Posted on 4 February 2026b by ADHRB: London’s High Court ruled in Ghaneem al-Masarir’s favour, in his case against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, last week. Al-Masarir accused Saudi Arabia of having hacked his mobile devices with Pegasus spyware and having ordered a physical attack on him in 2018.
Al-Masarir fled Saudi Arabia in 2003, for fear of persecution for his activism. He has been residing in the United Kingdom ever since, having been granted asylum in 2018.
In 2018, he discovered his devices had been hacked with spyware, which extracts all data held on the device, has access to the camera, media, microphone, emails, text messages and various other functions, enabling complete surveillance of the victim, as well as all those they contact on the device. Shortly after the discovery, al-Masarir was victim to a physical assault by two men in West London. The attack was connected to the Saudi regime, as the men demanded who al-Masarir thought himself to be to talk badly about the Saudi royal family, according to his lawyers. The Judge in the case stated the Saudi regime had a ‘clear interest and motivation to shut down al-Masarir’s public criticism of the Saudi government.”
In 2022, Saudi Arabia appealed, arguing it had immunity as a state under the 1978 State Immunity Act, when this appeal was rejected, Saudi Arabia ceased to partake in the case, raising questions if al-Masarir will ever receive the compensation.
Al-Masarir winning his case against Saudi Arabia is an important step toward holding the regime accountable for its illegal use of spyware to silence critics, as a form of transnational repression.
The right to freedom of expression must be protected. Human rights defenders must feel safe to critique the wrongdoings of their government. Spyware must not be abused in the silencing of dissidents. Human rights safeguards must be put in place in the sale of spyware, to protect all activists.
Ghaneem al-Masarir, along with all other victims of Saudi Arabia’s cybercrimes, must receive justice for the violation of their fundamental right to privacy. .
UN human rights experts on 5 February 2026 urged China to immediately grant full access to adequate medical treatment for woman human rights defender, Yang Li, from Jintan, Jiangsu Province, saying that her attempts to travel to Beijing for medical appointments have been intercepted on numerous occasions and allegedly resulted in her arbitrary detention.
“The arrest and indictment of Yang Li appear to represent an effort by the authorities to prevent her from peacefully exercising her rights to seek redress for legitimate grievances. This harassment is compounded by the fact that it was coupled with preventing her from accessing medical treatment,” the experts said.
Yang Li has been advocating against land requisition and crop clearance being carried out by the authorities in Jiangsu Province since 2009. Her efforts to seek redress for her family and members of her community through filing petitions have led to her being administratively detained multiple times since 2014.
Since 2023, Yang Li has consistently attempted to travel to Beijing to file petitions and receive medical treatment. During these attempts, she has been subjected to physical assaults, administrative detention and been prevented from accessing necessary medical treatment – reportedly by officials from the Jintan and Beijing police. In October 2024, Yang Li was placed in criminal detention for the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” which was later changed to “disrupting the work order of state organs.” Yang Li was convicted in September 2025 and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment in a judicial process that indicated several fair trial inconsistencies.
“Yang Li is in urgent need of adequate medical treatment, capable of responding to the late-stage kidney disease she is suffering from,” the experts said. “Her condition appears to have worsened significantly as a result of the repeated denial of medical care, her treatment whilst in prison and the stress she has been subjected to through numerous detentions that appear to have been carried out without legal basis or justification.”
“We urge the authorities to cease the harassment and intimidation of Yang Li and her family and allow her full, immediate access to medical treatment of her choosing, to ensure her health does not further deteriorate and to prevent long-lasting impacts,” the experts said.
The experts have been in contact with the Government of China on these issues.
Philippe Bolopion, Executive Director of HRW, starts the annual report of 2026 with the following words: “The global human rights system is in peril. Under relentless pressure from US President Donald Trump, and persistently undermined by China and Russia, the rules-based international order is being crushed, threatening to take with it the architecture human rights defenders have come to rely on to advance norms and protect freedoms. To defy this trend, governments that still value human rights, alongside social movements, civil society, and international institutions, need to form a strategic alliance to push back.“
…In this context, 2025 may be seen as a tipping point. In just 12 months, the Trump administration has carried out a broad assault on key pillars of US democracy and the global rules-based order, which the US, despite inconsistencies, was, with other states, instrumental in helping to establish.
In short order, Trump’s second-term administration has undermined trust in the sanctity of elections, reduced government accountability, gutted food assistance and healthcare subsidies, attacked judicial independence, defied court orders, rolled back women’s rights, obstructed access to abortion care, undermined remedies for racial harm, terminated programs mandating accessibility for people with disabilities, punished free speech, stripped protections from trans and intersex people, eroded privacy, and used government power to intimidate political opponents, the media, law firms, universities, civil society, and even comedians.
