European Commission endorses exporting asylum seekers
28/5/2025: The European Commission has published a proposal that would allow member states to send asylum seekers to countries with which they have no connection. Human Rights Watch believes this would undermine good faith implementation of the letter and spirit of international human rights and refugee law.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Hungary’s continued defiance of human rights and rule of law
26/5/2025: International human rights organisations have sent an open letter to ministers of the European Union to protest against Hungary's blatant defiance of human rights and the rule of law. The crackdown on civil society organisations and independent media has intensified and the Israeli Prime Minister was welcomed despite being subject to an ICC arrest warrant.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Israel’s INGO Registration Measures threaten humanitarian operations
6/5/2025: Oxfam, together with 54 organisations operating in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory call on the international community to resist new Israeli registration rules for international NGOs. These rules appear designed to assert control over humanitarian and peacebuilding operations, and silence advocacy grounded in international human rights law.
Source: Oxfam International
Mali’s return to democracy suffers new blow
5/5/2025: The military junta in Mali has taken steps to retain its leader as President until 2030 and to dissolve all political parties. Since the coup, the junta has carried out a relentless assault against political opposition, civil society groups and the media.
Source: Human Rights Watch
World Press Freedom Index at an unprecedented, critical low
2/5/2025: In the annual assessment by Reporters Without Borders, the global state of press freedom is now classified as a “difficult situation” for the first time in the history of the Index. Today’s news media are caught between preserving their editorial independence and ensuring their economic survival.
Source: Reporters Without Borders
Amnesty International warns of global human rights crisis
29/4/2025: Amnesty International's annual report warns that the Trump administration’s anti-rights campaign is gutting international human rights protections. This has compounded the damage done by other world leaders throughout 2024.
Source: Amnesty International
‘Killer Robots’ threaten human rights
28/4/2025: Human Rights Watch argues that autonomous weapons systems pose grave risks to human rights during both war and peacetime. Governments should tackle the concerns raised by such weapons systems by negotiating a multinational treaty to address the dangers.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Mass convictions of opposition activists in Tunisia
19/4/2025: Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing in Tunisia of 40 individuals, including prominent political opposition figures, to harsh prison terms. Their trial has been riddled with procedural violations and was based on unsubstantiated charges.
Source: Amnesty International
Zimbabwe’s President signs law to curb civic space
17/4/2025: President Mnangagwa has signed a law on nongovernmental organizations that sharply curtails the rights to freedom of association and expression, according to Human Rights Watch. A debt relief programme currently under consideration by bilateral and multilateral creditors may be at risk.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Libya’s fragile transition plagued by economic and political divides
17/4/2025: While the 2020 ceasefire continues to hold, the broader human rights situation remains deeply concerning – particularly regarding the treatment of refugees and humanitarian workers. There is a growing recognition that external actors must collaborate to support a comprehensive, Libyan-led solution to the country’s crisis.
Source: UN News