By Human Rights Watch

The 26-page report, “‘We’ll All Be Arrested Soon’: Abusive Prosecutions under Vietnam’s ‘Infringing of State Interests’ Law,” documents the Vietnamese government’s increased use of article 331 of the penal code to target those who use social media and other means to publicly raise issues including religious freedom, land rights, rights of Indigenous people, and corruption by the government and the Communist Party of Vietnam. The authorities should immediately end the systemic repression, and release everyone detained or imprisoned for exercising their basic rights.

Human Rights Watch, April 21, 2025, p. 26

By Human Rights Watch

The 40-page report “‘Nobody Cared, Nobody Listened:’ The US Expulsion of Third-Country Nationals to Panama” documents this mass expulsion. Human Rights Watch exposes harsh detention conditions and mistreatment migrants experienced in the United States, along with the denial of due process and the right to seek asylum. It also details migrants’ incommunicado detention in Panama, where authorities kept their phones, blocked visitors, and isolated them from the outside world.

Human Rights Watch, April 24, 2025, p. 40

By Human Rights Watch

The 61-page report, “A Hazard to Human Rights: Autonomous Weapons Systems and Digital Decision-Making,” finds that autonomous weapons, which select and apply force to targets based on sensor rather human inputs, would contravene the rights to life, peaceful assembly, privacy, and remedy as well as the principles of human dignity and non-discrimination. Technological advances and military investments are now spurring the rapid development of autonomous weapons systems that would operate without meaningful human control.

Human Rights Watch, April 28, 2025, p. 61

By Human Rights Watch

The 104-page report, “Punished for Seeking Change: Killings, Enforced Disappearances and Arbitrary Detention Following Venezuela’s 2024 Election,” documents human rights violations against protesters, bystanders, opposition leaders, and critics during post-electoral protests and the months that followed. It implicates Venezuelan authorities and pro-government groups, known as colectivos, in widespread abuses, including killings of protesters and bystanders; enforced disappearances of opposition party members, their relatives, and foreign nationals; arbitrary detention and prosecution, including of children; and torture and ill-treatment of detainees.

Human Rights Watch, April 30, 2025, p. 104

By Human Rights Watch

The 59-page report, “United States: Repeal the Alien Enemies Act, A Human Rights Argument,” describes how the Trump administration has utilized the act as a vehicle for its attempted end run around basic due process and human rights protections. Modern international law binds the United States to respect human rights through treaty frameworks and customary norms, many of which have been incorporated into US domestic law. The Alien Enemies Act is an archaic statute that predates these legal norms and is entirely incompatible with them.

Human Rights Watch, May 1, 2025, p. 59

By Human Rights Watch

The 54-page report, “Facing the Bulldozers: Iban Indigenous Resistance to the Timber Industry in Sarawak, Malaysia,” details how the Malaysian company Zedtee, part of the Shin Yang Group timber conglomerate, logged in the ancestral territory of the Iban community Rumah Jeffery without their consent. Human Rights Watch found that Zedtee’s conduct did not meet Sarawak’s laws and policies, or the terms of the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme. Rather than hold Zedtee accountable, the Sarawak state government threatened to arrest protesters and demolish Rumah Jeffery’s village.

Human Rights Watch, May 4, 2025, p. 54

By Human Rights Watch

The 101-page report, “From Bad to Worse: The Deterioration of Media Freedom in Greece,” documents the hostile environment for independent media and journalists since the New Democracy government took office in July 2019, including harassment, intimidation, surveillance, and abusive lawsuits, all of which contribute to self-censorship and chill media freedom. Human Rights Watch also found the use of state funds to sway coverage, and editorial influence over public media, further exacerbating this climate. These conditions undermine freedom of expression and the public’s right to information.

Human Rights Watch, May 8, 2025, p. 101

By Human Rights Watch

The 155-page report, “The Gig Trap: Algorithmic, Wage and Labor Exploitation in Platform Work in the US” focuses on seven major companies operating in the US: Amazon Flex, DoorDash, Favor, Instacart, Lyft, Shipt, and Uber. These companies claim to offer gig workers “flexibility” but often end up paying them less than state or local minimum wages. Six of the seven companies use algorithms with opaque rules to assign jobs and determine wages, meaning that workers do not know how much they will be paid until after completing the job.

