https://voiceandwitness.com/Human rights, Asia. Organised around the right, the violation documented, and the mechanism that could remedy it.enhttps://voiceandwitness.com/news/rkiye-seeks-transfer-us-a47d9c/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/rkiye-seeks-transfer-us-a47d9c/Human Rights Watch has expressed concern over Türkiye's proposal to transfer tens of thousands of cluster munition rockets, missiles, and artillery projectiles to Ukraine, citing the humanitarian risks and indiscriminate nature of these weapons.17 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/vietnam-urged-reject-repressive-924b14/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/vietnam-urged-reject-repressive-924b14/Human Rights Watch calls on Vietnamese authorities to reject proposed revisions to the penal code that violate basic rights and instead amend the law to comply with international human rights standards.17 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/us-activates-long-unused-1f0a7a/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/us-activates-long-unused-1f0a7a/The US government has filed its first application with the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), a specialized federal court created in 1996 to hear deportation proceedings against noncitizens suspected of terrorism.17 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/rights-groups-sue-trump-a9592b/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/rights-groups-sue-trump-a9592b/Four human rights groups have filed a lawsuit in US federal court challenging the Trump administration's sanctions against ICC prosecutors and judges, a UN human rights expert, and three Palestinian human rights groups.17 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/taliban-forcibly-disappears-six-1e2176/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/taliban-forcibly-disappears-six-1e2176/Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have forcibly disappeared six staff members of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation (WCLRF) since July 18, 2026. The detained individuals have not been charged, and their whereabouts remain unknown. This incident follows a broader pattern of repression against women's rights defenders and activists under Taliban rule.16 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/us-federal-agencies-abandon-fd055d/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/us-federal-agencies-abandon-fd055d/Human Rights Watch reports that the Trump administration has gutted federal civil rights enforcement in the US, leaving people without adequate remedies.16 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/russia-cluster-munition-attack-c20224/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/russia-cluster-munition-attack-c20224/Human Rights Watch has accused Russia of using cluster munitions in an attack on Kyiv, potentially committing a war crime. The attack killed three people and endangered civilians in the surrounding area.16 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/pakistan-urged-probe-deaths-baa1f4/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/pakistan-urged-probe-deaths-baa1f4/Human Rights Watch calls for an independent investigation into the deaths of a woman and a 17-year-old girl in police custody in Lahore, highlighting concerns over torture and accountability failures in Pakistan.16 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/chinese-interrogations-uyghur-australians-23d86d/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/chinese-interrogations-uyghur-australians-23d86d/Human Rights Watch reports that Chinese authorities are questioning Uyghur Australians during trips to Xinjiang and demanding information on community members back in Australia, prompting calls for stronger protective measures from the Australian government.16 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/south-africa-urged-champion-74a9e6/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/south-africa-urged-champion-74a9e6/South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the Taliban's systematic oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan as gender apartheid. Human Rights Watch and Afghan activists call for international recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity in a new treaty, urging South Africa to lead efforts in negotiations.16 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/russia-supreme-court-bars-343816/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/russia-supreme-court-bars-343816/Russia's Supreme Court has canceled the registration of the opposition party Yabloko for the upcoming State Duma elections, citing intellectual property rights violations and foreign funding.16 August 2026https://voiceandwitness.com/news/un-urged-keep-international-877f26/https://voiceandwitness.com/news/un-urged-keep-international-877f26/Human Rights Watch has called on the United Nations Security Council to extend the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) beyond its planned withdrawal at the end of 2026, citing concerns over the deteriorating security situation in southern Lebanon.16 August 2026