Archive for the 'Human Rights Defenders' Category

International NGOs call for the immediate release of Umar Khalid in India

February 20, 2026

On 19 February 2026, an important group of NGOs stated that the international community must call for the immediate release of Umar Khalid

On Jan. 5, 2026, the Indian Supreme Court denied bail to human rights defender and student activist Umar Khalid, who has been detained for over five years without trial, in violation of India’s obligations under international human rights law. The undersigned organisations are disturbed by the Court’s decision. As domestic legal remedies have proven ineffective, we urge the international community to take urgent and coordinated action.

Khalid was arrested on Sept. 13, 2020, after he became a prominent face of nationwide peaceful protests against the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act, a law excluding Muslims from eligibility for a fast-tracked path to Indian citizenship. Khalid’s unfounded prosecution stems solely from the exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Khalid was charged under India’s anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), as well as other laws, for a total of 29 charges. The UAPA has been criticised by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and several other UN Special Procedures mandate holders, particularly for its vague definitions and restrictive bail provisions that enable prolonged pre-trial detention. Indian authorities have frequently used these anti-terror legislations to detain political dissenters, human rights defenders, activists, and Muslims by keeping them in prison for extensive periods of time prior to trial. Indian grassroots organisation People’s Union for Civil Liberty has demonstrated through its investigation how UAPA has been systematically abused to silence dissent. 

Since his arrest, Khalid has been languishing in Delhi’s Tihar jail for over five years awaiting trial. According to the Supreme Court, this excessively long pre-trial detention has not “crossed the threshold of constitutional impermissibility,” but Khalid should not be detained at all — he is being held simply for exercising his rights. The Supreme Court’s Jan. 5, 2026, decision also forbids Khalid from applying for bail for one year. His trial is yet to begin. 

In the same judgment in which the Court denied bail to Khalid, it released his co-defendants in the case, activists Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa Ur Rehman, Meeran Haider, Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed, a development the undersigned organisations welcome. However, Khalid’s co-defendants, released on bail, are not entirely free. The Supreme Court imposed strict bail conditions: a blanket ban on participating in “any programme or address”, attending “any gathering, rally or meeting, whether physically or virtually” and on circulating “any post either in electronic or physical form or circulate any hand bills, posters, banners, etc. in any form whatsoever.” These conditions violate their rights to freedom of expression and association.

All of Khalid’s co-defendants remain at risk of re-arrest if eventually convicted in the case. This includes activist Safoora Zargar, who was charged in the same case but released on bail in June 2020 due to her pregnancy, and following a decision of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention rendering her detention arbitrary.

Umar Khalid’s case is a stark example of how the current government has weaponised anti-terror laws to restrict civic space, disproportionately targeting Muslim voices. Umar Khalid’s case is garnering increasing global attention, including recently from eight US lawmakers, human rights organisations, and the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders.

The Indian judicial system has failed Umar Khalid and his co-defendants. It is time for the international community to take meaningful and coordinated action. Governments, particularly those with strong bilateral relationships with India, should publicly and privately call for Umar Khalid’s immediate and unconditional release and raise his case in all high-level diplomatic engagements. 

As a sitting member of the UN Human Rights Council, India should be reminded of its commitment under UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251 to “uphold the highest standard in the promotion and protection of human rights.”

Pending the acquittal of Khalid and his co-defendants, diplomatic missions in New Delhi should also closely monitor court proceedings and reaffirm the importance of due process and presumption of innocence. 

Signed by;

Human Rights Foundation

Hindus for Human Rights

Diaspora in Action for Human Rights and Democracy (DAHRD)

Amnesty International

InSAAF India

Indian American Muslim Council

UK Indian Muslim Council

Scottish Indians for Justice 

India Alliance Paris

South Asia Solidarity, UK

South Asia Justice Campaign

Joint Committee to Stop Repression in India

India Labour Solidarity

Freedom House

India Civil Watch International

Karwaan-e-Mohabba

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Free Voices Collective e.V.

