Retreat and Resistance in Dark Times

The events of 2024 have shown that even in the darkest times there are those who dare to resist oppression and demonstrate the courage to seek progress, saidTirana Hassan, executive director at Human Rights Watch, today in releasing the organization’s World Report 2025. In the face of rising authoritarianism, repression, and armed conflict, governments should respect and defend universal human rights with more rigor and urgency than ever, and civil society should remain steadfast in holding them accountable.
For the world report, in its 35th edition, Human Rights Watch reviewed human rights practices in more than 100 countries. In much of the world, Hassan writes in her introductory essay, governments cracked down and wrongfully arrested and imprisoned political opponents, activists, and journalists. Armed groups and government forces unlawfully killed civilians, drove many from their homes, and blocked access to humanitarian aid. In many of the more than 70 national elections in 2024, authoritarian leaders gained ground with their discriminatory rhetoric and policies.