and again on March 15, Human Rights Watch said today. 9164
