India’s arbitrary internet shutdowns disproportionately hurt communities living with poverty that depend on the government’s social protection measures for food and livelihoods. In the age of “Digital India,” where the government has pushed to make internet fundamental to every aspect of life, the authorities instead use internet shutdowns as a default policing measure. The authorities should end the abusive practice of internet shutdowns, which carries grave costs for both the country’s reputation and its people.

Japan’s system of “hostage justice” denies criminal suspects the rights to due process and a fair trial, often holding them in pretrial detention for months or even years. These abusive practices have resulted in lives and families being torn apart, as well as wrongful convictions. Japanese authorities should urgently reform the criminal justice system to bring it in line with international standards of presumption of innocence and individual liberty.

With nearly 14,000 entries from over 70 countries, the Webby Awards are the leading international awards honoring excellence on the Internet. Our rapid response videos covering the early days of Russia’s war against Ukraine have won a Webby award for social media content on News & Politics, where we shed light on war crimes and other human rights violations committed during the conflict. Our project of #StudentsNotProducts, a campaign on children's rights and technology won People's Voice award for Websites and Mobile Sites in the category of Responsible Innovation.

After more than three years, US President Joe Biden’s administration is slated to end the mass expulsion policy known as “Title 42.” Ari Sawyer, Vicki B. Gaubeca, and Alison Leal Parker discuss the policy that upended decades of asylum law.

How will a new EU law banning cocoa imports linked to deforestation and labor rights abuses impact production? In this Twitter Space, HRW discusses chocolate, deforestation and human rights.

Fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere has put Sudan’s population at risk. In this Twitter Space, experts discuss the struggles facing Sudanese people, and the urgent need for international response to address the cyclical violence in the country.

Apparent War Crimes in Border Conflict