Author: Vera Rousseff July 21, 2026 HRRC opposes the European Union (EU)-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and condemns the European Commission’s continued funding of abusive border control practices in Tunisia. We emphasize that the EU must establish immigration policies that respect international refugee and human rights law. EU flags at the European Commission Berlaymont building. [Guillaume Périgois/Unsplash] On July 16, 2026, a coalition of 46 humanitarian and hu

Authors: Lashaine Rakabopa and Nathalie Gullo July 21, 2026 [Image credit: Juan Eduardo Montalvo/Unsplash] Introduction While mental health is being increasingly acknowledged globally, it remains an often overlooked, “lesser” human rights issue and a highly sensitive topic, as many are uncomfortable discussing or acknowledging its reality and impact. According to the World Health Organization, mental health is “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the

Author: Bashir Wako July 20, 2026 HRRC recognises that neglected tropical diseases are closely linked to poverty, discrimination and social exclusion, and that meaningful progress in protecting the right to health depends on addressing the structural inequalities that drive vulnerability and leave affected communities behind. We applaud the United Nations and its member states in adopting the resolution. [Image credit: mk_photoz/Pexels] The United Nations Human Rights Council

Author: Sheetal Frank July 17, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns the torture and ill-treatment of prisoners in Sri Lanka. We call on national authorities to conduct independent and impartial investigations into the deaths and abuse taking place in custody, including in prisons and detention facilities. We also call for the protection of prisoners during transfers from Negombo Prison to other prisons, ensuring they receive any required medical care, and for the Human Rights Commissi

Author: Christine Savino July 17, 2026 The Human Rights Research Center supports Chief Judge James Boasberg’s decision to temporarily suspend a Trump administration policy targeting noncitizen researchers, as we believe that the decision establishes important safeguards for free expression, independent research and the rights of noncitizens. Immigration powers should not be used to punish lawful research or advocacy merely because the government disagrees with the viewpoint e

Author: Laura Pettigrew July 17, 2026 A broom factory for the blind [Image credit: National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons] The History and Current Status of Subminimum Wage in the United States In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in the United States (U.S.). It banned child labor, set overtime pay, and established a minimum wage (Grossman, n.d.). It also established exceptions to the minimum wage. One possible exception is people

Author: Kate Minichiello July 16, 2026 A woman carries a baby near a residential house damaged after a Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, June 2, 2026 [Image credit: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP] Introduction The Russia-Ukraine war has taken a back-seat when it comes to dominating news headlines while the Iran war replaced it. The Russia-Ukraine war has now gone on longer than World War I and shows no signs of de-escalation, putting civilians at continued risk; however, Ukrainian citiz

Author: Aahana Nagwekar July 16, 2026 HRRC condemns the abuse and sexual harassment of Filipino women working in households across Saudi Arabia. HRRC also calls upon the Saudi Arabian government to address the exploitation of foreign nationals and migrant workers, and to take immediate action against the perpetrators to prevent this process from continuing. [Image Credit: DMYA] According to 19 different documented experiences of Filipino women working in Saudi Arabian homes

Author: Maryiam Yumna Azeez, LLM July 15, 2026 Gaza City's al-Hassaina mosque, damaged in an Israeli bombardment during the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. [Image credit: AFP/Getty Images via The Guardian] Introduction The destruction of cultural heritage has increasingly emerged as a deliberate tactic of warfare. Aimed not only at physical eradication, but also to undermine the identity, memory, and social fabric of targeted communities (Br

Author: Bashir Wako July 15, 2026 HRRC affirms that all persons in state custody, irrespective of nationality or immigration status, are entitled to humane treatment, adequate healthcare and due process. HRRC calls on the authorities of Equatorial Guinea to take immediate steps to safeguard the health, dignity and fundamental rights of all persons in detention, in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law. [Image credit: Emiliano Bar via Unsplash]

Author: Vera Rousseff July 14, 2026 *English version is available below HRRC appelle l’Organisation des Nations unies à tenir sa promesse d'inclure tous les États membres dans les discussions sur la gouvernance mondiale de l’intelligence artificielle. Nous insistons sur le fait que les accords internationaux visant à encadrer l’IA doivent refléter les priorités de toutes les nations, quel que soit leur niveau de développement technologique, car les risques et les bénéfices po

Author: Kaitlyn V. Andres, MS & MPH July 14, 2026 A food giveaway in San Diego where flags and banners let LGBT people know they are welcome there. [Image credit: Feeding San Diego] Introduction As acceptance and awareness increase, more adults in the United States (U.S.) are identifying as a member of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community--that is as something other than heterosexual and/or cisgender. According to a Gallup poll, about 9% of U.S. adults id

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan July 14, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns all forms of racism and discrimination at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and urges FIFA to protect victims, investigate such cases and hold those responsible accountable. Hossam Hassan's protest (left) gesture puts FIFA's anti-racism signal in focus. [Credit: Getty/the New Arab] The FIFA World Cup 2026 has been afflicted by multiple cases of racism, discrimination, xenophobia and online abuse, raising concerns about th

Author: Amy Asubonteng July 13, 2026 HRRC supports the court settlement of $1.8 million to patients affected by Serviceaide’s data breach incident. The compromise of individuals’ personal identifying information is a violation of the right to privacy. In addition, HRRC pushes for more corporate accountability. Compensation is only one step in addressing the mismanagement of confidential patient data by Serviceaide. [Image credit: Marcus Winkler via Pexels] Serviceaide Inc, a

Author: Sheetal Frank July 10, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns the racial discrimination and ill-treatment faced by Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia. We call on the Australian authorities to review the rejected recommendations, uphold their obligations under international human rights law, and amend the age of criminal responsibility for children to at least 14. We also call on the government to improve youth justice systems and ensure tha