Author: Erina Bazán López December 29, 2025 HRRC implores the international community and mediating parties to safeguard the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, urging both Israel and Hamas to prioritize the preservation of civilian life and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. People gather during a search and rescue operation at the site of a house that was partially destroyed during the war and collapsed on Tuesday, at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, December 16, 2025. [Ima

December 29, 2025 Explore Our Latest Publications Opinion: The Russian Cancer in Eastern Europe and the Country That Got Away by Ioana Podarita Anti-Immigration Sentiment Blows Back on Puerto Ricans on the Mainland by Gabrielle Meyers HRRC News Briefs TotalEnergies faces war crime allegations in the midst of Mozambique's deepening displacement crisis by Erina Bazán López European Parliament Backs EU Solidarity Fund to Expand Access to Safe Abortion by Aamnah Fatima Khan O

Author: Gabrielle Meyers December 24, 2025 In what Human Rights Watch  characterizes as “misaligned with international human rights law,” the 2025 US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have targeted both citizens and immigrants in a way that undermines their human rights , such as due process, equal protection, and freedom from arbitrary detention.  [Image credit: Ricardo Arduengo / AFP via Getty Images] Out of those with US citizenship, Puerto Ricans in particul

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan December 23, 2025 HRRC commends the European Parliament for advancing a solidarity-based approach that upholds women’s bodily autonomy and promotes equal access to essential reproductive healthcare across the EU. This initiative reflects a principled commitment to human rights, dignity and shared responsibility among states to protect women’s health and freedoms. European Parliament Votes in Support of the My Voice, My Choice Initiative for Safe and

Author: Ioana Podarita December 23, 2025 Almost four years ago, Russia began its violent and unprovoked attack in Ukraine, and the rest of the world got a rare glimpse into its vengeful and hegemonic temper. I grew up in post-communist Romania, and until I moved to the US, I hadn’t fully realized the extent to which Russian influences permeated into every corner of my country. Romania, much like the rest of the former Eastern Bloc countries, never fully recovered after the fa

Author: Erina Bazán López December 22, 2025 HRRC urges states and corporate actors to work to prevent human rights violations in Mozambique and to fully cooperate with ongoing accountability processes. Sustained international scrutiny is essential to prevent further civilian harm and for the potential provision of the necessary aid. Mozambican soldiers stand by an armored vehicle at the airport in Mocimboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique, Aug. 9, 2021 [Image made

December 22, 2025 Explore Our Latest Publications 10 Lives Lost a Day: Understanding Femicide in Mexico by Mahika Datta Research Budget Cuts Undermine Our Fundamental Rights and the Public Good by Sylvia He, PhD Hydropolitics in a Warming World: The GERD & the Future of Nile Basin Governance  by Abigail Stofer HRRC News Briefs Jimmy Lai's guilty verdict marks the end of press freedom in Hong Kong by Devin Windelspecht, MSc Digital violence against women human rights defend

Author: Peter Clarkin, MA December 19, 2025 HRRC strongly condemns the use of digital violence towards women human rights defenders and journalists. The increased level of threat towards women online must be acknowledged, with greater pressure put on governments to ensure that perpetrators of online violence are held to account. [Image source: Stock photo via UN Women ] The recent publication of a study  developed by UN Women in collaboration with UNESCO, has laid bare the fr

Author: Devin Windelspecht, MSc December 18, 2025 HRRC condemns the politicized guilty verdict of Jimmy Lai and calls on governments around the world to demand his release, particularly given reports of ill health and mistreatment while in prison.  Lai is on trial for breaching national security and colluding with foreign forces [Image credit: Getty Images via BBC News ] As freedom of expression has come under increasing strain in Hong Kong, the guilty verdict in a  “national

Author: Abigail Stofer December 18, 2025 As climate change accelerates, many political scientists and other thought leaders are increasingly asking whether resource scarcity will emerge as a primary driver of global conflict. While resource pressures have historically fueled or intensified unrest — such as drought-driven grievances in Syria  before the Arab Spring or competition over dwindling water supplies  in the Lake Chad Basin — they have rarely been the central cause. N

Author: Sylvia He, PhD December 17, 2025 Many government funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), have experienced or will face significant budget cuts. In short, public-funded research—a cornerstone institution that has saved lives, improved health, and driven innovation and economic growth—is under siege. There are many reasons to continue funding current and fu

Author: Mahika Datta December 16, 2025 Hundreds of women take to the streets in Mexico City, Mexico, on November 25, 2018, as part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Night Una Menos translates to “Not one [woman] less”. [Image credit: Jair Cabrera/Nurphoto via Getty Images] Introduction Latin America is home to 14 of the 25 countries with the highest rates of femicide in the world, with Mexico being one of them (Diaz, 2021). Across Mexico,

December 15, 2025 Explore Our Latest Publications Ensuring Equality & Non-Discrimination: Women as Quazis Under Sri Lanka’s Muslim Marriage & Divorce Act  by Mariyam Yumna Azeez, LLM A Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights  by Hanh Vu, LLM When Governance Fails: Child Recruitment, Gendered Violence, and the Rise of Gang Rule in Haiti  by Elizabeth Lyons HRRC News Briefs Escalating Judicial Harassment of Islamabad Lawyers Sparks Alarm Over Fair Trial and Fre

Author: Peter Clarkin, MA December 11, 2025 HRRC demands that the Bulgarian government introduces stricter restrictions on coal-fired factories within the country, given the severe negative impact of  pollution caused by the plants, especially for those under the age of 17. Increased rates of respiratory conditions for residents who live closer to the factories should be sufficient grounds for the government to take immediate action. Maritsa Iztok Complex is the largest energ

Author: Elizabeth Lyons December 11, 2025 Dèyè mòn gen mòn  Beyond mountains, there are mountains  – Haitian proverb Warning: This article contains accounts of rape and other violence that readers may find distressing. In a shelter for underage survivors of gender-based violence, non-governmental organizations have reported a rise in cases of sexual violence, particularly rape of women and minors, due to the escalating armed violence. Care and support facilities for survivors