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Breaking news and updates on human rights in the U.S. and around the world

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Two imposing gray buildings with a row of flags in front of them under a blue sky--the UN headquarters in New York.

Press Release

Self-Immolation of Tibetan Man Outside UN Highlights Long-Standing Chinese Repression

This death comes a day after China's Ethnic Unity Law entered into force.

July 3, 2026

Green military trucks drive through a landscape of rubble.
(Jack GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images)

Press Release

Lebanon-Israel Framework Agreement Betrays Victims of War Crimes in Lebanon

The Israel-Lebanon framework agreement signed in Washington on June 26, 2026, threatens to betray war crimes victims in Lebanon.

July 3, 2026

A white pick up truck with POLICE written on the side loaded with armed men in uniform and riot gear pulls up alongside some burning tires.
Guerinault Louis/Anadolu via Getty

Press Release

Sri Lanka: Answers Needed about Haiti Deployment amid Ongoing Impunity over Child Abuse Allegations

There are serious, unresolved allegations of widespread sexual abuse of children by Sri Lankan personnel during previous deployments in Haiti.

July 3, 2026

A blue sign outside an office building says
(John Thys/AFP via Getty Images)

Press Release

Burkina Faso/Mali/Niger: Withdrawal from Rome Statute Consecrates Impunity and Threatens to Deny Victims of War Crimes Justice and Reparations

The decision by the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to leave the International Criminal Court threatens to deny thousands of victims the possibility…

July 2, 2026

People line up with belongings at an airport terminal.
(Fethi Belaid / AFP via Getty Images)

Press Release

Tunisia: Refugees and Asylum Seekers Trapped in Cycle of Abuse after Authorities Dismantle Crucial Safeguards

Tunisian authorities must immediately overturn racist and xenophobic policies that have systematically targeting refugees and asylum seekers.

July 2, 2026

Men in black hoods and leather gloves hold long slender sticks for caning.
(Nurul Fahmi/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Press Release

Indonesia: Caning of Unmarried Couple for Kissing on TikTok Violates Prohibition of Torture

Today’s public caning of a young man and woman simply for kissing is a horrifying act of discrimination.

July 2, 2026

People with shovels and hoes bury bodies in the sand.
(Private)

Press Release

Sudan: RSF Atrocities in El Fasher ‘A Stain on the Conscience of Humanity’ - New Report

The Rapid Support Forces committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during its campaign to seize El Fasher in Sudan's…

June 30, 2026

People walk past a red banner with a picture of Ji Xinping on a busy street.
(Getty)

Press Release

China: New ‘Ethnic Unity’ Law Set to Entrench Assimilation of Minority Groups

China's new Ethnic Unity Law pushes minority ethnic groups to adopt a single, state-defined national identity dominated by Han Chinese…

June 30, 2026

A woman holding up a poster at a protest that reads
(Sanchit Khanna/Getty Images)

Press Release

West Virginia v. BPJ Ruling Will Harm Young Transgender Athletes in Devastating Setback for LGBTQ+ Rights

This decision could pave the way for broader laws that exclude transgender people from public life altogether.

June 30, 2026

(BADRU KATUMBA/AFP via Getty Images)

Press Release

Uganda: Authorities Must Immediately End the Harassment of Activists, Allow Media to Operate Freely

These latest attacks on media outlets are emblematic of years-long crackdown on freedoms of expression and association in Uganda.

June 29, 2026

A police officer holding a gun and standing in front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Press Release

Türkiye: Authorities Must Lift Blanket Protest Ban Ahead of NATO Summit and Release Scores of Arbitrarily Detained People

The blanket ban on protests in Ankara is an excessive and unjustifiable attack on the rights to freedom of peaceful…

June 29, 2026

A person in a white robe and headscarf pushes a suitcase through an airport terminal.
(AFP via Getty Images)

Press Release

Saudi Arabia: Visitors to Saudi Arabia Imprisoned for Social Media Posts

Visitors to Saudi Arabia including tourists and pilgrims, risk detention, unfair trials, and lengthy prison sentences for social media posts.

June 29, 2026