While two weeks ago I was a bit too quick in announcing Michel Forst‘s appointment as the new UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/margaret-sekaggya-succeeded-as-hrd-rapporteur-by-michel-forst-reassuring/], a letter from the Chair of the Human Rights Council of 27 March 2014 fortunately confirms that he is the sole candidate and most likely to be endorsed by this session of the Council.
Author Archive
South Africa disappoints terribly in the Human Rights Council: support for China’s silencing the silence
March 27, 2014A column in the South African City Press under the title “A chilling point of order for SA” written by Juliette De Rivero on 26 March 2014 makes a punchy statement about the disappointment felt all though the human rights movement when South Africa opted to support China’s point of order in the UN Council of Human Rights. In my post about this ‘court drama’ (reference below) I did not list all the countries coming out against allowing a moment of silence for the deceased Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli and indeed the position of South Africa was in many way the most surprising, in de Rivero’s words: “…The South African delegate took the floor and warned that allowing the activists to proceed with the moment of silence would “create a dangerous precedent” that the council would not be able to sustain in the future.He noted that the action was “irregular and incompatible with the rules of procedure of this council”.South Africa’s choice to stand with the government that prevented Cao Shunli from participating in the UN came as a blow to the activist community – a community that was willing to stand up for Cao just as it had been willing to denounce the injustice of apartheid.South Africa’s concern that the moment of silence – not the death of the activist – was setting a bad precedent in the UN body sent such a chilling message to the human rights community that it should not be ignored…”
Let me add: That silence is a way of speaking should be clear to all, including South Africa, e.g. when on 6 December 2013 the General Assembly held a moment of silence to honour the memory of Nelson Mandela (“Madiba”).
full piece in: A chilling point of order for SA – City Press.
background in: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/03/20/china-in-the-un-human-rights-council-manages-to-silence-cao-shunli-as-well-as-ngos/
Protection international seeks French-speaking Regional Programme officer based in Nairobi
March 27, 2014Brussels-based Protection International [PI] is looking for a Regional Programme officer based in Nairobi, Kenya – French-speaking. PI is an international non-profit organization researching strategies and security management tools that protect human rights defenders and sharing its expertise in this area with people at risk for their human rights work all around the world. PI sees human rights defenders as agents of change who form a pillar of free and just societies. In many parts of the world, HRDs face threats from state and non-state actors for their human rights work. PI works with human rights defenders to develop strategies tailored to their profile and context.
The Role
PI Regional Programme officer is responsible for implementing PIs work in the region of the East and Horn of Africa and the wider African continent (except DRC) under supervision of the Representative. The RPO will have a focus (but not work exclusively) on French-speaking African countries. The PI RPO is part of a team of four, based in Nairobi. (S)he travels regularly in the region and occasionally beyond.
Key responsibilities:
Capacity Building
1. To accompany partners in building their capacity to manage their security and protect their sources and the people whose rights they defend;
2. to propose improvement of PI’s capacity building approach and tools with an eye for the specific requirements of local, national and regional context;
3. To actively monitor and evaluate change, positive or negative.
Research
1. Undertake research on issues related to the way HRDs protect themselves, the State and its duty to protect and the ways of other actors with a stake in the protection of HRD;
2. To capture lessons learnt and best practices in HRD protection in suitable formats and share within PI for internal learning and strategic use with external stakeholders.
Lobby and advocacy
1. To contribute to the development of advocacy activities and documents in coordination with the PI Representative;
2. To liaise with other regional, national and/or local HRDs organisations with a view to establishing or reinforcing relationships and possibly developing partnerships;
3. To undertake advocacy activities before national, regional and international authorities;
4. To liaise with NGOs, international organisations and bodies working in the region on the protection of human rights defenders.
Monitoring and evaluation
1. To analyse the situation of HRDs and HROs at risk in EHA and other sub regional countries covered by the project and provide security advice;
2. To collaborate and prepare reports for the PI Representative on programmatic and thematic topics;
3. Monitor and evaluate PI projects and partners with a view to document and learn from the process.
General responsibilities
1. To contribute to the timely update of the organisation security plan and abide by it;
2. To keep abreast of the political situation in the country and contribute to the organizational political analysis.
Skills and experience (selection)
- University degree in law, human rights, political science, social sciences or related field;
- Experience in human rights work of at least 3 years;
- Experience in the practical delivery of training preferably adult learning;
- Experience with local human rights organisations and human rights issues;
- Field mission experience;
Location: The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travels in the sub-region of the East and Horn of Africa.
