A network of Asean civil society organisations unveiled its review of the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights [AICHR] on 20 June reports the Bangkok Post. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the 'human rights' Category
Trial Observation report re Turkish human right defender Osman İşçi, by EMHRN
July 5, 2013
On 25 June the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) published the trial observation report concerning its Executive Committee member, human rights defender and trade unionist M. Osman İşçi. He was arrested in Ankara, Turkey, one year ago on 25 June 2012, and detained at the high-level security prison of Sincan, Ankara, along with another 27 trade unionists arrested on the same date facing proceedings for allegedly supporting a terrorist organization.
The first hearing of Osman İşçi’s trial took place on 10 April in the Ankara Special Court, after ten months of pre-trial detention. Following this hearing, M. Osman İşçi and 21 other trade unionists and human rights defenders were released, however the charges against them remain and a new hearing is scheduled for the 8 July 2013. The trial observers noted that it had been conducted with courtesy by all participants, and defendants and their lawyers had been permitted to take an active part in the hearing. Nevertheless they noted with concern that a number of central features of international fair trial standards appeared to be absent from the hearing, and from the proceedings generally. To read the trial observation report please control/click here
via Observation of the trial of Osman İşçi, human rights defender and trade-unionist | Euromedrights.
Helping the police in Kenya can cost you dearly – human rights defender John Abok experienced it
June 30, 2013On 27 June 2013, human rights defender John Abok was arrested and held in police custody over allegations of impersonation. Read the rest of this entry »
SAVE THE DATE: MEA 2013 CEREMONY ON 8 OCTOBER IN GENEVA
June 29, 2013The City of Geneva and the Martin Ennals Foundation announce the 2013 edition of Martin Ennals Award, which will take place on Tuesday 8 October 2013 at 18h00 at the Uni-Dufour, Geneva. The Laureate will be announced Read the rest of this entry »
Human Rights award winner Biram Abeid returns triumphantly to Mauritania
June 28, 2013
(Picture courtesy of IRA Mauritania)
For those who are sceptical of human rights awards and their impact, the following report should give some food for thought: “Following a month-long trip across Europe,
Edward Snowden portrayed as a Human Rights Defender by US groups
June 28, 2013In a post on 4 June under the title “Bradley Manning not a Prisoner of Conscience for Amnesty International ?” I related the controversy surrounding the status of human rights defender for Breadly Manning. On 13 June, under title “Snowden a human rights defender? – Russia seems to think so” I referred to a similar issue with regard Read the rest of this entry »
Pillay discusses 20 years Vienna
June 27, 2013
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Thursday 27 June said there had been significant achievements since a historic human rights document was adopted in Vienna 20 years ago, but there have also been many setbacks and “the magnificent construction is still only half built.” Read the rest of this entry »
The EU should toughen its stand on Bahrain on 30 June say 6 big NGOs
June 27, 2013A JOINT STATEMENT by the following 6 international NGOs: Front Line Defenders, Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR), Human Rights Watch (HRW), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) urge the EU to call for the release of human rights defenders and peaceful protest leaders in Read the rest of this entry »
Russian Rights Defender Gannushkina Fined For Refusing Documents
June 26, 2013
(Svetlana Gannushkina)Prominent Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina has been fined for refusing to provide documents demanded by prosecutors. A court in Moscow ruled late on June 18 that the chairwoman of Moscow-based Civic Collaboration Committee must pay 2,000 rubles (50 Euro) for failing to turn over papers related to the financial activities of her organization. Gannushkina, a Soviet-era veteran rights defender, has been refusing to provide the documents to investigators since April. Prosecutors made the request under the new law requiring all nongovernmental organizations that receive foreign funding and engage in political activity to register as ‘foreign agents’. [Last week, a Moscow court rejected an appeal by Russia’s independent election monitor, Golos, against the 300,000 ruble $9,500 fine imposed on the group under the legislation.] Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS
via Russian Rights Defender Fined For Refusing Demand For Documents.
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Human Rights Film makers kidnapped in Sulu, Philippines
June 26, 2013
UNIDENTIFIED GUNMEN abducted two Moro filmmakers who were working on an independent film project in troubled Sulu province in the Southern Philippines over the weekend. Read the rest of this entry »
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 