Human Rights Updates

Counter-Terrorism Laws Used to Target, Harass Civil Society

This week, a court in the Philippines dismissed terrorism financing charges against the Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET), a nongovernmental organization based in Cebu province that works with marginalized groups to promote economic, social, and cultural rights.

Philippine authorities filed multiple cases under the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 against human rights activists and civil society groups in an apparent attempt by the authorities to be taken off the “grey list” of a global terrorism financing and money laundering watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force. Being grey-listed means, among other impacts, difficulty in accessing international financial markets and reputational damage for the Philippines.

In a statement following the court ruling, Oliver Gimenez, chair of CERNET’s board, said the “ruling exposes the dangers of weaponizing counterterrorism laws against legitimate humanitarian and development work.”

Hundreds Killed at Hoyyar Siri in 2024 Amid Military Indifference; Survivors Denied Return

(Bangkok) – Two years after the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group, killed and wounded hundreds of Rohingya Muslims and burned down their village in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the survivors remain unable to return home, with many effectively detained, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The Arakan Army has rejected responsibility for the massacre at Hoyyar Siri (Htan Shauk Khan in Burmese), Buthidaung township, which involved grave violations of the laws of war amounting to war crimes.

The 56-page report, “‘Skeletons and Skulls Scattered Everywhere’: Arakan Army Massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Hoyyar Siri, Myanmar,” documents the May 2, 2024 attack, in which Arakan Army fighters deliberately fired on unarmed villagers who were seeking safety after the armed group advanced on two Myanmar military bases in the vicinity. Details of the massacre only began emerging more than a year later, after some survivors fled to Bangladesh and Malaysia.

Ugandan opposition politician and former presidential candidate for the Forum for Democratic Change, Dr. Kizza Besigye, who has now been held in arbitrary detention at Luzira Prison in Kampala, Uganda, for over 400 days, is seriously ill, requiring urgent specialized medical attention, and away from detention conditions that Amnesty International considers inhumane. He was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya on November 16, 2024, forcefully returned to Uganda and arraigned at a military court in Kampala on November 20, 2024.

Hanif Pashteen and Noor Ullah Tareen, activists and members of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, a civil rights movement, were forcibly disappeared as they left a convening organized by the provincial government on November 12, 2025, in Peshawar, north-eastern Pakistan. They were forcibly disappeared alongside five others who were released two months later. The continued disappearance of Hanif Pashteen and Noor Ullah Tareen raises serious concerns regarding their safety and well-being.

The Pakistani authorities must make their whereabouts known and ensure their immediate release.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: October 30, 2026

Here is how you can take action:

Send a letter to the the Chief Minister Secretariat, Sohail Afridi

Send an email to the Chief Minister Secretariat, Sohail Afridi

On July 13 2024, Tunisian police arrested Ennahdha party members Ajmi Ourimi, Mohamed Ghannoudi, and Mosaab Gharbi in the Mannouba governorate during a routine identity check while traveling for personal reasons. Authorities later alleged that Ghannoudi was wanted by the police in connection with a terrorism investigation and opened proceedings against all three on suspicion of “participating in a terrorist group” and “providing support to a person suspected of involvement in terrorist acts.” They were referred to trial under Articles 13, 34 and 37 of the 2015 counterterrorism law and Article 32 of the Penal Code, provisions relating to participation in terrorist activities, providing assistance or shelter, failure to report alleged terrorism-related conduct and complicity. The three men have been in pretrial detention for 14 months, exceeding the legal limit.

Authorities must immediately drop all charges against them and release them as their arrest stems solely from their political affiliation.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: October 28, 2026

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Send a letter to the Tunisia authorities

Send an email to the Tunisia authorities

On July 15, 2025, security officers arrested Egyptian national and Christian convert Said Abdelrazek from his home in Cairo. After nine months of arbitrary pretrial detention, Said Abdelrazek was referred to trial before the Terrorism Circuit of the First Criminal Court in Badr on charges stemming from his conversion and religious beliefs. His first court hearing took place on April 21, 2026, and the trial was adjourned to June 15, 2026. Said Abdelrazek is currently detained in the 10th of Ramadan prison amid growing concerns over his health.

The Egyptian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Said Abdelrazek as he is solely detained for exercising his right to freedom of religion and belief.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: November 7, 2026

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Send a letter to the Egyptian authorities

Send an email to the Egyptian authorities

On January 22, journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and community worker Marielle Domequil were convicted on trumped-up terrorism financing charges and sentenced from 12 to 18 years in prison. They have been detained for over five years, since February 7, 2020, following government raids on their offices in Tacloban City, Philippines. As they appeal their conviction, their bail application was denied on February 16. Frenchie Mae Cumpio and Marielle Domequil are part of the “Tacloban 5”, along with three others arrested in simultaneous raids. Human rights defender Alexander Philip “Chakoy” Abinguna has also been detained since 2020, and his case is still pending. Marissa Cabaljao and Mira Legion were granted bail in 2020.

