Despite the sluggish pace of justice for Afghan victims, the arrest of decorated Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith on war crimes charges sends a powerful message to Australia’s armed forces that even those deemed “war heroes” are not above the law. www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

@hrw.org is hiring a senior China researcher. Do you have strong written and spoken Mandarin and English, excellent open source investigative skills, and experience working on mainland China? See more details here: job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightsw...

"Concerned countries should press Pakistan to provide genuine accountability and ensure that failures in intelligence, target verification, and decision-making are identified and fixed so such strikes never happen again.”

“As the Middle East conflict has spread and intensified, so too has the dangerous rhetoric by leaders on all sides, including open threats to commit war crimes.” - @bolopion.bsky.social / @hrw.org on the past month of war in the Middle East Read more ⤵️

In a landmark class action lawsuit in Thailand, a court held a multinational corporation accountable for contamination from a gold mine and recognized the right of villagers in affected areas to effective remedies. 👏 www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

"A Europe that systematically embed human rights across trade, procurement, migration, and security policies, would strengthen not only its credibility, but also its security, acting as a stabilizing force in an unstable world." - @benjeannerod.bsky.social & @mayawang.bsky.social in @lemonde.fr

Breaking - Indonesia's TNI spox says BAIS chief Lt. Gen. Yudi Abrimantyo hands in notice over acid attack on activist. That's not enough. We still need a full investigation into all those involved in orchestrating the attack & perpetrators held to account. en.tempo.co/read/2094490...

NEW: UN Security Council resolution on new framework to deal with impasse around Morocco’s claims to Western Sahara does not ensure that the right to self-determination for the territory’s peoples is upheld and is consistent with international law @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

The Singapore government should drop criminal charges against Jay Ish’haq Rajoo & repeal the repressive Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) law says @hrw.org @amnesty.org @civicusalliance.bsky.social + Forum Asia www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

“President Prabowo should set up an independent fact-finding team to investigate the attack against Andrie Yunus to ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice.” New from @hrw.org / @andreasharsono.bsky.social ⤵️

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has declared a national energy emergency, “in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.” The Philippines, along with many Asian countries, is heavily reliant on Middle ​Eastern oil for fuel. www.bbc.com/news/article...

The brutal acid attack in downtown Jakarta against a prominent rights activist raises grave concerns for Indonesia’s entire human rights community. Indonesian President Prabowo should set up a fact-finding team independent of the military to fully investigate the attack. www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

How the world failed the Philippines. Aside from the belated case at the International Criminal Court, institutions of international accountability have been missing in action. Oped by @carlosconde.bsky.social thediplomat.com/2026/03/drug...

Want to hear rare good news? A Belgian court opened a criminal trial against a former Belgian official for his alleged involvement in the killings of Lumumba, the DRC's first PM, & two senior officials during decolonization. Justice delayed shouldn't be justice denied. www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

“For the families of those killed in the “drug war” watching tearfully from the public gallery, this hearing marked the first real step towards justice after years of violence, denial, and dehumanisation of their loved ones.” - @elainepearson.bsky.social / @hrw.org in op-ed @aljazeera.com

As world institutions wobble, The Hague has unexpectedly become the stage for a reckoning long denied in the Philippines. My take in @AJEnglish on the recent hearing at the International Criminal Court in the case of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte www.aljazeera.com/opinions/202...

In EU/Thailand trade talks, migrant workers rights must be addressed. The EU is rushing to diversify trading partners amid global uncertainty but it shouldn't sacrifice the potential to improve rights & address abuses. @hrw.org @claudiofrancavilla.bsky.social thediplomat.com/2026/03/eu-t...

Great news! @hrw.org (@elainepearson.bsky.social + team) will conduct research for the next 3 years into working conditions in the supply chains in Asia for European countries, thanks to generous support of the players of @postcodelottery.bsky.social in NL. Read more⤵️

Good news! @hrw.org will conduct research for the next 3 years into working conditions in the supply chains in Asia for European countries, thanks to the generous support of the players of Postcode Lottery Netherlands. www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

Junaid Hafeez’s case is emblematic of the unjust & abusive nature of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. The authorities should quash Hafeez’s conviction and safely release him and others held under the blasphemy laws. New from @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

@hrw.org urges Japanese lawmakers to introduce a regulation to counter Uyghur forced labor.The law should target any region with a high risk of state-imposed forced labor & require companies seeking to import at-risk products to show products werent made thru forced labor www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

Australia’s government should invest in community-based alternatives to immigration detention rather than spending millions of dollars per person each year on its abusive offshore regime. New from @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

The Laotian authorities should immediately and impartially investigate the suspicious death of a prominent government critic. Sisay’s death sends a spine-chilling message to critics of the Lao government, deepening the climate of fear in the country. New from @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

What can the world learn from Australia's failed policies on migrants and refugees? Governments should invest in community-based alternatives to immigration detention rather than spending millions of dollars per person each year on abusive offshore regimes. More via @annabelhennessy.bsky.social ⤵️

“Junaid Hafeez’s case is emblematic of the unjust and abusive nature of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. The authorities should quash Hafeez’s conviction and safely release him and others held under the blasphemy laws.” - @elainepearson.bsky.social / @hrw.org Read more ⤵️

🧵 1/6 Am Nachmittag des 14. Oktober 2016 stürmten vier Maskierte das Haus von Paquito Mejos in Manila, #Philippinen, einem 53-jährigen Elektriker und Vater von fünf Kindern. Mejos konsumierte gelegentlich Shabu, ein Methamphetamin, und hatte sich zwei Tage zuvor den lokalen Behörden gestellt [...]

