Human Rights Watch: News

07 Nov 2024

Abu Dhabi

Why Chris Hemsworth's UAE tourism ad is inviting flak

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, famous for playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is facing backlash for appearing in an advertisement promoting Abu Dhabi as a tourist destination.

11 Jul 2024

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

ISIS leader al-Baghdadi's widow given death sentence by Iraqi court 

An Iraqi court has sentenced Asma Mohammed, widow of the late Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to death.

05 Jun 2024

Amnesty International

Rights organization accuses Israel of using white phosphorus in Lebanon

Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights organization, has accused Israel of deploying white phosphorus incendiary shells on residential buildings in southern Lebanon.

30 May 2024

Amnesty International

Hong Kong court convicts 14 democracy activists for subversion

A Hong Kong court has found 14 of 16 activists and politicians guilty of subversion in the largest trial under the Beijing-imposed national security law (NSL).

28 Aug 2023

Afghanistan

Global outrage as Taliban bars female students from studying abroad 

Days after the Taliban government in Afghanistan allegedly stopped scores of female students from leaving the country to study in Dubai, global rights organizations and activists have expressed dismay over the move.

16 Jun 2023

Narendra Modi

Modi's US visit: Protests planned over India's human rights issues

Human rights groups in the United States (US) have allegedly planned protests ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit over the reported "deteriorating human rights situation" in India.

18 Jul 2022

Afghanistan

Taliban tell women officers to send male relatives as replacements

Almost a year after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, women officials have reportedly been asked to stay at home and send their male relatives as replacements.

14 Apr 2022

India

India also concerned over 'human rights issues' in US: Jaishankar

Reacting to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent remarks on a "rise in human rights abuses" in India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India, too, is entitled to have its own views and concerns over the human rights situation in the US.

25 Jan 2022

US State Department

Burkina Faso coup: Military dethrones President Kaboré, seizes power

The army of Burkina Faso on Monday announced that it had overthrown President Roch Kaboré, suspended the constitution, and closed the country's borders.

19 Aug 2021

Bangladesh

Bangladesh disputes study into alleged forced disappearances

Bangladesh on Wednesday disputed a Human Rights Watch investigation into disappearances of government critics and others as built on questionable, uncorroborated allegations that security forces were involved.

30 Jan 2021

Iran

Human rights NGO urges Iran to end persecution of Baha'is

A Delhi-based human rights organization, on Saturday, urged Iranian authorities to end all forms of persecution of its Baha'i citizens.

12 Jan 2021

United Nations (UN)

Antonio Guterres to seek second term as UN Secretary-General

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he will be seeking a second term as chief of the world organization.

29 Dec 2020

Saudi Arabia

Saudi women's rights activist gets nearly 6-year jail term

Prominent women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was sentenced to nearly six years in jail by a Saudi court on Monday, her family said.

28 Oct 2020

Qatar Airways

Foreign women strip-searched at Doha Airport, Qatar promises investigation

Days after the invasive examination of women at Doha Airport triggered global headlines and threatened Qatar's diplomatic relationship with Australia, the Arab country has promised an investigation, reports said on Wednesday.

10 Sep 2020

X

Fire at Beirut port month after blast that killed 190

A massive fire broke out at the port of Beirut in Lebanon on Thursday, a month after a deadly explosion jolted the city. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.

06 Feb 2020

Tencent

Is China under-reporting coronavirus cases, deaths amid outbreak?

The official tally of confirmed cases of coronavirus surged past 28,000 on Thursday, while the death toll reached 563 in China.

23 Dec 2019

Saudi Arabia

Jamal Khashoggi murder: Saudi court hands death penalty to 5

Over a year after journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered, a court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death in connection with the incident.

04 Jul 2019

Malware

Tourists visiting China are being forced to install 'data-stealing' malware

If you are a privacy freak (like me), visiting China shouldn't be on your travel bucket list.

24 Mar 2019

Mali

115 reported dead after militia attack on central Malian village

Militia fighters descended on a village in central Mali before dawn Saturday, killing at least 115 people in the latest deadly attack blamed on an ethnic militia, local authorities said.

07 Jan 2019

Saudi Arabia

Saudi teen escapes family, trapped in Bangkok airport, seeks help

An 18-year-old Saudi Arabia teen has sought help from people across the globe and human rights organizations to prevent her deportation to Kuwait, as she fears for her life.

24 Nov 2018

Bahrain

Bahrain votes for new parliament but Shiite-dominated opposition absent

Polls opened in Bahrain today to elect a new parliament, but absent from the ballot is the Shiite-dominated opposition, whose most prominent figures are serving lengthy prison sentences.

03 Aug 2018

Pakistan News

Pakistan: 12 girls' schools burnt down in Gilgit-Baltistan

Twelve girls' schools have been burnt down by unidentified persons in coordinated attacks in Pakistan's restive Gilgit-Baltistan, Geo News reported, quoting police officials.