Call on the Philippine authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Alexander Philip “Chakoy” Abinguna, Frenchie Mae Cumpio, and Marielle Domequil and immediately end the persecution of the “Tacloban 5”.   

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: August 26, 2026

Here is how you can take action:

Sign the online petition now!

Send an email to Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines

Send a letter to Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines

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José Manuel Rodríguez-Quiñones, Thongxay Nilakout, Kyaw Mya and Tuan Thanh Phan were deported from the US as part of the United States government’s mass deportation campaign in May 2025. They were initially held at a US military base in Djibouti before arriving in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, on July 4, 2025. For ten months, they have been arbitrarily detained in an undisclosed location. Amnesty International calls on the South Sudanese authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of the four men, grant them unmonitored and unfettered access to their legal representatives, including local counsel, and clarify without delay the legal basis for their detention.

Call on the South Sudanese authorities to disclose their location, grant full and unmonitored access to legal counsel, clarify the legal basis for detention, and facilitate access to UNHCR, IOM, and other relevant bodies to pursue durable solutions consistent with non-refoulement.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: September 11, 2026 (extended from March 26)

Here is how to take action:

Send an email to the South Sudanese authories

Send a letter to the South Sudanese Embassy in the U.S.

The residents of the town of Bille, in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, are continuing to face a serious health emergency. Since October 2025, methane gas has been bubbling up in nearby rivers and swamps and is now affecting a significant amount of the town’s drinking wells. Bille’s school children have been forced to move to another community for safety. On April 7, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission visited Bille to launch an investigation into the leaks and has ordered oil companies operating nearby to find a solution. While this is a positive development, little has been done to identify and stop the leaks.

Amnesty International continues to call for the investigation to be expedited, for the findings to be made public, and for action to be taken to stop the gas leaks.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: August 1, 2026

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Send an email to the Nigerian authorities

Send a letter to the Nigerian authorities

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For 20 years, Javed Aslam has served as President of the Pakistani Community of Greece and has been a prominent advocate for migrant and labour rights. After repeated attempts to end his status and residence in Greece, the Greek authorities terminated his refugee status in March 2026. The decision, which appears to target Javed Aslam’s human rights and community work, fails to demonstrate that he will not be at risk in Pakistan and does not to take into account his settled presence in Greece.  

Call on the Greek authorities to restore Javed Aslam’s refugee status and halt any deportation proceedings.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: November 14, 2026

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Send an email to the Greek authorities

Send a letter to the Greek authorities

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Since being sentenced in September 2025 to another four years in prison, journalist Zhang Zhan’s health has deteriorated to an alarming level. She suffers from serious gastric illness and has lost significant weight, becoming extremely weak. She has reportedly been on hunger strike against her arbitrary detention since January 2025. Her condition is life-threatening, and urgent intervention in her case is critical; yet, persistent refusal to provide her access to a lawyer of her choice has hampered efforts to document her situation and appeal her conviction. She must be released immediately and, pending her release, she must have access to adequate healthcare, provided in compliance with medical ethics.

Call on Vice Mayor Zhang to release Zhang Zhan immediately and unconditionally.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: December 31, 2026

Here is how you can take action:

Send an email to Vice Mayor Zhang

Send a letter to Vice Mayor Zhang

RUSSIAN FEDERATION: ENSURE URGENT MEDICAL CARE FOR DETAINEE

Dual Russian and Belgian national Mikhail (“Mike”) Lochtchinin was arbitrarily detained in Russia on July 1, 2025 when he tried to enter the country to visit his father, who is in poor health. He is standing trial on fabricated charges of “high treason” stemming from conversations with his Ukrainian ex-girlfriend who asked him for personal financial support. He is being held in inhuman and degrading conditions. His health has deteriorated and he lost vision in one eye.

Call on the Russian authorities to immediately release Mikhail Lochtchinin and allow access to adequate healthcare, and the charges against him must be dropped

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: July 15, 2026

Here is how you can take action:

Send a letter to the Russian authorities

Killing, Rape, Abductions by Rwanda-Backed Armed Group in Uvira

(Kinshasa) – The M23 armed group and Rwandan military forces carried out an abusive month-long occupation of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Uvira beginning in December 2025, Human Right Watch said in a report released today.