Human Rights Watch, May 12, 2025, p. 155

By Human Rights Watch

The 67-page report, “‘The Strategy Is to Break Us’: The US Expulsion of Third-Country Nationals to Costa Rica,” documents the US expulsions, which came after the US government held migrants and asylum seekers in abusive detention conditions – sometimes for weeks on end – while denying them due process and the right to seek asylum. The report also details Costa Rica’s months-long arbitrary detention of third-country nationals expelled from the US, as well as the mixed messages the Costa Rican government has given those third-country nationals.

Human Rights Watch, May 22, 2025, p. 67

By Human Rights Watch

The 69-page report, “‘They’re Putting Our Lives at Risk’: How Uganda’s Anti-LGBT Climate Unleashes Abuse,” documents the actions by Ugandan parliament members, government institutions, and other authorities that culminated in the enactment of the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act. Human Rights Watch found that the law has ramped up already existing abuse and discrimination against LGBT people to unprecedented heights. They also detailed the rights violations enabled by the law and the devastating impact it has had on the lives of LGBT people, activists, allies, and their families in Uganda.

Human Rights Watch, May 26, 2025, p. 69

By Human Rights Watch

The 98-page report, “‘They’re Ruining People’s Lives’: Bans on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth in the US,” documents the devastating consequences of these bans for transgender youth, including increased anxiety, depression, and, in seven reported instances, suicide attempts. Human Rights Watch found that these laws contribute to an increasingly hostile, anti-trans climate, compelling youth to hide their identities and socially withdraw. The bans also destabilize health care systems and undermine civil society and create geographic and financial challenges in accessing care. The impact has intensified since early 2025, when the administration of President Donald Trump took a series of executive actions escalating federal attacks on transgender rights.

Human Rights Watch, June 3, 2025, p. 98

By Human Rights Watch

The 93-page report, “Hunted From Above: Russia’s Use of Drones to Attack Civilians in Kherson, Ukraine” and an accompanying web feature, document how Russian forces appear to be deliberately or recklessly carrying out drone strikes against civilians and civilian objects with these mostly inexpensive commercially available drones. The attacks spread terror among the civilian population and cause them to fear leaving their homes, and have caused the depopulation of the two areas being targeted in Kherson.

Human Rights Watch, June 3, 2025, p. 93

By  Robert Louis Stevenson. Edited by Sidney Colvin and Colin Heston

“The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, Parts XI–XIV”, collected in Volume XXV of the Swanston Edition of Stevenson’s works, brings to a close one of the most remarkable collections of literary correspondence in the English language. Edited with meticulous care and deep personal insight by Sidney Colvin, this final volume continues the chronicle of Stevenson’s life through his own words, offering readers a profound and intimate view of the author’s final years and enduring legacy.

These concluding parts of Stevenson’s letters span the last phase of his life, primarily focused on his time in Samoa, where he had settled permanently in 1890. Despite his ongoing battle with chronic illness, Stevenson remained intellectually and creatively active, producing some of his most mature and reflective work. His letters from this period are rich in philosophical insight, literary commentary, and political observation, particularly concerning the colonial tensions in the South Pacific and his advocacy for the Samoan people.

The correspondence in this volume is addressed to a wide and varied circle: family members, literary peers, publishers, and political figures. These letters reveal a man who, though physically isolated, remained deeply engaged with the world. They are filled with Stevenson’s characteristic wit, warmth, and eloquence, but also with a growing sense of urgency and introspection as he approached the end of his life.

Sidney Colvin’s editorial contributions are especially valuable in this volume. As Stevenson’s close friend and literary executor, Colvin provides detailed introductions, annotations, and contextual commentary that illuminate the personal and historical background of each letter. His work ensures that readers not only follow the narrative of Stevenson’s life but also understand the broader cultural and political forces at play during this period.

