https://voiceandwitness.com/2026-08-18https://voiceandwitness.com/share-home.svg https://voiceandwitness.com/news/ethiopia-assault-independent-media/2026-08-18https://voiceandwitness.com/share-ethiopia-assault-independent-media.svgEthiopia's Assault on Independent Media EscalatesEthiopian authorities are intensifying their crackdown on independent media, detaining and harassing journalists and media outlets. (Source: Human Rights Watch) https://voiceandwitness.com/news/thai-authorities-face-criticism/2026-08-18https://voiceandwitness.com/share-thai-authorities-face-criticism.svgThai Authorities Face Criticism Over Deportation of Ethnic Karen VillagersHuman Rights Watch has called on Thai authorities to halt the deportation of 26 ethnic Karen villagers from Phetchaburi province to Myanmar, citing concerns over their safety and potential human... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/iraq-man-dies-police/2026-08-18https://voiceandwitness.com/share-iraq-man-dies-police.svgIraq: Man Dies in Police Drug Unit CustodyA 22-year-old man detained for drug use died in police custody in Najaf, Iraq, after being removed from a hospital while receiving treatment for severe abdominal pain. (Source: Human Rights Watch) https://voiceandwitness.com/news/technology-expands-ice-capacity/2026-08-18https://voiceandwitness.com/share-technology-expands-ice-capacity.svgTechnology Expands ICE's Capacity for Abuse, Human Rights Advocates WarnUS Congress members express concern over ICE's use of surveillance technology and access to personal data, raising fears of increased abuse and human rights violations. (Source: Human Rights Watch) https://voiceandwitness.com/news/indigenous-farmer-indonesia-acquitted/2026-08-17https://voiceandwitness.com/share-indigenous-farmer-indonesia-acquitted.svgIndigenous Farmer in Indonesia Acquitted in Coal Mining CaseA Supreme Court in Indonesia has upheld the acquittal of an Indigenous Dayak farmer who was charged with stabbing other protesters in a coal mining protest. (Source: Human Rights Watch) https://voiceandwitness.com/news/australia-should-press-vietnam/2026-08-17https://voiceandwitness.com/share-australia-should-press-vietnam.svgAustralia Should Press Vietnam on Rights, HRW SaysHuman Rights Watch calls on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to raise concerns about Vietnam's poor human rights record during a meeting with the country's leader. https://voiceandwitness.com/news/us-military-faces-criticism/2026-08-17https://voiceandwitness.com/share-us-military-faces-criticism.svgUS Military Faces Criticism Over Alleged Unlawful Killings and Lack of Compliance with...The US Department of Defense has submitted a report to Congress highlighting its record of compliance with the law of war, but human rights groups argue that the report masks the reality of unlawful... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/liberia-ends-primary-school/2026-08-17https://voiceandwitness.com/share-liberia-ends-primary-school.svgLiberia Ends Primary School Registration FeesLiberia's government has announced the elimination of school registration fees for kindergarten through grade 6, aiming to make primary education more accessible and equitable for all. https://voiceandwitness.com/news/rkiye-seeks-transfer-us-a47d9c/2026-08-17https://voiceandwitness.com/share-rkiye-seeks-transfer-us-a47d9c.svgTürkiye Seeks to Transfer US Cluster Munitions to UkraineHuman 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... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/vietnam-urged-reject-repressive-924b14/2026-08-17https://voiceandwitness.com/share-vietnam-urged-reject-repressive-924b14.svgVietnam Urged to Reject Repressive Penal Code RevisionsHuman 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... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/us-activates-long-unused-1f0a7a/2026-08-17https://voiceandwitness.com/share-us-activates-long-unused-1f0a7a.svgUS Activates Long Unused Deportation Court, Raising Human Rights ConcernsThe 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... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/rights-groups-sue-trump-a9592b/2026-08-17https://voiceandwitness.com/share-rights-groups-sue-trump-a9592b.svgRights Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Targeting ICCFour 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... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/taliban-forcibly-disappears-six-1e2176/2026-08-16https://voiceandwitness.com/share-taliban-forcibly-disappears-six-1e2176.svgTaliban Forcibly Disappears Six Human Rights Workers in AfghanistanTaliban 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... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/russia-cluster-munition-attack-c20224/2026-08-16https://voiceandwitness.com/share-russia-cluster-munition-attack-c20224.svgRussia's Cluster Munition Attack on Kyiv Raises War Crime ConcernsHuman 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... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/pakistan-urged-probe-deaths-baa1f4/2026-08-16https://voiceandwitness.com/share-pakistan-urged-probe-deaths-baa1f4.svgPakistan Urged to Probe Deaths of Woman and Girl in Police CustodyHuman 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... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/us-federal-agencies-abandon-fd055d/2026-08-16https://voiceandwitness.com/share-us-federal-agencies-abandon-fd055d.svgUS Federal Agencies Abandon Civil Rights Duties, Leaving Vulnerable Communities Without RemediesHuman Rights Watch reports that the Trump administration has gutted federal civil rights enforcement in the US, leaving people without adequate remedies. (Source: Human Rights Watch) https://voiceandwitness.com/news/south-africa-urged-champion-74a9e6/2026-08-16https://voiceandwitness.com/share-south-africa-urged-champion-74a9e6.svgSouth Africa Urged to Champion Gender Apartheid as Crime Against HumanitySouth 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... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/un-urged-keep-international-877f26/2026-08-16https://voiceandwitness.com/share-un-urged-keep-international-877f26.svgUN Urged to Keep International Force in Lebanon to Protect CiviliansHuman 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... https://voiceandwitness.com/news/russia-supreme-court-bars-343816/2026-08-16https://voiceandwitness.com/share-russia-supreme-court-bars-343816.svgRussia's Supreme Court Bars Pro-Peace Party from ElectionsRussia'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. https://voiceandwitness.com/news/chinese-interrogations-uyghur-australians-23d86d/2026-08-16https://voiceandwitness.com/share-chinese-interrogations-uyghur-australians-23d86d.svgChinese Interrogations of Uyghur Australians Visiting Xinjiang Raise Transnational Repression...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... https://voiceandwitness.com/themes/2026-08-18 https://voiceandwitness.com/about/ https://voiceandwitness.com/sources-and-methods/ https://voiceandwitness.com/corrections/