The 23-page report,“‘We Are Civilians!’: Killings, Sexual Violence, and Abductions by the M23 and Rwandan Forces in Uvira, Democratic Republic of Congo,” documents the M23 and Rwandan forces’ occupation of Uvira, the second largest city in South Kivu province from December 10, 2025, days after the signing of the United States-brokered Washington Accords, until their withdrawal on January 17, 2026. During this time, these forces shot fleeing civilians, summarily executed more than 50 people during door-to-door searches, raped at least 8 women, and forcibly disappeared at least 12 people.

Draft Civil Code Entrenches Discrimination, Erodes Legal Safeguards

Ukraine’s parliament on April 28 advanced a bill to make sweeping reform of the national civil code, which raises significant human rights concerns.

The draft, which was adopted in the first reading, does not include same-sex partnerships in the definition of “marriage.” A recent landmark ruling from Ukraine’s Supreme Court recognized that a same-sex partnership constituted “family,” yet the legislators, instead of endorsing that shift towards equality, are choosing to further entrench discrimination in law. Without formal legal recognition, same-sex partners in Ukraine are not considered family, blocking access to a range of rights.

While public support for family equality in Ukraine has soared to over 70 percent since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, this bill appears frozen in the past, failing to reflect a society that has fundamentally progressed.

Other provisions are equally problematic. The bill repeatedly refers to an ambiguous concept of “good morals” in relation to regulating private relations, opening the door to arbitrary interpretation. Archaically, the draft allows a former husband to compel his ex-wife to revert to her maiden name based on his assessment of her “immoral” conduct while married. A mandatory “reconciliation process” for divorcing couples with children could trap people in harmful or abusive situations.

Moves Would Limit Local Collaboration, Ban Masks, Enable Lawsuits

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a proposed budget deal that includes reforms aimed at blunting the abusive impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state. The White House “border czar” Tom Homan has threatened to retaliate against such reforms, stating that ICE would “flood the zone” in New York or other states that pass similar legislation. New York leaders should stand up to the federal government’s abuse and do even more to protect immigrant rights.  

Human Rights Watch was in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minnesota over the last year documenting widespread abuse by federal immigration agents including unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, excessive force, discrimination, and disruptions in access to health care, education, food, and work.

Hochul’s proposed reforms would bar 287(g) agreements that deputize local authorities for immigration enforcement. These agreements can lead to increased abuses and threaten public safety by, for example, deterring domestic violence survivors and other victims of crime from calling the police. But leading immigrant rights groups note that Hochul’s proposals still enable local coordination with ICE and are calling for lawmakers to impose more comprehensive restrictions.

Proposed reforms would also ban the use of face coverings by law enforcement. The widespread practice of immigration agents hiding their identities exacerbates community fear and impedes accountability, and the federal government is not utilizing this concealment in furtherance of any legitimate purpose. ICE agents’ names and badge numbers should also be visible.

But Tragedy Underscores How Delays Leave Workers Unprotected

Two female domestic workers, ages 15 and 18, jumped from the fourth floor of a Jakarta boarding house on April 22 in a desperate attempt to escape their employer. One died; the other was severely injured.

The tragedy came just a day after Indonesia’s parliament finally approved the long‑awaited Domestic Workers Protection Law, granting domestic workers long denied legal safeguards. But passing the law is only the first step: the government now has one year to draft implementing regulations and set protection standards, slowing the rollout of critical safeguards.

The two domestic workers were fleeing an allegedly exploitative environment—and they are far from alone. Indonesia has about 4.2 million domestic workers, 90 percent of whom are women. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated in 2012 that around 700,000 were children under age 18.

EU Commission Needs to Strengthen Due Diligence, Transparency Rules

(Brussels, May 12, 2026) – The European Union has failed to prevent member states from exporting surveillance technology to governments with well-documented histories of using technology to spy on activists, journalists, and other critical voices, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The European Commission should strengthen its implementation of EU regulations on the export of cybersurveillance technology to ensure that European technology is not facilitating rights abuses around the world.

The 54-page report, “Looking the Other Way: EU Failure to Prevent Surveillance Exports to Rights Violators,” assesses how the EU’s landmark Dual-Use Regulation, adopted in 2021, is functioning in practice. The regulation was intended, in part, to prevent the export of dual-use technologies—those that may be used for both civilian and military purposes, including commercial surveillance technology—to places where they are likely to be used to violate international humanitarian or human rights law. But that goal is not being achieved because it is not being implemented effectively. 

“The EU is currently doing too little to prevent the export of surveillance technology from its member states to governments who are likely to use it to crack down on dissent,” said Zach Campbell, senior surveillance researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The European Commission should take urgent action to change this and provide much needed transparency for surveillance exports.”