The Swanston Edition presents these letters with scholarly precision and literary sensitivity, making Volume XXV an essential resource for anyone interested in Stevenson’s life, Victorian literature, or the art of letter writing. The collection as a whole—spanning Volumes XXIII to XXV—offers a comprehensive and deeply human portrait of Stevenson, capturing his evolution from a restless young writer to a mature and morally engaged literary figure.

“The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, Parts XI–XIV” is more than a conclusion to a correspondence—it is a culmination of a life lived with passion, intellect, and integrity. Through these final letters, Stevenson’s voice continues to resonate, offering insight, inspiration, and a lasting connection to one of literature’s most enduring spirits.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 296p.

By Robert Louis Stevenson. Edited by Sidney Colvin and Colin Heston

“The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, Parts VII–X”, collected in Volume XXIV of the Swanston Edition of Stevenson’s works, continues the extensive and illuminating correspondence begun in Volume XXIII. Edited with scholarly care and personal insight by Sidney Colvin—Stevenson’s close friend, literary executor, and biographer—this volume brings readers deeper into the final and most prolific years of Stevenson’s life, offering a vivid and intimate portrait of the author as both a public figure and a private man.

These later letters, written primarily during Stevenson’s residence in the South Pacific, particularly in Samoa, reflect a period of creative intensity, political engagement, and personal reflection. They reveal Stevenson not only as a master of prose but also as a keen observer of colonial politics, a devoted family man, and a figure of growing international literary stature. His correspondence from this time is rich with commentary on his ongoing literary projects—including The Ebb-Tide, St. Ives, and Weir of Hermiston—as well as his thoughts on morality, justice, and the responsibilities of the writer.

The letters are addressed to a wide range of recipients: family members, literary peers, publishers, and political figures. They are filled with Stevenson’s characteristic wit, warmth, and eloquence, but also with moments of vulnerability and philosophical depth. His reflections on illness, exile, and mortality are especially poignant, as he continued to write and correspond despite the increasing toll of his chronic health conditions.

Sidney Colvin’s editorial work is essential to the value of this collection. His introductions to each section, along with detailed footnotes and contextual commentary, provide readers with the necessary background to fully appreciate the historical and personal significance of the letters. Colvin’s close relationship with Stevenson lends the edition a unique authority and emotional resonance, as he was not only a literary scholar but also a trusted confidant of the author.

“The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, Parts VII–X” is more than a supplement to his published fiction—it is a living document of a writer’s mind and spirit, capturing the voice of Stevenson in all its complexity: humorous, passionate, reflective, and profoundly human.

The Swanston Edition presents these letters with scholarly rigor and literary sensitivity, making them an indispensable resource for students, researchers, and admirers of Stevenson’s work. Together with Volume XXIII, this volume completes one of the most comprehensive and engaging collections of literary correspondence from the Victorian era.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. p.279p.

By Robert Louis Stevenson. Edited by Sidney Colvin and Colin Heston.

“The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, Parts I–VI”, collected in Volume XXIII of the Swanston Edition of his works, is a monumental compilation that offers an unparalleled window into the life, mind, and literary career of Robert Louis Stevenson. Spanning from his youth in Edinburgh to his final years in Samoa, this extensive selection of personal correspondence reveals Stevenson not only as a master of fiction but also as a deeply thoughtful, humorous, and emotionally expressive individual.

The collection was edited by Sidney Colvin, a close friend, literary confidant, and one of Stevenson’s most important biographers. Colvin’s editorial work is central to the volume’s enduring value. His careful selection, chronological arrangement, and insightful annotations provide essential context for understanding the letters and the life they illuminate. Colvin’s introductions to each section help guide the reader through Stevenson’s evolving circumstances—his health struggles, travels, relationships, and creative milestones—while preserving the spontaneity and charm of Stevenson’s original voice.

The letters themselves are addressed to a wide range of correspondents: family members, friends, fellow writers, publishers, and admirers. They cover a broad spectrum of topics, including Stevenson’s literary projects, philosophical musings, personal hardships, and his impressions of the many places he lived and visited—from Scotland and France to California, the Marquesas, and Samoa. Through these letters, readers witness the development of Stevenson’s literary style, his reflections on fame and failure, and his deepening engagement with moral and political questions.

