Archive for the 'human rights' Category
May 12, 2014
On 12 May 2014 Charter97 brings a story that shows that Belarus finds it awkward to let human rights defenders into the country but it equally that high-level intervention by sports officials can help. According to Christer Englund, the President of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, the detention of Paulina Kluge and the earlier detention of Martin Uggla are obvious violations of the arrangements between the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Belarusian authorities. “No visas are needed for those having a ticket for a hockey match. It shouldn’t matter what your name is,” Christer Englund said. “The issue is now being discussed on the level of Lukashenka and Fasel.” Paulina Kluge was allowed to enter Belarus in the end he said in interview with SVD sport.
Human rights defender Martin Uggla, who had been deported from Belarus earlier, wrote on Facebook: “Another Swedish human rights activist from Östgruppen – Paulina Kluge – was detained at the airport in Minsk on May 9. She was waiting for the deportation. My case was being discussed at the highest level (Fasel and Lukashenka) at that time. They began to discuss both issues. As a result, Paulina was allowed to enter the country! They said it was a ‘technical error’. As for my status, there’s no new information so far”. https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/human-rights-defenders-call-for-release-political-prisoners-during-ice-hockey-world-championship-in-belarus/
[About 30 opposition activists have been detained by the police in the last two weeks]
Swedish human rights activist detained at Minsk airport – Charter97 :: News from Belarus – Belarusian News – Republic of Belarus – Minsk.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: access, Belarus, Charter97, Christer Englund, Human Rights Defenders, Ice Hockey World Championship, illegal detention, Martin Uggla, Minsk, Paulina Kluge, political prisoners, Sweden, Swedish Ice Hockey Association, woman human rights defender
May 12, 2014
On 30 April 2014, an investigative officer in Russia ordered the psychiatric assessment of human rights defender Ms Tatiana Kotlyar in relation to an ongoing criminal investigation into the allegations that she falsely allowed dozens of migrants to illegally register her own apartment as their place of residence. [Tatiana Kotlyar is the deputy of Obninsk city council and is the chair of the Kaluga movement “For Human Rights”, which specialises in the protection of minority rights, including the rights of Roma and migrants. Since 2011, Tatiana Kotlyar has been allowing dozens of migrants to register her apartment as their place of residence for free. The Investigative Officer Zimin ordered the psychiatric examination, even though Tatiana Kotlyar has no history of psychiatric difficulties and has never received psychiatric treatment. Front Line believes that the decision may be linked to the fact that the human rights defender did not require payment for providing residence registration for more than a hundred people.] For actions see: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/25865/action
In the meantime Front Line Defenders informs us of the death of Elena Ryabinina, a much admired Russian human rights defender, on 4 May 2014 in Moscow, aged 59. Since 2002, Ryabinina had been fighting for the rights of refugees seeking asylum from Central Asian countries. She was renowned for the compassion, enthusiasm, and optimism with which she worked to achieve better rights for refugees and asylum seekers. She must have saved dozens of Uzbeks and Tajiks who sought asylum. Although she did not have formal legal training, Ryabinina developed an impressive knowledge of asylum laws, and consulted and defended people seeking political and religious asylum. She worked with the Civic Assistance Committee and the Memorial Human Rights Center and headed the Right to Asylum program at the Institute for Human Rights.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: asylum seekers, Central Asia, Elena Ryabinina, forced psychiatric treatment, Front Line (NGO), Human Rights Defenders, in memoriam, migrants, minority rights, psychiatric assessment, refugees, roma, Russia, Tatiana Kotlyar, women human rights defenders
May 11, 2014
For the weekend a longer read: On 22 April 2014, human rights defender Dr Yuri Melini in Guatemala discovered that intimidating text had been painted on his front gate. The text names the member of the police provided as personal security to the human rights defender since an assassination attempt was made against him. Yuri Melini is the Director of the Centro de Acción Legal, Ambiental y Social de Guatemala (CALAS) – Legal, Environmental and Social Action Centre of Guatemala. CALAS is an organisation working for the strengthening of environmental issues, community participation and respect for the collective rights of indigenous communities in relation to environmental concerns. The human rights defender was awarded the Front Line Defenders Award in 2009. The human rights defender has previously faced harassment, intimidation, defamation and an attempt on his life as a result of his human rights work, see: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/23190 [Last year eighteen human rights defenders were assassinated, a 72-percent increase over 2012, even as the country’s general murder rate has decreased.]
