Human Rights

Journalists provide ‘antidote’ to COVID-19 misinformation, UN chief says ahead of World Press Freedom Day

The UN Secretary-General is calling for greater protection of journalists who are providing the “antidote” to what he has characterized as a pandemic of misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 crisis.

Sudan bans female genital mutilation, UNICEF vows to help support new law

The United Nations Childen’s Fund (UNICEF) welcomed the landmark move by Sudan’s transitional government this week to criminalize female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), with a three-year jail sentence for offenders.

Somalia: Spate of Arrests, Intimidation of Journalists

Somali authorities have been stepping up their intimidation of journalists as the country faces a growing number of Covid-19 cases. Since mid-April 2020 alone, authorities arbitrarily detained three journalists, accused two of various crimes, and...

Lift Cuba embargo or risk many lives lost to COVID-19, UN rights experts warn US

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UN experts urge the United States to lift its embargo on Cuba that is obstructing the country’s health care system...

Coronavirus and human rights: New guidance highlights support for persons with disabilities

New guidance issued on Thursday sets out key actions, to counter what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called the “double risk” faced by persons with disabilities in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nepal: Supreme Court’s Decision Reaffirms the Need to Amend Transitional Justice Law

The decision by Nepal’s Supreme Court to reject a petition by the government asking that it reviews its 2015 ruling against amnesties for grave conflict-era crimes is an important step in securing truth, justice, and reparations for the thousands of...

US: Immigrants’ Lives, Liberty at Stake in California Case

Immigrants’ basic rights to life and liberty are at stake as California’s Supreme Court considers a request to stop transfers from California jails and prisons to United States federal immigration detention centers during the Covid-19 pandemic, Human...

Ghana: 1st Covid-19 Case in Psychiatric Hospital

Ghana’s Accra Psychiatric Hospital has confirmed that a patient has tested positive for Covid-19, causing concern about protection for other patients and staff, Human Rights Watch said on April 30, 2020. The infected woman was admitted to the acute...

US: New Report Shines Spotlight on Abuses and Growth in Immigrant Detention Under Trump

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A photo of the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, which opened in...

Lebanon: One Protester Dead in Tripoli

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) unjustifiably used excessive, including lethal, force against protesters in Tripoli on April 27, 2020, killing one protester and injuring scores more, Human Rights Watch said. The army has expressed its “regret” about...