Articles by Human Rights Watch
Global coalition urges Indonesia Minister of ICT to repeal MR5
Several groups have sent an open letter to Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Information Technology calling for the review and repeal of Ministerial Regulation 5, which was passed in 2020 containing regulations for private “electronic systems operators”. The letter said the rules undermine digital rights.
German prosecutors reportedly to examine serious abuses by Lukashenko’s regime
The reported German inquiry does not stem from the recent forced rerouting of Raman Pratasevich’s flight but is likely the result of a criminal complaint filed in May on behalf of individuals alleging torture at the hands of Belarussian law enforcement.
Thailand: Child prosecuted for insulting monarchy
The Thai Lawyers for Human Rights has reported that at least 41 children have been charged for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly since the youth-led pro-democracy rallies started in July 2020.
Google’s “Cloud region” in Saudi Arabia threatens privacy and free expression
Right groups, digital privacy rights organizations and researchers call on Google to halt its plans to establish a “Cloud region” in Saudi Arabia, pointing to the country’s track record of violating privacy rights to spy on citizens.
Indonesia urged to suspend and revise new internet regulation
Human Rights Watch said Indonesia’s Ministerial Regulation 5 is “a tool for censorship that imposes unrealistic burdens on many digital services and platforms.”
Turkmenistan: Authorities pressure critics in exile by threatening their relatives at home
“Turkmenistan has long been a closed country for independent human rights scrutiny. The pattern of persecution of relatives of activists who live abroad shows the lengths to which its government will go to keep the world from knowing the scale of the human rights violations there.”
Uzbekistan: Anti-corruption blogger Otabek Sattoriy sentenced to 6.5 years on dubious charges
“Uzbekistan’s leadership have made lofty claims of putting respect for human rights at the center of ongoing reforms. But actions speak louder than words. Jailing an inconvenient blogger exposes the reality of the repressive environment for free speech in Uzbekistan today.”
Hungary’s government continues to target civil society despite moving to scrap the NGO law
Almost a year after the ECJ declared the discriminatory NGO law illegal, the government has submitted a draft to parliament to repeal it. However, groups assisting asylum seekers are still criminalised in law and organisations that criticise the government continue to face smear campaigns.