Claiming a risk of “civilizational erasure” in Europe and leaning on racist tropes to cast entire populations as unwelcome in the US, the Trump administration has embraced policies and rhetoric that align with white nationalist ideology. Immigrants and asylum seekers have been subjected to inhumane conditions and degrading treatment; 32 died in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in 2025, and as of mid-January 2026, an additional 4 have died.
The US president of course has the authority to tighten US borders and enforce stricter immigration policies. The administration is not, however, entitled to deny legal process to asylum seekers, mistreat undocumented migrants, or unlawfully discriminate. In a well-functioning democracy, no electoral mandate should supersede domestic legislation, constitutional protections, or international human rights law. Trump’s team has repeatedly bypassed these guardrails.
The violations have not stopped at the border. The Trump administration used a 1798 law to send hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to an infamous prison in El Salvador, where they were tortured and sexually abused. Its blatantly unlawful strikes on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific extrajudicially killed more than 120 people whom Trump claims were drug traffickers…
A summary can be found in Al-Jazeera of 4 February 2026
On 29 January 2026 ISHR, in collaboration with its various partners, announced that it has established a network of legal professionals for the protection of human rights defenders in Africa
Legal professionals and human rights defenders from several African countries came together to finalise the establishment of a network for the protection of human rights defenders in Africa.
This Network aims to be a space for collaboration, solidarity and strategic legal action, with a view to strengthening the collective response to violations of the rights of human rights defenders in Africa. Its establishment is part of a project implemented by the International Service for Human Rights with the support of Open Society Foundations, and in collaboration with national and regional human rights networks.
Participants at this regional meeting reviewed the Network’s founding charter, defining its principles, governance and operating procedures, and identifying common priorities for strengthening the legal protection of human rights defenders on the continent.
Participants noted that in some African countries, violations, criminalisation and impunity persist, even in contexts with specific legal frameworks. Emphasising the need to move beyond isolated approaches, participants agreed to strengthen regional coordination among legal professionals.
During the meeting, the Network members agreed on a set of common principles and values, including a defender-centred approach, commitment, solidarity, independence, apoliticality, professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality. They also defined clear criteria for the Network’s engagement in situations of violations, in order to ensure responsible, strategic actions that respect the safety of defenders.
The meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss the legal challenges faced by defenders in different national contexts, as well as regional and international mechanisms that could strengthen their access to justice and protection.
The members of the Network committed to continuing the work begun at this meeting and to translating the adopted recommendations into concrete actions:
For countries that have not yet adopted an act on the recognition and protection of human rights defenders, to adopt such legislation.
For countries that have adopted such legislation, to implement it and establish national mechanisms for the protection of human rights defenders.
Two media outlets reported on states’ abuses of Interpol red notices to target political dissidents and human rights defenders on Monday. Amnesty International urged Interpol to address this “grave institutional failure” and improve its transparency.
Disclose, a French investigative media outlet, reported that Interpol has disclosed to the public less than 10 percent of the 86,000 active red notices. As of September 2024, Russia (4,817), Peru (4,457), and Tajikistan (3,493) are the countries with the most active red notices. The report also revealed that Interpol’s Commission for the Control of Files (CCF) removed at least 322 notices in 2024 alone after deeming them unjustified. In March 2024 an HRW report also highlights cases of governments misusing Interpol, see https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2024/03/19/transnational-repression-human-rights-watch-and-other-reports/
At the same time, the BBC revealed that Interpol quietly dropped some initial measures that prevented Russia from abusing the red notices in 2025. The BBC also reported the phenomenon of countries using Interpol’s messaging systems to trace people abroad instead of issuing a notice that can be challenged by the target.
The BBC’s report also outlined how the abuse of the red notice system impacted the life of an exiled Russian dissident, Igor Pestrikov. He fled the country with his family after he refused to supply metal products to government-designated buyers in 2022. During the two years when a red diffusion against him was active, he was unable to rent an apartment, and his bank accounts were frozen. CCF removed his case after he challenged that Russia’s case against him was politically motivated.
Interpol is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates law enforcement of over 196 member countries. When a member state issues a red notice, law enforcement in other member states will assist in locating and arresting the wanted persons. However, Article 3 of Interpol’s constitution prohibits it from participating in any political interventions.
Reacting to the reports, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns of Amnesty International, Erika Guevara Rosas, questioned Interpol’s credibility since it failed repeatedly to challenge whether the states use red notices legitimately. She urged Interpol to improve its transparency and “stop serving states’ political interest.” Conversely, Interpol told the BBC that some accusations misunderstood how Interpol and its CCF system work, or are based on factual errors.
