Archive for the 'human rights' Category
March 5, 2013
In IPP Media of 5 March 2013 appears a lengthy piece by correspondent GERALD KITABU who interviewed the head of the NGO ‘Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition’ (THRD-Coalition) Mr ONESMO OLENGURUMWA on the protection of human rights defenders in Tanzania. It interesting to see such an article which demonstrates the depth of the Human Rights Defenders issue at the local level. Here follow a few quotes:
QUESTION: Who is a human right defender?
ANSWER: A human rights defender is any individual, groups and organs of society seeking to promote and protect universally recognized human rights and freedom. Human rights defenders include lawyers, judges, journalists, whistle blowers, bloggers, students, religious leaders, trade unionists and any other person working to combat human rights abuses in a peaceful manner.
Q: What is the current situation of human rights defenders in Tanzania?
A: Our organization has recorded a number of security incidents towards human rights defenders. Despite being change agents, these activists are continuously harassed, detained, interrogated, imprisoned, tortured and even at times paying the ultimate price when they are killed for what they do. A good example is the last year’s killing of Iringa based Channel Ten journalist Daudi Mwangosi, the barbaric and brutal torture of Dr. Stephen Ulimboka, the death of Issa Gumba, the suspicious death of women human right defender in Mara Eustace Nyarugenda who was the director of Action Based Foundation, continuing constant threats towards other journalists like Cosmas Makongo, Josephat Isango, Charless Misango, the indefinite ban of Mwanahalisi and the arbitrary arrest of human rights defenders. These are just few incidents that paints a bad picture on the map of Tanzania when it comes to observing human rights….
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Human right, human rights, human rights abuses, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, impunity, IPP media, journalists, Non-governmental organization, Non-state actor, ONESMO OLENGURUMWA, protection, Tanzania, THRD-Coalition, UN Declaration
March 4, 2013
On Thursday 7 March 2013 will take place “The Human Voices of Freedom – Securing Human Rights Online” event: a panel discussion and interactive webcast with human rights activists from across the globe at the Human Rights Council, highlighting the importance of protecting freedom of expression on-line. This public event, sponsored by the U.S. Mission to the UN, is to take place from on 7 March from 1pm to 3pm in room XXIII/United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Internet Freedom Fellows program brings human rights activists from across the globe to Geneva, Washington, DC, and Silicon Valley to meet with fellow activists, U.S. and international government leaders, and members of civil society and the private sector engaged in technology and human rights. This year’s Internet Freedom Fellows are human rights activists and active practitioners of digital media from China, Russia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sudan.
Please note: Registration is only required for those attendees who do not hold a United Nations badge.
via Internet Freedom Fellows | Event Registration Page: The Human Voices of Freedom – Securing Human Rights Online.
Posted in human rights | Leave a Comment »
Tags: China, freedom of information, Geneva, Ghana, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, internet, Internet Freedom Fellows, Nigeria, on-line, Russia, side event, Silicon Valley, Sudan, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights Council, US permanent mission to the UN, USA
March 4, 2013
The ongoing session 22nd of the UN Human Rights Council has many interesting issues that relate directly or indirectly to human rights defenders. One of the organizations that provides regular comments is the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) in Geneva. Below is an example and anyone interested to follow developments should subscribe: http://www.ishr.ch/council
On Thursday 28 February 2013, the High Commissioner Mrs Pillay presented her annual report, outlining a number of thematic priorities, including tackling discrimination on all grounds, ensuring accountability for human rights violations, and strengthening human rights mechanisms. Following the presentation of the report a number of States took the floor to respond. The High Commissioner faced criticism from States unhappy with her highlighting of particular country and thematic situations of concern during her annual update to the Human Rights Council. Her call on States to ensure that no individual faces discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, was met once again with categorical denial by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation OIC that any such responsibility exists in international human rights law. The OIC reproached the High Commissioner for promoting a notion that is ‘outside the framework of international human rights law’. The OIC has expressed this position many times previously, but it is increasingly anachronistic given the mounting acceptance at the Council that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as shown by its adoption of a resolution on this subject in June 2011 and subsequent holding of a panel discussion. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Geneva, Germany, High Commissioner, Human right, International Service for Human Rights, ISHR, LGBT rights, Navanethem Pillay, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Sri Lanka, United Nations Human Rights Council
