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January 9, 2026

US: Minneapolis Killing by ICE Unjustified

The killing of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer on January 7 was unjustifiable, Human Rights Watch said today. Two videos of the incident shared on social media, verified by Human Rights Watch and media outlets, clearly contradict federal officials’ claims that the woman “weaponized her vehicle” or attempted to kill officers before an agent opened fire.
Community members attend a vigil for Renee Nicole Good, following a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, January 7, 2026.
January 9, 2026

Niger’s New Emergency Law Threatens Rights

Niger’s military junta adopted a sweeping “general mobilization” decree on December 26. The new law grants authorities far-reaching powers to confront security threats, but at the expense of human rights.
Nigerien police stand guard in Niamey.
January 8, 2026

Iran: Authorities’ Renewed Cycle of Protest Bloodshed

Iranian authorities have unleashed a deadly crackdown on protesters across the country since December 28, 2025, marked by security forces’ unlawful use of force and firearms and mass arbitrary arrests.
Pictures of 28 people killed by Iranian security forces between December 31, 2025 and January 3, 2026 during crackdowns against protesters in Iran.
January 8, 2026

EU Leaders’ Syria Visit an Opportunity to Bolster Rights

On January 9, the European Union’s highest-level leaders, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa, are set to meet with Syrian leaders in Damascus for their first-ever visit to the country.
EU Council President Antonio Costa (L) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Cairo, Egypt, March 4, 2025.
January 8, 2026

Houthi Detentions Halting Aid in Crisis-Hit Yemen

The Houthis’ stepped-up detentions of civil society and UN agency members has contributed to increasing the humanitarian aid crisis in Yemen, already one of the worst situations in the world.
A police patrol vehicle outside the United Nations compound in Sanaa, Yemen, following reports of UN staff being detained by the Houthis, October 29, 2025.
January 7, 2026

UK: Protest Crackdowns Undermine Democracy

UK authorities have severely restricted the right to protest, in contravention of their international human rights obligations, creating an environment in which peaceful dissent is increasingly treated as a criminal act, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
Demonstrators hold a banner that reads "Protect the right to protest"
January 7, 2026

Silencing the Streets

The Right to Protest Under Attack in the United Kingdom

The 47-page report, “‘Silencing the Streets’: The Right to Protest Under Attack in the UK,” documents that the UK’s Labour government has failed to reverse sweeping anti-protest laws introduced by the previous Conservative government. Instead, Labour has attempted to expand them with the Crime and Policing Bill 2025 and through the unprecedented misuse of terrorism legislation to target and criminalize peaceful protest. The Crime and Policing bill, pending before parliament, is to be debated in the House of Lords in January 2026.

Report cover in English