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

FORUM-ASIA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umar_Khalid

Artists HRDs Behind Bars

February 20, 2026

Repressive regimes throughout the world deploy the machinery of the state to silence criticism and dissent. It is therefore hardly surprising that artists—whose creative work can expose, ridicule, and condemn in emotive and powerful ways—are common targets of political persecution. Over the past few years, there have been crackdowns on artists and performers in Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Azerbaijan, Egypt, China, and Venezuela, among other countries. The following artists dared to use their creative expression to challenge powerful systems, and have been punished with political imprisonment. From: Political Prisoners Watch February 19, 2026

Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara is a Cuban artist and activist whose evocative performance art led to government harassment and numerous periods of detention. After the Cuban government enacted Decree 348 in 2018, which required artists to obtain advance approval for even private performances, he cofounded the San Isidro Movement to protest the increasing censorship of free expression. On July 11, 2021—the start of the historic J11 protests—he was arrested and has been detained ever since. In June 2022, he was sentenced to five years in prison for contempt, public disorder, and insulting symbols of the homeland, and remains in prison in Cuba. [https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2024/09/19/the-rafto-prize-2024-to-cuban-artivist-luis-manuel-otero-alcantara/]

 

Maykel Osorbo Castillo Pérez is a Cuban musician who cofounded the San Isidro Movement with Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. Due to his activism and vocal opposition to the Cuban regime, he was subjected to systemic harassment, including being arrested 121 times in a five-month period. He cowrote the 2021 song Patria y Vida(Homeland and Life), which inspired thousands to demonstrate against Cuba’s repressive regime and won two Latin Grammys. He was not able to accept the awards, however—in May 2021, he was arrested, forcibly disappeared for 14 days, and eventually sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of contempt, public disorder, and defamation of institutions and organizations, heroes, and martyrs.

Gao Brothers, The Utopia of the 20 Minute Embrace (2000), modified image via Wikimedia Commons, used under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Gao Zhen is a Chinese artist and US permanent resident who was detained while visiting family in China in August 2024. Avant-garde works by Gao and his brother Gao Qiang—known together as the Gao Brothers—include huge, mirror-like sculptures and other works critiquing Mao Zedong and China’s Cultural Revolution. Authorities allege that Gao committed the offense of “insulting or defaming heroes and martyrs,” though the art in question had been created years before the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs was enacted. Gao’s wife Zhao Yaliang has been prohibited from leaving China, and she and their young son have remained there since his detention.

 

Galal El-Behairy is an Egyptian poet and singer/songwriter who has faced severe retaliation for his artistic work. He wrote the lyrics for the guitar-driven protest song Balaha, which mocked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the country’s corrupt establishment. Five days after its release in February 2018, he was arrested by the National Security Police and disappeared for a week. In July 2018, he was sentenced to three years in prison by a military court for allegedly spreading false news and rumors and insulting the Egyptian army in his poetry book The Finest Women on Earth. Although his sentence expired in 2021, he was not released, and he is now facing additional charges including disseminating fake news and joining and aiding a terrorist organization.

https://freedomhouse.org/article/political-prisoners-watch-artists-behind-bars

Bouayach urges stronger human rights protection across Africa

February 12, 2026

Amina Bouayach, President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), has issued a powerful call for the reinforcement of human rights mechanisms across Africa.

Speaking at the African Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) conference in Yaoundé, Bouayach warned that the continent’s legal frameworks are under unprecedented strain from a “triple threat” of security instability, climate change, and health crises. As the head of Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH), she emphasized that these overlapping emergencies are systematically eroding the rule of law and the capacity of states to meet their international obligations.

Bouayach highlighted a concerning global decline in multilateralism, noting that human rights are increasingly being sidelined in international discourse. She argued that international treaties and regional African mechanisms must be viewed as complementary rather than competing forces. According to her vision, while international laws provide the global benchmark, regional bodies are essential for adapting those standards to local African realities. She stressed that bridging the gap between high-level commitments and national legislation is the only way to restore citizen trust in state institutions.

The address identified several critical “blind spots” in the current continental approach, specifically pointing to the limited use of African legal mechanisms and the persistent barriers to justice for the general population. Bouayach cited the devastating conflict in Sudan—where access to basic healthcare and food has collapsed—and the chronic insecurity in Somalia as prime examples of how state fragility directly translates into human rights violations. She noted that recognizing these failures is not an admission of weakness but a necessary act of “clear-sightedness” required to move toward genuine reform.

