Author Archive
December 21, 2013
On 19 December 2013 it was announced that the AJCs Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a unique volume entitled: “The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: Conscience for the World”. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in books, human rights, OHCHR, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: Advancement of Human Rights, American Jewish Committee, Felice Gaer, High Commissioner, High Commissioner for Human Rights, human rights violations, Israel, Jacob Blaustein Institute, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Human Rights, Martinus Nijhoff, Navi Pillay, New York, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations
December 20, 2013
On 19 December 2013, DHNS reported an excellent action by the Indian National Human Rights Commission [NHRC] which should be an example to national institutions worldwide: Peeved at the way state authorities treat human rights defenders, the NHRC has shot off a letter to all State governments asking them to sensitise their officers while dealing with human rights defenders who are making use of their Right to seek Information (RTI users as they are called in India). In his communication NHRC Secretary General, Parvinder Sohi Behuria, said the activists have been complaining that the States treat them as nuisance and take actions to harass them. “It would be of immense help if state government functionaries are sensitised about the problems being faced by NGOs and Human Rights defenders. They should be treated as partners in bringing about a positive change,” Behuria said.
via Treat RTI users as rights defenders.
Posted in Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: activism, harassment, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, India, National Human Rights Commission NHRC, national institutions, NHRC, Non-governmental organization, Parvinder Sohi Behuria, right to information, Right to Information Act, RTI
December 20, 2013
Whether
Edward Snowden is a human rights defender or a criminal has been much debated and was also reported on in this blog. He was nominated for the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize and received the Netizen’s award from the NGO Reporters without Borders. Now the highly respected
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), through its Executive Director
Anthony Romero, has taken a clear stand and his article of 17 December 2013 is provided here in full:
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union, American government, Amnesty, Anthony Romero, Congress, Edward Snowden, electronic surveillance, European Parliament, government surveillance, human rights awards, Human rights defender, National Security Agency, netizens award, NSA, patriot, Reporters without Borders, right to privacy, Sakharov Prize, Snowden, United States, USA, whistleblower
December 20, 2013
On 9 December 2013, Ihlam Amiraslanov was granted early release from prison after serving two-thirds of his sentence. He had been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for illegal possession of weapons on 12 September 2012 in Sabirabad District Court. Ilham Amiraslanov is an active member of Kura Civil Union and a prominent figure in the movement for justice for the victims of the flooding of the Kura River in May 2010. On 8 June 2012, Ilham Amiraslanov was arrested by police officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. On 12 September 2012, he received a two-year prison sentence under the Azerbaijan Criminal Code. This conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal. Ilham Amiraslanov’s trial was marked by serious irregularities, including the refusal by the judge to hear the defense witnesses. Ilham Amiraslanov’s lawyer stated that the charges were politically motivated and that neither the investigation nor the trial were conducted objectively.
For more information on this case, see Ilham Amiraslanov’s page on the Front Line Defenders website.
Azerbaijan: Update – Human rights defender, Mr Ilham Amiraslanov, released from prison | Front Line.
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Azerbaijan, Baku, Front Line Defenders, Human rights defender, Ihlam Amiraslanov, Ilham, Ilham Aliyev, Ilham Amiraslanov, illegal detention, Kura Civil Union, Kura River, Ministry of Internal Affairs, President of Azerbaijan, prison sentence, release
December 20, 2013
(Human rights activist Ou Virak talks to the media outside the Phnom Penh Municipal Court last year. Vireak Mai)
A vicious backlash on social media (including death threats) has started against human rights activist Ou Virak in reaction to his call for opposition leader Sam Rainsy to stop inciting discrimination against the Vietnamese. Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, has been attacked on his Facebook page in comments ranging from disappointment to outright vulgar abuse. In a statement released on Wednesday, Virak clarified that Rainsy singled out the Vietnamese in speeches, inciting discrimination against them. Virak said the virulent reaction against him reaffirmed his concerns about using anti-Vietnamese sentiment as a campaign platform in the first place. David Boyle in the Phom Penh Post reports on 19 December 2013 more on how thin and important the line is between opposition and human rights defenders.
