Author: Bellinda Chinowawa October 29, 2025 Princess Silibaziso Mlotshwa was formally installed as Chief Mvuthu on August 15, 2025. Introduction On August 15, Princess Silibaziso Mlotshwa was installed as the substantive Chief Mvuthu in Hwange District, the first woman to hold that office in Matabeleland North and one of only a handful nationwide. This is a landmark development that provides an opportunity to critique the relationship between colonialism and the evolution of

Author: Ivan Francis, MS October 28, 2025 View the interactive visual report here on Tableau. What is an Internet Shutdown? An internet shutdown is a deliberate interruption of internet-based communications that prevents a certain demographic, geographic area, or access type from using them. Blocking access to the global internet is frequently an attempt by the state to regulate the flow of information inside a territory. Internet shutdowns are not the same as content rest

Author: Vera Rousseff October 28, 2025 HRRC strongly advocates for the protection of all children against child labor, particularly when the work is hazardous or exploitative. We urge the international community to support leaders and activists in South Sudan in their efforts to combat child labor. Children walk to the Malaika Primary School in Juba, South Sudan. “Education remains the strongest protective factor,” Save the Children said [Image credit: Samir Bol/Reuters] A ne

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan October 27, 2025 HRRC strongly condemns the Tanzanian authorities’ repression and deliberate erosion of democratic freedoms in the lead-up to the 2025 elections. These actions blatantly violate international human rights obligations and undermine the principles of free expression, political participation and justice. Tanzanian opposition party Chadema chairman Tundu Lissu has demanded electoral reforms to change a process he says favors the ruling C

Author: Sibusiso Gugushe October 27, 2025 HRRC condemns the recent airstrike carried out by Myanmar’s military junta on innocent civilians during Vesak/Thadingyut . The airstrike forms part of the war crimes and human rights violations, including genocide and ethnic cleansing, that have taken place in the country since the military coup in February 2021. [Image credit: Kaung San/Monywa] At least 32 people, including several children, lost their lives and more than 50 were

October 27, 2025 Explore Our Latest Publications SIDS on the Frontline of Climate Justice by Irem Cakmak, LLM The Crossroads of Justice: Our Infrastructural History, Environmental Racism, and the Climate Fight by Olivia Weninger How Shrinking Refugee Funding Threatens Human Rights and Social Cohesion in the East and Horn of Africa by Ronald Nsubuga, MS HRRC News Briefs Concerns Mount Over Human Rights Amid Punjab’s Crackdown on TLP Protests by Aamnah Fatima Khan French Ba

Author: Devin Windelspecht, MSc October 24, 2025 HRRC joins global and Turkish press freedom organizations’ calls for an officia l investigation into possible political motivations behind the murder of journalist Hakan Tosun. We express extreme concern for the safety of independent journalists working in Turkey amid increasing physical, digital and legal threats. Hakan Tosun. [Source: Bianet.org ] The murder of an environmental journalist and activist in Istanbul, Turkey ha

Author: Ronald Nsubuga, MS October 23, 2025 Somali women and children stand outside temporary tents in the Dagahaley refugee camp near the Kenya-Somalia border. [Image credit: UNICEF/Kate Holt] Introduction The East and Horn of Africa region has for decades hosted millions of refugees. As of December 2024, the region was sheltering over 5 million people fleeing all sorts of instabilities, such as conflicts, catastrophic climate emergencies, and political chaos from countries

Author: Peter Clarkin, MA October 23, 2025 HRRC condemns the Australian government’s decision not to guarantee weekly hours for more than 10,000 Pacific workers. Short-term workers would benefit greatly from guaranteed hours under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, and the risks of not proceeding with this plan could be detrimental to both their safety and security. We urge the Australian government to reconsider this decision. [Image source: Bloomberg/Getty

Author: Olivia Weninger October 22, 2025 Interstate highways in Oakland, California. [Image source: Jason Doiy] ‘The interstate highway system stands as a material manifestation, a physical realization of our racialized norms and values.’ – Deborah Archer Even in the age of “race-blindness”—the tendency to ignore race in social or legal assessments—environmental racism persists. Its roots trace back to the very creation of our cities and highways, where neighborhoods were oft

Author: Vera Rousseff October 21, 2025 HRRC commends the jury’s decision to hold BNP Paribas accountable for financially enabling human rights violations in Sudan. We believe that financial institutions have a moral responsibility to ensure that their business operations do not perpetuate international crimes. A branch of BNP Paribas in Paris, France. [Image source: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg ] On Friday, a New York jury found that BNP Paribas, France’s largest bank , helped the

Author: Irem Cakmak, LLM October 21, 2025 [Image source: Markus Spiske ] Introduction Small Island Developing States ( SIDS ) are a group of low-lying island nations with distinct vulnerabilities that make them particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, despite their minimal contribution to global emissions. These countries include Pacific islands such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Maldives, as well as many island nations in the Caribbean. The effects of climate

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan October 20, 2025 HRRC strongly condemns the excessive use of force, mass detentions and communication blackouts during the Muridke operation, terming them grave violations of citizens’ constitutional rights. HRRC urges the government to ensure accountability, uphold due process and protect the fundamental right to peaceful protest. Police officers and supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) run amid tear gas fired by police during a solidarit

October 20, 2025 Explore Our Latest Publications Counting the Cost: The Environmental Toll on Ukraine from the Russian Invasion by Anonymous HRRC Contributor Shorelines of Exclusion: Islands’ Role in the Politics of Migration by Abigail Stofer Illicit Affairs: How Smuggling Networks Shape Migrant Experience on the Balkan Route by Madi Carpenter HRRC News Briefs EU Bans Pesticides at Home, Exports Them to the Global South by Vera Rousseff Microsoft urged to end business ti

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan October 17, 2025 HRRC commends Chief Justice B. R. Gavai’s strong stance against female genital mutilation and his call for stronger protection of girls’ rights. His remarks reaffirm India’s commitment to upholding dignity, equality and justice for every girl child. Protesters carrying posters on International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, February 2019 . [Image credit: Outlook India] Chief Justice of India (CJI) B. R. Gavai h