![Vehicles pass near banners displaying Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for the presidential elections, in Cairo, Egypt, on December 10, 2023.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2024/01/202312mena_egypt_wr.jpg?h=05586b66&itok=s1miX6E_)
![Vehicles pass near banners displaying Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for the presidential elections, in Cairo, Egypt, on December 10, 2023.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2024/01/202312mena_egypt_wr.jpg?h=05586b66&itok=s1miX6E_)
Philippines: ‘Red-Tagging’ Puts Activists at Risk
Pledging to Improve Rights, President Marcos Should Address Longstanding Problems
![202312asia_philippines_wr](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2023/12/202312asia_philippines_wr.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=wfA1aQXo)
Indonesia: Jokowi’s Term Ends with a Whimper on Rights
No Real Efforts to Address Discrimination, Abuses Against Marginalized Groups
![Demonstrators for women's rights demand that the government revoke mandatory hijab regulations, Jakarta, Indonesia, May 2023.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2024/01/202312asia_indonesia_wr.jpg?h=71976bb4&itok=hVAf21fP)
UAE: Hosting COP28 Amid Longstanding Repression
‘Greenwashing’ Abuses; Fossil Fuel Expansion
![The Al Wasl Dome at Expo City during the COP28 UN Climate Summit, December 2, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2024/01/202312mena_uae_wr.jpg?h=3d044768&itok=jhaFZfcj)
Syria: Abuses Persist Amid Economic Crisis
Efforts for International Accountability Advance
![A destroyed tent can be seen as a result of a missile attack targeted a camp for displaced people on the outskirts of Idlib city by the Syrian government. © 2023 Anas Alkharboutli/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2023/12/202312mena_syria_wr.jpg?h=ac778ff2&itok=LS-u3Wku)
Vietnam: A Gloomy Year for Human Rights
Environmentalists, Rights Activists Unjustly Imprisoned
![Six Vietnamese rights activists and bloggers currently detained for exercising their basic rights. Top row from left to right: Hoang Thi Minh Hong, Bui Tuan Lam, Nguyen Lan Thang. Bottom row: Dang Dang Phuoc, Tran Van Bang, Truong Van Dung.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2023/12/202312asia_vietnam_wr.jpg?h=3f3c1b65&itok=9fNTQf8U)
Lebanon: Rights Under Threat Amid Crisis
Increasing Restrictions on Criticism; Threats to LGBT People, Refugees
![A demonstrator holds a Lebanese flag as he stands near smoke rising from tear gas during a protest over the deteriorating economic situation, at Riad al-Solh square in Beirut, Lebanon.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2023/12/202312mena_lebanon_wr.jpg?h=08ba4928&itok=X--8-tSS)
Saudi Arabia: Deadly Abuses Despite Image Campaign
Mass Killings at Yemen Border; Death Sentences; Long Prison Terms
![Fans watch from the first tee during day one of the LIV Golf Invitational - Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on October 14, 2022, in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2024/01/202312mena_saudiarabia_wr.jpg?h=7346c6f9&itok=VNmthVvc)
Jordan: New Threats to Civic Space
Bolster Social Protection System to Counter Economic Challenges
![People protest near the Israeli Embassy in Amman on October 18, 2023, as they demonstrate against the killing of hundreds of Palestinians following a strike on a hospital in the Gaza Strip.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2023/12/202312mena_jordan_wr.jpg?h=0f4230fa&itok=XJvhgqeO)
Nepal: More Progress Needed on Transitional Justice Law
Progress on Social Justice, Marriage Equality Stalled in Implementation
![An LGBTQ couple, Surendra Pandey (left) and Maya Gurung, a transgender woman, pose for pictures after obtaining their marriage certificate in Kathmandu, Nepal, December 1, 2023.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2023/12/202312asia_nepal_wr.jpg?h=58c8a5e7&itok=yXxC-P7x)
Iran: Chokehold on Dissent
Violent Repression of Protests; Detaining Critics and Victims’ Families
![Women walk on the streets of Tehran as Iran’s “morality police” resume hijab patrols, July 18, 2023.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2024/01/202312mena_iran_wr.jpg?h=d90a3aa8&itok=6N138hvJ)
China: No Letup in Xi Jinping’s Repressive Rule
Amid Economic Showdown, Mourning for Ex-Premier Shows Discontent
![Chow Hang-tung (R) arrives at the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong on June 8, 2023.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2023/12/202312asia_china_wr.jpg?h=d68517fc&itok=HxmCdFkl)
Malaysia: Reform Agenda Stalled
Free Speech, LGBT Rights, Refugees Remain Under Threat
![A migrant detention center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, February 23, 2023.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2023/12/202312asia_malaysia_wr.jpg?h=98c2dacb&itok=0eDNB_jO)
Afghanistan: Worsening Taliban Repression Erodes Rights
Economic Crisis Puts Millions at Risk
![Afghan refugees return to Afghanistan from Pakistan, in Torkham, Afghanistan, November 3, 2023](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2023/12/202312asia_afghanistan_wr.jpg?h=fa1c963e&itok=hsm4tkVn)