Human rights violations

Child among protesters sexually assaulted in Iran, rights group says

HRW and Amnesty warn that Tehran uses rape, sexual violence, and torture to suppress dissent, continuing a pattern of violence following previous protests.

Illustrative People step on an Iranian flag at a march in support of nationwide protests in Iran, Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 18, 2026.
PEOPLE ATTEND a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police", in Tehran, Iran September 21, 2022.

Iran had highest number of executions in over a decade, human rights report says

Members of the Baha'i faith hold flowers as they demonstrate outside a state security court during a hearing in the case of a fellow Baha'i man charged with seeking to establish a base for the community in Yemen, in the country's capital Sanaa April 3, 2016

Iranian regime weaponizes judicial systems against Baha'i minority, Human Rights Watch claims

Members of Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard stand in formation as they carry out an increased security patrol along Lake Maracaibo amid rising tensions between Venezuela and US, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, October 26, 2025.

Venezuela's GNB guilty of crimes against humanity, including rape and torture, UN finds


US sanctions North Koreans over forced labor, other alleged abuses

"Today's sanctions target the North Korean military and regime officials engaged in flagrant abuses of human rights," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.

Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un

Aid group warns of death among Rohingya in Bangladesh

"Many people are arriving hungry, exhausted and with no food or water."

Rohingya refugees walk on the muddy path after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf, Bangladesh, September 3, 2017.

As body count climbs, Iran moves towards softening drug laws

Around 5,000 people are on death row for drug related offenses in Iran.

An Iranian anti-narcotics policeman stands guard beside a display of confiscated drugs

Jordan scraps 'marry your rapist' law

No girl should be "presented as a gift" to her rapist, says a Jordan Parliamentarian.

Jordanian girls wave the flag of Jordan

25 year after Khojaly genocide: 'the unforgettable facts between denial and historical justice'

The Jerusalem Post

US threatens to replace UN human rights body over anti-Israel stance

Ambassador Nikki Haley spoke publicly about the possibility of a US pull out when visiting Geneva last week.

Overview of the UN Human Rights Council during a debate at the United Nations in Geneva

'Int'l community antisemitic for ignoring Israelis in Hamas captivity'

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman bashed the world for failing to join Israel in the struggle to return Israeli hostages held by Hamas to Israeli soil, claiming int'l indifference was 'antisemitic.'

Mengistu and al-Sayed

Turkey blocks access to Wikipedia

The move is likely to further worry rights groups and Turkey's Western allies, who say Ankara has sharply curtailed freedom of speech and other basic rights.

A Turkish special forces police officer guards the entrance of the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, August 5, 2016

After 'Palestinian propaganda' row, Israel okays visa for HRW official

Omar Shakir, a US citizen, received the work visa on arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport and he will take up his position as Human Rights Watch's regional director.

Work permit granted by Israel to Human Rights Watch official Omar Shakir, April 26, 2017

Shots fired as Iran arrests over 30 gay men in violent raid

30 men were charged with sodomy, drinking alcohol, and using psychedelic drugs.

Exiled Iranians protest against executions and stonings in Iran during a demonstration on December 10, 2013 in Berlin