Languages: Fluency in spoken and written French and English are a precondition. Kiswahili will be positively valued.
The offer: One-year, renewable contract with six month probation period. Contract conform Kenyan labour law. Competitive remuneration
To apply for the position please send your resume, cover letter and names and contact details of 3 references before 4 April 2014 to the following email: ikihara[at]protectioninternational.org. Include your name in the file name of your application documents, e.g. John_Smith_CV.doc. Do not attach any certificates or references at this stage of the recruitment process. Include the following subject line in your email: Application for PI Regional Programme Officer EHA.
Further information about the activities of Protection International can be obtained from http://www.protectioninternational.org. Female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.
Ban Ki-Moon calls civil society “an indispensable part of the United Nations”
March 27, 2014“Civil society actors must be able to do their work freely, independently, safe from fear, retaliation or intimidation. This requires collective action to denounce reprisals and defend free voices and protect those targeted,” said the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, referring to civil society as “an indispensable part of the United Nations”. “We must expand the space for civil society to meaningfully participate and contribute,” he added in a video statement screened at a discussion on the promotion and protection of civil society space, in the context of the Human Rights Council’s 25th session.
“Civil society actors around the world face risks ranging from threats and intimidation to horrible reprisals, even killings”, said UN Human Rights Deputy, Flavia Pansieri at a discussion on the promotion and protection of civil society space. “From the NGO who is prohibited from receiving funding to the whistle-blower who is imprisoned for revealing corruption… we must work to protect civil society from such practices,” she said.
Hina Jilani, Read the rest of this entry »
Another human rights defender shot dead in Philippines
March 27, 2014According to ucanews.com of 26 March 2014, unidentified gunmen shot and killed a human rights defender, whose name had appeared on a military hit list, in the northern Philippine province of Ifugao on Tuesday. Cristina Palabay, secretary general of human rights group Karapatan identified the victim as William Bugatti of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance. She said that Bugatti’s name had appeared on an army list of targeted persons, obtained from undisclosed sources, which included activists and individuals working with farmers’ organizations. Bugatti was described on the list as the “brains” of the New Peoples Army” the military arm of the underground Communist Party of the Philippines. According to Piya Macliing Malayao of the Alliance of Indigenous People of the Philippines, Bugatti was on his way home from the office when he was gunned down. He sustained three gunshot wounds. Malayao said other members of human rights groups in the Cordillera region have also become targets of the military. “Bugatti’s killing sends a gravely disturbing message to members of peoples organizations and human rights defenders in the region,” she said. Last week, Malayao raised concerns about posters that appeared in Ifugao province, bearing the names of tribal leaders and human rights activists who have been tagged as communist rebels. “We now fear for the lives of the others listed on the military’s target catalog,” she said, adding that the list “proves that there are precision strikes being made on unarmed civilians” under the governments anti-insurgency program. Malayao said that during the first 10 weeks of 2014 alone, four indigenous people were killed by government security forces.
Louis Joinet (“Luis le Juste”) finally and rightly honored in France
March 26, 2014It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce that a great human rights defender from France, Louis Joinet, is honored with a colloque on the topic “Is sovereignty still the basis of international law?”. It coincides with the publication of his book: “Mes raisons d’Etat” [‘My reasons of state’ or better ‘How I saw the national interest].
Had he been fluent in English (he picked it up too late in life) he would have been probably one of the most famous human rights experts in the world. His nicknames range from “Louis le Juste” to “the Obstinate”. He played a major role within the French state apparatus as from the 1960s. One of the founders of the ‘Syndicat de la magistrature‘ in 1968 (sometimes called the ‘red judges’), he became the first director of the National Commission on Informatics and Freedoms [Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés]. He served five different Prime Ministers during the 1980s as advisor. It was during those days that I met him regularly to set up and run a number of Committees dealing with the military regimes in the Southern Cone of Latin America (e.g. SIJAU, SIJADEP). We travelled often to the region and on many occasions I saw returned refugees come up to Louis to embrace and thank him for the support he gave them in exile.
