Washington Center For Human Rights
From DC to the World
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 […]
CategoriesWar CrimesStaggering levels of violence took hold in Alawite-heavy parts of Syria. The number of killings, displacements and atrocities increased in Latakia, Tartus, and some regions of Hama governorates and murdered over 1,400 people in fewer than two weeks. Observation groups such as the Syrian Network for Human Rights and Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported […]
CategoriesanalysisPeruvian President Dina Boluarte approved a controversial amnesty law protecting members of the Peruvian armed forces, police and self-defense militias against prosecution on human rights violations during the internal armed conflict between 1980 and 2000. The decade was characterized by a conflict against the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement as the state underwent […]
CategoriesStatementsThe Washington Centre for Human Rights (WCHR) is an independent and non-partisan advocacy organization devoted to safeguard human rights around the world; hereby strongly condemns the senseless murder of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, as it has been reported in the recent articles that cited Israel as the war criminals. These have been acts of specific […]
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 […]
CategoriesMedia CensorshipThe interplay between government regulations on media and media freedom has been kept as a complicated issue but has come out clear in 2025 with the reports of humanitarian aid dropping in Gaza. During aid flights in August, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) particularly and in general, followed Israeli instructions that did not allow the […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingHuman trafficking is one of the most deep-rooted transnational crimes, which is facing the United States. By 2025, the policy debate has been over the opposite Trump and Biden administration strategies. The different emphases on enforcement, victim services and interagency coordination, seen across each administration still manifest today in the national and state level anti-trafficking […]
CategoriesanalysisMyanmar has been in deep unrest since the military takeover in February 2021 with violence erupting and repression rising. This was followed by a brutal anti-dissent campaign and concentration of power with mass attacks by government forces on civilians. According to statistics gathered by the United Nations and a number of human rights organizations, the […]
CategoriesSlaveryThe new guidance issued by the United Kingdom in March 2025 on the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA) is a clear indication of a paradigm change in the intensity of the expectations applied to businesses to combat modern slavery in their own business activity and supply chain. Although compliance is still an obligatory requirement, the […]
CategoriesanalysisThe problem of confronting inhuman rights violations in the U.S. immigration system can be even better understood in the context of the situation in Louisiana in 2025 in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. With the second-largest population of detainees in the country behind Texas with more than 7,000, Louisiana is the root […]
CategoriesanalysisThe yearly human rights reports published by the U.S. State Department in 2025 revealed a crucial shift of the former course of work as the instances of violence, discrimination, and abuse of the LGBTQ + community were fully removed. These reports have been used in the past decades as an extensive documentation of the human […]
CategoriesMedia CensorshipFueled by emerging fears about the abuse of deepfake technology, last year brought a record number of state-level legislative responses to the phenomenon. Amid the wildfire of breakthroughs in the world of AI and the influx of ever-more-convincing synthetic media into the mainstream, lawmakers have been in a mad scramble to tighten regulation by drafting […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingThe anti-trafficking activities in Wyoming County take place in the context of the ongoing difficulties within New York State. Not only cities but rural areas are at risk, but the modes of exploitation differ greatly according to geography and resource. Trafficking is an inevitable problem that still occurs in Wyoming County, although it is not […]
CategoriesWar CrimesThe debates between Kosovo war veterans and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) in The Hague, have again sparked off the tensions regarding the definition and the delivery of justice after war. By 2025 there is widespread antagonism toward the court, which most people in Kosovo have come to see as politically influenced and as targeting […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingIn 2025, the problem of human trafficking in Texas has taken deep roots described by increasing concerns related to not only sex trafficking but also labor trafficking. The state is not only facing the enormity of the reported cases, but is still plagued by the inability to respond through cohesive, survivor-centered policy. The situation may […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingIn June 2025, an international operation named Operation Global Chain was carried out. Organized by Austria and Romania, with the help of international law enforcement agencies INTERPOL, Europol and Frontex, the operation deployed almost 15,000 officers in 43 countries. It was a massive move which highlighted the growing global devotion to cover human trafficking which […]
