February 17-23, 2025: Week in Review

February 24, 2025

Read our latest publications

The Inequities of Medicaid in Puerto Rico by Gabrielle Meyers, MPP

Fashion's Slow Path Towards Sustainability by Mathilde Guenin, MA

Managing Peace While Being a Human Rights Violator by Juan David Gómez, MA

Unregulated Contaminants in U.S. Drinking Water: Public Health Challenges and Equitable Solutions by HRRC Contributor

---

Observances

February 20th - World Day of Social Justice

February 21st - International Mother Language Day

---

News Briefs

Trapped in the Surrogacy Boom: Thai Women Rescued from Human Egg Farms in Georgia

---

Other Breaking Human Rights News

February 17, 2025

Former UN Commissioner Robinson Addresses Climate Change and Human Rights (Forbes)

Lebanon: Destruction of Infrastructure Preventing Returns (Human Rights Watch)

Thousands of people protest in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. on Presidents Day (NPR)

Villagers killed execution-style in Sudan, activists say (BBC News)

---

February 18, 2025

UN human rights chief accuses Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern DR Congo of killing and recruiting children (CNN)

As Trump ‘Exports’ Deportees, Hundreds Are Trapped in Panama Hotel (The New York Times)

Vietnam brands human rights organisation as terrorist group (The Independent)

Hamas says it will free 6 living hostages and hand over 4 bodies, accelerating Gaza releases (AP News)

---

February 19, 2025

Sweden's top court rejects Greta Thunberg lawsuit on climate action (Reuters)

Uyghur activist exposes China's atrocities, global misinformation campaign (MSN)

Global brands, including Meta, Uber, Deliveroo, Carrefour & the PIF, linked to hundreds of cases of

migrant worker abuses (Business and Human Rights Resources Centre)

Civil and Human Rights Organizations Sue Trump Administration Over Executive Orders Banning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Erasing Transgender People (Legal Defense Fund)

---

February 20, 2025

In Russia, dozens of dissenters are held as psychiatric patients (Reuters)

Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared. (ProPublica)

The Right to seek asylum does not exist at U.S.-Mexico Border (Amnesty International)

Tens of thousands could be held in illegal scam compounds in Myanmar, Thai police general says (The Guardian)

---

February 21, 2025

Droughts, floods and economic uncertainty: Portraits of the Wayuu people in northern Colombia (AP News)

South Sudan: Heatwave forces schools to shut for second year running (African Business)

Trump administration cuts protections for Haitian migrants (NBC News)

---

February 22, 2025

Hungarian judges, court staff rally for judicial independence (Reuters)

After Hamas releases 6 hostages, Israel says it will delay release of prisoners (ABC News)

Mali’s army says investigating soldiers accused of killing 24 civilians (AP News)

---

February 23, 2025

Iowa House bill could remove civil rights protections for transgender Iowans (KCCI Des Moines)

Ukraine: Guterres says ‘Enough is Enough’ as war reaches the three-year mark (UN News)

‘We have nothing now’: Myanmar’s exiled media face existential crisis after Trump severs aid (The Guardian)

Taiwan: Amnesty calls for robust protection of human rights in the digital age at RightsCon2025 (Amnesty International)

---