In the meantime during 33 years he was an expert in various UN bodies, travelling all over the world. Most pronounced was his leading role in the Sub-commission for Human Rights and the Protection of Minorities (now renamed and relegated to a research role for the new Council), where he spearheaded a great many and daring innovations, concerning many issue including disappearances, torture, international crimes and amnesty. His popularity with (certain) States suffered, but most NGOs considered him to be a hero.
Together with his late and much-beloved wife Germaine he had a less-known but rewarding social life that includes assisting young street criminals and a passion for circus and street theater. His musical talent is illustrated in the picture below from my private collection, where he is seen playing the accordion with Argentinian Leandro Despouy watching (August 1988).
The colloque in Louis honor is taking place on 27 Mars 2014, 18h30, at Université Panthéon-‐Assas, Centre Panthéon, Salle des Conseils, in the series of lectures under Professor Olivier de Frouville.
The book “Mes raisons d’Etat. Mémoires d’un épris de justice” is published by La Découverte: http://www.editionsladecouverte.fr/catalogue/index-Mes_raisons_d_etat-9782707178459.html
Ganji: Human rights in Iran improved, but still short of expectations
March 26, 2014
(Ganji – second from the right – at the MEA ceremony of 2006, where he received the award from UN High Commissioner Louise Arbour)
Al-Monitor of 25 March carries a lengthy interview with MEA Laureate Akbar Ganji in which Jahandad Memarian records many interesting insights, especially on the issue of sanctions and support to human rights defenders. The whole interview is certainly worth reading; here follow some long excerpts:
“It is not an exaggeration to say that Akbar Ganji is the most celebrated dissident within the ranks of Iranian journalists since the inception of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. A former supporter of the revolution, Ganji became disenchanted and turned into one of its most vocal critics. He is best known for his work as a journalist covering the 1998 murders of Iranian dissidents in Reformist newspapers, a series which came to be known as “the chain murders” that implicated top governmental officials. For his work revealing the murders of dissidents and attending a conference in Berlin that was condemned by hard-liners who were reeling after a Reformist victory in parliament, Ganji was arrested and served time in Tehran’s Evin Prison from 2001 to 2006. During his final year in prison, he went on a hunger strike that doctors urged him to end for concerns he would suffer permanent brain damage.
Ganji has won several international awards, including the World Association of Newspapers’ Golden Pen of Freedom Award, the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression’s International Press Freedom Award, the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders and the Cato Institute Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty. In an exclusive interview via email with Al-Monitor, Ganji, based in New York, shared his thoughts about human rights and democracy in the context of President Hassan Rouhani’s administration.
Al-Monitor: The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, has sharply criticized the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, saying, “He has not made any significant improvement” in ending human rights abuses since taking office. Nevertheless, Mahmoud Sadri — Iranian professor of sociology at the Federation of North Texas Area Universities — is optimistic about the new administration and has asked Iranian dissidents and intellectuals to take advantage of this historic opportunity. How do you evaluate the Rouhani administration?
Ganji: The situation has improved from various aspects compared with the [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad administration. However, it falls short of the expectations of democracy advocates and human rights activists. The Rouhani administration truly seeks to improve the state of human rights, but it has faced obstacles in Iran’s power hierarchy, including organizations that [Supreme Leader] Ayatollah [Ali] Khamenei oversees, such as the judiciary, law enforcement, etc., in addition to the Majles [parliament] that is controlled by the conservatives and some radical reactionaries.
…….Since his administration came to power, Rouhani has spoken with the supreme leader about freeing the Green Movement’s leaders (former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi and former Majles speaker Mehdi Karoubi) and political prisoners, guaranteeing that nothing would happen, if they were freed.
Al-Monitor: In January, you wrote a Huffington Post article titled “The Iran Nuclear Accord Is Good for Human Rights.” It seems to me whenever international pressure on the Iranian government increased, Iran improved its record. For example, Tehran released political prisoners ahead of Hassan Rouhani’s UN speech, including prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. Don’t you think such actions stem from international pressure? In the absence of this leverage — i.e., international pressure — Iran would continue human rights violations.