What makes this collection especially compelling is Stevenson’s natural gift for storytelling and self-expression, which shines through even in his most casual notes. His letters are often witty, lyrical, and poignant, filled with vivid imagery and emotional candor. They reveal a man of great sensitivity and intellect, whose personal struggles with illness and exile were matched by a profound curiosity about the world and a commitment to his craft. “The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson” is an essential volume for anyone interested in Victorian literature, epistolary writing, or the life of one of the 19th century’s most beloved authors. It offers a deeply human portrait of Stevenson—by turns playful, philosophical, and profound—and stands as a testament to the enduring power of personal correspondence as a form of literary art.

The Swanston Edition, with Colvin’s editorial guidance, presents these letters not only as historical documents but as a literary achievement in their own right. The annotations and biographical notes enrich the reader’s understanding of Stevenson’s relationships and the broader cultural and historical context in which he lived and wrote.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 264p.

By Hamutal Bernstein  , Dulce Gonzalez, and Diana Guelespe

To understand the experiences of immigrant families in the wake of the 2024 election, we report December 2024 results from the Urban Institute’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, a nationally representative survey of adults ages 18 to 64. Data were collected prior to the 2025 administration taking office and its initial immigration policy changes and expanded enforcement efforts, which have likely heightened concerns.

Why this matters

The new federal administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, including recission of guidance limiting enforcement in “sensitive locations” (also known as “protected areas,”), such as schools, places of worship, and health care settings.

Targeting immigrant communities with threats of widespread enforcement will have a variety of impacts for the well-being and safety of immigrant families and the broader communities where they live. Fear of or exposure to immigration enforcement harms adults and children with detrimental psychological impacts, reductions in access to needed health and nutrition services, and adverse health and educational outcomes. Immigration enforcement is likely to have spillover effects on the broader community and contribute to “chilling effects” on participation in public life, whereby immigrant families avoid interactions with health care or social services, police, schools, or other community spaces where they perceive risk of detection and potential exposure to immigration enforcement. Children stand to be particularly affected. As immigration policies continue to shift, it will be crucial to track reactions and impacts on immigrant families’ health and well-being, as well as the spillover effects on their communities, to inform efforts to minimize short- and long-term harms.

What we found

Essential activities. Twenty-nine percent of adults in all immigrant families and 60 percent in mixed-status families worried “a lot” or “some” about participating in essential activities in their communities because they did not want to draw attention to their or a family member’s immigration status.

• Seventeen percent of adults in all immigrant families with children and 32 percent in mixed-status families with children worried “a lot” or “some” about sending their kids to school or daycare.

• Thirteen percent of adults in all immigrant families and roughly 30 percent in mixed-status families worried “a lot” or “some” about visiting a doctor’s office or health clinic, or hospital.

• Eleven percent of adults in all immigrant families and over 22 percent in mixed-status families worried “a lot” or “some” about attending religious services or community events.

• Nineteen percent of adults in all immigrant families and 44 percent in mixed-status families, worried “a lot” or “some” about driving a car.

• Sixteen percent of adults in all immigrant families and 38 percent in mixed-status families, worried “a lot” or “some” about going to work.

• Twenty percent of adults in all immigrant families and 44 percent in mixed-status families worried “a lot” or “some” about talking to the police.

Deportation concerns. Thirty-two percent of adults in all immigrant families worried “a lot” or “some” that they, a family member, or a close friend could be deported. In mixed-status families, this was 58 percent.

Protective actions. Nineteen percent of adults in all immigrant families and 38 percent in mixed-status families reported taking protective steps to prepare for a potential change in their or a family member’s immigration status.

• Among adults who reported worry about deportation, nearly half (48 percent) had taken one or more protective steps.

• Ten percent of adults in all immigrant families and 22 percent in mixed-status families reported setting up a plan in case a family member gets detained or deported.

• Eleven percent of adults in all immigrant families and 27 percent in mixed-status families reported seeking legal advice to prepare for a potential change in immigration status.

• Twelve percent of adults in all immigrant families and 18 percent in mixed-status families reported renewing their or a family member’s immigration status or applying for another status or citizenship.

