FIDH works endlessly to secure the release of these (and other) human rights defenders, mainly through the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders – its joint programme with OMCT.A recent summing up by FIDH of their (local affiliate) in Bahrain, Belarus, Iran, Turkey and Uzbekistan makes sobering reading:
Check out the steps that led to their detention:

• In BAHRAIN :Nabeel Rajab, FIDH Deputy Secretary General and President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)

  Abdulhadi AlKhawaja, former President of BCHR

The Bahrain Centre or Human Rights is one the 2012 nominees of the Martin Ennals Award.

• In BELARUS :Ales Bialiatski, President of the Viasna Human Rights Centre and FIDH Vice President

Since his election in 1994, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, has installed an authoritarian regime that represses freedom of expression, assembly and association. The human rights situation in Belarus markedly deteriorated on 19 December 2010 when riot police brutally dispersed demonstrators protesting against the unfair handling of the presidential election. This event marked the beginning of an unprecedented wave of repression, which continues to this day. Prominent human rights defender, Ales Bialiatski was arrested in Minsk on 4 August 2011 and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison on trumped up tax evasion charges. He remains in prison to this day.

• In IRAN :Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, founding member of Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC) and human rights lawyer

  Abdolfattah Soltani, founding member of DHRC and human rights lawyer

  Mohammad Seifzadeh, member of the DHRC and human rights lawyer

  Nasrin Sotoudeh, member of DHRC and prominent human rights lawyer known for defending juveniles facing death penalty, prisoners of conscience, human rights activists and child victims of abuse; she is lso a 2012 MEA nominee

• In TURKEY :Muharrem Erbey, IHD Vice Chairperson and former Chairperson of Diyarbakır branch
  Arslan Özdemir, Executive, IHD Diyarbakır branch
  Şerif Süren, Executive, IHD Aydın branch
  Orhan Çiçek, Executive, IHD Aydın branch
  Reşit Teymur, Executive, IHD Siirt branch
  Abdulkadir Çurğatay, Executive, IHD Mardin branch
  Veysi Parıltı, Executive, IHD Mardin branch
  Şaziye Önder, representative IHD Doğubeyazıt (Ağrı)
  Mensur Işık, former Chairperson, IHD Muş branch
  Hikmet Tapancı, Executive, IHD Malatya branch
  Ali Tanrıverdi, Chairperson IHD Mersin branch
  Osman İşçi, IHD General Headquarters (Ankara) former worker and member of IHD
  Hanim Koçygit, Executive, IHD Sakarya branch
  Bekir Gürbüz, former Chairperson, IHD Adıyaman branch

FIDH notes in this respect: Despite Turkey’s considerable human rights progress since 2000, those expressing ideas on “sensitive” human rights related issues continue to be targeted and criminalised by the public authorities. So-called “sensitive” questions include the promotion of alternative identities to the Turkish mainstream (e.g. asserting the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, especially Kurds, as well as the rights of sexual minorities). It also encompasses any criticism of the State and its institutions, including institutional functioning, judicial independence, and impunity for human rights violations. Members of NGOs, lawyers, trade unionists, journalists, intellectuals, academics, conscientious objectors, the families of victims of serious human rights violations, and others have been targeted by State policies that consider their expression of their views to be a threat. Fourteen members of the Human Rights Association (IHD), a Turkish FIDH member organisation, are currently being held in preventive detention under an anti-terrorism law that criminalises legitimate expression of opinion.

• In UZBEKISTAN :Zafar Rakhimov, member of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU) Kashkadarya regional branch
  Nasim Isakov, member of the HRSU Djizak regional branch
  Yuldosh Rasulov, member of the HRSU Kashkadarya regional branch
  Azam Formonov, Head of the Sirdarya regional branch of the HRSU
  Gaybullo Jalilov, member of the HRSU Karshi regional branch

Uzbekistan has the highest number of human rights defenders serving lengthy prison sentences in Eastern Europe/Central Asia. These sentences are usually served in penal colonies where the regime is extremely strict. Harsh conditions and ill treatment have caused the health of incarcerated defenders to deteriorate quickly. These inhumane and degrading conditions are currently the reality of several members of FIDH member organisation, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan.