Bassam Khawaja

Tunisia: Abusive Prosecutions of Refugee Group Five employees of the Tunisian Council for Refugees will go on trial on November 24, 2025, amid a broader crackdown on civil society groups in Tunisia.

Among many politically-driven trials in #Tunisia is the one faced by 5 staff of Tunisian Council for Refugees, a key partner of the UN Refugee Agency .

@eudiplomacy.bsky.social should stop ignoring the reality that its silence is complicity into deeper repression.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Tunisia: Abusive Prosecutions of Refugee Group Five employees of the Tunisian Council for Refugees will go on trial on November 24, 2025, amid a broader crackdown on civil society groups in Tunisia.

Five employees of the Tunisian Council for Refugees will go on trial today amid a broader crackdown on civil society in Tunisia. Authorities should drop the charges, release two detained employees, and stop criminalizing the work of independent groups www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

The African Commission should take robust, decisive measures to highlight the ongoing human rights crisis in Egypt and protect the rights of Egyptians.

The commission’s country rapporteur for Egypt also presented a report, which omitted widespread abuses and largely adopted government narratives.

The African Commission reviewed Egypt’s situation during its 85th session in October 2025, with the Egyptian government presenting a report covering 2019 to 2024. The report included false depictions of the human rights situation in Egypt and a blanket denial of abuses.

Egypt: African Commission Should Act to Protect Rights The African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights should act decisively to address the dire, protracted human rights crisis in Egypt following its review of the situation in the country.

22 organizations, including HRW, call on the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights to act decisively to address the dire, protracted human rights crisis in Egypt following its review of the situation in the country: www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

West Bank: Israel Emptying Refugee Camps a Crime Against Humanity The Israeli government’s forced displacement of the populations of three West Bank refugee camps in January and February 2025 amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said ...

HRW has found that the Israeli government’s forced displacement of the populations of three West Bank refugee camps in January and February amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The 32,000 people removed have not been permitted to return to their homes www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Bahraini authorities have detained Ebrahim Sharif, a prominent political activist, for peaceful comments he made in Beirut: www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Trump Lauds Saudi Prince in Lavish Visit, Brushing Off Journalist’s Killing

There is strong evidence that Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman approved the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. This assessment no longer ceases to be true simply because it has become politically and economically inconvenient for President Trump www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...

Israel needs to face accountability for our genocide. And so does the US | Yuli Novak The international community allowed all of this to happen. We must not look away or move on

Powerful op-ed from Btselem on accountability in Gaza: "Accountability is essential – not for revenge, but because there’s no reckoning without responsibility. Genocide must not be normalized. And a system that carries it out must not go unchallenged." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Recommendations on Next Steps for Comprehensive Justice for Syria Following the overthrow of the government of Bashar al-Assad, ending over 60 years of Baath party rule in Syria, the country’s authorities have an unprecedented opportunity to break with decades of im...

HRW has issued recommendations on next steps for comprehensive justice for Syria:
-Prioritize inclusive justice
-Promote close cooperation
-Ensure domestic legislative reforms and ICC jurisdiction
-Build political will and partnerships for justice
www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Come work with us!
Human Rights Watch is hiring a research assistant on Tunisia and Libya, based in Tunis: job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightsw...

Death Sentence for Palestinians in Custody | New Report and Testimonies | רופאים לזכויות אדם Our latest report reveals that over the past two years, up to August 2025, at […] Read more >

Physicians for Human Rights finds a staggering 94 documented cases of Palestinian deaths in Israeli detention between October 7, 2023 and August 2025. It alleges "a deliberate Israeli policy of killing Palestinians in custody" www.phr.org.il/en/palestini...

Tunisia: Overturn Unjust ‘Conspiracy’ Trial Convictions A Tunisian Court on November 17, 2025, is scheduled to hear the appeal of 37 people unjustly sentenced to heavy prison terms in a politically motivated “Conspiracy Case” from April.

Read more on Tunisia’s ever-worsening abuses in this month’s @hrw.org & @amnesty.org updates, which I screenshot above in this 🧵.

Thanks to their teams including @khawaja.bsky.social. And to you all for reading & sharing this.

1) www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

2) www.amnestyusa.org/press-releas...

British-Egyptian activist stopped from flying to UK, says family Egyptian authorities prevented Alaa Abd el-Fattah from attending human rights awards in London

Egyptian passport control prevented Alaa Abd el-Fattah from flying to the UK. The British-Egyptian writer and human rights campaigner was pardoned after 10 years in prison, but authorities aren't letting him leave the country. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

ILO: Strengthen Global Rules to Protect Gig Workers Governments negotiating a new global treaty on gig work should strengthen the draft text to ensure fair wages and social security for these workers and protect them from exploitative management.

Governments negotiating a new global treaty on gig work should strengthen the draft text to ensure fair wages and social security for these workers and protect them from exploitative management: www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Tunisia: Overturn Unjust ‘Conspiracy’ Trial Convictions A Tunisian Court on November 17, 2025, is scheduled to hear the appeal of 37 people unjustly sentenced to heavy prison terms in a politically motivated “Conspiracy Case” from April.

