Archive for the 'human rights' Category
February 19, 2012
On 6 March 2012, the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) will organise a side-event to United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, where UN and Latin American experts will come together to study and publicize the conditions of human rights defenders working in the Americas.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ (IACHR) has it own Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Mr José de Jesús Orozco. His report will highlights an increase in assassinations, extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances of human rights defenders in the region since 2006, particularly in those countries where democratic rule is interrupted, where there is internal armed conflict, or where clashes occur between defenders and organised crime groups or powerful economic actors. In response, the IACHR has ordered many American States to take specific action to protect defenders. These protection measures have been issued primarily to Colombia (27 percent), Guatemala (24 percent), and Honduras (9 percent).
At the same event, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Ms Margaret Sekaggya will present ISHR’s report on the situation of defenders in Colombia. The findings are the result of research into whether recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur have been effectively implemented in Colombia, following her visit to the country in 2009. The report portrays a Colombian Government showing a more constructive attitude in its dealings with human rights defenders. However, it also identifies a failure to mainstream this attitude among local authorities, a worrying increase in attacks on human rights defenders in the past year, and the limited success of State authorities in investigating and addressing such attacks. Executive Director of the Colombian Commission of Jurists, Mr Gustavo Gallón will go on to provide a civil society view on the ISHR report and the situation of defenders in Colombia.
Further information about the event can be downloaded here.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: Colombia, Geneva, Guatemala, Honduras, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, José de Jesús Orozco, Latin America, Margaret Sekaggya, United Nations Special Rapporteur
February 17, 2012
The Stockholm-based NGO “Civil Rights Defenders” is concerned about the recent threats and attacks against members of its partner organisation, the Helsinki Committee in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“It is crucial that the authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina condemn the attacks against the members of the Helsinki Committee and other human rights defenders. It is their responsibility to bring about an environment where human rights defenders can operate freely without fear of reprisals”, said Goran Miletic, Programme Director at Civil Rights Defenders.
In mid January, the newspaper Oslobodenje published two defamatory articles about Vera Jovanovic, President of the Helsinki Committee in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and other members of the organisation. The articles contained statements that could incite to hostile opinions against the members of the Helsinki Committee. This was not the first time. In October 2011, a group named Herzeg-Bosnia Republican Alternative directed serious threats against the former President of the Helsinki Committee, Srdjan Dizdarevic, and the current President, Vera Jovanovic, on the website http://www.poskok.info.
Civil Rights Defenders – We condemn the attacks against the Helsinki Committee.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Civil Rights Defenders, Goran Miletic, Helsinki Committee, Human Rights Defenders
February 16, 2012
While many of us are in despair over the inaction by the Security Council due to the exercise of a veto on geopolitical grounds, one high level official, Mrs Pillay, at least speaks out relentlessly, recently at the General Assembly of the UN in New York. The short video here embedded was uploaded by the UN:
States must “act now” to protect Syrian people, UN human rights chief tells General Assembly – YouTube.
Posted in films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: arrests, civil war, General Assembly, human rights violations, humanitarian law, mass killings, Pillay, sexual violence, Syria, torture, UN, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
February 15, 2012
Further to my post from yesterday I am glad to report that MEA Laureate Kahsa is for the moment safe. But I cannot resist to provide some quotes from the Guardian article which speak for themselves in demonstrating the state of mind of the minister concerned which is, to use an understatement, confused and, when invoking terrorism, even dangerous :
“Simon Lokodo, the minister for ethics and integrity, was accompanied by police to a hotel where he told activists their workshop was an “illegal assembly” and ordered them out. Defending his actions later, Lokodo told the Guardian: “You should not allow people to plan the destruction of your country. You cannot allow terrorists to organise to destroy your country. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists are reportedly referring to the shutting down of Tuesday’s workshop at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe as a “Valentine’s massacre”. But Lokodo expressed no regrets. “It was an illegal meeting because we were not informed,” he said. “We found out the meeting was being organised by people from within and without. People from Europe and other African countries outside Uganda. They were recruiting people to go out and divulge the ideology of LGBT. In Uganda, the culture, tradition and laws do not support bestiality and lesbianism. They were illegally associating.” He added: “We tolerate them, we give them liberty and freedom to do their business, but we don’t like them to organise and associate.”
The minister also tried to order the arrest of Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, a prominent LGBT rights activist. The winner of the 2011 Martin Ennals award for human rights defenders was forced to flee the hotel. “I wanted to arrest a lady who was abusing me and calling me a liar,” Lokodo said. “I want to subject her to a court of law. She must be arrested. This is hooliganism. You cannot be insulted in this country. We must be a civilised country. This particular one was talking like she came from the bush.”