Ganji: With regard to “external pressure on an undemocratic regime and improvement of human rights or increased oppression,” there is no law/rule that would address the cause-reaction relationships. At most, one can speak of “correlation.”[…] we need to know the following:
First, economic sanctions represent the collective punishment of a country’s people and do not necessarily lead to dictatorships’ downfall.
Second, long-term sanctions destroy the internal infrastructure of societies. ..Consequently, trust that is the basis of social capital is destroyed. Because of the sanctions, the oppressive regime’s increasing level of oppression, the internal destruction of society, is not visible. It is only in the aftermath of the dictatorship’s downfall that we will witness the visible spread of a wave of hatred, revenge and violence.
Third, in a life and death situation, the state of human rights, democracy and freedom completely falls by the wayside.
Fourth, consider Iraq’s example again. Before, the invasion al-Qaeda forces did not exist in Iraq, but they were born and bred as a result of the US sanctions and the US attack on Iraq. This story has been repeated in Libya and Syria. …..Iranian, US and European officials have professed that economic sanctions against Iran have affected Iran’s economy negatively. Last year, the economic growth rate fell to -5.8%. The inflation rate rose to 40%. The corruption rate climbed, and other negative outcomes followed. We should ask ourselves, what is the impact of recession on ordinary people’s lives?
The middle class, as a vehicle of democracy, has been transformed to the impoverished class, and its democratic movement may lose its agents. Democracy is the product of the balance of power between the government and civil society.
The transformation of the nuclear agreement from temporary to permanent, improvement of Iran’s relationship with Western governments, rekindling of ties between Iran and the United States, lifting of all the economic sanctions and alleviation of foreign threats can help empower the people through their mobilization and expansion of civil society. In that sense, the regime’s focus and its supporters will not be on discovering conspiracies of foreign governments and military attacks to destroy the regime. Let’s not forget that democracy and human rights have a direct relationship with economic development.
Al-Monitor: You have opposed US aid to Iranian dissidents and human rights activists. What are your key criticisms against such aid? What actions should foreign countries.. take or avoid ?
Ganji: The opposition that I have spoken about consists of groups and people that advocate regime change in Iran, so they can come to power. It is not possible for the leaders of a country to be indebted to other foreign governments, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia and China. In that case, they will become the greater powers’ pawns. Look at the groups that have received financial aid from foreign governments in the past 35 years. What have they done? Do their terrorist and espionage activities constitute human rights activism, or are such activities considered criminal in all countries, including the United States and Israel, and are they strongly punished?
However, I support educational financial aid, including student scholarships and research fellowships for scholars. Just think about what would have happened if the $1.5 trillion that was spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq would have been used toward education and development of the Middle East, and how that would have changed the region. Why do Western governments, the United States included, not grant scholarships to tens of thousands of talented and smart Iranian youth as students in social sciences?
Western governments should protest all human rights violations; they should give ethical and spiritual support to pro-democracy and human rights activists; they should file complaints at the UN Human Rights Council and ease the process of bringing perpetrators to justice. Moreover, Western powers should stop selling weapons of torture and oppression to dictatorial regimes. Ultimately, they should allocate financial resources to form independent labor unions and improve the state of human rights.
Read more:
Human rights defender Mohammed Bedaiwi killed in Iraq
March 25, 2014
reports that on 22 March 2014, human rights defender and director of Radio Free Iraq, Mr Mohammed Bedaiwi, was shot dead, allegedly by an officer of the Presidential Regiment, in Baghdad. Mohamed Bedaiwi was a professor at the University and, for the past two years, the director of the Baghdad office of Radio Free Iraq. The station broadcasts from Prague. Mohammed Bedaiwi was stopped at a checkpoint on his way to work. An argument began between an officer and the human rights defender, and other officers reportedly began to beat Mohammed Bedaiwi. The incident culminated in the killing of the human rights defender. Reports indicate that the officer has been arrested but his identity has not been disclosed, leading to fears that the case may end in impunity. Mohammed Bedaiwi was very well-known and local sources consider it unlikely that the officers did not recognise him. On 23 March 2014 over 40 media institutions, including newspapers, radio stations and satellite TV channels, refrained from publishing or broadcasting in protest at the killing of Mohammed Bedaiwi. There have also been vigils and marches around the Iraqi capital in honour of the human rights defender. The press syndicate has expressed its concern about the killing of a journalist by an armed officer of the Presidential Guard.