A Tunisian Court will on Monday hear the appeal of 37 people unjustly sentenced to heavy prison terms in the politically motivated “Conspiracy Case.” Four of those detained are on hunger strike, including one who was subjected to physical violence www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Lebanon: Hannibal Gaddafi Free After Long Unlawful Detention Lebanese authorities released Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, on November 10, ending nearly ten years of arbitrary detention without trial.

Lebanese authorities released Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, on November 10, 2025, ending nearly 10 years of arbitrary detention without trial. They should also formally drop all baseless charges against him www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Algeria pardons writer Boualem Sansal Algeria has pardoned French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal after a request from Germany, to where he will be transferred for medical treatment after a year in detention, it was announced Wednesday.

Algeria has pardoned French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal after a request from Germany. He us set to be transferred for medical treatment after a year in detention www.france24.com/en/live-news...

US/El Salvador: Torture of Venezuelan Deportees The Venezuelan nationals the US government sent to El Salvador in March and April were tortured and subjected to other abuses, including sexual violence.

The Venezuelan nationals the US government sent to El Salvador in March and April were tortured and subjected to other abuses, including sexual violence: www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Tunisia: Rampant violations against refugees and migrants expose EU’s complicity risk The Tunisian authorities have over the past three years increasingly dismantled protections for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, particularly Black people, with a dangerous shift towards racist ...

Amnesty: Tunisian authorities have over the past three years increasingly dismantled protections for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, particularly Black people, with a dangerous shift towards racist policing and widespread human rights violations www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...

Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians reach record number in October, U.N. says Israeli settlers carried out at least 264 attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during October, marking the biggest monthly total since United Nations officials began tracking such incidents in 2006, the U.N. said on Friday.

Israeli settlers carried out at least 264 attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during October, the biggest monthly total since the UN began tracking these attacks in 2006: www.reuters.com/world/middle...

US: Prioritize Rights During Saudi Leader’s Visit The United States government, including Congress, should address Saudi human rights abuses during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s expected visit to Washington on November 18, 2025.

The US government should address Saudi human rights abuses during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s expected visit to Washington, DC, on November 18—the first since he approved the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in March 2018 www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Saudi Arabia: Migrant Workers in Mecca Arrested for Demanding Unpaid Wages At least 600 migrant workers employed by Saudi Arabian Baytur Construction Company have not received their salaries for at least eight months.

HRW: At least 600 migrant workers employed by Saudi Arabian Baytur Construction Company have not received their salaries for at least eight months. The actual figure of unpaid workers could be significantly higher. www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

US: Millions Face Soaring Health Costs as Subsidies Expire The US Congress’ failure to extend public subsidies for private health insurance threatens the right to health and financial security of millions of people.

Congress’ failure to extend public subsidies for private health insurance threatens the right to health and financial security of millions. With open enrollment beginning Nov. 1, millions of households will no longer be able to afford insurance. www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

US: ICE Abuses in Los Angeles Set Stage for Other Cities The US federal government’s violent campaign of raids and detentions during the summer of 2025 in Los Angeles set the stage for similar and subsequent abuses in cities around the country.

HRW: The US government’s violent campaign of raids and detentions this summer in LA set the stage for abuses in cities around the country, with ICE officials stalking and seizing people, separating families, and terrorizing communities. www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Human Rights Watch on X: "An anti-drug police operation in low-income neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro has resulted in more than 100 killings. Rio authorities’ decisions leading to such a disastrous operation should be investigated. Families of victims deserve truth and justice. https://t.co/oTWzqSkkfN" / X An anti-drug police operation in low-income neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro has resulted in more than 100 killings. Rio authorities’ decisions leading to such a disastrous operation should be investigated. Families of victims deserve truth and justice. https://t.co/oTWzqSkkfN

The collective wealth of the top 10 US billionaires has soared by $698bn in the past year, according to Oxfam. They found that Trump's policies risk driving US inequality to new heights. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Behind the Walls: Report on Torture and Medical Neglect in the Tunisian Prison System - جمعية تقاطع To access the report: Behind the Walls Report on Torture, Ill-Treatment, and Medical Neglect at the Heart of Tunisia’s Prison System Tunis, 28 October 2025 — The Intersection Association for […]

Intersection has a new report out "Behind the Walls" documenting evidence of torture and medical neglect in the Tunisian prison system between 2015 and 2025: intersection.uno/en/behind-th...

Tens of Millions at Risk of Hunger if US Food Assistance Lapses The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last Friday that it will stop distributing payments for essential food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) startin...

The USDA said it will stop distributing payments for essential food assistance through SNAP November 1 if the federal government is still shut down. Suspending these payments would force tens of millions to cut back on food, undermining their human rights. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

HRW: dozens of videos posted on social media in recent days show Rapid Support Forces carrying out extrajudicial killings and other serious violations against people fleeing North Darfur’s capital El Fasher www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...