To place this incident in context one should read the report by Patricia DAVIS published in Eurasia Review of 28 April 2014: “GUATEMALA: SUPPRESSING DISSENT AT HOME AND ABROAD – ANALYSIS”
After a lengthy introduction concerning the ad personam attack by Guatemalan President Molina on Tim Rieser, majority clerk on the Senate State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee (for blocking military aid), the article dives into the numerous human rights problems in the country. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, ICJ | Leave a Comment »
Tags: death threats, environmental issues, extrajudicial killings, Front Line (NGO), Guatemala, Human Rights Defenders, indigenous groups, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, International Commission of Jurists, intimidation, land disputes, Mining, Pérez Molina, trade unionists, Tuyuc, Yuri Melini
May 10, 2014
A few days ago Erykah Badu on Twitter remained obstinate over her scheduled performance in The Gambia. Other bloggers (e.g. http://yafri.ca/erykah-badu-faces-criticism-over-her-performance-for-gambian-president/) are adding to the noise by pointing out that President Jammeh’s regime consistently cracks down on the opposition and the media. In its submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Gambia, the human rights organisation, Amnesty International, stated “Since Gambia’s first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2010, the human rights situation in the country has deteriorated. The government continues to stifle freedom of expression and commit other human rights violations with impunity.” An online campaign has been put in place by web users to enlighten the singer about the Gambian dictator. See Facebook and twitter campaign of disapproval [@fatbellybella]. HOWEVER in the meantime it seems that Erykah Badu has decided NOT to attend Gambia’s much publicized Roots Homecoming Festival. Especially Gambian dissidents based in the United States have repeatedly prevailed on the Grammy winning artist not to attend the festival. ..Interestingly the singer’s likely absence has angered Gambian artist Gibou Balla Gaye, who goes with the street name Gee. Perhaps good to note here that Gee is the son of Balla Gaye, Gambia’s former Finance Minister.
Anyway it is nice to be able to point to better examples, such as Celina Jaitly in India who tackled the taboo of gay relations. The United Nations Free & Equal Campaign published on 29 April 2014 this first-ever Bollywood music video for gay rights, featuring Bollywood star Celina Jaitly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lihVCIFamb0 [sorry you have CONTR/click as the embedding does not work – but worth a view!!].
https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/erykah-badu-unapologetic-about-her-human-rights-performance-and-plans-to-repeat-in-the-gambia/
http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/newsid367/9872/Gee-The-Fake-Ass-Gambian-Artist-Is-Crying-Over-Erykah-Badus-Failure-To-Attend-Gambias-Roots-Homecoming-Festival–/Default.aspx
Posted in human rights | 1 Comment »
Tags: AI, Amnesty International, Bollywood, Celina Jaitly, Erykah Badu, Gambia, gay rights, Gee, human rights violations, images, India, LGBTI, music, President Jammeh, star power, the Gambia, video clips
May 8, 2014
It took a lot of wrangling but finally the President of the Human Rights Council has transmitted the list of candidates for mandate holders to be appointed on 8 May 2014 at the organizational meeting of the Human Rights Council. Michel Forst will succeed Margaret Sekaggya as Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders. To see the letter and list of all mandate holders: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6XUJ0SW4C68V0pTN25LdDhDTlk/edit
For previous posts in the saga see: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/un-special-rapporteur-on-human-rights-defenders/, with a picture of Michel Forst in the post of 13 March.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: Geneva, Human Rights Council, mandate holders, Margaret Sekaggya, Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, UN, UN Special Rapporteur
May 7, 2014
Having posted on the Natalia bracelet and the Panic Button recently as alarm systems for human rights defenders in danger, it is good to also draw attention to the dangers that are inherent in the ‘normal’ use of mobile phones. Tactical Tech has quite a bit to say about mobile phone security: Human Rights Defenders are exposed to many potential threats – from governments, private companies, organised groups – in the course of their work. Therefore, they should be aware of dangers and necessary security measures to be taken if deciding to communicate by mobile phone, which remains an easy-to-spy-on device. Tactical Tech has produced a number of resources about phone security.