Posted in Amnesty international, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Adhoc, AI, Cambodia, Cambodian Center for Human Rights, david boyle, Death threat, Discrimination, facebook, human rights activist, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, intimidation, LICADHO, Non-governmental organization, Ou Virak, Phnom Penh Post, Sam Rainsy, social media, vietnamese, Virak
December 19, 2013
Mariah Carey poses with José Eduardo dos Santos, the 34-year dictator of Angola, his wife, and his daughter Isabel—Angola’s only billionaire
The Human Rights Foundation has lately been targeting celebrities who give their voice and reputation to bad causes and I think it is an excellent idea. Some celebrities do good work (think of Barbara Hendricks or Angelina Jolie), most are not interested but there is no reason why some should go out of their way to give support to dictators. There is no financial or diplomatic necessity. So, it is good to highlight Mariah Carey‘s concert on 15 December during a gala for the Angolan Red Cross, which was sponsored by Unitel (President José Eduardo dos Santos billionaire daughter Isabel owns Unitel and is also president of the Angolan Red Cross). “Mariah Carey can’t seem to get enough dictator cash, reportedly more than $1 million dollars this time. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 7 Comments »
Tags: Angelina Jolie, Angola, Angolan Red Cross, Barbara Hendricks, celebrities, dictatorship, Human Rights Foundation, human rights violations, Jennifer Lopez, José Eduardo dos Santos, Mariah Carey, Muammar Gaddafi, Rafael Marques de Morais, Turkmenistan
December 19, 2013
Stockholm-based Civil Rights Defenders is looking for a replacement to the organisation’s Programme Director for
the Eastern Europe and Central Asia department. This is a full-time position starting from 24 March 2014, lasting at least until 10 February 2015 though it might be prolonged. Deadline for applications is 20 January 2014.
The Programme Director is stationed in Stockholm, though frequently travelling and meeting with human rights defenders in the region, and representing Civil Rights Defenders in public. The tasks of the Programme Director include fundraising. Qualifications: MA in Law, Political Science, International Relations or related fields/areas, including training in international human rights mechanisms; Minimum of 5 years of working experience with human rights; At least 2 years of management experience; Working experience from Eastern Europe, Central Asia or the South Caucasus, preferably in human rights, and extensive knowledge about the human rights situation in the region; Fluency in at least two of the following languages: English, Swedish, and Russian.
Application to kim.matthis[at]civilrightsdefenders.org
via Civil Rights Defenders – Temporary Programme Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Central Asia, Civil Rights Defenders, Eastern Europe, job opportunity, Political science, Programme Director, South Caucasus, Stockholm, vacancy
December 19, 2013
Mona Seif, Egyptian human rights defender and Final Nominee of the MEA 2013 reported today 19 December, at 12h00 that “less than an hour ago the Police raided the NGO Egyptian Center for Social and Economic Rights, founded by former presidential candidate Khaled Ali, and arrested Mostafa Eissa (an employee in their media unit) and 2 volunteers, as well as confiscated all computers of the media unit. We haven’t been able to know where were they taken to.”
Posted in Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Arab spring, Cairo, Egypt, Egyptian Center for Social and Economic Rights, Human Rights Defenders, Khaled Ali, MEA final nominee 2013, Mona Seif, Mostafa Eissa, NGO, NGO Egyptian Center for Social and Economic Rights, Police, raid, Supreme Council of Armed Forces
December 18, 2013
Protection International (PI) – website:
www.protectioninternational.org – has a vacancy for an
Accountant/Administration based in Brussels, Belgium. Target starting date is mid-January 2014 and the deadline for applications is 5 January 2014.
Interviews will take place from 6 to 9 January.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Protection International | Leave a Comment »
Tags: accountant, administrator, applications, Belgium, Brussel, Human Rights Defenders, job opportunity, NGO, PI, Protection International, vacancy
December 18, 2013
UN Human Rights Prize laureate, Mr. Biram Dah Abeid, has written a letter to the United Nations on the occasion of the ceremony on 10 December 2013. The letter, reproduced in its entirety, is available below courtesy of UNPO:
Praise the lord and peace be upon Prophet Mohamed, Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: awards, Biram Dah Abeid, chattel slavery, Human right, Human Rights and Liberties, human rights award, Human rights defender, human rights violations, Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist movement, international human rights day, IRA, Mauritania, slavery, UN, UN Human Rights Prize, United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNPO
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 