CategoriesSlaveryThe Confederate Memorial at the Arlington National Cemetery, which was created in 1914 by Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a former Confederate soldier, has remained one of the most controversial icons over the course of more than one century. The monument, which was financed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, served as a tangible representation of […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingThe very recent development of China overhauling the anti-money laundering (AML) regulatory framework will bring a major change towards adoption of a more risk-based approach that is particularly evident in relation to reporting of cash transactions. A major weakening of the draft amendment published by central regulators in 2025 is the relief in the obligation […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingOne substantial change in the United Kingdom supervisory framework on anti-money laundering (AML) by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) was the increase by 33 in annual premises fee of 300 to 400 in 2025. It is a fee paid by businesses that are regulated and companies like estate agents, accountants, and dealerships of high value […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingThe Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was enacted in 2021as a response to increased awareness of the use of anonymous shell companies in order to carry out unlawful financial transactions. With the CTA, limited liability companies (LLCs) and corporations needed to provide information about their beneficial owners by disclosing the beneficial owners as natural persons having […]
CategoriesSlaveryJohn Salley, a four-time NBA champion, reignited an enduring debate over player autonomy in 2025 with his provocative description of himself as the “only free slave in the NBA” upon his move to the Chicago Bulls decades ago. His reference, rooted in self-determination and the rare ability to buy out his contract, still resonates amid […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingThe dynasty is over soon as the first few months of 2025 can be described as a major loss against cryptocurrency fraud as Rowland Marcus Andrade, founder, and CEO of AML Bitcoin is sentenced to 84 months in federal prison after defrauding investors of the popular 10 million crypto scheme. This court case presents the […]
CategoriesanalysisHistory was created in Bangladesh when the administration of Sheikh Hasina was ousted by massive demonstrations in 2024. The rise of a Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus to become the head of an interim government brought with it a new dawn of democratic restoration and protection of human rights. Nonetheless, almost 1 year into this […]
CategoriesWar CrimesBy early 2025, however, new complaint publicity landed ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan once again on the cover of international news sites, where he was accused of having presided, on behalf of Israel, over a massive stunt aimed at crushing the Gaza case by threatening its key protagonists with waves of personal harassment. It is […]
CategoriesSlaveryIn 2025, modern slavery has come to be viewed not only as a moral concern but also as a critical financial risk entrenched within global investment portfolios. Asset manager IFM Investors has pointed out that slavery practices often signal governance failure—capable of triggering legal liabilities, disrupting supply chains, and causing reputational damage. Now that over […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingThe release of the 2025 Opinion on the risks of money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF) by the European Banking Authority (EBA) is considered a critical point in the development of a new anti-money laundering system in the EU. Publication of the Opinion dated July 28, 2025, addresses vulnerabilities that arise when financial technology […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingIn 2025, the Federal Department of Justice (DOJ) established a remuneration program to the tune of 200 million dollars to the victims of sex trafficking that occurred through Backpage.com between 2004 and 2018. The fund is the largest restitution initiative ever made to trafficking survivors as part of prosecution of Backpage executives with the finances […]
CategoriesTerror FinancingIn July 2025, Tether, issuer of the world’s most circulated stablecoin USDT, froze $1.6 million in assets linked to a Gaza-based terror financing network. The move seized wallets attributed to BuyCash Money and Money Transfer Company, a monetary organization based in Gaza and already involved with unlawful transmission of finances to listed terrorist groups. The […]
CategoriesanalysisOn April 16, 2025, the UK Supreme Court unanimously decided that the terms “woman,” “man,” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 are not based on legal gender identification, but rather on biological sex at birth. This decision overruled previous interpretations that had allowed transgender individuals with Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs) to be recognized legally […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingCreated by artist Molly Gochman in 2014, the Red Sand Project developed into a popular global initiative that gives visibility to the human trafficking victims ignored by the systems created to serve them. When the participants pour red sand into cracks in the sidewalk, it becomes a powerful connotation of so many people that slip […]
CategoriesWar CrimesA case judgment rendered by the International Criminal Court in July 2025, condemning Alfred Yekatom and Patrice-Edouard Ngaissonia, marked one of the most significant ones on the court record in recent years. The two men who were former leaders of the Christian anti-Balaka militia were convicted of planning and facilitating systematic acts of war crimes […]
