Asia
We work alongside local and international organizations and human rights defenders to protect civic space and promote accountability for serious human rights violations in South and South East Asia. From advocating for freedom of expression and the right to protest to an end to the use of torture, enforced disappearance, and arbitrary detention, we support international justice efforts.
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RFKHR Visit to RAB Secret Detention Site Underscores the Need for Further Accountability and Reform Efforts
Tags Share One year after the July Revolution, Bangladesh’s Interim Government should urgently act to provide meaningful redress to victims of enforced disappearances and other abuses and engage in security sector reform. For eight years, a lawyer named Mir Ahmad BinQuasem, known as Arman, was held by Bangladesh security forces in a secret detention site.…
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The Financial Express: US congressional briefing highlights Bangladesh’s democratic transition, global engagement
Tags Share A high-level congressional briefing in Washington, D.C. brought together lawmakers, diplomats, scholars, and diaspora leaders to assess Bangladesh’s evolving political landscape following the 2024 pro-democracy uprising. Titled “Bangladesh 2.0: Democracy, Reform, and Global Engagement,” the session explored governance reforms, human rights, and relations between the U.S. and Bangladesh. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights’…
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Daily Sun: US experts urge stronger Bangladesh ties amid state reform push
Tags Share At a Capitol Hill session titled “Bangladesh 2.0: Democracy, Reform, and Global Engagement,” experts gathered to reflect on the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh, where protesters demanding democratic reforms faced violent crackdowns. The event spotlighted the uprising’s lasting impact on Bangladesh’s political future and its role on the global stage. Catherine Cooper of…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share U.S. Botched a Deal to Swap Venezuelans Held in El Salvador for Americans The Trump administration’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was overseeing a deal to free several Americans and dozens of political prisoners held in Venezuela in exchange for sending home about 250 Venezuelan migrants the United States had deported…
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Bangladesh: Extend the Mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances to Ensure Truth and Accountability
Tags Share We, the undersigned international human rights organizations, urge the Interim Government of Bangladesh to extend the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances until at least December 31, 2025. While the Commission’s mandate is set to expire on June 30, victims and their families deserve adequate time for the Commission to…
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Bangladesh: The Interim Government Must Ensure the Ordinance on Enforced Disappearances Aligns with International Standards Following Robust Public Consultations
Tags Share We – the undersigned human rights organisations – express our serious concerns about Bangladesh’s draft Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Ordinance 2025. While it is critical to enact a law to hold perpetrators accountable for enforced disappearances, the current draft contains provisions that fail to adhere to international standards. The Interim Government took…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Trump’s Attacks On Press Freedom Are Paving The Way For Authoritarianism A leading global democracy research institute says democratic “backsliding” must be turned around quickly—warning that after 10 years, recovery is “close to impossible.” In 2024, the Democrats ran on the catchphrase “We are not going back.” Even after the party’s resounding defeat,…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Trump Administration Advances Immigration Crackdown On Foreign Student Protesters The Trump administration is ramping up penalties against students who engaged in protests against the war in Gaza, revoking the visas of hundreds of alleged demonstrators. The Trump administration is ramping up penalties against students who engaged in protests against the war in Gaza, revoking…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Judge Rules DOGE’s USAID Dismantling Likely Violates The Constitution The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development by billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency likely violated the Constitution, a federal judge ruled as he indefinitely blocked DOGE from making further cuts to the agency. The order requires the Trump administration to restore email and computer…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share US Added to Human Rights Watchlist For ‘Narrowing’ Freedom and Now Ranks Near Serbia and Congo The U.S. was added to a watchlist of countries with “faltering civic freedoms” after a global watchdog group raised alarm bells over recent actions taken by President Donald Trump and his administration. The U.S. joins the Democratic Republic…
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Dhaka Tribune: Rights Organizations Demand Transparent Digital Laws in Bangladesh
Tags Share On Tuesday, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Access Now, ARTICLE 19, Human Rights Watch, PEN International, and Tech Global Institute stated that Bangladesh is experiencing significant systemic and structural changes, including reforms to cybersecurity and data protection laws. The groups stated,”Acknowledging the interim government of Bangladesh’s timely and necessary efforts to reform digital…
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Letter to the U.N. Secretary-General in Advance of His Visit to Bangladesh
Tags Share His Excellency António Guterres Secretary-General of the United Nations Dear Secretary-General: As human rights organizations, we write to respectfully urge you to do everything in your power to provide U.N. support to Bangladesh during this critical period in the country’s political transition. Bangladesh is now undergoing unprecedented changes following widespread protests that led to…
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