To combat these trends, Bouayach urged African states to fully align their national institutions with the Paris Principles, the international gold standard for institutional independence and effectiveness. She concluded by calling for a surge in resources and guaranteed autonomy for human rights defenders, asserting that the rule of law must remain the non-negotiable pillar of Africa’s long-term stability and economic development.

https://apanews.net/bouayach-urges-stronger-human-rights-protection-across-africa/

Call for input: OHCHR Online Survey on “Civil Society Space”

February 11, 2026

Purpose:To inform the High Commissioner’s report pursuant to the Human Rights Council resolution 59/10.

In its resolution 59/10, the Human Rights Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to “prepare a thematic report in follow-up to the report containing practical recommendations for the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society, based on good practices and lessons learned, submitted to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-second session, to review progress against the recommendations contained therein, to identify new and emerging trends concerning civil society space, including through an analysis of the specific contribution and risks faced by underrepresented parts of civil society, and to provide an updated set of recommendations in the light of those trends, and to present the report to the Council at its sixty-third session.”

OHCHR invites States to respond to this online survey and share good practices and measures to protect and promote civic space in their countries, with a focus on the five areas outlined in the previous report (A/HRC/32/20) – as reflected below – on “practical recommendations for the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society, based on good practices and lessons learned.” Please take the online survey here: EnglishFrenchSpanish

OHCHR also invites civil society, non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions, United Nations entities and other relevant stakeholders, to respond to this online survey. If you are an organization working in a specific country, please provide information related to that country or context. If you represent a global and regional organization, please consider providing information for as many regions and/or countries as appropriate. Please take the online survey here: EnglishFrenchSpanish

Any questions and queries should be directed to: ohchr-civicspacesurvey@un.org.

The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, 6 March 2026, at 18:00 Central European Time.

HURIDOCS looking for a Global Repository Coordinator

February 9, 2026

HURIDOCS is recruiting a 👉 Global Repository Coordinator 👈 , a fixed-term role focused on a project that’s been in the works here for a long time. This Global Repository is where so many threads finally come together. Years of work on machine learning, documentation, and human rights data, all coming into one shared “playground” to help unlock judgments, decisions, and human rights information at scale.

We’re building this together with partners, including the The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice ( supported by the Clooney Foundation for Justice). This short video from Oxford gives a glimpse of the vision (at min 2:17).

https://lnkd.in/gmQaxxad

Because this is such an exciting and ambitious role, we’re looking for someone who’s dynamic, independent, and a great problem-solver. Someone who knows how to push things forward and also when to when to slow down and consult, with communities, partners, donors, and more. Someone comfortable with the international human rights ecosystem and committed to leveraging technology for justice.

Often when we’re recruiting for roles like this we talk about looking for a unicorn, but this time that doesn’t quite work. I think we’re really looking for a tiger. Someone who can help us actually make this thing real. 🐯


📣HURIDOCS is looking for a Project Coordinator to play a key role in building the Global Repository of Human Rights.



Applications sent by email or direct message will not be considered. Please apply via the form provided in the job description.

hashtag#NGOJobs hashtag#ProjectCoordinator hashtag#RemoteJobs

Jamie Fly new Chief Executive Officer of Freedom House

February 7, 2026

Freedom House announced the appointment of Jamie Fly as its Chief Executive Officer, effective 2 February, 2026.

“Jamie Fly is a transformational leader ready to advance Freedom House’s vision of a world where all are free. He has stepped forward at a consequential moment as Freedom House pivots toward a private- and public-sector funding model, while growing existing and attracting new investors in freedom and democracy. This is particularly important as our flagship Freedom in the World report has documented nearly 20 years of democratic decline and as authoritarian leaders threaten fundamental freedoms and security around the world. Jamie brings deep global experience, bipartisan credibility, and a demonstrated ability to lead complex organizations under pressure. His leadership marks the start of a new chapter in Freedom House’s fight to expand and defend freedom around the world and to champion democratic values,” said Norman Willox, chair of the Freedom House Board of Trustees.

Fly has decades of experience in government, civil society, and the private sector. He has served as President and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and held senior positions on the US National Security Council staff, at the Department of Defense, on Capitol Hill, and at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Most recently, he served as Senior Counselor at Palantir Technologies, where he supported efforts to defend Ukrainian democracy from Moscow’s illegal, full-scale military invasion. He is a recipient of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service and the Czech Foreign Ministry’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to Diplomacy.