March 4, 2013
Several NGOs continue to follow closely the development in Bahrain, sadly the subject of may posts in this blog. Here HRF’s and Frontline’s recent statements:
Human Rights First (HRF) says that this week will see a series of high profile court hearings in Bahrain, exposing the authorities continued use of judicial harassment against human rights defenders and activists. On Sunday March 3, Halima Abdulaziz al Sabag is due to hear an appeal verdict. She is a dental assistant and was sentenced to a year in prison after she was convicted for allegedly taking first aid material from the hospital where she worked to treat injured protesters. On Monday March 4, the Bahrain government will continue to press a case against leading human rights defender Said Yousif Al Muhafda of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights for information he tweeted about police using birdshot against protesters. On Tuesday March 5, the appeal of 23 medics is due to return to court. They have all been convicted and sentenced to three months in prison after treating injured protesters in 2011. “This continuing crackdown in the courts tells us more about the reality of what’s happening in Bahrain than the speeches its officials are giving to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva this week,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley…….. Other prominent human rights leaders, including President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab, remain in jail. Please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3323. 
via Bahrain’s Targeting of Civil Society with Judicial Harassment Continues | Human Rights First.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Front Line, HRF, human rights | 2 Comments »
Tags: Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, Bahrain, Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, bahrain government, Brian Dooley, Front Line Defenders, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights First, illegal detention, judicial harassment, Manama, medical, Middle East, Nabeel Rajab, NGOs, persecution, Said Yousif Al Muhafda, Zainab Al-Khawaja
March 4, 2013
In one of my posts of last week I referred to the panicked, knee-jerk reaction of the Sri Lankan Government to the showing of the film No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka at the UN in Geneva. Now I have come across a much more reasonable and constructive reaction published in the Sri Lankan The Island of 1 march 2013. The whole piece is worth reading; here follow just some excerpts for those pressed for time:
Every time, the United Nations Human Rights Council meets in session or one of the international Human Rights Organizations issues a statement on violations of human rights in Sri Lanka, the government of Sri Lanka gets into a combat mode. Their response follows the rule that attack is the best form of defence. The attack takes the form of personal abuse directed at the human rights defenders; there is no attempt to meet the issues of violations that have been raised. Its apologists and other hangers-on merely follow suit with hysterical outbursts against the United Nations, the international community and the local human rights defenders. None of them seem to care to read the reports released by the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights or by the different human rights organizations. Their criticism of the reports is therefore not informed and raises more issues than clarifying any. Mahinda Samarasinghe [the SL Ambassador] is normally not prone to such hysterical responses; his speech at the current sessions of the UNHRC therefore seems untypical of him.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: FIFHR, film, film festival, Geneva, Geneva Human Rights Film Festival, Hague, human rights, humanitarian law, impunity, investigation, Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, LLRC, Navanethem Pillay, No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan government, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights Council, war crimes
March 4, 2013
Posted in AI, Amnesty international, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 2 Comments »
Tags: AI, Amnesty International, Angélica Bello, armed security guards, Colombia, death threats, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, killing, Latin America, protection, sexual violence, women human rights defenders
March 4, 2013
