Reports

Out of Step

U.S. Policy on Voting Rights in Global Perspective

The 55-page report, “Out of Step: US Policy on Voting Rights in Global Perspective,” examines the laws of 136 countries around the world with populations of 1.5 million and above and finds that the majority—73 of the 136—never, or rarely, deny a person’s right to vote because of a criminal conviction. In the other 63 countries, the United States sits at the restrictive end of the spectrum, disenfranchising a broader swath of people overall.

People stand in line to vote
Nadia, a Sudanese refugee who has fled the violence in Sudan's Darfur region, hugs her friend Khadidja, beside makeshift shelters near the border between Sudan and Chad in Koufroun, Chad on May 11, 2023. 

World Report 2024

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  • June 22, 2007

    The Poisoned Chalice

    A Human Rights Watch Briefing Paper on the Decision of the Iraqi High Tribunal in the Dujail Case

    The Dujail trial, which concluded on July 27, 2006, concerned crimes that occurred in the aftermath of an assassination attempt against then-President Saddam Hussein in Dujail in July 1982. Saddam Hussein and three others were found guilty of crimes against humanity and executed after the trial chamber’s judgment was affirmed on appeal in December 2006.
  • June 15, 2007

    Bottom of the Ladder

    Exploitation and Abuse of Girl Domestic Workers in Guinea

    This 110-page report documents how girls as young as 8 years old work up to 18 hours a day as domestic workers, frequently without pay, and are often insulted, beaten and raped by their employers.
  • June 14, 2007

    Better Late Than Never

    Enhancing the Accountability of International Institutions in Kosovo

    This 44-page briefing paper assesses the lack of effective remedies for human rights violations by the current UN-led international administration (UNMIK) and the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR). The paper analyzes the accountability arrangements in the proposed status settlement, including the role of the Ombudsperson Institution and the future Constitutional Court.
  • June 13, 2007

    “We Have the Upper Hand”

    Freedom of assembly in Russia and the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people

    For the second year in a row, on Sunday, May 27, 2007, a small group of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activists and their supporters tried to stage a peaceful public demonstration in Moscow to claim their rights. For the second year in a row, anti-gay nationalist groups assaulted them, beating some severely, pelting others with rocks and eggs.
  • June 10, 2007

    “No One Has the Liberty to Refuse”

    Tibetan Herders Forcibly Relocated in Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and the Tibet Autonomous Region

    This 79-page report documents how the government’s policy of forced resettlement has violated the economic and social rights of Tibetan herders. It draws on interviews conducted between July 2004 and December 2006 with some 150 Tibetans from the areas directly affected.
  • June 7, 2007

    Off the Record

    U.S. Responsibility for Enforced Disappearances in the “War on Terror”

    This 21-page briefing paper, published by six leading human rights organizations, includes the names and details of 39 people who are believed to have been held in secret US custody abroad and whose current whereabouts remain unknown. The briefing paper also names relatives of suspects who were themselves arrested and detained, including children as young as seven.
  • June 5, 2007

    In the Name of Prevention

    Insufficient Safeguards in National Security Removals

    This 92-page report examines administrative expulsions of imams and others deemed to foment extremism. It also documents the criminal deportation of persons convicted of terrorism-related offenses. Based on 19 case studies, the report concludes that the procedures lack the necessary guarantees to prevent serious violations of France’s obligations under international human rights law.
  • June 5, 2007

    The 2007 US Trade Policy Template

    Opportunities and Risks for Workers’ Rights

    On May 10, 2007, congressional leaders and the US Trade Representative (USTR) reached an historic agreement on a “new trade policy template” (template) that has the potential to be an important step towards ensuring that workers’ rights are better protected in US trade accords.
  • June 1, 2007

    The Omar Khadr Case

    A Teenager Imprisoned at Guantanamo

    In this backgrounder, Human Rights Watch said that although Khadr was just 15 when he was arrested, the United States has completely ignored his juvenile status throughout his detention. The US government incarcerated him with adults, reportedly subjected him to abusive interrogations, failed to provide him any educational opportunities, and denied him any direct contact with his family.
  • May 25, 2007

    Human Rights Council Membership Requires Steps to Address Violations

    A Briefing Paper by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and Human Rights Watch

    In this 13-page briefing paper, Human Rights Watch and the EIPR said that Egypt’s terrible human rights record made that country a poor choice for membership. They nevertheless welcomed the Egyptian government’s public pledges to improve its practices domestically and to strengthen the capacity of the council.
  • May 16, 2007

    Last Hope

    The Need for Durable Solutions for Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal and India

    This 86-page report discusses the possible solutions to this protracted refugee situation and the choices the refugees now face.
  • May 15, 2007

    “They Pushed Down the Houses”

    Forced Evictions and Insecure Land Tenure for Luanda’s Urban Poor

    This 103-page report documents 18 mass evictions in Luanda that the Angolan government carried out between 2002 and 2006. In these evictions, which affected some 20,000 people in total, security forces destroyed more than 3,000 houses, and the government seized many small-scale cultivated land plots.

  • May 15, 2007

    Belarus’ Pledges: Fiction and Fact

    Analysis of Belarus’ Assertions on its Suitability for UN Rights Council Membership

    General Assembly resolution 60/251 requires that states “take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights and their voluntary pledges and commitments made thereto” in voting to elect members of the Human Rights Council (HRC).
  • May 2, 2007

    Bashing Dissent

    Escalating Violence and State Repression in Zimbabwe

    This 39-page report documents the Zimbabwean government’s crackdown on peaceful protest and dissent since March.