25 Apr 2018

Alibaba Group

Chinese tech firms apologize for sexist job adverts

Chinese tech firms are under scanner after a recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report slammed them over gender-discriminatory job ads.

20 Apr 2018

Reuters

Two Indian photojournalists part of Reuters Pulitzer Prize winning team

Every photo tells a story and a Reuters team of photojournalists did exactly that when they captured the plight of nearly 600,000 Rohingya refugees desperately trying to flee Myanmar and come to Bangladesh in 2017.

29 Mar 2018

Venezuela

Deadly riots, fire in Venezuela prison kill nearly 70

Deadly riots and fire in a Venezuelan prison in Valencia killed at least 68 people yesterday.

14 Dec 2017

DNA

Report: China is collecting DNA samples from insurgency-hit Xinjiang's residents

A new report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims that China is collecting DNA and biometric data from residents of the Xinjiang province.

18 Nov 2017

Australia

Chinese still believe 'therapy' can help 'convert' gays

Australia might be on its way to legalizing same-sex marriage, but coming out is still a nightmare for most across the globe.

17 Nov 2017

Crime Against Women

Report: Myanmar military committed mass rapes of Rohingya women

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report has accused the Myanmar military of gang-raping several women and girls belonging to the Rohingya Muslim community.

14 Nov 2017

India

Not much has changed in the five years since Nirbhaya

A rape incident needs to stand out to get noticed in India.

27 Oct 2017

Syria

UN blames Assad regime over chemical attack that killed 80

A UN report has blamed the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad for a chemical attack on a rebel-held town on April 4 that killed 80 people.

22 Sep 2017

Philippines

Philippines: Thousands protest President Duterte's 'dictatorship'

Filipinos seem to be growing increasingly unhappy with President Rodrigo Duterte's tough handed approach towards law and order.

09 Sep 2017

Philippines

Philippines controversial anti-drug president's son named in $125mn narcotics scandal

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's eldest son Paolo has denied involvement in a $125 million drug smuggling operation.

04 Sep 2017

Bangladesh

Myanmar urges Rohingyas to help hunt insurgents, as situation deteriorates

Myanmar has urged members of the Rohingya Muslim community to cooperate with authorities searching for insurgents who launched coordinated attacks on security posts on August 26.

18 Jul 2017

India

Is India intolerant? Internet shutdown 29 times in 2017

As per Brookings Institution report, India lost over Rs. 6,548 crore in business due to Internet shutdowns in the past 3 years.

20 Jun 2017

North Korea

US student Otto Warmbier released by North Korea dies

22-year-old US college student Otto Warmbier, who was released after spending 17 months as a prisoner in North Korea, has passed away in a Cincinnati hospital.

10 May 2017

India

J&K- Prisoner allegedly stripped, brutalized, kept hungry in police lockup

In a horrifying revelation, a former prisoner in J&K has alleged she was brutalized, stripped, beer bottles inserted into her vagina, and chilli powder sprinkled, while she was in police custody.

06 May 2017

India

Assam wants AFSPA to be removed in some areas

The Assam government will review whether the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) could be withdrawn in a phased manner and present its recommendations to the Centre.

07 Apr 2017

Moscow

Russia bans "gay clown" memes of President Putin

With a recent ruling by Moscow's Justice Ministry, it is now illegal to portray President Vladimir Putin in makeup, or otherwise implying he is gay.

16 Dec 2016

High Court

End Repression of Shia Group in Nigeria: Human Rights Watch

International NGO, Human Rights Watch, called on the Nigerian Government to end the brutal crackdown on Shia Islamic movement.

18 Nov 2016

Russia News

Russia withdraws from International Criminal Court treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an executive order to remove Russia's signature from the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

03 Oct 2016

Addis Ababa

Dozens killed in religious festival in Ethiopia

Dozens of people were reported dead in a religious festival in Oromia, Ethiopia on Sunday.

27 Sep 2016

Saudi Arabia

Thousands of Saudis sign petition to end male guardianship

More than 14,500 Saudis signed an online petition, calling to abolish the system of male guardianship in Saudi Arabia.

22 Sep 2016

John Kirby

Street clashes in Kinshasa, Congo kill dozens

In the last two days, 44 people have died in street clashes that sparked between security forces and protesters.

17 Sep 2016

Philippines

Former hitman claims Philippine President ordered extrajudicial killings

In a testimony, Edgar Matobato, a former assassin, said he was part of 300-member "Davao Death Squad", run on the orders of Duterte, whose work was to kill criminals like drug pushers, rapists, snatchers everyday.

10 Sep 2016

Tanzania

Tanzania's move towards banning gay rights groups

Tanzania announced that it would ban non-governmental organizations that "promote" the freedoms of "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people".