![Lebanese people release balloons bearing the names of the victims of the 4 August Beirut seaport blast to mark the two-month anniversary of the explosion that killed 200 people and injured more than 6,500 others.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/01/202012mena_lebanon_wr.jpg?h=4e2fc0e2&itok=kuEO9eGP)
![Lebanese people release balloons bearing the names of the victims of the 4 August Beirut seaport blast to mark the two-month anniversary of the explosion that killed 200 people and injured more than 6,500 others.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/01/202012mena_lebanon_wr.jpg?h=4e2fc0e2&itok=kuEO9eGP)
Iran: Relentless Repression of Dissent
Violators Unpunished; Crackdown on Activists
![People gather for a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the Ukraine plane crash, at the gate of Amri Kabir University where some of the victims of the crash were former students, on January 11th, 2020 in Tehran, Iran.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/01/202012mena_iran_wr.jpg?h=4e2fc0e2&itok=pX0to86M)
Egypt: No End to Escalating Repression
Authorities Punish Critics, Close Civic Space with Impunity
![Egyptian security forces cordon off roads during curfew hours in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 29, 2020](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/01/202012mena_egypt_wr.jpg?h=4e2fc0e2&itok=xAIzfP5G)
Bahrain: No Improvement in Rights Record
Arrests for Peaceful Speech; Death Sentences After Unfair Trials
UAE: Reality of Abuses Contradicts Tolerance Rhetoric
Human Rights Violations at Home, Abroad
![Workers clean the exterior of the Museum of the Future, currently under construction, in Dubai on November 19, 2020.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/12/202012mena_uae_wr.jpg?h=4ffac15b&itok=HiVFYl-1)
![Fighters of Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) during clashes at the Ain Zara frontline, in the southern suburbs of capital Tripoli, with the forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA).](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/12/202012mena_libya_wr.jpg?h=4e2fc0e2&itok=t02DY4AF)
Yemen: International Justice Efforts Needed
Pandemic, Obstruction of Aid Expose Devastated Healthcare System
Bangladesh: Pandemic as Pretext for Authoritarian Crackdown
Return Refugees to Cox’s Bazar; End Enforced Disappearances, Extrajudicial Killings
![202012asia_bangladesh_wr](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/12/202012asia_bangladesh_wr.jpg?h=4ffac15b&itok=0s5kaSTS)
Afghanistan: Civilians Targeted Amid Peace Talks
Covid-19 Pandemic Worsens Humanitarian Crisis
![202012asia_afghanistan_wr](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/12/202012asia_afghanistan_wr_0.jpg?h=4ffac15b&itok=DPbuutlx)
Nepal: Lack of Accountability Undermining the Rule of Law
Free Expression is Threatened by Draft Laws Before Parliament
![202012asia_nepal_wr](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/12/202012asia_nepal_wr.jpg?h=4ffac15b&itok=3jdlyKb_)
Singapore: ‘Fake News’ Law Curtails Speech
Migrant Workers’ Rights Ignored During Covid-19 Pandemic
Myanmar: Serious Rights Abuses Persist
No Justice for Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity, Apartheid
![202012asia_myanmar_wr](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/12/202012asia_myanmar_wr.jpg?h=4ffac15b&itok=ZKqC0YID)
China: Global Resistance to Deepening Repression
Censoring Covid-19 News, Crushing Hong Kong’s Freedoms
![202012asia_china_wr](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/12/202012asia_china_wr.jpg?h=4ffac15b&itok=uHRhbBs8)
Philippines: ‘Drug War’ Killings Rise During Pandemic
Upsurge in Attacks on Activists, Community Leaders, Rights Defenders
![Detainees sleep in an open basketball court inside the Quezon City Jail in Quezon City, Philippines on July 24, 2020.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/12/202012asia_philippines_wr_0.jpg?h=4ffac15b&itok=MqN7IBLn)
South Korea: Backtracking on Rights Protections
Address North Korea Concerns, Plight of Marginalized Groups
![A banner emphasizing enhanced social distancing is displayed at Seoul City Hall in Seoul, South Korea on November 25, 2020. © 2020 AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/12/202012asia_southkorea_wr.jpg?h=4ffac15b&itok=W2cjjaYP)