On the 2nd anniversary of the assassination of the Burundese Human Rights Defender Ernest Manirumva the NGO Protection International launches a film on his work and life. The first screening of the documentary “Justice for Ernest Manirumva” will take place at the Belgian Federal Parliament on Friday 8 April at 11 am. For more information please contact: Pascale Boosten of the Video-advocacy Unit of Protection International.
Tel: 32-2-609 44 07 http://www.protectionline.org
Archive for the 'Human Rights Defenders' Category
Protection International made film on assassinated Human Rights Defender Ernest Manirumva, Burundi
April 6, 2011Syria: will al-Hassani finally be freed?
March 26, 2011As you will know, on Wednesday 16 March a group of about 150 protestors – including relatives of the 21 political prisoners whose release the protest was designed to secure – gathered outside the Interior Ministry in Damascus to present a petition calling for the prisoners’ release. The 21 include MEA 2010 Laureate Muhannad al-Hassani, the president of the Syrian Human Rights Organization.
Forty of the protestors were seized and interrogated by the security services; several were detained on the usual charges of bringing the State is disrepute. Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a news release, “Like many of the political prisoners whose release they were calling for, protestors appear to have been arrested simply for the peaceful expression of their views. The Syrian authorities must immediately release all those arrested in the last two days for merely attending peaceful protests, and stop these attacks on freedom of expression and assembly.”
Today- Saturday 26 March – it was reported that under pressure from the various on-going demonstrations, the Government would have decided to release 200 political prisoners. Is this true? Will al-Hassani finally be allowed to return to his family and his human rights work?
Nominees for the Martin Ennals Award 2011 announced today
March 12, 2011Today Michel Veuthey. Board member of the Martin Ennals Foundation, announced the Nominees for the Martin Ennals Award 2011 during the closing ceremony of the Human Rights Film Festival in Geneva.
The five nominees are: Ms Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera (Uganda), Father Alejandro Solalinde Guerra (Mexico), Mr. Azimjon Askarov (Kyrgyzstan), Mr. Pacifique Nininahazwe (Burundi), and Ms Vilma Nuñez de Escorcia (Nicaragua).
The Martin Ennals Award is a unique collaboration of ten international human rights organisations which constitute the Jury: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, International Federation for Human Rights, World Organisation Against Torture, Front Line, International Commission of Jurists, German Diakonie, International Service for Human Rights and HURIDOCS.
For more information (English, French and Spanish) and portraits of the nominees please go to http://www.martinennalsaward.org
Haitham Maleh, the lawyer of MEA Laureate Al-Hassani, amnestied in Syria
March 8, 2011Finally some good news on the Syrian human rights front: Haitham Maleh, the lawyer of MEA Laureate 2010 Muhannad Al-Hassani and an outstanding human rights defender in his own right, has just been ‘freed’ under a Presidential Amnesty. It may take a few days before he is home. Also he is still not free to leave the country. Still, it shows there is hope for the other human rights defenders in detention in Syria.
Mexican bishop and human rights defender Ruiz Garcia passes away
January 25, 2011Bishop Samuel Ruiz García, MEA Laureate 1997, passed away on 24 January 2011 at the age of 86.
Adama Dieng, who was the Chair at that time and is now a Patron of the MEA, expressed the feelings of all, stating: “What a sad news! I remember my visit to Mexico to during which I had the honor and privilege to hand the MEA to Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia. He was a courageous Human Rights Defender whose contribution made a great impact in the daily life of so many peoples in Mexico and particularly in the Chiapas. May his soul rests in peace.”
The MEA has expressed condolences to the Diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas as well as to the colleagues from the Human Rights Centre Fray Bartolome de Las Casas.
Don’t forget the two MEA Laureates in detention
December 23, 2010
Two MEA Laureates are in detention currently. Please do not forget them and send a postcard to the authorities. You can order the cards from the MEA Secretariat, info@martinennalsaward.org. Happy new Year to you allEight important NGOs protest assault on MEA laureate Al-Hassani in Syrian jail – situation criticial
November 4, 2010On 4 November 2010 eight leading human rights organizations – of which 6 are on the jury of the Martin Ennals Award (MEA) – called on the Syrian government to guarantee the safety of Muhannad al-Hassani, a human rights defender serving a three year prison term, after he was assaulted last week in ‘Adra prison, Damascus. The eight organizations – Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and Front Line – urged the Syrian government to investigate the assault and protect Muhannad al-Hassani from further brutality or ill-treatment. The joint statement adds some important new development:
“Muhannad al-Hassani was physically assaulted on 28 October by a prisoner sentenced for a criminal offence who was being held in the same cell in ‘Adra prison. For five days after the attack Muhannad al-Hassani continued to be held in the same cell as his attacker, but is then reported to have been moved to a tiny underground isolation cell. He and other political prisoners in ‘Adra prison have now launched a hunger strike to protest against his solitary confinement.
“Muhannad al-Hassani was physically assaulted on 28 October by a prisoner sentenced for a criminal offence who was being held in the same cell in ‘Adra prison. For five days after the attack Muhannad al-Hassani continued to be held in the same cell as his attacker, but is then reported to have been moved to a tiny underground isolation cell. He and other political prisoners in ‘Adra prison have now launched a hunger strike to protest against his solitary confinement.
The prisoner who attacked Muhannad al-Hassani is said to have been moved into the same cell only recently and to have beaten him using a heavy metal finger ring he was wearing at the time of the assault although prisoners are not normally permitted to wear such ‘jewellery’. As a result of the assault, Muhannad al-Hassani suffered a cut to his forehead requiring ten stitches, swelling to his eye and cheek and bruising to his body.