Security in a Box has a chapter entitled “How to Use Smartphones as Securely as Possible” and one on using mobile phonesas securely as possible.
Me and My Shadow has a chapter on geolocation services for smartphones and the risks they carry, as well as tips for those using SMS and MMS.
Finally, have a look at the Guardian Project’s website, created by a group of activists dedicated to creating open source apps to increase security and privacy on smartphones.
via Mobile phone security | Exposing the Invisible.
https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/natalia-project/
https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/amnesty-releases-today-long-awaited-panic-button-for-human-rights-defenders/
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: digital security, electronic surveillance, Human Rights Defenders, mobile phone security, mobile phones, Natalia bracelet, Panic Button, right to privacy, Security-in-a-box, SMS, Tactical Tech, Tactical Tech Collective
May 6, 2014
The disappearance of Karen activist “Billy” has prompted the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights UNHCHR to condemn the “pattern of killings and forced disappearances of environmental activists in Southeast Asia” and to urge authorities to conduct thorough and independent investigations. “We are concerned about the lack of progress with an investigation into the disappearance of a prominent human rights defender in Thailand,” UNHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville said in a statement released on Friday 2 May. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, OHCHR, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: Billy, Cambodia, Chut Wutty, disappearances, environmental activists, environmental issues, Human Rights Defenders, indigenous groups, Karen, killings, Land issues, Laos, Philippines, Pholachi Rakchongcharoen, Rupert Colville, Sombath Somphone, South-east asia, Thailand, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
May 6, 2014
While not directly about Human Rights Defenders, this workshop organised by the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN and others (see below) is of great importance to HRDs as they are the ones who provide most of the information to the Treaty Bodies, and are often the victims of the violations reported, including reprisals against them for having cooperated. Thus, this meeting on “The outcome of the treaty body strengthening process: Lessons learnt, implications and implementation” should be of interest to all. It takes place on 9 May 2014, 9.30am to 1pm in Room XXII, Palais des Nations, Geneva. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: Andrew Clapham, Geneva, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, international human rights law, international human rights treaties, meeting, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN, reprisals, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, treaty bodies, UN
May 5, 2014
On 2 May 2014 the Human Rights Foundation announced as the recipients of its 2014 Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent the Turkish performance artist Erdem Gunduz, Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot, and imprisoned Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen. They will be honored at a ceremony during the Oslo Freedom Forum on Wednesday, May 14. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in awards, films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Foundation | 1 Comment »
Tags: awards, China, Dhondup Wangchen, digest of human rights awards, Erdem Gunduz, human rights awards, Leaving Fear Behind, on-line, Oslo, Pussy Riot, Russia, Standing Man, Tibet, Turkey, Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent
May 5, 2014
Via the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD IC) I received the information that women’s rights organization, Society Without Violence, in Armenia was attacked by extremist groups. The Society Without Violence works on women’s empowerment, peace building, raising public awareness on gender stereotypes and gender based violence, and the protection for women human rights defenders. On 15 April 2014, a roundtable (due to recent threats the event was a closed session) was interrupted by neo-nationalist extremist group members protesting the event. As the extremist groups tried to enter the conference room, some verbally attacked members of Society Without Violence, while others used physical force on human rights defenders and hotel security guards. Members of local and official media who arrived with the extremist protestors filmed the incident, but later falsely claimed that the Society Without Violence initiated the violent attack. This attack seems to be part of an increasing pattern and women human rights defenders in Armenia are targeted with threats and violence for carrying on their human rights works.
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Tags: Armenia, attack, Human Rights Defenders, intimidation, protection, Society Without Violence, threats, violence, WHRD IC, women human rights defenders, Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 