Author: Natalie Bello, PhD February 3, 2026 [Image credit: Richard Thompson] Over the course of 2025, the Trump Administration indicated its desire to sell off public land and reduce protections for these areas. One of the most controversial pieces of legislation that President Trump and the Republican Party were going to use to sell off the land was the Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The OBBBA frequently made headlines throughout the summer before ultimately being signed in

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan February 2, 2026 HRRC commends the European Union for its principled stance, sustained humanitarian support, and unwavering commitment to democracy, accountability and human rights in Myanmar. We strongly condemn the Myanmar military junta for its continued repression, grave human rights violations and denial of international law, which have deepened human suffering and undermined prospects for peace and democratic restoration. People queue to cast

Author: Devin Windelspecht, MSc January 30, 2026 HRRC expresses intense alarm as to the continued deterioration of American civil rights under the Trump administration. We stress that weakening the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by allowing immigration officials to forcibly enter a residence without a warrant signed by a judge represents a severe blow to the rights of all Americans, citizens and noncitizens alike, and sets a dangerous precedent that can lead to unc

Author: Mariyam Yumna Azeez, LLM January 29, 2026 [Image credits: Oxfam Sri Lanka, 2019]   Introduction The Right to Information (RTI) is a basic human right, [1] an essential concept necessary for any individual’s right to life. In Sri Lanka, the adoption of the Right to Information Act (RTI Act; the Act) No. 12 of 2016 marked a significant advance for democracy due to its protection of civil and political rights, socio-economic entitlements (which are dependent on informat

Author: Peter Clarkin, MA January 29, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns the lengthy and unjust sentencing imposed by a Pakistani court on human rights lawyers, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Alit Chattha. The pair were victims of an unlawful arrest and were forced into an illegitimate trial, leading to a 17-year prison sentence. Immediate pressure must be put on the government of Pakistan to ensure the release of Mazari and Chattha. Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari (right) with her husband

Author: Vera Rousseff January 28, 2026 HRRC stands with the relatives of Patrice Lumumba in their efforts to hold Étienne Davignon accountable for his role in the assassination of the Congolese independence leader and former prime minister. We firmly believe that former colonial powers should be held responsible for crimes committed against their colonies, regardless of how much time has passed since the crimes were carried out. Patrice Lumumba's relatives participate in a pr

Author: Telila Berhanu Amenu January 28, 2026 A Comprehensive Approach The concept of access to justice extends far beyond the mere ability to access courts or legal institutions. [1] It encompasses both legal and social dimensions, ensuring that individuals have the means to effectively protect their rights, seek remedies for grievances, and participate in legal processes in a fair and equitable manner. [2] In both legal and social terms, access to justice represents a bro

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan January 27, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns the reported assault and ill-treatment of detained Egyptian activist Mohamed Adel and the authorities’ failure to provide for his safety and health while in prison. These abuses reflect a broader pattern of repression, impunity and disregard for the rule of law, for which the responsible state institutions must be held fully accountable. Mohamed Adel [Image source: Committee for Justice] Egyptian and internati

Author: Tom Shacklock, MSc January 27, 2026 A Palestinian key at a Nakba Day demonstration in Berlin, symbolizing the keys many Palestinian Nakba refugees have kept with the hope of returning home one day [Image credit: Montecruz Foto via Wikimedia/Flickr] On June 27, 2025, the United States (US) brokered a peace deal  between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This agreement has had little to no effect  on the ground in ending the conflict that has devast

Author: Erina Bazán López January 26, 2026 HRRC joins monitoring groups in expressing grave concern over the recent sentencing of a foreign national in Burkina Faso for homosexuality, marking a significant escalation in state-sanctioned persecution of LGBTQ+ people. The active criminalization of marginalized identities highlights a troubling rollback of fundamental human rights under the current military leadership. Photo illustration by Dami Mojid / THE REPUBLIC. [Image sour

January 26, 2026 Explore Our Latest Publications Birth Control Access & the Fight for Reproductive Rights Globally by Deanna Wilken and Becca Stachel Persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang:Torture, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide by Hanh Vu, LLM Gender Equality in China’s Legal Profession by Vivian Sun HRRC News Briefs Iranian information blackout could continue indefinitely, cutting the country off from the world by Devin Windelspecht, MSc Global use of capital punishm

Author: Peter Clarkin, MA January 22, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns the increased use of the death penalty by certain states worldwide. Those punished are often immigrants or those living in impoverished areas, who are often sentenced without a fair trial. The push to abolish the death penalty in all countries must continue, and the progress being made by a number of countries must be applauded.   Demonstrators against the death penalty stand outside the Moakley Federal Court i

Author: Vivian Sun January 22, 2026 [Image source: DuckDuckGo Search] Background: Workplace Gender Equality in China China has seen remarkable progress in gender equality in the workplace, with women accounting for 37.7% of board seats, 41.9% of supervisory positions, and 31.2% of employee-representation positions, indicating that traditional barriers are being removed. In key positions within companies, women are becoming increasingly dominant: human resource directors accou

Author: Devin Windlespecht, MSc January 21, 2026 HRRC condemns the killing of protesters in Iran and urges the international community to take measures to hold those accountable to justice. We also condemn the use of internet blackouts to suppress dissent and restrict the flow of information during times of crisis. Such measures are often used by regimes to hide human rights abuses. In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in

Author: Hanh Vu, LLM January 21, 2026 A protester against China’s harsh repression of Muslim Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or what people there prefer to call East Turkestan, whose unofficial flag is above. [Image credit: ABDUGHENI SABIT/TWITTER] Introduction In the past decade, there has been increasing documentation of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (referred to as “Xinjiang”). Various investigations, by journalists, governm