Washington Center For Human Rights
From DC to the World
CategoriesHuman TraffickingSocial media has become a key instrument of human trafficking networks to find, recruit, and manipulate victims. These platforms have increased the scope of the trafficking activities and allowed exploitation on a scale never before seen in the world in 2025. Popular applications: Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat, Discord and WhatsApp have become the ideal […]
CategoriesUncategorizedThe number of civilian fatalities in war zones has increased by more than 40 percent in 2024 to at least 48,384 people, according to statistics issued by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR). This number involves disproportionate casualties of women, children, journalists and human rights defenders groups, which are […]
CategoriesTopicsThe situation of transgender rights in 2025 is at a crossroad. Even after decades of activism in many countries around the world and the growing public awareness, the last year was the year of legal defeat and the rise of organized resistance. Civil society is also active but there are emerging challenges of increasing legislative […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingHuman trafficking is considered as one of the most widespread and lucrative illegal businesses on the planet. The trafficking of human beings to be sexually exploited, to labor, and to be subjected to other kinds of modern slavery generates about 150 billion annual gains, and cannot be practiced without the help of laundering schemes. When […]
CategoriesWar CrimesThe international humanitarian law offers the principles of evaluation of acts of war such as war crimes and genocide. War crimes are considered to be serious breach of law of war that include attacks on civilians, torture and disproportional attacks against civilian infrastructures. The 1948 UN Convention defines genocide as evident destruction, wholly or partially, […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingThe campaign against human trafficking in Asia is experiencing a paradigm shift, with youth leaders taking over leading roles in the awareness campaign, prevention, and advocacies. They have not appeared randomly but are a deliberate reaction to the changing dynamics of trafficking and digital approaches that discriminate against young and vulnerable groups. This progress was […]
CategoriesTopicsKamala Harris has become one of the federal leaders in formulating national transgender policy. Her policy interaction with executive agencies and legislative agenda as a Vice President under President Biden has led to an institutionalization of transgender rights amid the heightened political polarization. Her time as leader comes at a time when the restrictive state-level […]
CategoriesTopicsTransgender rights remain the products of a Chinese legal system that provides limited official acknowledgment and generally demands intrusive conditions to undergo a gender transition. By the year 2025, people who want the state to place a different gender marker on their identity documents issued by the state will undergo gender-affirming surgery (GAS) and notarized […]
CategoriesBriefsIn 2025, transgender rights movements across the world would represent the picture of victories gained with difficulty and the challenges increased. In the West democracies, as well as in the developing countries, transgender individuals and lobby groups encounter more complicated situations. As certain governments are developing gender recognition and legal safeguards, others are taking away […]
CategoriesTopicsHousing has been identified as a principal human right that ought to be of basic human dignity, security, and social inclusion. This right is affirmed by international legal documents like the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which argues that proper housing is beyond just shelter but rather includes affordability, accessibility and […]
CategoriesTopicsCanada is still perceived as a world leader in LGBTQ+ rights, and protections of transgenders are written in federal legislation. The country is experiencing an extremely dynamic situation of rights in 2025 that has demonstrated both a positive development trend and an increasing strain between political, legal and social changes. Legal tools that underlie transgender […]
CategoriesTopicsNorth Korea is one of the most closed and repressed states worldwide, which is ruled by absolute power and Kim Jong Un since his ascension to power in 2011. International observers have recorded increased human rights violations in the last decade characterized by increased surveillance, administration of forced labor, public executions, and deprivation of basic […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingHuman trafficking continues to be one of the most popular and elusive forms of contemporary exploitation that has been experienced by more than 25 million individuals across the world. Trafficking has however evolved and thrived even after decades of legal advancements and an increase in cross-border cooperation. The demand was cited by Tony Talbott, a […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingHuman trafficking tips have dramatically increased in 2025 in Virginia and the Virginia State Police reported 1,209 tips by mid-September. This number is a three times improvement to the previous year making Virginia the 16 th highest state in the country when it comes to operations in trafficking. This increase indicates deeper structural shifts in […]
CategoriesTopicsNational Human Rights Committee (NHRIs) have become the important institutions in the enforcement of the international human rights commitments by the states. They have extended their scope way beyond the monitoring, or complaint-handling capabilities. The character of their work has changed considerably in 2025 as a reaction to the dynamic pressures in the world and […]
CategoriesWar CrimesThe military campaign of the Israeli forces against the Gaza Strip has been going on since the end of 2023, and it has radically changed the physical, social, and legal background of the Gaza Strip. Towards the end of the year 2025, more than 53,000 Palestinians were reported dead. According to independent research organizations, around […]
CategoriesTerror FinancingIn a 2025 campaign against the militias supported by the Iranian regime in Iraq, the United States has significantly expanded its penalties not only on the organizations, but also on the financial networks supporting them. On September 17, the official designation of four large groups, namely, Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada, Harakat […]
