Author: Christine Savino June 2, 2026 The Human Rights Research Center recognizes political violence as a threat to the rights to life, security, democratic participation, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and public accountability. States have a duty to prevent, investigate, and respond to political violence while ensuring that legal responses do not become a pretext for suppressing lawful protest, dissent, or political speech. [Image credit: WikiMedia Commons] The U

Author: Kaitlyn Andres, MPH & MS June 2, 2026 An incarcerated worker operates a silkscreen machine, photographed as part of a Seattle Times investigation into prison labor in Washington. [Image credit: Alan Berner, The Seattle Times] The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States (U.S.) Constitution was passed in 1865 as a means to codify President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and abolish slavery. It stated that slavery would not exist in the U.S.; however, it a

Author: Ana MC Budeanu June 2, 2026 HRRC endorses the European Union’s efforts to establish the protection of children from violence with the Barnahus Model that respects children’s rights and supports their welfare. Further, we call for greater support for this initiative to become the standard for protecting children that are part of a criminal investigation. Children are Protected with the Barnhus Model [Photo credit: Markus Spiske, Unsplash] The Council of Europe and the

Author: Aahana Nagwekar June 1, 2026 HRRC condemns the criminalization of LGBTQ support by the Russian government and supreme court. Banning aid groups that are crucial to legal, medical, financial and other forms of assistance for a community that is repeatedly discriminated against is a severe violation of human rights by preventing marginalized communities from getting the help they deserve. Russian LGBTQ Activists holding rainbow flags and protesting in 2020. [Image Cred

Author: Peter Clarkin, MA June 1, 2026 HRRC calls for the immediate release of human rights lawyer Ruth López. López has been held by Salvadoran authorities for over a year without a legitimate trial or a full disclosure of the case against her. She must be released and allowed to continue her work in exposing corruption and protecting human rights within El Salvador. Human rights defender Ruth López has been illegally imprisoned in El Salvador for over a year. [Image credit:

Author: Gabrielle Meyers, MPP May 30, 2026 Glossary Allocate: to set apart for a specific purpose Compliant: conforming to requirements Degrading: associated with a low, destitute, or demoralized state Depict: to represent with a visual Destigmatized: remove associations of shame or disgrade from Discrepancies: instances or data that deviate from the norm Doctor-Patient Confidentiality: prevents a doctor from revealing patients’ medical information to third parties without th

Author: Sheetal Frank May 29, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns the crackdown on non-governmental organisations and human rights workers and calls on the Tunisian government to immediately release those detained or imprisoned and end all arbitrary arrests and suspensions, allowing the work of civil liberty organisations to continue and have the right to expression. Demonstrations waving Tunisian flags during a protest organised by the Tunisian Network for Rights and Freedoms in Tun

Author: Christine Savino May 29, 2026 HRRC recognizes climate change as a human rights crisis that threatens the rights to life, health, housing, food, water, culture, self-determination, and a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The international community must treat climate harm not only as an environmental or economic issue, but as a matter of legal responsibility, especially for communities and states that have contributed least to the crisis while bearing its he

Author: Amy Asubonteng May 28, 2026 HRRC supports the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ press release and proposed rule. As both federal and state spending become increasingly crucial aspects of managing healthcare, HRRC further applauds the CMS administrators and federal regulators for seeking ways to regulate overspending that can divert resources away from directly improving the quality of healthcare for U.S. citizens. [Image Credit: www.kaboompics.com via Pexels

Author: Ana MC Budeanu May 28, 2026 HRRC is encouraged by the European Union efforts to establish rules on artificial intelligence technologies and their effects on human rights with regard to citizen’s mental health, such as the EU AI Act which prohibits reading and analyzing citizen’s emotions. We emphasise that policies regarding artificial intelligence technology must be regularly updated to better protect human rights and the mental health of citizens amid ever-changing

Author: Raisa Hamlin May 27, 2026 HRRC is concerned by the police raid on the headquarters of Türkiye’s main opposition party and by legal actions targeting CHP leadership. We urge Turkish authorities to respect democratic institutions and political freedoms in Türkiye. Republican People’s Party (CHP) former chairman Özgür Özel leading supporters in a march towards Turkish Parliament after police conducted a raid on CHP headquarters. [Image credit: EPA/Necati Sevas] Turkish p

Author: Lauryn Carr May 27, 2026 Students at Fall-Hamilton Elementary School participate in breathing and movement exercises designed to build calmness and self-regulation before learning. [Image credit: Fall-Hamilton Elementary School via School Library Journal] The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) recognizes education as a right that supports a child’s full development. Articles 6, 28, and 29 emphasize the importance of preparing children for responsible life in

Author: Aahana Nagwekar May 27, 2026 HRRC strongly condemns the recent rise of xenophobic violence among citizens of various cities in South Africa. The lack of access to basic human rights such as healthcare and education is plainly unjust and a danger to migrant communities. Moreover, the HRRC calls for the South African government to do more to address this violence and increase the safety of foreign nationals. Anti immigrant protesters out in the streets. [Image Credit: M

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan May 26, 2026 HRRC strongly encourages Indonesia to ensure that any reforms fully adhere to international human rights norms, but it also encourages initiatives to increase protections for digital rights, privacy, and emerging technology. HRRC opposes any actions that would limit the right to free speech, weaken independent human rights organizations, or give state authorities the power to judge the credibility of human rights advocates. Crowd of act

Author: Kudzaiishe Seti, MSc May 26, 2026 Picture of illegal dumpsite in a residential suburb in the city of Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng Province, South Africa. [Image credit: Kudzaiishe Seti] Introduction African urban and rural spaces face unprecedented pressures in the 21st century. Population growth and economic ambitions have brought development, but this development has come with multiple challenges to service delivery and decent human habitation. Each area has its own uni