Human Rights

Myanmar: The Rohingya’s Decade of Detention

No Justice for Crimes Against Humanity Committed Since 2012

The Myanmar authorities have detained over 135,000 Rohingya and Kaman Muslims arbitrarily and indefinitely in Rakhine State for a decade, Human Rights Watch said in a web feature released on June 15, 2022. Drawing on interviews with Rohingya and humanitarian workers from 2012 to the present, Human Rights Watch documents how the authorities have capitalized on the ethnic cleansing campaign launched in June 2012 to segregate and confine a population they had long sought to remove from daily life in the predominantly Buddhist country.

Cambodia: 51 Opposition Politicians Convicted in Mass Trial

Prison Sentences of Up to Eight Years on Baseless Charges

A Cambodian court convicted at least 51 opposition politicians and activists on June 14, 2022, in yet another mass trial on politically motivated charges, Human Rights Watch said on June 14, 2022. The cases are part of the government’s wider crackdown on Prime Minister Hun Sen’s political opponents.

Ukraine and rising global insecurity, test for us all, says UN rights chief

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A mother and her son wait to be evacuated from the besieged city of Mikolayiv in Ukraine in March 2022.

Russia: Enforced Disappearance of Ukrainian Teacher

Urgently Confirm Her Whereabouts, End Arbitrary Detentions

Russian authorities have forcibly disappeared a teacher they detained in Ukraine in late March 2022, Human Rights Watch said on June 13, 2022.

Iran: 1988 Mass Executions Evident Crimes Against Humanity

Senior Officials Implicated Should Be Investigated, Fairly Prosecuted

Overwhelming evidence shows that the Iranian authorities’ mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 amounts to crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said in an in-depth question-and-answer document released on June 08, 2022.

Saudi Arabia: Biden Visit Risks Fostering Repression

US Should Publicly Seek Rights Commitments, Reforms

US President Joe Biden’s expected visit to Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman risks encouraging new abuses and further entrenching impunity, 13 human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, said in a joint letter to President Biden on June 09, 2022.

Attacks on Education Increased Worldwide During Pandemic

More than 5,000 Attacks in Past 2 Years

More than 9,000 students, teachers, and academics were harmed, injured, or killed in attacks on education during armed conflict over the past two years, according to Education under Attack 2022, a report published by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) on June 01, 2022. More than 5,000 separate attacks on education facilities, students, and educators, or incidents of military use, took place in 2020 and 2021, a significant increase over the previous two years.

China: No Justice 33 Years after Tiananmen Massacre

Hong Kong, Mainland Activists Jailed for Commemorations

Chinese authorities have over the past year stepped up the harassment and persecution of activists for commemorating the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, Human Rights Watch said on June 02, 2022. The Chinese government should acknowledge and take responsibility for the mass killing of pro-democracy demonstrators.

UN rights chief concludes China trip with promise of improved relations

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High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet during her visit to China, in Ürümqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China.

Afghan authorities urged to address serious human rights challenges

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Richard Bennett, speaks at a special event on human rights at the United Nations in 2016.