It seems that International Women’s Day is increasingly becoming a day on which human rights defenders become a central theme. An example is York University in the UK where 8 international human rights defenders studying at the University of York’s Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR) spoke in recognition of International Women’s Day on Saturday 2 March about their experiences as “Women of the Front Line”. Relaying their own backgrounds and the influences that encouraged them to begin defending human rights, the women spoke for over an hour on displacement of women and children in periods of conflict, inequalities of women’s rights in their countries’ legal systems, and on cases of domestic violence including beating and rape. The speakers included, Karak Denyok Miakol, a social worker and the founder of Diar for Rehabilitation and Development Association DRDA, Samira Hamidi, the Country Director of the Afghan Women’s Network, Kultan Sh. Hassan, the human rights officer of the Women’s Action for Advocacy and Progress Organisation in Somaliland and Lineo Tsikoane, a human rights defender from Lesotho. Challenging the traditions and cultures of society presents these women with constant challenges and threats; Lineo Tsikoane admitted how “on many occasions I do not sleep at home” for fear of being arrested by the government. Questioned on the conflict between being a human rights defender and a mother, all acknowledged the challenge, but as Kultan Sh. Hussan stated, they accept that “we have a responsibility more than that”. They also emphasised the importance of engaging men in their campaigns and ensuring that women had equal access to education. They encouraged the use of letter writing, internet petitions and campaigns here in support of their causes as a source of solidarity and inspiration that their plight is being acknowledged 
internationally. Sanna Eriksson, the Centre Coordinator for the CAHR, hoped that the event would foster a better engagement of these International Human Rights Defenders and the local community in York as well as raise awareness of International Women’s Day. The event also showcased poetry by the Human Rights Defenders, depicting personal insights on issues of female genital mutilation and the continuing oppression of women’s voices around the world.
York’s CAHR is planning a special issue of its respected Journal of Human Rights Practice on the topic of the Protection of Human Rights Defenders for the last quarter of this year.
via Showcase of International Human Rights Campaigners | Nouse.
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Tags: Advocacy Organizations, CAHR, Centre for Applied Human Rights, Human right, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, international women's day, protection, Somaliland, Special Rapporteur, United Nations, women human rights defenders, Women's rights, York university
March 1, 2013
It is well-known that the Netherlands give a high priority to support of human rights defenders and their organisations. In his address to the high-level segment of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva on 25 February, the new foreign minister Frans Timmermans confirmed that this is indeed one of his main priorities.‘Human rights defenders and organisations are having to deal with more and more obstruction and being treated as criminals,’ Mr Timmermans said. ‘In many more parts of the world, repression directed against bloggers, journalists and members of the public is increasing. This is simply unacceptable.’ Women’s rights are another of Mr Timmermans’ priorities. The Netherlands takes a stand against every form of violence against women – from rape to honour killing and human trafficking. It is also actively promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights and the participation of women in society. ‘Men must be less self-centred and give women more rights,’ Mr Timmermans continued. ‘This helps the world to move forward – and men benefit from it.’ A third Dutch priority is to promote the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders LGBT. In about 80 countries, same-sex relations are a criminal offence and in seven countries, punishable by death. ‘There are three things we need to do,’ said Mr Timmermans. ‘Promote acceptance, fight discrimination and stop the criminalisation of gay people.’ Mr Timmermans also met with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navanetham Pillay and discussed ways of opposing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition the Minister had talks with NGOs actively involved in promoting LGBT rights.
via Top priority for the Netherlands: supporting human rights defenders | News item | Government.nl.
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Tags: Foreign Policy, Frans Timmermans, Geneva, harassment, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, legal restrictions, LGBT, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Navanethem Pillay, Netherlands, Non-governmental organization, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Human Rights Council, Women Human Rights
March 1, 2013
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 3 Comments »
Tags: Geneva, Human right, Human Rights Council, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights House Foundation, legislation, Non-governmental organization, Norway, protection, Special Rapporteur, UN Resolution, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights Council
For years Angélica Bello, a human rights defender from Colombia, rarely spent a day alone – that would have been, simply, too dangerous. A number of threats against her because of her job helping the many survivors of sexual violence – women caught up in Colombia’s long-running armed conflict – meant that it was too dangerous for the 45-year-old mother of four to travel alone. In 2000, two of her daughters were kidnapped and kept as sexual slaves by paramilitaries, and were only released after Angélica personally intervened. 
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 