CategoriesTopicsA major step in the convergence of environmental protection and human rights law is the year 2025. On January 30, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) came up with a landmark ruling in Cannavacciuolo and Others v. Italy, which further boosts the opinion that environmental degradation can come to constitute a breach of […]
CategoriesTopicsOne of the main characteristics of contemporary human rights activism has been digital rights. With the world starting to enter the further stages of technological integration in 2025, the connection between digital infrastructure and advocacy becomes more complicated. The fight to defend basic rights is being fought more on the streets, as well as in […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingSwiss financial regulation becomes a critical stage in 2025, when the lawmakers are considering new sources of funds to increase supervision. The core of this change is represented by a proposal to adopt a fee-based compliance model, which would directly fund the Money laundering reporting office Switzerland (MROS) enabling it to react better to the […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingSan Antonio was the center of one of the largest counter-trafficking efforts called Operation Lightning Bug. Led by the U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and with the assistance of the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), Texas Department of Public Safety, and several other local and federal law enforcement agencies, the operation was […]
CategoriesanalysisSince the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2011, the Syrian observatory on human rights (SOHR) has continued to be referenced as one of the most used civilian-led groups in recording human rights violations in Syria. SOHR still collects data concerning deaths, arbitrary arrests, and detentions, through a network of decentralized sources, such as […]
CategoriesTerror FinancingCanada’s 2025 acknowledgement that Khalistani extremist groups receive funding from within its territory has introduced a critical new dimension in Indo-Canadian relations. The Finance Department’s national risk assessment lists Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) as terror-linked organizations benefiting from domestic support. This is the first time Ottawa has formally recognized […]
CategoriesanalysisThe ruling of the United States Supreme Court on September 8, 2025, to permit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to conduct race-based and occupation-centered immigration raids in Los Angeles, was consequential 6-3. This ruling struck down a restraining order of a federal district court that had stopped such practices as unconstitutional. The decision has […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingThe rise of scam centres across Myanmar in 2025 reveals a devastating convergence of armed conflict, political breakdown, and transnational organized crime. With an estimated 100,000 individuals trafficked into forced cyber fraud operations, Myanmar is now the site of one of the world’s most complex and brutal human trafficking crises. These centres are more than […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingA key innovation in the governance of the region is the Bay of Bengal Initiative of Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) being accepted as an observer at the Asia/Pacific Group on Money laundering (APG) in 2025. This action goes beyond symbolism, it brings BIMSTEC into the strongest anti-money laundering (AML) web in the region, […]
CategoriesSlaveryBy the year 2025, modern slavery is still perpetrating more than 50 million people across the globe, a multifaceted societal and public health crisis, and a human right crisis. As legislative frameworks and advocacy efforts have achieved some progress in identifying and protecting victims, the more lasting effects particularly on the provision of public services […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingIraq and its fight against human trafficking is one of the hardest human rights issues to resolve in the Middle East. The issue is old, but the complexity and scope of trafficking networks that operate in and through Iraq have grown exponentially over the last few years. A fragile combination of the unsteadiness of post-conflict […]
CategoriesSlaveryNew Zealand’s struggle to pass modern slavery legislation in 2025 is drawing attention not just for its political friction but for its ethical consequences. With bipartisan support already evident, procedural stagnation has taken center stage. The prolonged delay is exposing supply chains, businesses, and vulnerable individuals to risks that could have long-term impacts on human […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingThe regulatory changes in the United Kingdom in 2025 will be a landmark in its generations-long fight against financial crime. The UK government is implementing a series of specific amendments to the anti-money laundering (AML) regime to address weak points whilst also not imposing undue burdens on low-risk businesses. The new framework attacks the vulnerabilities […]
CategoriesWar CrimesIn September 2025, Temirlan Abutalimov was appointed as acting Minister for National Policy and Religious Affairs in the Republic of Dagestan. Abutalimov at the age of only 28 was significant in not only his age but in the war crimes that were accused of him during his military service. Ukrainian intelligence charges him with the […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingHuman trafficking is a chronic issue in Virginia, and it impacts individuals of all age, gender, or socio-economic status. Over 2,200 hotline cases since the inception of the hotline have involved nearly 4,550 victims in the state. The level of public awareness and responsiveness has been realized through the increased number of signal calls, messages, […]
CategoriesWar CrimesIn 2025, US Congress went through an ardent debate after the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this time instigated by the Israeli attack on groups in Gaza. What was once a traditional bipartisan support for Israel was becoming more isolated and bitter, with accusations of war crimes taking priority in legislative hearings and polls. Former Rep. Andy […]