[Since 2003 approximately 274 media professionals have been killed in Iraq; in the last four months alone, 11 journalists have been killed]
Protection International has vacancy for Advocacy Officer
March 25, 2014Protection International [PI] is recruiting an Advocacy Officer. The Advocacy Officer is part of a team of three, with a Media Production Officer and an Outreach and Communication Officer, and works from PI’s head office in Brussels with occasional overseas travel. PI uses advocacy, alongside research and capacity building, to achieve a three-fold mission: empower HRDs to protect themselves, bring authorities to fulfil their duty to protect and to make stakeholders do more and better for the protection of HRD.
The Advocacy Officer:
- supports PI’s field presence in bringing change where we operate: identification of issues, opportunities and elaboration, capacity building and implementation of influencing strategies
- analyses relevant developments and dynamics in the international context and elaborates the corresponding lobbying agenda for PI
- makes PI’s work and impact visible for selected audiences
Qualifications
- University degree in international relations, journalism, law, social sciences, or related studies
- Minimum three years of relevant experience in crafting and implementing influencing strategies in the field of human rights; specific experience in the field of the protection of human rights defenders is highly desirable.
- Experience living and working in Asia, Africa and/or Latin-America is advantageous
- Ability to travel to other European countries and overseas, several times a year
- Fluency in English is required. Fluency in Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian are assets
- Knowledge of UN, European, Inter-American, Asian and/or African intergovernmental protection systems is an asset
It concerns a one-year, renewable contract with a four months’ probation period, governed by Belgian law. 30 hrs/week under flexible arrangement. Minimal relocation package. The applicant will need to obtain a Belgian work-permit. To apply send your résumé, cover letter and names and contact details of 3 references by 6 April 2014 to the following email: recruitment[at]protectioninternational.org, making mention of ‘Advocacy Officer’ in the subject line.
via Protection International PI is recruiting an Advocacy Officer Brussels, Belgium, 30hrs/week.
Human rights defender Mohamed Salah Mohamed disappeared in Sudan
March 25, 2014On 20 March 2014, human rights defender Mohamed Salah Mohamed was forcibly disappeared at Khartoum International Airport as he was traveling to a workshop in Tunisia. His family have not been provided with any information to his whereabouts.
Mohamed Salah Mohamed is actively involved in the mobilisation of Sudanese citizens to demand human rights and democracy. The human rights defender had attended the funeral of Ali Akabar, a student protester who was killed during a demonstration on 11 March 2014. During the memorial he had given a speech in which he named National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) officials who he claimed were directly responsible for the killing. According to sources, this is very likely to be the reason for his disappearance.
On 20 March 2014, Mohamed Salah Mohamed, for reasons of security, was accompanied by family and friends to the departures hall of Khartoum International Airport. They left the airport after receiving a message from his phone stating that he had boarded the aircraft. However, other individuals on the same flight later informed them that the human rights defender never boarded the plane. Later, the airline confirmed that he had never checked in. After spending four hours seeking information as to his whereabouts, Mohamed Salah Mohamed’s family were informed by an unofficial source that he had been arrested before he checked in. According to the source, he was kept at the airport for some time and was then taken to an unknown location.
On the morning of 21 March 2014, members of Mohamed Salah Mohamed’s family went to NISS headquarters in Khartoum to deliver clothes and personal items to the human rights defender, however they were told by a source in the political section that he was not in their custody and that they should “look for him elsewhere”. They were further advised to search in other NISS centres in Khartoum to obtain information regarding the human rights defender’s whereabouts.
Since the events of 11 March 2014, Mohamed Salah Mohamed’s family home in Khartoum has been monitored, with at least ten security guards spending the night in front of the house every night. On 15 March, the human rights defender’s brother was kidnapped by plain-clothed NISS agents metres from their home. The agents took him to a deserted location of the Alshagara neighbourhood in Khartoum, and there assaulted and robbed him. He was told that this was a message for his brother, Mohamed Salah Mohamed, and that both brothers “should be careful from the consequences of their actions” [sic].
via
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 