Author: Suyash Pasi August 25, 2026 Workers wearing head-mounted cameras for AI and robotic training. [Image credit: R Satish Babu/AFP] India is emerging as an important hub for egocentric data, where workers use head-mounted cameras to shoot footage of their physical movements and interactions for AI and robotics training. A variety of established and new companies have begun collecting this data, but gaps in India’s current data privacy laws, along with reported concerns a

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan August 24, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns all attacks, detentions and restrictions targeting healthcare and humanitarian personnel. Medical and aid workers must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. The international community must act decisively to ensure that lifesaving assistance can be delivered safely and without obstruction. Palestinian Red Crescent Personnel inspect a destroyed ambulance in Deir el-Balah , Gaza Strip [I

August 23, 2026 Author: Tasreba Chowdhury HRRC urges global and regional agencies to swiftly mobilize resources to address the rapidly worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Measures should be taken to increase the rate of case identification and contact tracing, as well as to address the challenges posed to treatment and response efforts. Continued support should be provided for clinical trials working to develop treatments and possible vaccines

Author: Aahana Negwakar August 23, 2026 HRRC condemns the human rights abuses being committed on innocent civilians at the Colombia-Ecuador border. Both governments (Ecuador and US) must take accountability and implement real safeguards to protect the general public. [Image credit: Wikimedia Commons] A 94-page Human Rights Watch report, published in July, discusses findings of blatant human rights violations at the Colombia-Ecuador border, perpetrated by members of Ecuador's

Author: Maria Fe Mendoza August 21, 2026 HRRC urges the Peruvian government to ensure that efforts to combat organized crime do not come at the expense of human rights, democratic institutions, or accountability. We call for the maintenance of strong institutional checks and civilian oversight over the use of state power, particularly the involvement of the armed forces in domestic security, and for security policies that do not create conditions conducive to authoritarianism

Author: Srijita Mukherjee August 21, 2026 HRRC condemns honour killings and emphasizes that young women should never have to fear making their own life choices, exercising bodily autonomy, or choosing their own partners. The murder of these women highlights the dangers women face when patriarchal family structures act under the guise of preserving social reputation. We encourage the Parliament of India to take national steps similar to Karnataka's recent legislation that crim

Author: Javeria Ali August 21, 2026 [Image credit: Steve A Johnson/Unsplash] Introduction Traditionally accepted domains of military strategy — namely air, land, sea, space, and cyber — have been joined by a new domain: the human brain. Popularly recognized as a form of ‘cognitive warfare’, the term’s definition varies widely, which is pivotal to the context in which it is used, as there is no consensus on its meaning. NATO’s Research, for example, in reporting its cognizance

Author: Olivia Weninger August 20, 2026 Colombian President-Elect, Abelardo de la Espriella [Image credit: Wikimedia Commons] On Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026, Colombia’s President-Elect and political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella officially won the election by the narrowest presidential margin in Colombian history, with only 250,830 votes separating the two candidates (Al Jazeera, 2026). While de la Espriella was barely victorious, the messages and themes in his campaign are

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan August 19, 2026 HRRC condemns the imprisonment of Wynd Kaufmyn for participating in a non-violent protest raising concerns about the risks of unchecked artificial intelligence development. We call for the protection of peaceful protest and freedom of expression and urge authorities to ensure that activists are not disproportionately punished for exercising these fundamental rights. OpenAI Headquarters, San Francisco, California [Image source: Wikime

Author: Pauline Kuranchie August 19, 2026 Paulin Soumanou Vieyra (1925-1987), a Benin-born Senegalese filmmaker, producer, and film historian. He is a key figure in West African film history and one of the earliest voices to articulate the demand for the restitution of Africa’s film and audiovisual heritage. [Source: Criterion Collection] From Egypt’s Rosetta Stone, Nigeria’s Benin Bronzes, and the remains of South Africa’s Sarah Baartman, calls for the restitution and repatr

Author: Raisa Hamlin August 19, 2026 HRRC welcomes Lebanon’s move toward abolishing the death penalty as an important step in protecting the right to life and human dignity. We encourage Lebanese authorities to complete the formal abolition of capital punishment and ensure that replacement sentences respect international human rights standards. Lebanon Parliament Building [Image Credit: Pjposullivan1/Flickr] On August 11, 2026, Lebanon’s parliament voted to abolish the nation

Author: Christine Savino August 18, 2026 HRRC believes that justice requires both accountability for violent crimes and the protection of fundamental human rights through fair legal proceedings. At the same time, HRRC recognizes that access to healthcare is a human rights issue, particularly when financial barriers, insurance denials, and unequal access to treatment leave individuals without adequate medical care. While systemic failures deserve scrutiny and reform, they can

Author: Anonymous August 18, 2026 [Image source: ub emerging practices/Openverse] Overview Certain state and non-state actors have, and will continue to use grey zone 1, 2, 3 tactics, clandestine proxies, and protracted illicit operations to exploit humanitarian disasters, contributing to insecurity, economic, and/or political fragmentation, as it affords them opportunities to cement their own objectives, according to UK HC, NIC, NATO, and judging from historical CIA reportin

Author: Eman Butt August 18, 2026 HRRC is concerned by the deaths of two women in police custody and calls on Pakistani authorities to ensure that police stations serve as places of safety and protection. As a state party to international human rights treaties, Pakistan must ensure that its law enforcement departments comply with their national and international obligations to protect and respect human rights. HRRC further urges authorities to conduct an independent, impartia

Author: Aahana Nagwekar August 14, 2026 HRRC condemns the Myanmar Military’s attacks on innocent civilians. It is imperative that the Myanmar government immediately cease its human rights violations, protect civilians from harm, and take accountability for the violence throughout the country. [Image credit: Stephen Brookes/Flikr] United Nations investigators have documented a sustained campaign of deliberate attacks on civilians by Myanmar's military, including airstrikes on