Human Rights

Just Security’s expert authors offer in-depth analysis on critical human rights challenges, including those related to armed conflict, emerging technologies, abuses by authoritarian governments, repression of human rights advocates and independent media, human rights litigation, racial justice, gender equality, and more.

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3,188 Articles
Two women wearing t-shirts under bulletproof vests, helmets and handcuffs, are escorted by armed guards on either side, walking up stairs to a court building. The vests and helmets have the letters BJMP on them, for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, part of the country's Ministry of the Interior.

The Philippines Is Jailing Journalists in the Name of “Terror Financing”: Why the World Should Be Alarmed

The case of a jailed journalist in the Philippines is a warning for how efforts to counter terrorism financing can be manipulated into political tools of repression.
Demonstrators hold a protest in Houston, Texas, against a bill that would forbid Chinese nationals from buying properties in Texas, on February 11, 2023.

Alien-ating Asians in 21st-Century Land Laws

“Alien land laws” frame Asian land ownership as a national security threat despite minimal evidence, echoing the United States’ historical exclusionary policies.
Gavel and a globe

Governments Need to Disrupt the Business of War Crimes: And No, Sanctions Are Not Enough

If governments are serious about accountability for atrocities, they must start following the money and treating international crimes like the big business they are.
A bus in a US military convoy transporting Islamic State group detainees being transferred to Iraq from Syria moves along a road on the outskirts of Qahtaniyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on February 7, 2026. Iraq's judiciary announced on February 2 that it had begun investigations into more than 1,300 Islamic State group detainees who were transferred from Syria as part of a US operation. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP via Getty Images)

A Legal Black Hole: Does Iraq Have the Right to Detain Prisoners Transferred from Syria?

The Global Coalition Against Daesh faces legal and moral strain over mass detainee transfers from Syria to Iraq, testing international law and policy.

The Just Security Podcast: What Does it Really Mean to be a U.S. Territory?

Neil Weare and Adi Martínez-Román join Tess Bridgeman to explore democracy, equity, and self-determination in U.S. territories and beyond.
View from outside a fenced area of a watchtower atop tall, solid walls behind barbed wire.

Forced Labor Fuels Unfair Trade: The U.S. Interest in Ending Abuses Against Uyghurs

Forced labor in China undermines American security and values. Strong U.S. enforcement of trade laws and supply chain standards can defend human rights and competitiveness.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detain a man during an immigration enforcement operation in a Minneapolis neighborhood on January 11, 2026.

Minnesota ICE Enforcement: Tracking Alleged Constitutional Violations in Court

Sworn declarations in ACLU’s Minnesota lawsuit describe masked ICE agents using violent, warrantless arrests targeting Somali and Latino US citizens, legal residents.
A woman looking towards the camera gestures to a woman standing in front of her across a desk in a room of similar desks, some arranged in a circle, where others are sitting and standing, apparently during a convening in a meeting room. On the desk is a lighted screen that says "Older Persons Day."

How Can a New International Treaty Address Older Persons’ Decision-Making Rights?

UN treaty talks on older persons’ rights must reconcile dementia-related risks, fragmented legal regimes, and disability-related reforms to ensure autonomy and protection.
A blue banner reads "#UNGA80" in large letters, and below that, it says, "At 80, the UN is upgrading to meet the moment."

The Results of UN80: Reform or Decline?

UN80’s promise of renewal risks fading into bureaucracy. The United Nations must reform honestly, protect its mission, and adapt to survive amid resurgent power politics.
The US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on September 02, 2025. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on September 1, 2025, that eight US military vessels with 1,200 missiles were targeting his country, which he declared to be in a state of "maximum readiness to defend" itself. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)

Arbitrary Killings or War Crimes? Why It Matters How the U.S. Strikes in the Caribbean Are Categorized

Analysis of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and the legal consequences of classifying them as arbitrary killings or war crimes under international law.
Narges Mohammadi dressed in a white shirt and red skirt stands in a doorway, holding a walker.

Writers’ Voices Increasingly Missing in Iran Protests As Regime Targets Democracy Advocates

As Iranians protested for freedom, the regime intensified its assault on writers and dissenters, silencing key voices like Narges Mohammadi and Ali Asadollahi.
A protestor holds a sign outside the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington D.C. that reads “Wreck USAID = Hurt U.S. + Help U.S. Enemies”

“America Alone” Runs Counter to U.S. Public’s Preferences for Robust Global Engagement

The Trump administration's withdrawal from dozens of international structures contradicts polls showing Americans broadly support multilateralism, alliances, and human rights.
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