CategoriesSlaveryThe system of identifying and assisting the victims of modern slavery in the UK has been linked to the areas of immigration law resulting in several outcomes that tend to make the entire process of protecting vulnerable people more challenging instead of helpful. The main component of this process is the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingOn July 22, 2025, Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) imposed disciplinary sanctions on three financial institutions after conducting an investigation into significant breaches of their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) procedures. Indian Overseas Bank, Hong Kong Branch (IOBHK) was given a penalty of HK$8.5 million, which included a public reprimand, which was the highest […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingIn 2025, Morgan Stanley, one of the most successful global financial institutions, with a significant operation in the wealth management and investment banking sector, faces a thorough regulatory inquiry over its ease of anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the self-regulatory organization of the US financial system, has launched an investigation into […]
CategoriesWar CrimesThe Washington Centre (Human Rights) gives serious concern and condemnation after the reported arrest and interrogation of two Israeli people in Belgium that happened on July 20 and 21, 2025. The six men accused of having ties to Israeli military action in Gaza were arrested on the basis of Belgium’s universal jurisdiction scheme- a move […]
CategoriesWar CrimesOn 20 and 21 July 2025 Belgian law enforcement agencies received worldwide coverage, when two Israeli citizens were arrested and questioned based on claims that they had participated in war crimes during their military combat activity in Gaza. This is the first known instance that Israelis have been questioned formally in Europe in relation with […]
CategoriesSlaveryThe Royal Exchange, Manchester, which had once been described as the centrepiece of the British industrial abilities, has returned into the spotlight of the increasing criticism of the colonial history of the United Kingdom. A wave of recent academic research has revealed that the city’s commercial rise, particularly through the Royal Exchange, was deeply intertwined […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingAs an independent human rights policy institute, the Washington Centre of Human Rights (WCHR) is dedicated to accomplishing justice and safeguarding already disadvantaged communities, a highly chastened war against human trafficking that has been on the increase across North Texas and especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area. With reference to recent cross-agency law enforcement […]
CategoriesanalysisIn June 2025 the Philippine Court of appeals ordered the immediate freeing of 81-year-old Prudencio Calubid jr., retired technician who had spent six months in jail on the basis of charges in a gross case of mistaken identity. In December 2024 he was arrested in his house in Olongapo City with a government bounty of […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingNorth Texas of 2025 has been known to be one of the most critical public safety issues concerning Human trafficking. The Dallas Police Department (DPD) has experienced a massive upsurge in cases of human trafficking in the last four years with 49 instances in 2021 as compared with 157 cases in 2023. These are not […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingThe European Union is entering a fresh period of a fight against money laundering (AML) regulation reform catapulted by years of scandals and holes in enforcement. The EU hopes that with the introduction of the European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) in 2025, a harmonized rulebook in operation now, sanctions in coordination and oversight in one […]
CategoriesTerror FinancingWith numerous convictions on terrorism funding that have taken place in Nigeria recently, the viability of the strategy that the country is employing to counter Boko Haram violence and other forms of extremism has once again become the topic of a debate. In July 2025, 44 cases of prison sentences of 10 to 30 years […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingThe human trafficking struggle can be impersonal and faceless, easily collapsing to a message in the newspaper or a number in the report. However in July 2025 the city of Lakewood, Ohio launched a project that questions this distance in a radical, creative manner: the QR Quilt. This is an art that integrates technology to […]
CategoriesAnti Money LaunderingIn July 2025 the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) fined one of the local banks AED 3 million (which is approximately 817,000 US dollars) because of numerous violations of the United Arab Emirates anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) laws. This enforcement action is the latest in a string of high-profile […]
CategoriesanalysisThe fresh wave of evictions that is hitting Assam in the middle of the year 2025 has sparked renewed debate regarding the constitutional protection and the properties rights and citizen rights of the aboriginal and minority groups. During June and July alone, thousands of state residents were evicted off properties, which were declared as encroachments […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingThe human trafficking business in the United States is still on the edge- dark, undocumented, and complicated. Each year thousands are tricked into working or sex against their will. To address this protracted crisis, two Congressmen, Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Lucy McBath (D-GA), introduced the bill entitled Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act at the […]
CategoriesWar CrimesThe International Criminal Court (ICC) has also shown great concern on the fact that there have been persistent war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur in Sudan. Ever since war broke out again in December 2023, Darfur has plunged into lawlessness. More than 40 000 are believed to have died and almost 13 […]
CategoriesHuman TraffickingIn 2025, human trafficking continues to loom long over West Africa. Economic turmoil, lack of border checks, war and the digitalization of communication have enabled the traffickers to expand their activities with expanding finesse. The trend in which 40 Ghanaians have been rescued out of a compound in Ondo state in Nigeria since it is […]