Almaz Teffera

So let me get this straight - the Home Secretary thinks the Council of Europe shouldn't stand up for people's rights in the UK now because that might affect its ability to do so in the future. Good grief.

QUOTE CARD with text “The German government’s plans to punish some social security recipients with severe cuts to support demonstrates contempt for their human rights. This harsh approach will increase poverty, erode social cohesion, and push many into destitution." Kartik Raj, Senior Europe Researcher

The German government's plan for social security "reform" is bad news for #humanrights.

I tried to set out why for @hrw.org here, a couple of weeks back, as we awaited details of these plans:

www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

43rd Meeting - 60th Session of Human Rights Council 60th regular session of the Human Rights Council (08 September – 08 October 2025)

The EU joining consensus for the annual UN Human Rights Council resolution on racism is the right signal.

European states chose not to call for a vote bc of inclusion of language on #reparations.

The right to reparation for colonial injustices is non-negotiable. #HRC60 webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1e...

Seid am 10.10. dabei‼️

Ein Gespräch über koloniale Langzeitfolgen & Anspruch auf Reparationen betroffener Communities mit Paul Thomas (namibische Nama Traditional Leaders Association), Andrea Pietrafesa (@ECCHRBerlin) & @AlmazTeffera (@hrw).

Anmeldung: https://bit.ly/42uSNhy

Verhandlungen ohne die Betroffenen? Versöhnung ohne Gerechtigkeit? Berlin 10.10.2025, 17:00 Uhr European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) Zossener Str. 55-58 (Aufgang D), 10961 Berlin

Verhandlungen ohne die Betroffenen? Versöhnung ohne Gerechtigkeit?
Eine Diskussion über den Umgang Deutschlands & Namibias mit Völkermord und Kolonialverbrechen mit Paul Thomas (NTAL), @almazteffera.bsky.social, @andipietrafesa.bsky.social moderiert von Yannick Müller.
www.ecchr.eu/veranstaltun...

Q&A: Reparations for Historical and Ongoing Colonial Atrocities In this Q&A, Human Rights Watch examines the application of the right to reparation to redress past and present harms stemming from colonial atrocities, including enslavement, systemic racial inequali...

@hrw.org also delivered an oral statement during the session with the commissioner: www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

@hrw.org recently published a Q&A on reparations for historical and ongoing colonial atrocities: www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

The UN rights chief presented his office's report on #reparations for legacies of #colonialism and #enslavement in Geneva yesterday.

@hrw.org welcomes his call for a transformative, context-specific & rights-based approach to reparations led by affected communities.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

One to watch for the ESCR nerds out there.

The first complaint from Germany to the UN CESCR, since the country relatively recently (Apr 2023) accepted the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR.

Focused on withdrawal of benefits from some asylum-seekers.

⬇️

UK: “Hostile” Compensation Scheme Fails ‘Windrush’ Victims A UK government scheme to compensate “Windrush scandal” victims is failing and violating their right to an effective remedy for human rights abuses they suffered at the hands of the Home Office. The W...

@hrw.org's research in 2023 found that the Windrush Compensation Scheme wasn't fit for purpose.

6 years later, it still compounds Windrush claimants' suffering. Claimants need access to free legal representation to protect against arbitrary compensation decisions.

www.hrw.org/news/2023/04...

#UK's @phsombudsman.bsky.social finds:
1/ deep flaws in management of Home Office's #Windrush Compensation Scheme
2/ compensation offers should account for private pension losses. #WindrushScandal

@hrw.org will say it again: Windrush claimants need access to legal aid.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

Happy Birthday @freiheitsrechte.org 💙

Vielen Dank für Eure unermüdliche Arbeit und die tolle Zusammenarbeit!

Eine Kommission der Vereinten Nationen hat festgestellt, dass Israel in Gaza Völkermord begeht.

Da die israelische Regierung ihre Angriffe auf Gaza-Stadt weiter verschärft und die noch verbliebene zivile Infrastruktur Gazas zerstört, haben alle Staaten die Pflicht, zu handeln.

🔴 Die EU hat Sanktionen gegen Israel vorgeschlagen. Die Aussetzung des 🇪🇺-🇮🇱 Handelsabkommens muss von der Mehrheit der Mitgliedstaaten genehmigt werden.

Deutschland hat sich bisher dagegen ausgesprochen.

Der Konsens über Völkermord wächst – wird #Deutschland diesen Vorschlag endlich unterstützen?

Q&A: Reparations for Historical and Ongoing Colonial Atrocities In this Q&A, Human Rights Watch examines the application of the right to reparation to redress past and present harms stemming from colonial atrocities, including enslavement, systemic racial inequali...

New publication from @hrw.org:

Q&A: Reparations for Historical and Ongoing Colonial Atrocities

www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

How do you right the wrongs of colonialism? The wrongs then. And the wrongs now.

I expect to return to this important doc by colleague @almazteffera.bsky.social many times.

African, Caribbean Summit Should Address Reparations Governments attending the Africa-CARICOM Summit should closely work with civil society and affected communities to develop a human rights-based approach to reparations, Human Rights Watch said today. ...