Relatedly, in November 2025, UN experts also flagged El Salvador’s misuse of the red notices to target two exiled Salvadoran human rights defenders, denouncing the country’s use of red notices as a means “to pursue its political agenda to harass and persecute human rights defenders beyond its borders.” According to international lawyer Kate McInnes, this marks the first time that UN Special Rapporteurs have issued a communication to Interpol. The communication warned that the red notices against the human rights offenders constituted transnational repression, violating Interpol’s constitution to uphold the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and to maintain political neutrality.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) office in Brussels represents FIDH before the institutions of the European Union (Council, Commission, European Parliament, and other associated bodies), as well as to the representations of its member states. It ensures the visibility of FIDH’s actions and those of its member organisations to the European Union and develops advocacy strategies to effectively mobilise the EU on human rights issues worldwide, while identifying ways to strengthen its lever.
FIDH is recruiting a : REPRESENTATIVE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION IN BRUSSELS – FULL-TIME PERMANENT CONTRACT
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES Under the responsibility of the Advocacy Director based in Paris, your main responsibilities will be :
A / Define EU advocacy strategies in consultation with internal stakeholders, to support the implementation and strengthening of EU human rights policies, including :
Supporting FIDH member organisations and the FIDH Operations Directorate teams in defining and guiding FIDH recommendations targeting EU institutions;
Developing advocacy directions, the annual activity program, and implementing specific action programs led by FIDH offices, in coordination with the Operations Directorate and member organizations, and monitoring their progress;
Analysing the effectiveness and impact of EU human rights policies and proposing ways to strengthen them;
Developing the delegation’s communication strategy towards the EU, in collaboration with the Communications Directorate.
B / Implement the delegation’s activities:
Coordinate and supervise the participation of FIDH member NGOs or partners in various EU institutions;
Coordinate and supervise the provision of information to EU institutions based on inputs from FIDH, its members, and partners;
Represent FIDH before EU institutions, member state representations, and other stakeholders (funders, NGOs, media), ensuring strong relationships;
Oversee the strategy for promoting FIDH’s activities to the public;
Ensure reporting and evaluation of delegation activities, including advocacy actions and other reporting requirements (internal monthly and annual reports, narrative reports for other funders).
C / Foster and strengthen interaction with internal and external actors, ensuring quality support for FIDH member organisations during interfaces, sharing information on delegation strategies and activities, and developing partnerships with other NGOs.
D / Manage a team (currently one staff member + one intern).
E / Oversee the delegation’s day-to-day logistical and administrative management, with the support of delegation staff.
SKILLS REQUIRED
Education & Experience:
Master’s degree in law, political science, or international relations, with at least 5 years of professional experience in a similar role, including 3 years in human rights advocacy;
Excellent knowledge of EU human rights policies, allowing you to identify and mobilise the most effective levers to achieve concrete results;
Strong understanding of international human rights standards and mechanisms.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT :
Full-time permanent contract – 39 hours/week
Based in Brussels – FIDH recognises the importance of flexible working arrangements for work-life balance and offers remote work options after the probationary period.
Salary: €57,000 gross per year
FIDH contribution to health insurance: €80/month; public transport subscription reimbursement in Brussels; meal vouchers of €8/meal (employee contribution: €1.09)
Leave and RTT: 25 days of paid leave per year, 24 compensatory rest days per year
Position to be filled : As soon as possible
How to apply
Send your CV AND cover letter to recrutement@fidh.org quoting reference DOIG-UE-0126 in the subject line no later than Friday, February 6, 2026.
Interviews will take place as applications are received.
FIDH reserves the right to close the recruitment process before the deadline for applications.
The mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders plays a critical role in promoting the protection of individuals and groups who peacefully work to advance human rights worldwide. As the current mandate-holder, Mary Lawlor, approaches the end of her tenure (March 2026), the UN Human Rights Council is in the process of appointing a successor.
Together with partner organisations, ISHR is campaigning for the appointment of a mandate holder who is independent, impartial, highly competent, and whose backgrounds reflect the diversity of our world. Such appointments are essential to ensuring a strong and effective system of Special Procedures, which is fundamental to the proper functioning of the Human Rights Council.
As the appointment process for the next Special Rapporteur reaches its final stages, the ISHR would like to create a space for meaningful exchange between shortlisted candidates and civil society organisations and human rights defenders.
In this context, there will be an online roundtable with the shortlisted candidates:
The discussion aims to provide shortlisted candidates with an opportunity to present their background, experience, and vision for the mandate Facilitate a safe and inclusive space for dialogue between candidates, civil society organisations, and human rights defenders Enable human rights defenders to share priorities, concerns, and expectations regarding the future direction of the mandate
The roundtable will take place on 10 February, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM (CET). Interpretation will be available in English and Spanish.