Following the incident, the police took statements from other prisoners who had witnessed the assault and interviewed Muhannad al-Hassani in the presence of his attacker, but reportedly took no action when he continued to threaten him and accused him of being unpatriotic and did not even make note of the threats.
Muhannad al-Hassani was subsequently taken to a doctor at a government forensic clinic in Douma, a town between ‘Adra and Damascus, who issued a report on his injuries on 1 November. The case was referred to a court in Douma though Muhannad al-Hassani’s lawyers were not informed and so were unable to be present at the hearing.
The eight human rights organizations call on the Syrian authorities to carry out a prompt, thorough and transparent, independent investigation into the assault on Muhannad al-Hassani and the circumstances which led to his being exposed to such risk. In particular, they must examine whether officials at ‘Adra prison were complicit in the attack by moving the prisoner responsible into Muhannad al-Hassani’s cell to facilitate it, and why they continued to hold them in the same cell for several days afterwards. The results of such an investigation should be made public and those responsible for the attack must be brought to justice.”
The organizations also called for an immediate end to Muhannad al-Hassani’s solitary confinement and for guarantees of his safety while he remains in prison, although he should NOT be in prison to start with (see previous posts). The statement adds that “other government critics are previously reported to have been assaulted by criminal inmates, as well as prison guards, while held in ‘Adra prison. In December 2006, for example, Anwar al-Bunni, another human rights lawyer, was pushed down a flight of stairs by a criminal detainee and beaten on his head in the presence of prison guards, who failed to intervene.”
Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders also denounces beating of MEA Laureate
November 2, 2010Today, 2 November 2010, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), also condemned the beating in prison of human rights lawyer Muhannad Al-Hassani. The report describes how Muhannad Al-Hassani, a Syrian lawyer, President of the Syrian Organisation for Human Rights “Sawasiya” and Laureate of the MEA 2010, was attacked by a cell mate, a certain Mr. Mohammad Hamadi. The latter is serving time for rape, armed robbery and forming a criminal gang. It was reported that while he was beating Mr. Al-Hassani, he was screaming at him accusing him of not being a nationalist. The Observatory adds that “Following the assault, the prison authorities opened an investigation on the assault. Though the attacker threatened to kill Mr. Al-Hassani before the investigation committee, these threats were not recorded in the charge sheet. Several days after the assault, Mr. Al-Hassani remains detained in the same cell together with his attacker, despite his request to transfer the latter to another cell.”
The Observatory fears that Mr. Al-Hassani could face further acts of violence and expresses its deepest concern about his security while he continues to be arbitrarily detained, as similar attacks against other imprisoned human rights defenders were reported in the past. The Observatory also call the authorities to carry out a prompt, effective, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the above-mentioned attack, the result of which must be made public, in order to bring all those responsible before a competent court and to release Muhannad Al-Hassani, as his detention is arbitrary and it aims at punishing him for his human
International Commission of Jurists takes up case of Al-Hassani
November 2, 2010On 1 November 2010 the INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS (ICJ) followed up on the case of Al-Hassani who was beaten in jail, with a press release entitled: “Syria: Muhannad Al-Hasani, ICJ Commissioner and Martin Ennals Laureate physically assaulted in jail”. The International Commission of Jurists deplored the failure of the Syrian authorities to protect the physical integrity ICJ Commissioner Muhannad Al-Hasani, an internationally renowned lawyer and human rights defender currently serving a three-year sentence in Adra Prison, Damascus. Some of the key paragraphs are:
“Muhannad Al-Hasani was severely beaten by a prisoner who accused him of working against the interests of the Syrian nation. The prisoner is believed to have been acting at the behest of the Syrian security services. Mr. Al-Hasani is suffering from hematoma and bleeding from his eye and forehead as a result of the assault. The attack on Muhannad Al-Hasani is an attack on human rights defenders everywhere who strive to protect rights under the rule of law. The Syrian authorities have brazenly rebuffed the international community by allowing this assault in the immediate aftermath of his receiving the Martin Ennals award said Wilder Tayler, ICJ Secretary General. It is the responsibility of the Syrian authorities to protect Mr. Al-Hasani from any form of ill-treatment and they must be held accountable for these attacks, added Wilder Tayler.”
“This assault intensifies a campaign of harassment and intimidation against Mr. Al-Hasani, because A of his work as a lawyer and as a human rights defender. His present prison sentence comes after his conviction by the second criminal court of Damascus for “weakening national sentiments” following an unfair trial. Prior to this he was permanently disbarred from practicing law by the non-independent Syrian Bar Association.”
For more information, please contact Saïd Benarbia, Middle East & North Africa Legal Advisor, via: info@icj.org
Amsterdam Dean’s Award presented to Muhannad al-Hassani
October 22, 2010| On Thursday 21 October 2010, a week after the MEA ceremony in Geneva, Muhannad Al-Hassani, has also received the Amsterdam Dean’s Award. The Amsterdam Bar Association has been following his case and is convinced that the actions taken against him are textbook examples of violations of human rights. His freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of assembly, in addition to the freedom to practice his profession, have been unacceptability restricted. Muhannad al-Hassani, was very well aware of the personal risks of his work, but did not allow these to discourage him. Iyas Maleh, the son of the 80-year old Syrian lawyer, Haitham al-Maleh (who was Al-Hassani’s counsel) and who is also serving a prison sentence, accepted the award on behalf of Muhannad al-Hassani. You can read more about this and the speech given by Amsterdam Dean Germ Kemper at http://www.advocatenvooradvocaten.nl/cms/content/view/403/31/. The pressure on the Credentials Committee of the International Bar Association to throw out the Syrian Bar is growing.
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