Archive for the 'Human Rights Defenders' Category

Development of Amnesty’s Panic Button App

September 11, 2013

Having last week referred to 3 different (and competing?) techno initiatives to increase the security of HRDs, i would be amiss not to note the post of 11 september  2013 by Tanya O’Caroll on the AI blog concerning  the development of the Panic button. Over the next couple of months, she will be keeping you posted about the Panic Button. If you want to join the community of people working on Panic Button, please leave a comment on the site mentioned below or email panicbutton@amnesty.org.

via Inside the development of Amnesty’s new Panic Button App | Amnestys global human rights blog.

 

Example of unclear thinking about the role of human rights defenders

September 11, 2013

On 22 August 2013 Mekki Elmograbi (makkimag@gmail) published a piece in the Sudan Vision Daily which tries to make a distinction between ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ practice of journalism with the consequent distinction that in the first case human rights defenders should defend the journalists but in the second case use dialogue techniques to defuse the situation. It is a rambling article and the categorization cannot be easily understood. However, I am sharing it anyway as it is in order to illustrate the state of thinking in parts of the world: Read the rest of this entry »

In a few hours starts side event on retaliation against HRDs – can be followed on internet

September 10, 2013

In the context of my previous post, here is the reference to a side event organized by the ISHR on this topic which starts today (Tuesday) at 13h15-14h45 Swiss time in the Palais des Nations, Room 21. You can follow the event at www.ishr.ch/council/webcast.

Read the rest of this entry »

An exceptional number of NGOs (90!) demand justice for Munir in Indonesia

September 10, 2013

Nine years after the killing of human rights defender Munir Said Thalib, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must take decisive and concrete action to ensure those responsible – including those at the highest levels – are brought to justice, and that all defenders of human rights are better protected. President Yudhoyono, who has himself described Munir’s case as a “test of our history”, but he has just one year of his presidency remaining in which to ensure full justice and reparations are delivered. The President’s failure so far to do so, at a time the protection of human rights defenders across the country remains seriously under threat, raises serious questions about his legacy.

On 7 September 2004, Munir was found dead on a flight from Jakarta to the Netherlands. Read the rest of this entry »

More controversy surrounding the issue of retaliation against HRDs in Sri Lanka

September 10, 2013

article_image

On 9 September 2013, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that she had an immediate concern for the protection of human rights defenders, journalists and communities that she met during her recent visit to Sri Lanka. Read the rest of this entry »

SAVE THE DATE: MARTIN ENNALS AWARD CEREMONY IN GENEVA ON 8 OCTOBER

September 8, 2013

poster 2013 nominees MEA English

2013 Martin Ennals Award ceremony
October 8th, 2013, 6 pm
Please subscribe online: http://www.martinennalsaward.org

The Martin Ennals Foundation and the City of Geneva announce the 20th ceremony of Martin Ennals Award for human rights defenders. This event is integrated within Human Rights Week, a four-day event organized at the University of Geneva. This ceremony is open to the public. All who are interested in human rights are welcome to come and pay tribute to these men and women who are engaged in the defense of human rights, often risking their lives. It is crucial that the public knows the work of these individuals, not only in Geneva but also at the international level, in order to ensure that they can benefit from a certain degree of protection.

The following 3 nominees were carefully selected by the Jury of the Martin Ennals Award, made up of ten of the world’s leading human rights organisations:

  • Ms Mona Seif (Egypt) who is one of the core founders of the ”No To Military Trials for Civilians”, a grassroots initiative that aims to stop military trials for civilians in Egypt.
  • The Joint Mobile Group (Russia) seeks accountability for human rights abuses in Chechnya, notably enforced disappearances, torture in custody, and extra-judicial executions.
  • Mr Mario Joseph (Haïti) has been referred to as Haiti’s most prominent human rights lawyer, and has worked on some of the most important cases including the one against former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier.

Ms Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, will present the award to one of these nominees. The ceremony will be held in French and in English at Uni-Dufour, Jean-Piaget auditorium, U-600 at 6 pm. A live broadcast will be given in the Charles-Rouiller auditorium, U-300, located in the same building and it should also be streamed on the internet.


Arab human rights court in Bahrain? – a take by the Voice of Russia.

September 6, 2013
бахрейн протест бахрейн столкновения

( Photo: EPA)

The piece below, taken from the Voice of Russia of 6 September 2013, is interesting for a number of reasons:

1. it addresses the almost comical issue of basing the Arab Court of Human Rights in Bahrain

2. it quotes at length the (understandably) sarcastic comments by Brian Dooley of Human Rights First in the Huffington Post

3. it is lovely example of a different but biased geopolitical perspective: Read the rest of this entry »

The importance of archives for Truth commissions: event on 13 September

September 6, 2013

Truth commission archives are an important part of dealing with the past, which is a long-term process addressing a legacy of human rights violations.humanrightslogo_Goodies_14_LogoVorlagen Read the rest of this entry »

Burma: human rights defender Ms Naw Ohn Hla sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour

September 5, 2013

On 29 August 2013, human rights defender Ms Naw Ohn Hla was found guilty of disturbing public tranquillity under Section 505(b) of the Burmese Penal Code and sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour. She had been arrested on 13 August 2013 during a peaceful protest. Read the rest of this entry »

Nordic Creative Commons Film Festival: Witness on-line discussion 5 September

September 5, 2013

Google Plus Hangout On Air Live at Nordic Film Festival

Priscila Neri, WITNESS Senior Program Manager, discusses digital media, freedom of speech and advocacy at the Nordic Creative Commons Film Festival Thursday 5 September at 10:40am ET. She will present two short videos – you can watch them anytime online: People Before Profit and How to Film Protests: A WITNESS Guide to Video for Change) and discuss the use of Creative Commons and why it’s an important resource for activists. You can watch the live discussion on Google Hangout On Air and send Priscila your questions on Twitter using #WITNESSlive or @witnessorg.