Confirm your participation by 9 February EOD using this form. A link to the meeting will be shared later. Important: At the end of the form, there is a section where you can write any questions you would like the candidates to answer. The organisers will review these questions and choose some of them in advance, and those selected questions will be asked during the meeting. Because many people are expected to attend, participants will not be able to ask their own questions directly to the candidates during the meeting. We very much look forward to your participation., ISHR Team
On 27 January 2026, 1,025 (!!) organisations in the USA sent the following letter:
Dear Members of Congress,
We the undersigned 1,025 organizations write to express our horror, outrage and deep grief about the news that federal agents have executed a human being in broad daylight on the streets of Minneapolis. How many more people have to die, how many more lies have to be told, and how many more children must be used as bait and abducted, before Congress fulfills its responsibilities and stops these out-of-control agencies from continuing to violently attack our immigrant communities and communities of color, as well as their many allies and supporters?
We demand an immediate halt in all funding for these deadly operations until the violence, abuses, and deaths in American communities and in immigration detention centers stop. Congress must refuse to provide one dollar to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol through the appropriations process and immediately take action to revoke the tens of billions already given through last summer’s reconciliation bill.
We demand that you act decisively and show DHS and the communities you serve that this cruelty and lawlessness is unacceptable and must end now. When federal agents are patrolling the streets of American cities and gunning people down in broad daylight, the bare minimum response is to stop the funding that enables these violent agencies to carry out these atrocities. You have the power and responsibility to stop this. What you do now will be remembered for future generations – take a stand today while you still have the power to do so
Several readers of this blog, who are very concerned with the situation in Iran, wonder whether the human rights world is paying enough attention. There is no agreed criterion for measuring and – for sure – what the UN and NGOs can do is anyway limited. Still, just to give an idea here a list of recent links:
Today, 24 January 2026, marks the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer. In recognition of endangered lawyers around the world, the undersigned NGOs, express deep alarm at the growing repression of lawyers worldwide for the legitimate exercise of their professional duties. Attacks on lawyers strike at the very heart of the rule of law, deny victims meaningful access to justice, and enable wider assaults on human rights and democratic institutions.
In Russia, the regime of Vladimir Putin has moved to punish not only opponents but also those who defend them. One year ago this month, to cite just one example, lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin, members of the defense team of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, were sentenced to an average of four and a half years in prison on fabricated extremism charges simply for carrying out their ordinary professional duties. Since then, Russia has intensified its harassment of lawyers, most recently arresting human rights attorney Maria Bontsler in May 2025.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban’s seizure of the Afghanistan Independent Bar Association and the transfer of licensing to the Ministry of Justice effectively stripped thousands of lawyers of their right to practise, with women lawyers almost entirely excluded from the profession.
In Iran, recent reports show a pattern of state capture of bar associations, politically motivated prosecutions, and gender specific persecution of women lawyers, which together erode fair trial guarantees for all.
In Tanzania, legal advocates have faced systemic oppression from the government, including oppression under the Advocates Act, which gives the executive branch power to manage the legal profession and control over disciplinary measures against lawyers.
In China, the regime systematically cracks down on human rights lawyers, using vague national security laws and administrative controls to dismantle the independent legal profession.
These examples are a part of a wider and well-documented trend. Lawyers are disbarred, disciplined, arbitrarily detained, prosecuted, forced into exile, subjected to surveillance and harassment, and in some cases killed, precisely because they seek to uphold the rights of their clients, including human rights defenders, opposition leaders, journalists, women, minorities, and other marginalized communities.
Despite this, lawyers continue to perform a crucial function. Even in countries without an independent and impartial judiciary, where judicial outcomes are largely predetermined, lawyers document abuses, create records of testimonies and verdicts, and preserve evidence that can one day support accountability. Their efforts also enable recourse to international and regional mechanisms once domestic remedies have been exhausted or shown to be ineffective. As the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers recognized in her 2024 report, “justice systems play an essential role in safeguarding democracy, and the work of those justice systems is carried out by people. To protect the rule of law and democracy, we must protect those people.”
Justice is never won easily. But it cannot be won at all if those who defend it are left defenseless.
On May 13, 2025, the Council of Europe (CoE) Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer opened for signature. This is the first international treaty specifically designed to safeguard lawyers from threats, harassment, and undue interference in their work. This is a historic breakthrough, but it will mean little if governments fail to give it real force. We call on all CoE member states to sign and ratify the Convention without delay and to implement it fully. We encourage states in other regions to develop complementary binding standards so that protection of the legal profession becomes a universal norm…
No lawyer should be punished for defending a client. We honour the courage of all endangered lawyers working under threat, and we reaffirm our collective commitment to protect them and to uphold the right of every person to an independent defense and a fair trial.
Respectfully,
Human Rights Foundation
The Anti-Corruption Foundation
The Arrested Lawyers Initiative
Free Russia Foundation
Freedom House
Freedom Now
George W. Bush Institute
Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign
Human Rights First
Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice
Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights
Elisa Massimino, Human Rights Institute, Georgetown Law
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 