How we did it

We used the Urban Institute’s 2024 Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, a nationally representative survey of adults ages 18 to 64 designed to monitor changes in individual and family well-being as policymakers consider changes to federal safety net programs. We focus on adults in immigrant families in the sample and report on their concern about drawing attention to immigration status when doing essential activities, worry about deportation, and preparation for potential changes to immigration status

Washington, DC: The Urban Institute, 2025. 

Washington, DC: The Urban Institute, 2025. 20p.

By  Ivy Hammond, , Wendy Wiegmann, Joseph Magruder, Daniel Webster, Bridgette Lery, Sarah Benatar, Jaclyn Chambers, Laura Packard Tucker, Katrina Brewsaugh, Annelise Loveless,  and Jonah Norwitt  

In 2014, California’s Senate Bill (S. B.) 855 created the state’s Opt-In Commercially Sexually Exploited Child (CSEC) Program, which gives participating county child welfare agencies guidance and funding to prevent and intervene on behalf of children who are or at risk of experiencing CSE. Nearly a decade later, with most counties having opted into the program, California is well positioned to evaluate this policy’s implementation and the extent to which the legislation may be influencing desired outcomes for young people. This report contains key findings, promising practices, and recommendations from our evaluation of the state’s CSEC program.

Why This Matters

The commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of children and young people is a human rights concern and a public health challenge. CSE refers broadly to any activity or crime that involves the sexual abuse and exploitation of a child for monetary or nonmonetary benefit. Over a six-year period, California’s child protection system received roughly 70,000 maltreatment reports alleging CSEC. About a quarter of these reports were substantiated, meaning there was enough evidence to conclude that CSE of a child likely occurred. Research suggests that CSE during childhood can have serious consequences for its survivors, including exposure to violence and other traumatic events, mental health disorders, reproductive health complications, and internalized coping behaviors.

Key Takeaways

• Implementing S. B. 855 has fostered strong interagency collaboration and communication. Interagency collaboration has improved following S. B. 855, and those we spoke with reported positive relationships among agencies engaged in the county’s CSEC response. However, counties would benefit from greater intercounty service coordination.

• Staff and placement shortages exacerbate CSE service challenges. Staff turnover reduces trust between children, families, and county agencies; fragments ongoing training efforts; and chips away at institutional knowledge about CSE. The shortage of placements appropriate for young people experiencing or at risk of CSE came up repeatedly in interviews.

• B. 855 gave child welfare agencies responsibility for caring for this population, but many feel they have inadequate tools to be successful and sometimes feel undermined by other agency priorities. Child welfare staff bear the primary responsibility for the safety and care of these children but expressed concern that their mandates sometimes conflict with other stakeholders. The lack of a shared agenda can undermine interagency collaboration.

• It is challenging to serve young people experiencing CSE who are not formally involved with the child welfare system. Many counties did not have a clear process for serving young people who do not have an open child welfare case, nor a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities for which agency has oversight for these young people.

• The majority of CSE reports are screened in for investigation, but a minority of those investigated are substantiated. Nearly two-thirds of the 70,334 CSE reports made between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2022, in opted-in counties were screened in for investigation. Among those, one in five were deemed inconclusive and nearly one in four reports were substantiated.

• A minority of young people were in child welfare cases or placements at the time CSE concerns were identified. Among young people with confirmed CSE, 4 percent had some placement history but were not in care when CSE concerns were documented, more than one in nine were in a placement, and nearly 3 percent were absent from placement.

Promising practices

• Assign and consolidate CSE cases to specific frontline workers rather than distributing them throughout the workforce.

• Implement 24/7 dual responses from child welfare and CSE advocates (voluntary nonprofit) when going out for CSE investigations.

• On-staff clinicians and staff dedicated to recovering missing young people may improve county efforts.

• Partnering with outside organizations can be effective in connecting at-risk young people who are not child welfare involved.

• Weighting CSE cases more heavily when calculating caseloads acknowledges that they are more intensive and may protect against burnout.

• Use a trauma-informed court specifically designated to hear CSE cases.

How We Did It

Our evaluation approach for California’s CSEC program consists of two main components: an implementation study and an outcome study.