CategoriesSlaveryBrazil continues to be the world’s top coffee exporter, responsible for close to 40% of global production. Just in 2024, the nation raked in more than $12 billion from coffee exports. Behind the economic prowess, though, is a nagging and disturbing fact: instances of modern slavery continue to haunt the coffee industry, especially in areas […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingThe Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, originally enacted in 1970 to combat organized crime, has once again discovered new applications in 2025 as a central tool in disrupting human trafficking networks. As trafficking networks have become more globalized and technology-facilitated, the U.S. Department of Justice and its partners have increasingly turned to RICO’s […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingThe Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released its updated guidance in June 2025 to bring international Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CFT) efforts in line with the broadening agenda for financial inclusion. This policy shift reflects the growing world consensus that financial security and access to finance need not be adversaries. Conversely, the new […]
CategoriesMedia CensorshipThe Gaza war which broke out once again in late 2023 is the deadliest conflict of journalists in history. As of August 2025, at least 242 Palestinian journalists were killed by statistics that had been compiled by the United Nations and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Such statistics are supported by the International Federation […]
CategoriesWar CrimesIn 2025, a criminal case filed against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Argentina put the legal system in Argentina in the spotlight of the world debate over the existence of universal jurisdiction. Instigated by Argentine human rights lawyers with the assistance of Palestinian legal counsel, the complaint charges Netanyahu with the war crimes allegedly […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingEthiopia is now taking a leading role in combating illicit financial activity in Africa, taking a visible lead in regional and institutional reforms against money laundering (AML) in 2025. The hosting of the 50th Task Force of Senior Officials Meeting of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) in Addis Ababa between August […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingThe British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) was issued a Notice of Violation by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), with violation of the federal anti-money laundering regime cited. The report concerned the supposed inadequacies of BCLC in notifying the regulators about the suspicious transactions involving one of its casino clients who […]
CategoriesanalysisIn 2025, Belarus stepped up its crackdown on human rights attorneys and shifted disbarments and surveillance to criminalization of them. Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers (BAHRL) was declared by the government as an extremist formation, so it was a punishable crime to communicate or defend this organization. This action exposes members to prison terms […]
CategoriesTerror FinancingIn 2025, global cocaine markets are in new territories of production and penetration that are increasingly intertwined with financing terrorist activities than ever before. The United Nations Office on Drugs and crime (UNODC) reports that cocaine production has reached a new high of 3,708 metric tons in 2023, and that its consumption has increased in […]
CategoriesSlaveryIn August 2025, President Donald Trump intensified criticism of the Smithsonian Institution over its depiction of slavery in museum exhibits, accusing it of focusing too heavily on “how bad slavery was” and failing to present what he referred to as “the brighter side of America’s story.” Through a series of public remarks and official directives, […]
CategoriesanalysisIn 2025, it is estimated that the human rights record in North Korea contains among the most drastic transgressions in the world, which not only do not occur randomly, but are not hidden. The state under the leadership of Kim Jong Un has had a highly regulated system that operates through surveillance, reprisal, and retribution […]
CategoriesanalysisThe timeline of transgender rights in the US did not run in a straight line. In the last decade, the clash over legal rights, access to health care, and the openness of the military has become national discourse. The political legacy of former President Donald Trump left quite an unequivocal mark on the debate around […]
CategoriesanalysisMany countries of the world with transgender rights have shifted in recent decades to be more inclusive and non-discriminatory of differences in gender. In some areas of the world, gains have been made in legal recognition of gender, in the right to healthcare and non-discrimination. However, in tandem with these gains, there has been a […]
CategoriesSlaveryA controversial Confederate memorial at Arlington National Cemetery was re-erected in the United States at the center of a new national outcry over memory and representation of the past. Critics claim that the monument, which was first carved by Moses Ezekiel in 1914, features imagery that glorifies the Confederacy in a way that is pro-slavery […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingThe problem of human trafficking is still widely spread all around the world, and the adoption of digital platforms has increased its scope and its sophistication. The report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2025 attests to this position by revealing that traffickers are turning out to use technology to entrap, […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingThe UK has been shifting towards integrating digital identity verification into the anti-money laundering (AML) system in 2025, which means a significant regulatory change. Related, subsequent rounds of revision to the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), led by HM Treasury and the Office for Digital Identity & Attributes (OfDIA) will make certified digital identities officially acceptable […]
CategoriesanalysisThe civil society remains the major stakeholder in influencing European human rights law by filing amicus curiae briefs before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). They are commonly based on the documents completed by non-governmental organizations, research institutes, and lobbying groups that submit them with expert knowledge and contextual information to help judges sift […]