Human rights

The Latest

In Philippines, brutal drug war prompts Catholic outcry

Jan 25, 2017

Catholic leaders have spoken out against a drug war that has left thousands dead, and the Philippines' new president is... Read more

Sofia Vergara.

Sofia Vergara is being sued by her own frozen embryos

Dec 9, 2016

Emma and Isabella are suing their mother, Sofia Vergara, according to court documents obtained by the New York Post.  Read more

Euthanasia of alcoholic father sends 'dangerous' message

Dec 2, 2016

By Mary Farrow

A doctor in the Netherlands performed euthanasia on a 41 year-old father of two who claimed his alcoholism had made... Read more

China's 'disgraceful' human rights record gets worse every year

Oct 8, 2016

By Matt Hadro

China’s “utterly disgraceful” human rights record is not just bad, it’s getting worse every year, a new Congressional report has... Read more

Police crime tape closes the entrance of Tsukui Yamayuri En care home on July 27, 2016 in Sagamihara, Japan.

Why Japan won't release the names of its knife attack victims

Sep 13, 2016

By Mary Farrow

In late July, the worst mass killing in Japan since World War II left 19 people dead and 26 people... Read more

The problem with killing coma patients for their organs

Sep 8, 2016

By Kevin J. Jones

There are severe ethical shortcomings in a British doctor's proposal to help unconscious patients die so their organs can be... Read more

Was it a mistake to lift the arms embargo against Vietnam?

May 23, 2016

By Matt Hadro

As the U.S. lifted its decades-long arms embargo with Vietnam during President Barack Obama’s visit there, human rights advocates argued... Read more

Prescription bottle.

'Don’t go there' – Belgians plead with Canada not to pass euthanasia law

May 10, 2016

The Parliament of Canada has until June 6 to consider Bill C-14, controversial legislation that, if passed, would legalize euthanasia... Read more

Harriet Tubman. Public Domain.

Harriet Tubman, new face of 20 dollar bill, praised for her faith

Apr 20, 2016

As the U.S. treasury announces the legendary Harriet Tubman as the new face of the 20 dollar bill, she also... Read more

Portrait of Samburu woman in Kenya, Africa on Nov. 8, 2008.

Vatican diplomacy zeros-in on human rights in Africa

Mar 30, 2016

In a region fraught with political, ethnic and religious divisions, the Central African Republic's motto of “Unity, Dignity, and Work”... Read more

Yes, ISIS is guilty of genocide, says European human rights group

Jan 28, 2016

By Matt Hadro

Europe’s leading human rights body passed a resolution on Wednesday calling ISIS atrocities a “genocide,” a week before the European... Read more

Why China's two-child policy won't alter its human rights horrors

Jan 25, 2016

By Matt Hadro

The dark nature of abortion and choice come into sharp relief when considering the human rights abuses which result from... Read more

Flag of China.

China's abuses take spotlight on Human Rights Day

Dec 10, 2015

By Matt Hadro

As the world observes Human Rights Day, advocates have turned their focus to China for its egregious abuses, particularly the... Read more

Robot.

Killer robots? They're a real issue – and here's what the Vatican has to say

Dec 2, 2015

No longer relegated to mere science-fiction, robots – built to kill people – play an increasing role in fighting terrorism... Read more

Creidt:Yang and Yun via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

A bloody secret still haunts the diamond industry

Jul 5, 2015

By Adelaide Mena

Imagine being woken up in the middle of the night by a dark figure in your room. He presses a... Read more

Venezuela flag.

Venezuelan hunger strikers arrive at the Vatican with a plea

Jun 11, 2015

By Elise Harris

Two Venezuelans on a hunger strike came to Rome ahead of Pope Francis' scheduled meeting with their president, asking the... Read more

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin on Sept. 21, 2014.

Does 'never again' have any meaning? Human rights after the Holocaust

Feb 1, 2015

By Adelaide Mena

Even though it ended seventy years ago, the Holocaust still gives a stark and relevant warning on dehumanization and persecution... Read more

Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett speaks at a press conference to announce the Defending Freedoms project Dec 6, 2012.

Prisoners of conscience remembered on Human Rights Day

Dec 11, 2014

By Matt Hadro

On International Human Rights Day, advocates drew attention to prisoners of conscience around the world who are being detained for... Read more

Bishop condemns acts of torture detailed in damning Senate report

Dec 10, 2014

By Matt Hadro

Beatings. Sleep deprivation. Death by hypothermia. Isolation. A Senate report released Tuesday exposed a dark underbelly of the CIA’s Detention... Read more

Pope Francis speaks to journalists on the papal plane on his way to Strasbourg, France, Nov. 25, 2014.

Is dialogue with terrorists a lost cause? Pope Francis says no

Nov 25, 2014

By Elise Harris, Alan Holdren

Speaking to journalists in-flight on his way back from Strasbourg, Pope Francis touched on dialogue with extremist terrorists – saying... Read more