Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

FIDH and OMCT, in the framework of their Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, express their grave concern about the situation of human rights defenders in Africa. They do so in a 7-page written statement before the 55th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights [ACHPR] on 20 May in Luanda. It can be read in full on: Situation of human rights defenders in Africa – Contribution to the 55th ordinary session of ACHPR 

In short the statement, covering the period as from November 2013, notes with great concern, multiple violations of human rights defenders’ rights and freedoms all across the continent, especially in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya,Rwanda, Sudan, Swaziland and Uganda. Judicial harassment based on false accusations, accompanied by arbitrary arrests and detentions, remains the most common harassment technique, especially in Angola, Cameroon, Djibouti,Egypt, The Gambia and Sudan. In several countries, including the DRC and Djibouti, human rights defenders have also been subjected to threats and defamation campaigns. Acts of intimidation have been particularly directed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights defenders in Cameroon. Major obstacles to freedom of association were also reported, as for instance in Algeria, Angola,Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Violations were suffered, among others, by members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), lawyers, journalists, bloggers, land and environmental rights activists, civil society organisations who defend the rights to freedoms of expression, association and peaceful protest, denounce human rights abuses by the State or powerful companies, and fight for the respect of the rights of LGBTI people and for fundamental freedoms in general.

The the statement provides more details under the following headings:

I. Continuation and intensification of the judicial harassment of human rights defenders

II. Threats and slandering campaigns against human rights defenders

III. intimidation and violence against LBGTI rights defenders

IV. Obstacles to the rights of freedoms of association, expression, movement and peaceful assembly in African countries

And it concludes with a set of Recommendations:

Situation of human rights defenders in Africa – Contribution to the 55th ordinary session of ACHPR / May 20, 2014 / Statements / Human rights defenders / OMCT.

This entry was posted on May 21, 2014 at 17:22 and is filed under FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, OMCT.

Tags: Africa, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Civil society, death threats, detention, FIDH, freedom of association, freedom of expression, Human Rights Defenders, intimidation, judicial harassment, LGBTI, Observatory for the Protection of HRDs, OMCT, statement