8 months prison sentence for the father of Hong Kong exiled activist Anna Kwok after he tried to cancel her insurance policy. A glaring example of collective punishment. hongkongfp.com/2026/02/26/b...

We are in the Hague for the confirmation of charges hearing of former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte at the ICC. This hearing is not a trial but it's an important step towards accountability for victims of the war on drugs. bsky.app/profile/hrw....

Former president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte is facing a landmark hearing at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Over the next week, ICC judges will hear evidence to determine whether to send this case to trial. Learn more from HRW ⤵️

Camp closures leave thousands stranded in Northeast Syria. The camps have long held thousands of women & children, most of whom have never been charged with a crime. 7 years is a long time to kick the can down the road. These countries need to bring their citizens home. www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

TODAY 10am CET: Philippines ex-President Rodrigo Duterte's confirmation of charges hearing at the International Criminal Court starts in the Hague. @hrw.org will be at the court. You can watch here with a 30 min delay: www.icc-cpi.int/streaming-al... & read our Q&A www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

Nepal’s interim government should release the Commission of Inquiry report into deadly violence during the Gen Z protests of Sep 2025 as well as previous judge-led inquiry reports on human rights violations & abuses which were not published by previous governments. www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

From Feb 23, a panel of 3 ICC judges will hear evidence to determine whether to confirm the charges against former Philippines President Duterte & send his case to trial. Read @hrw.org's Q & A about why this is a critical step in ensuring justice for the "war on drugs." www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

Indonesian police unlawfully dispersed, beat & detained 11 Papuan protesters in Merauke City, South Papua, on January 25. Authorities should promptly and impartially investigate the incident & consult with Indigenous communities to address longstanding grievances. www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

The NSW police’s use of excessive force at a Sydney protest against Israeli President Herzog's visit shows the anti-protest laws are not making the community safer. bsky.app/profile/hrw....

Video from a Sydney protest shows police punching protesters, violently dispersing people kneeling in prayer & charging & pepper spraying protesters. The NSW govt should investigate the alleged use of excessive force by police & discipline or prosecute those responsible. www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

.@hrw's response to the conviction of Anna Kwok's father under Hong Kong's draconian national security law for "attempting to deal with the funds of an absconder" - an alarming act of collective punishment. www.reuters.com/world/china/...

Unnecessary restrictions on legitimate protest doesn’t increase safety, but opens the door to abuse. The police use of excessive force against protesters in Sydney during Herzog visit is a further erosion of rights in Australia. www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

The sentences handed down to Jimmy Lai & colleagues are very harsh, even by mainland standards. These national security trials are ultimately serving a political goal of extinguishing dissent and sending a message to anyone who dares to criticize the CCP. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/w...

The Chinese government intensified its repression across the country in 2025. President Xi mobilized the government to impose strict ideological conformity. Tibetans, Uyghurs & other minorities face the most severe suppression of rights. Repression in HK has escalated. www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

The Vietnam government’s escalating crackdown comes even as the leadership strives for greater international recognition & trade deals. Trade partners should press the government to reform its abusive laws & release all those held for exercising their basic rights. www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

In 2025, Pakistani authorities deployed vague & overbroad laws to intensify their crackdown on media freedom, political opposition & civil society. The government should focus on addressing longstanding rights issues & stop muzzling those who bring attention to them. www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

The Indian government has normalized violence against religious minorities, marginalized groups & critics through discriminatory policies, hate speech, & politically motivated prosecutions. @hrw.org World Report 2026: www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

Under relentless pressure from US President Trump, persistently undermined by China + Russia, the rules-based international order is being crushed threatening to take with it the architecture human rights defenders have come to rely on to advance norms & protect freedoms. www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

NGO friends across Asia - a new fund has been established to support the critical work of human rights defenders operating in high risk environments. More info here lighthousedefenders.org

Wed: RAP CON in Bangkok! at BACC, Bringing together rap & hip-hop artists who are committed to political & social struggles. Thurs: @hrw.org hold Launch of "Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2026" in Bangkok, at @fccthai.bsky.social w/ @elainepearson.bsky.social @reaproy.bsky.social & more 6/

Philippines chair confirms that ASEAN does not recognize the Myanmar's sham elections "as of now". There can be no reward for an election that is illegitimate. Also, Myanmar has utterly ignored the ASEAN 5 point consensus that Min Aung Hlaing previously agreed to. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/...

Will human rights survive the Trump era? They will survive only if we build something new: a durable human rights alliance that defends core norms (even when a superpower defects), and makes repression costly. By @hrw.org's @bolopion.bsky.social www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

Myanmar’s military junta has committed widespread repression & abuse in every facet of life in the country since seizing power on February 1, 2021. I spoke to @dwnews about the junta's sham elections & why they simply serve to entrench military rule. www.dw.com/en/no-end-in...

5 years on from the military coup, Myanmar’s human rights & humanitarian catastrophe faces dwindling foreign assistance and attention. No one should be fooled by the junta's sham elections. New statement by @amnesty.org @fortifyrights.bsky.social & @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/01...