I am excited and honored to join Freedom House at this critical moment for democracy and global freedom as the organization celebrates its 85th anniversary this year in the midst of significant change. Additionally, I would like to thank Norm Willox, Freedom House’s board, and its talented leadership team and staff for their tremendous efforts, resilience, and accomplishments in the face of great challenges and opportunities,” said Fly.

Freedom House is the oldest American organization devoted to the support and defense of democracy and freedom around the world. It was formally established in 1941 to promote American involvement in World War II and the fight against fascism. Lauded for its nonpartisan approach, it has grown into the world’s premier institution for supporting the democratic aspirations of societies around the world through its globally recognized convening power, coalition building, advocacy, independent research, and emergency support to human rights defenders.


https://freedomhouse.org/article/freedom-house-appoints-jamie-fly-chief-executive-officer

Profile of Kant Kaw, Myanmar journalist and HRD

February 7, 2026

On 2 February2026 Exile Hub, one of Global Voices’ partners in Southeast,Asia, published this story on How Kant Kaw turned a dream into a 15-year fight for equality in Myanmar.

Kant Kaw’s journey into journalism officially began in 2009, but her story started long before that. As a child, she devoured books of every kind, captivated by the power of language. She dreamed of becoming a writer, yet understood early that writing alone could not sustain her. So she pursued practical jobs while holding on to her passion. Everything changed the day she discovered journalism. For her, it was the perfect convergence of purpose and livelihood. It allowed her to write, to witness, and to serve the public. Fifteen years later, she remains in the field, saying that she never stopped loving the work.

Kant Kaw soon realized that her calling extended beyond reporting events as they unfolded. She felt compelled to disclose the struggles that women in Myanmar face every day. “I met women who had to carry their fear in silence, yet still found the strength to protect their children and families. They wake up every morning choosing survival. In our conversations, I saw not weakness, but extraordinary strength — especially during moments of political upheaval.”

Through Kant Kaw’s work, stories that might otherwise have remained untold reached wider audiences. For example, she shone a light on the realities of a young mother in a conflict-affected township who begins each day calculating risk, choosing safer routes to buy food, wondering whether her child’s school will be open, and navigating military checkpoints.

Years of reporting, especially in post-coup Myanmar, have taken a toll. These days, she practices intentional self-care to sustain her work: music, hiking, friendships, and proactive emotional problem-solving. She gives care as much as she receives it, offering support and presence to friends who struggle. She knows the stakes:

Her dream of becoming a writer did come true — just not in the way she first imagined. She writes for the public, for women whose voices have been muted by injustice, and continues to write as an act of resistance, a record of truth, and a source of hope.

Through her writing, she pushes back against silence, against injustice, and against anyone who dares to underestimate what a woman can do.

https://globalvoices.org/2026/02/02/beyond-the-bylines-how-kant-kaw-turned-a-dream-into-a-15-year-fight-for-equality-in-myanmar/

Ghaneem al-Masarir, Saudi human rights defender in exile, awarded £3 million in case against Saudi Arabia

February 6, 2026

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’s is not a sole case, in 2021 an investigation concluded that hundreds of British citizens’ devices had been hacked by Pegasus spyware, including Yahya Assiri, the founder of London based human rights organization ALQST. In 2024, Assiri accused Saudi Arabia of using spyware against him at a UK High Court, the case is ongoing. [ see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2016/08/29/apple-tackles-iphone-one-tap-spyware-flaws-after-mea-laureate-discovers-hacking-attempt/]

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 experts concerned by denial of medical care for woman human rights defender Yang Li in China

February 5, 2026

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.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/china-un-experts-concerned-repeated-denial-medical-care-woman-human-rights

https://www.jurist.org/news/2026/02/un-experts-condemn-chinas-denial-of-medical-treatment-to-human-rights-defender/

HRW’s annual report: Global system of human rights in ‘peril’ – Will Human Rights Survive a Trumpian World?

February 5, 2026

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

https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2026

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/4/global-system-of-human-rights-in-peril-warns-hrw-in-its-annual-report