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Protest

A collection of 77 articles

Swedish police assault independent journalists at NATO summit

On 21 May, during the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, two independent journalists from Frihetsnytt (Freedom News) who were carrying officially registered press credentials were assaulted by police in a public place. T

Detainee’s Death in Armenia Raises Serious Questions

The death of Armen Hovhannisyan by suicide on May 16, hours after Armenian police transferred him to a psychiatric institution, should prompt urgent scrutiny of how authorities respond to people in psychosocial distress. Police in Artashat,

Tanzania: Bystanders Shot in Post-Election Crackdown

(Nairobi) – Tanzanian security forces cracking down on protests during and after the country’s disputed 2025 general elections killed and injured people who were not participating in those demonstrations, Human Rights Watch said today. Huma

Bangladesh: New Government Should Prioritize Human Rights

(London) – Bangladesh’s recently elected prime minister, Tarique Rahman, and his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government face many urgent challenges but can use this opportunity to bring lasting protections of human rights, nine right

Thailand: Don’t Return Vietnamese Activist

The Thai authorities should immediately release Le Chi Thanh, a prominent Vietnamese anti-corruption activist, and ensure that he is not forcibly returned to Vietnam, Human Rights Watch said today. Le Chi Thanh’s lawyers told Human Rights W

Israel: Analysis shows 1 in 939 teenagers suffered cardiovascular events post covid vaccination

An analysis of Israeli Clalit Health Services’ adverse event reports reveals that one in 939 covid vaccinated adolescents, 12 to 16-year-olds, suffered a serious cardiovascular event within a few weeks during mid- 2021. The Israeli Head of

Thailand: Free Speech Activists Get 32-Month Sentences

(Bangkok) – A Thai court on February 20, 2026, sentenced a prominent free speech activist and three others to 32 months in prison for criticizing King Maha Vajiralongkorn under Thailand’s royal insult law, Human Rights Watch said today. The

UK Puberty Blocker Trial Finally Halted Over Significant Safety Concerns

A shocking NHS-supported trial has now been suspended following officials’ warnings of “significant” long-term harms to young people. The controversial plans aimed to give puberty blockers to children as young as eight-years-old, but the UK

US Secretary of Commerce to Davos: “Globalisation has failed the West”

Howard Lutnick, US Secretary of Commerce, said at last week’s annual meeting of the global oligarchs and their puppets, “Globalisation has failed the West.” At the same meeting, the US launched its “Board of Peace.” It has been known for

Iran: Growing Evidence of Countrywide Massacres

(Beirut, January 16, 2026) – Iran’s security forces have carried out mass killings of protesters after nationwide protests escalated on January 8, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. Thousands of protesters and bystanders are believed to h

Google and Microsoft to demand “age verification” from Australians

Starting 27 December 2025, Australians using internet search engines such as Google and Microsoft Bing while logged in will be required to verify their age through digital identity checks, including methods such as photo ID, facial recognit

Rule of Law Backsliding in France

On December 9, CIVICUS Monitor, a nongovernmental group assessing civic freedoms globally, downgraded France’s civic space from “narrowed” to “obstructed.” The downgrade is the result of years of attacks on civic space, marked by “escalatin

Georgia Hollows Out Right to Peaceful Assembly

Georgia’s ruling party has introduced new legislation that would dramatically weaken protections for peaceful assembly, further shrinking democratic space and flouting basic human rights standards guaranteed by the country's constitution an

Merz Shouldn’t Ignore Türkiye’s Assault on Rights, Democracy

On the heels of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to sign a dealfor Türkiye to acquire fighter jets, on October 30 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will beat his own path to the presidential pala