The implementation study focused on opportunities for continuous quality improvement and cross-system collaboration. We gathered data from annual county program plans and a CSEC program administrator survey. We also conducted key informant interviews with agency and provider staff and focus groups with adults who experienced CSE as minors in a subset of 12 counties.

In the outcome study, we examined child welfare system involvement for young people after S. B. 855’s implementation. We analyzed information recorded in the statewide administrative database to describe the child welfare system experiences of 38,168 young people who met California’s definition of CSEC or were identified as being at heightened risk of experiencing CSE. We studied the identification of CSE, documentation practices, revictimiz

Washington DC: The Urban Institute, 2023. 97p.

By R. L. Stevenson. Edited by Colin Heston

“A Footnote to History” is a powerful and politically charged historical narrative by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1892 and included in the Swanston Edition, Volume XVII. This work stands apart from Stevenson’s more widely known fiction by offering a firsthand account of the complex and often tragic political turmoil in Samoa during the late 19th century—a conflict in which Stevenson himself became deeply involved.

Written during Stevenson’s residence in the South Pacific, the book chronicles the events between 1882 and 1890, a period marked by intense rivalry among Germany, Britain, and the United States for control over the Samoan Islands. These imperial powers, each supporting different local factions, contributed to a prolonged and destabilizing civil conflict. Stevenson, living in Vailima on the island of Upolu, witnessed the unfolding crisis and used his literary voice to document and critique the actions of foreign governments and their representatives.

The narrative is both historical and personal. Stevenson combines detailed political analysis with vivid descriptions of the people, landscapes, and cultural dynamics of Samoa. He portrays the Samoan chiefs and communities with empathy and respect, while sharply criticizing the incompetence, arrogance, and moral failures of the colonial powers. His tone is often impassioned, reflecting his frustration with the injustices he observed and his desire to influence public opinion in Europe and America.

“A Footnote to History” is notable for its journalistic clarity, moral urgency, and literary elegance. It is not merely a chronicle of events but a reflection on the broader consequences of imperialism and the human cost of political ambition. Stevenson’s involvement in Samoan affairs—both as an observer and as an advocate—gives the work a rare authenticity and immediacy.

The Swanston Edition presents this important text with scholarly annotations and historical context, situating it within Stevenson’s broader body of work and the geopolitical realities of the time. As both a historical document and a literary achievement, A Footnote to History remains a compelling and insightful exploration of colonial entanglements and the responsibilities of witness.

By Kate van Doore

This publication seeks to shed light on the role of OSCE participating States in combating orphanage trafficking—a pressing yet overlooked form of child trafficking. It highlights the pathways through which children are trafficked into institutions, analyses both the demand and supply side that fuels orphanage trafficking, examines the policies that perpetuate the institutionalization of children, and showcases best practices for reducing the exploitation and abuse fuelled by the orphanage industry.

Prague: The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), 2025. 61p.

By Hazel Feigenblatt

Sexual extortion or “sextortion” occurs when those entrusted with power use it to sexually exploit those dependent on that power. It is a gendered form of corruption that occurs in both developed and developing countries, affecting children and adults, vulnerable individuals (such as undocumented migrants crossing borders) and established professionals. While evidence shows that women are disproportionally targeted, men, transgender and gender non-conforming people are also affected.

Sextortion has long been a silent form of corruption, hiding in plain view. Until recently, it was never discussed or recognised as a distinct phenomenon within either the corruption framework or the framework of gender-based violence. Lacking a name, sextortion remained largely invisible, and few research projects, laws or strategies were developed to address it. Barriers to reporting sextortion and obtaining effective redress further contributed to its low profile. As a result, researchers have failed to ask survivors/victims the right questions to properly understand sextortion; statistical systems lack the appropriate categories to register the few cases that go to court, and complaints have been poorly handled. The result has been that survivors/victims have largely been denied justice.

This report assesses the state of knowledge about the links between corruption and sextortion. It presents evidence on the prevalence of sextortion and the existing legal frameworks to address it, and it proposes recommendations for how to tackle it. The findings paint a disturbing picture.

Berlin: Transparency International, 2020. 48p.