Tunisia: civil society under siege
2/9/2026: A report by Human Rights Watch documents how the Tunisian government has systematically cracked down on civil society groups and their members since 2024. The judiciary has been under the control of the executive since 2022, when President Saied took expansive measures to crush judicial independence.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Tibet flood victims have a right to be heard
31/8/2026: Censorship and self-censorship are pervasive throughout China, particularly in Tibetan areas. Human Rights Watch has received reports that journalists in China have been barred from the Tibetan disaster zone and from interviewing families; they must rely on official information narratives.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Africa’s aging autocrats fight to stay in power
28/8/2026: As some of Africa's longest-serving leaders grow older, they are using different tactics to extend their rule. But age, succession battles and public pressure pose new challenges.
Source: DW
Call to end pretrial detention of political opponents in Bangladesh
23/8/2026: Without being charged with any crime, hundreds of party officials and activists have been detained in prison in Bangladesh since Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down as prime minister in August 2024. Human Rights Watch is calling on the authorities to permit basic rights including bail and medical care.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Hong Kong court convicts activists for Tiananmen vigils
21/8/2026: The Hong Kong High Court has convicted two activists for their role in organising the city’s annual vigil for the victims of China’s 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. The court ruled that a mission to “end one-party dictatorship” in China constitutes an attempt to “overthrow” the Chinese government.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Zambia resumes election vote count after disruptions
14/8/2026: Vote counting has resumed in Zambia after it was suspended amid reports of violence against officials and the theft of ballot papers. Around 8 million voters are choosing members of parliament and local councillors at more than 13,500 polling stations. European Union observers are monitoring the election.
Source: DW
How Tunisia’s democracy was undermined
6/8/2026: Thousands of Tunisian demonstrators have called for an end to what they describe as the increasingly authoritarian regime of President Kais Saied. The roots of the crisis reach back more than sixty years when the founders of the Republic placed the presidency, rather than a balance of powers, at the centre of the Tunisian state.
Source: African Arguments
Call for authorities in Pakistan to restore Imran Khan’s rights
4/8/2026: Amnesty International has urged the Pakistani authorities to unconditionally restore the right of Imran Khan and his wife to see their family and lawyers, and to be given access to adequate medical care. These rights have been denied for three years.
Source: Amnesty International
Taliban assault on rights deepens 5 years on
3/8/2026: Afghanistan’s Taliban have entrenched one of the world’s worst human rights crises and systematically dismantled the rights of women and girls since taking power five years ago. Human Rights Watch calls on governments to provide resources for the UN investigation into rights abuses in Afghanistan.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Uganda: crackdown on fundamental freedoms
30/7/2026: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has denounced the crackdown on dissent in Uganda. Since the general elections on 15 January 2026, repression has increased against all those perceived to oppose the Government, through enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment, and arbitrary arrest or detention.
Source: UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights