Articles

Rohingya Heritage in Exile: European Parliament Exhibition Highlights Cultural Resilience Amid Ongoing Genocide

This press release highlights an exhibition at the European Parliament that brought attention to the Rohingya people’s cultural resilience amid genocide and prolonged displacement. It underscores how preserving heritage, memory, and identity remains vital for a community facing statelessness, exile, and ongoing humanitarian crisis. The exhibition also called for stronger international action, accountability, and safe, dignified repatriation.

GHRD at the 61st Human rights Council

At the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, GHRD raised concern over the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan and their impact on religious minorities. The statement highlighted arbitrary detention, mob violence, and forced displacement affecting communities such as Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, and Shia Muslims. GHRD urged Pakistan to align its laws and practices with international human rights standards.

Human Rights Exhibition at the United Nations in Geneva. Violations Across Asia

During the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, GHRD is hosting a three-day exhibition highlighting human rights violations across Asia. The exhibition presents testimonies, visual documentation, and case studies on discrimination, repression, and violence faced by minority and vulnerable communities. It aims to encourage greater international attention, accountability, and protection of fundamental rights.

Egypt’s Asylum Laws Fail to Protect Refugees From Mass Arbitrary Detentions

This article examines how Egypt’s new asylum framework is failing to protect refugees and asylum seekers from arbitrary detention and deportation. It highlights serious concerns over violations of non-refoulement, lack of due process, and the erosion of protections previously linked to UNHCR oversight. The piece argues that Egypt’s current approach undermines both international refugee law and basic human rights safeguards.

At HRC61, GHRD Highlights the Human Rights Implications of Blasphemy Laws for Minority Communities Across Asia

At the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Global Human Rights Defence hosted a side event on the impact of blasphemy laws on minority communities in Asia. Speakers highlighted that such laws exist in around 100 countries and are often used to target minorities and dissenting voices. The discussion emphasized that blasphemy laws are incompatible with international human rights standards and called on states to reform or repeal them.

Menstrual Health as a Human Right – Addressing The “Pink Tax” in Pakistan

This article explores the ongoing persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, highlighting recurring incidents of violence, including attacks on temples, homes, and individuals. It examines the gap between constitutional guarantees of secularism and the lived reality of discrimination faced by the Hindu minority. The piece argues that despite legal provisions for equality and religious freedom, systemic failures continue to expose Hindus to insecurity and targeted violence.

Human Rights Council: Interactive Dialogue under Item 2

GHRD addressed the human rights crisis in Afghanistan, highlighting institutionalized discrimination against women and girls, which has led to their exclusion from public life and essential services. The statement emphasized the compounded discrimination faced by women from ethnic and religious minorities and those in rural areas, along with severe justice barriers and a lack of judicial independence. GHRD urged the Human Rights Council to support accountability measures and enhance evidence-collection for gender-based persecution, reaffirming its commitment to advocate for Afghan women’s rights in international forums.

The Sahrawi Women’s Continuous Struggle Against Occupation

This article examines the central role of Sahrawi women in resisting Moroccan occupation and documenting human rights abuses in Western Sahara. It highlights how women activists face gendered violence, surveillance, and institutional harassment because of their leadership in the struggle for self-determination. The piece underscores that protecting Sahrawi women is essential to any meaningful path toward justice and decolonisation.

United Nations Human Rights Council Opens its 61st Session in Geneva

Opening the 61st session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that human rights are “under attack” worldwide, as High Commissioner Volker Türk cautioned against the erosion of international norms and called for renewed commitment to accountability, justice and the rule of law.

Parliamentary Discussion Held at the House of Commons on Bangladesh’s Political and Human Rights Situation

A parliamentary discussion titled “Bangladesh at a Crossroads: 18 Months of Interim Government and Elections,” chaired by MP Bob Blackman, addressed the political and human rights issues in Bangladesh. Key speakers included Lord Rami Ranger and Baroness Bennett, who reviewed allegations of human rights abuses, particularly the banning of Awami League activities. Blackman highlighted a decline in human rights impacting minorities, while Ranger advocated for free electoral choices. Prof. Dr. Md. Habibe Millat delivered a keynote stressing the detention of 124 MPs and activists, calling for their release and decrying the political interference in law enforcement. The forum also addressed the need for democratic restoration and international engagement, with media contact facilitated by the Global Centre for Democratic Governance.

Civil Society Dialogue on EU-India Free Trade Agreement by the European Commission

On 27 January 2026, EU and Indian officials marked a major milestone in negotiations for the EU–India Free Trade Agreement in New Delhi, which has been described as the “mother of all trade deals” given its scale and economic significance. While the development signalled one of the most ambitious agreements pursued by both partners, the details of the proposed deal remain subject to scrutiny. To support this process, the European Commission convened a Civil Society Dialogue to present key elements of the agreement and discuss the state of negotiations.

