The dramatic developments in Egypt’s Tahrir square and across the Middle East should make Western policy-makers think twice about the wisdom of long-term, unconditional support for hardened autocracies. I just spent two months in one – Uzbekistan.
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(Sanaa) – Hundreds of men armed with knives, sticks, and assault rifles attacked anti-government protesters in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, as Yemeni security forces stood by, Human Rights Watch said today. Within an hour, the 1,000-plus protesters had been…Continue Reading

(London) – The United Kingdom coalition government’s proposals to reform controversial counterterrorism measures contain improvements, especially on pre-charge detention, but fall short of bringing counterterrorism law and policy in line with internati…Continue Reading

China should immediately allow freedom of movement to blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng after accounts that he was severely beaten by police, a US official said Friday.Continue Reading

(New York) – The four-year prison sentence for Bernard Ntaganda, founding president of the PS-Imberakuri opposition party, strikes a blow to freedom of expression and democracy in Rwanda, Human Rights Watch said today.
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(Port-au-Prince) – The government of Haiti should be encouraged and supported in its decision to move forward with the prosecution of the former dictator Jean‑Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier for grave violations of human rights, Human Rights Wat…Continue Reading

By Lance Lattig, Amnesty International’s Malaysia researcher
Australia’s ABC News recently went out on patrol with Malaysia’s Coast Guard, which has received US$1 million worth of boats from the Australian government as part of an immigration co…Continue Reading

(Cairo) Today belongs to the people of Egypt as they celebrate a great triumph in their struggle for freedom, dignity and human rights against decades of repression and corruption. The road ahead is full of challenges and the Egyptian army must honor i…Continue Reading

The Obama administration’s failure to induce Israel to freeze settlement construction in the West Bank has led Western diplomats to worry that the continued settlement expansion may soon push the possibility of a two-state solution over the brink. But …Continue Reading