This press release addressed at African and Caribbean states summarizes elements from the Q&A:

www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

Q&A: Reparations for Historical and Ongoing Colonial Atrocities In this Q&A, Human Rights Watch examines the application of the right to reparation to redress past and present harms stemming from colonial atrocities, including enslavement, systemic racial inequali...

@hrw.org published a Q&A on #reparations for historical & ongoing colonial atrocities ahead of a AU-CARICOM summit.

A unified African-Caribbean rights-based position on reparations shaped w civil society & communities would be a gamechanger for the reparations movement.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

Today, we joined 8 other organisations to deliver a petition to President @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu‬, signed by 32,000 people, urging the EU Commission not to drop its anti-discrimination Directive. Equal rights are under attack. The EU must lead, not step back!

France : De nombreux enfants à Mayotte privés d’éducation Un projet de loi examiné à l’Assemblée nationale portant sur la reconstruction du département d’Outre-mer de Mayotte devrait inclure l’accès à l’éducation et aux autres droits économiques et sociaux f...

L’éducation n’est pas seulement un droit pour tous les enfants, elle est obligatoire en France de 3 à 16 ans.

Pourtant à Mayotte des milliers d’enfants sont privés d'accès à l'éducation et à d'autres services sociaux essentiels.

www.hrw.org/fr/news/2025...

The Trump administration’s new travel ban is just one of many harmful, arbitrary, and discriminatory policies.

The US government should work toward a rights-respecting approach to immigration policy that protects the dignity of immigrants.

Western Australia Announces Reparations for the ‘Stolen Generations’ On Tuesday, the Western Australia state government announced a new reparations program for the “Stolen Generations,” Indigenous children who were forcibly removed from their families under racist poli...

The Western Australia state government has announced a reparations program for survivors of the “Stolen Generations.”

This is a critical and long overdue step to providing justice.

In just 100 days, the Trump administration has inflicted enormous damage to human rights in the United States and around the world.

To mark the first 100 days of President Trump's second term, Human Rights Watch has cataloged 100 of the administration’s human rights harms 🧵⤵️

Want to join the GLOBAL REPARATIONS HUB?

The Global Reparations Hub is an online community space looking to unite #reparations movements worldwide. @hrw.org supports the creation of this grassroots-led space.

Register for this event on April 15 at 1:30-2:30pm EST: 👉 us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Want to join the GLOBAL REPARATIONS HUB?

The Global Reparations Hub is an online community space looking to unite #reparations movements worldwide. @hrw.org supports the creation of this grassroots-led space.

Register for this event on April 15 at 1:30-2:30pm EST: 👉 us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Four people who participated in a pro-Palestine protest at a university in Berlin last year are fighting a court case against their deportation.

Governments should not use immigration law to silence views that they disagree with. Learn more ⤵️

Heute ist der Internationale #Romaday. Ein Tag des Erinnerns – und ein Tag des Widerstands. Sinti* und Roma* leben seit Jahrhunderten in Europa. Sie gehören dazu. Doch sie wurden und werden ausgegrenzt, entrechtet und kriminalisiert. 🧵1/9

Deutschlands Vorschlag zur Entziehung der Staatsbürgerschaft bedroht Menschenrechte Ein geleaktes Dokument zeigt, dass die konservativen Parteien Deutschlands, die Christlich Demokratische Union und die Christlich Soziale Union (CDU/CSU), eine Klausel in das deutsche Staatsangehörigk...

"Die Gefahr, dass deutschen Staatsbürger*innen aufgrund ihrer politischen Meinung die Staatsbürgerschaft entzogen wird – z.B. weil sie ihre Meinung zum Gaza-Krieg äußern – birgt die Gefahr, dass unliebsame Ansichten unterdrückt werden."
HRW zum geleakten Koalitionspapier:
www.hrw.org/de/news/2025...

The socialists should reject this proposal emerging from negotiations to form a coalition government.

It carries serious risks for human rights, such as free speech & to foment discrimination.

German political parties should ensure all citizens enjoy equal rights under the law.

3/3

The proposal speaks of dual citizens that are deemed “supporters of terrorism, antisemites and extremists.”

The proposal so far lacks definitions, links to respective criminal offenses & language on safeguards.

Could people expressing views that are unpopular with the government be affected?

2/3

German Proposal to Strip Citizenship Endangers Human Rights A leaked paper reveals that Germany’s conservative political parties want to add a clause to Germany’s Nationality Law to allow the country to revoke German nationality from dual nationals if they are...

Under the Nazi regime, Jews & critics were stripped of their German citizenship.

Fast forward to 2025: Germany’s conservative political parties propose to revoke German nationality from dual citizens based on subjective assessments of wrongdoing.

1/3

@hrw.org

www.hrw.org/news/2025/04...

An older woman collecting food at a Tafel-run\ food bank in Berlin, Germany, July 3, 2023. © 2023 Carsten Koall/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

1/5 Today, we publish a new @hrw.org report on the poverty and the right to social security in #Germany.

The full report is here:

“It Tears You Apart”
Poverty and Gender in Germany’s Social Security System

www.hrw.org/report/2025/...