Highlighting Human Costs and Structural Causes: A Screening of SOLD. A Child Trafficked

On 18 February 2026, Global Human Rights Defence, in partnership with Just Peace Movie Night, hosted a screening of SOLD. A Child Trafficked at The Hague Humanity Hub, followed by an expert panel discussion on child trafficking and sexual exploitation. Bringing together filmmakers, practitioners, and independent monitoring expertise, the event reflected on the human cost of trafficking, the structural drivers that enable it, and the progress made, and still required, in preventing the exploitation of children.

Does the Use of Chemicals Amount to War Crimes?

This article examines whether the use of chemical substances such as white phosphorus can amount to war crimes under international humanitarian law. Using southern Lebanon as a case study, it highlights the severe civilian harm, environmental damage, and long-term risks caused by white phosphorus strikes in populated areas. The article argues that legal accountability should focus not only on how weapons are classified, but on their actual impact on civilians, land, and protected communities.

Pressures, Scandals, and Survival: The Darker Side of Civil Society

This article humanizes Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) by taking a deep dive into the external and internal challenges they face in today’s highly dystopian world. External challenges range from funding cuts, shrinking civic space, and smear campaigns. Internally, issues rise from rigid hierarchies influenced by reputation seeking board members with elite links, donor-imposed conditions that shift priorities, and employees working with low remunerations.

Agroindustrial Food Systems as a Human Rights Issue: Why Sustainability Fails Without Liability

Agroindustrial food systems are increasingly framed through the language of sustainability, efficiency and food security. However, this discourse coexists with a production model that continues to generate environmental degradation, public health impacts and human rights violations at a global scale.

The Price of a Rose: Who Really Pays?

Europe buys roses as symbols of love, yet behind many imported bouquets lies a hidden cost. Pesticides banned within the EU are still used in production abroad, exposing plantation workers, often women with limited protection – to daily health risks, while the final flowers are sold safely in European markets. The real issue is not residue levels for consumers, but whether Europe is willing to take responsibility for the working conditions and environmental harm embedded in its global supply chains.

Venezuela, on the Treshold of a New Era

This article examines whether the U.S. military operation leading to the capture of Nicolás Maduro can be reconciled with the fundamental principles of international law, and why, even if it cannot, mechanisms of accountability remain largely ineffective and unlikely to be used.

International Conference on Human Rights Allegations in Bangladesh

An international conference on blasphemy allegations and the protection of religious minorities in Bangladesh was held on 24 January 2026 in The Hague, organized by Global Human Rights Defence. Opened by Harry van Bommel, the conference addressed violence against minorities, especially Hindus, amidst critiques of laws being misused despite no formal blasphemy law existing. Data revealed 2,829 incidents against Hindus from August 2024 to December 2025, including lynchings. Dr. Anthonie Holslag delivered the keynote address, with various panels discussing the topic. The conference concluded with calls for stronger international action to protect religious minorities, criticizing the insufficient responses from entities like the UN and EU.

The Hague Reviews Escalating Human Rights Violations Against Religious Minorities in Bangladesh

An international human rights conference in The Hague, convened by Global Human Rights Defence, addressed the crisis facing religious minorities in Bangladesh due to mob violence tied to blasphemy allegations. Keynote speaker Dr. Anthonie Holslag linked blasphemy laws to “creeping genocide,” emphasizing the impunity these laws create. The discussions highlighted the disparity between Bangladesh’s constitutional promises and the harsh realities encountered by minorities, exacerbated by media misinformation and limited international coverage. The conference emphasized the global obligation to protect religious minorities, advocating for ongoing monitoring and adherence to human rights standards, with a call for accountability and the application of international law.

EU–Latin America Trade: Where Key Agreements Stand in 2026

Members of the European Commission conducted a Civil Society Dialogue to inform civil society about the state of play of the European Union trade relations with the Latin American and Caribbean region. Led by the Head of Unit TRADE D2, Mr Paolo Garzotti, the dialogue led to a discussion on the latest conclusion of the EU-Mercosur and EU-Mexico agreements, evaluating the implementation and ratification timelines. The European Parliament resolution to suspend the Mercosur agreement, and the examined conditions affecting political rights, lack of bindingness, and environmental standards, highlights critical gaps in contexts of governance crisis.

Holocaust Remembrance Day and the Imperative of Early Action on Human Rights

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) dedicated its deliberations to urgent cases of human rights violations and democratic backsliding across several regions. Through follow up exchanges on Guinea Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, and Rwanda, Members and invited speakers examined how coups, restrictive legislation, media repression, and unlawful detentions continue to erode democratic safeguards and fundamental freedoms. Framed by the lessons of history, the discussions underscored the risks of inaction and silence in the face of early warning signs. The exchanges highlighted the need for timely and credible responses to prevent today’s political crises from becoming tomorrow’s humanitarian catastrophes.