Created by: Deanna Wilken and Becca Stachel January 20, 2026 Downloadable Version Available Below Glossary Abortion – A medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. Adolescent – A young person in the stage of development between childhood and adulthood, typically between ages 10 and 19. Avert – To prevent or stop something from happening. Bodily Autonomy – The right of a person to make decisions about their own body without outside control or coercion. Contraception – Metho

January 19, 2026 Explore Our Latest Publications U.S. Military Escalation Against Venezuela: Legal and Human Rights Implications Leading Up to Maduro’s Capture by Kate Minichiello Social Media Could Be Iran’s Lifeline by Ioana Podarita HRRC News Briefs The cost of control: Uganda cracks down on digital and physical rights ahead of elections by Erina Bazán López Labubu factories linked to exploitation of underage workers by Peter Clarkin, MA Other Breaking Human Rights New

Author: Peter Clarkin, MA January 16, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns Pop Mart and Shunjia Toys Co. Ltd in their treatment of workers involved in the production of the Labubu doll. Specifically, young workers receive incomplete contracts and are forced to illegally work overtime. Both companies must implement employment practices in accordance with international labour laws and support the health and wellbeing of their employees.  All of the workers interviewed by China Labor Wat

Author: Erina Bazán López January 15, 2026 HRRC calls upon the Ugandan government to immediately reinstate internet access, allow NGOs to resume their vital work, and ensure the safety of all journalists and opposition supporters. Continuity of leadership must not be pursued at the expense of the fundamental human rights of the Ugandan people. Supporters of Uganda's President and the leader of ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, Yoweri Museveni, march along the s

Author: Ioana Podarita January 14, 2026 Demonstrators carry a large photo of Mahsa Amini during a protest against the Iranian regime, in Los Angeles in October 2022. [Image credit: Richard Vogel/AP] On January 8th, three weeks into nationwide   protests , Iranian authorities shut down the internet . With a reported death toll surpassing 500 victims ( according  to a US human rights group), cutting off Iranian protesters from the rest of the world could have catastrophic conse

Author: Kate Minichiello January 13, 2026 In the last four months of 2025, continued strikes and seizures by the United States on Venezuelan boats and oil tankers filled the news. On January 3rd, 2026, the U.S. captured the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro, in an unprecedented operation. Below is an analysis of the political, legal, and human rights implications of the strikes, seizures, and arrest. [Image source: Deccan Herald] Nicolas Maduro took power in Venezuela in Marc

January 12, 2026 Explore Our Latest Publications Where the Shore Once Was: Legal Identity, Cultural Memory, and Self-Determination in a Climate-Changed World by Sarisha Harikrishna HRRC News Briefs 40,000 gig workers launch flash strike in India demanding fair pay and security by Peter Clarkin, MA America’s attack on Venezuela raises warnings of escalating human rights abuses by Devin Windelspecht, MSc Other Breaking Human Rights News January 5, 2026 Thailand-Cambodia ceas

Author: Devin Windelspecht, MSc January 9, 2025 HRRC condemns the illegal intrusion by U.S. forces into Venezuela. We stress that legitimate governance in Venezuela can come only from a government chosen by the Venezuelan people. Furthermore, we are extremely concerned by the worsening of an already dire humanitarian situation in the country as a result of political instability. International bodies and governments must prioritize and advocate for the wellbeing, rights, and f

Author: Peter Clarkin, MA January 8, 2026 HRRC calls for  all app-based delivery drivers in India to be  compensated fairly and regularly for their work in a rapidly expanding gig economy. The introduction of a minimum monthly income programme, coupled with increased  representation within India’s labor laws, must be the initial steps in ensuring that these essential workers experience security in their working environment. Swiggy food delivery drivers in Kolkata, India, on J

Author: Sarisha Harikrishna January 6, 2026 Demonstrators dressed in indigenous clothing hold anti-climate change placards. [Image credit: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/Lightrocket via Getty Images] Climate Displacement and the Threat of Statelessness Between the slow and almost imperceptible violence of rising seas and the immediate, destabilizing urgency of mass displacement, climate change has asserted itself not merely as an environmental issue confined to the natural sciences.

January 5, 2026 Explore Our Latest Publications The Algorithm Babysitter: AI-Generated Content and the Emerging Human Rights Crisis in Early Childhood Development by Olivia Weninger Critical Gaps in Artificial Intelligence in the East and Horn of Africa: A Call to Action to Safeguard Human Rights by Ronald Nsubuga, MS HRRC News Briefs With second stage of peace deal on the horizon, the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is increasingly fragile by Erina Bazán López New report details a

Author: Devin Windelspecht, MSc January 5, 2026 HRRC raises concern as to the likelihood of Myanmar’s elections, which are neither free nor fair, further entrenching the country’s authoritarianism. We stress that true democratic elections can only take place where a majority of Myanmar’s population can vote in security and without intimidation, and is offered a choice of competitive candidates and parties.  Election Commission officials count ballots at a polling station duri

Author: Devin Windelspecht, MSc December 31, 2025 HRRC is deeply alarmed by the documented rise in the detention and physical assault of journalists in the United States, as outlined in the Freedom of the Press Foundation’s latest report. The routine detention of journalists signals a dangerous erosion of press freedom and a troubling shift in how authorities engage with independent media. HRRC calls on federal, state, and local authorities to immediately reaffirm and enforce

Author: Ronald Nsubuga, MS December 31, 2025 Introduction Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming economies, governance, and social life with the potential to advance sustainable development in Africa (Mienye, Sun, & Ileberi, 2024). The African Union AI strategy posits that AI adoption on the continent will solve the urgent challenges in healthcare, agriculture, education, finance, and public service delivery (African Union [AU], 2024). While AI adoption presents

Author: Olivia Weninger December 30, 2025 [Image source: MediaMister] Summary Videos that fat-shame, stereotype, or place newborns in odd real-world situations are rampant in Instagram reels and TikTok feeds designed for children. Although such content is not conducive to childhood development, young children are consuming it in large quantities every day in this unregulated digital nursery. Meanwhile, the rapid advancement of AI and generation of AI-created videos is adding