Ugandan minister shuts down gay rights conference | World news | The Guardian.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, MEA | Leave a Comment »
Tags: arrest, award, freedom of association, gay rights, Guardian, Human Rights Defenders, Kasha, LGBT, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, Uganda
February 15, 2012
Gulfnews reports that Iraq’s first human rights film festival,
Baghdad Eye, will be launched on February 25. The films selected for the inaugural festival are documentaries and feature films, addressing human rights issues in three major areas: violence and discrimination against women, children’s rights and freedom of thought and expression. Screenings will be followed by discussions involving academics, researchers and people specialising in Iraq ‘s human-rights issues. Organisers hope it will help Iraqis understand and claim their rights. Some of festival events will be taken to the cities of Basra, Najaf and Salahuddin. Baghdad Eye was launched with the support from the Czech non-government organisation, People In Need, as well as the
United Nations Development Programme,
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Iraqi Association for the Support of Culture, an independent, non-profit organisation that supports cultural activity and production in the country, was founded in 2005 by a group of Iraqi intellectuals, including the late artists Mohammad Ghani Hikmet and Muayid Ni’meh. The Independent Film & Television College was founded in 2004 by Iraqi filmmakers Kasim Abid and Maysoon Pachachi, as a free-of-charge TV and film training and development centre that supports students, provides them with equipment to make their own films and informs them of training courses inside the country and abroad. source: http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iraq/iraq-to-hold-first-human-rights-film-festival-1.981075
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Tags: Baghdad Eye, film festival, human rights, Iraq, People in Need, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Unesco, United Nations Development Programme
February 14, 2012
Amnesty International reports today that a Ugandan cabinet minister raided a workshop run by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists in Entebbe.
The Minister for Ethics and Integrity, Simon Lokodo, who was accompanied by police, announced that the workshop was illegal and ordered the rights activists out of the hotel where it was being held. He told activists that if they did not leave immediately, he would use force against them.
“This is an outrageous attempt to prevent lawful and peaceful activities of human rights defenders in Uganda,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
The Minister also attempted to order the arrest of Kasha Jacqueline Nabagasera, a prominent LGBT rights activist and winner of the 2011 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, who was forced to flee from the hotel. The reasons for the attempted arrest were not immediately clear, but were reported to be linked to Kasha Jacqueline’s attempt to challenge the Minister’s actions.
The move comes days after the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was re-tabled in the Ugandan Parliament. The Government of Uganda has sought to distance itself from the Bill, stating that the bill did not enjoy government support. However, “the Government’s claimed opposition to the Bill needs to be supported through their actions. The Ugandan government must allow legitimate, peaceful gatherings of human rights defenders, including those working on LGBT rights,” said Salil Shetty.
If the Anti-Homosexuality Bill becomes law, it would violate international human rights law and lead to further human rights violations.
via Uganda: Government raid on LGBT-rights workshop | Amnesty International.
Posted in Amnesty international, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 4 Comments »
Tags: Amnesty International, anti-homosexuality, Kasha, LGBT rights, Martin Ennals Award, MEA, Salil Shetty, Uganda
February 13, 2012
On 10 February 2012, the Regional Office for Southern Africa of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (ROSA) launched a Human Rights Resource Centre at the Oliver Tambo Law Library at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. The inauguration ceremony took place on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Class of the LLM in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa, hosted by the Human Rights Centre of the University of Pretoria. The establishment of the Human Rights Resource Centre at the University of Pretoria is part of a larger project whereby ROSA aims to establish human rights resource centres in the Southern African countries overseen by ROSA. The establishment of the next human rights resource centre will be in Maputo, Mozambique, as part of the Human Rights Centre of the Faculty of Law at the Universidade E. Mondlane, and is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2012.
via United Nations in South Africa » News Archive » Establishment of The Human Rights Resource Centre at The OLIVER TAMBO Law Library, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
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Tags: human rights, Mozambique, resource centre, South Africa, southern africa, UN
February 13, 2012
The following story illustrates very well how HRDs straddle the issue of civil rights in relation to social and economic rights. It comes from the reliable Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
A troop of twenty-five rangers illegally raided the house of Mr. Muhammad Ali Shah, a human rights activist and chairperson of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum.
On Thursday 9 February, 2012 around 7pm in the evening, Mr. Shah participated in a protest organised by the labourers of M/S MASCO (A German Garments Factory in Karachi) against the unjust and inhuman working conditions imposed by the management. The peaceful protesters were fired upon resulting in many casualties. Moreover, a number of protesters were abducted by the police. They were given no reason for their arrest. Mr. Shah condemned the acts of the factory management and unlawful support of the police. He talked to the officials and had the labourers released. This infuriated the factory owner and he contacted one of his friends in the Rangers named Lt. Col. Jawaid.
The Rangers already had a grudge against Mr. Shah and. Lt. Col. Jawaid therefore wasted no time in taking up his friend’s unofficial complaint. The same evening he phoned Mr. Muhammad Ali Shah, abused him verbally and threatened him with kidnapping and death. He warned Mr. Shah to keep himself away from social work or get ready to bear the harsh consequences. Mr. Shah replied that he was not undertaking any unlawful acts and that he was only showing support to the people who are victims of injustice.
Lt. Col. Jawaid became even angrier and sent 20-25 armed Rangers at around midnight to kidnap Mr. Shah and teach him a lesson. The soldiers cordoned off the area where Mr. Shah lives as if they were acting against some terrorist threat and raided his house without having any legal order or complaint in black and white. Fortunately, Mr, Shah was not at home at that time otherwise he might have been treated brutally before being abducted.
The urgent appeal by the Asian Human Rights Commission then goes on to give more detailed background information and to issue a call for action. See: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-022-2012
Posted in AHRC, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Asian Human Rights Commission, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Pakistan, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, protest, Rangers
January 29, 2012
The ex-dictator of Guatemala, General Efraín Ríos Montt, has to face charges of genocide in a Guatemalan court and was placed under house arrest. The culmination of decades of work by human rights advocates, forensic scientists and survivors of the Guatemalan genocide forced former dictator General Efraín Ríos Montt to appear in court Thursday after 30 years of impunity, for a hearing to decide whether there was enough evidence to take him to trial on charges of genocide. This was a major event in Guatemala with hundreds of Maya people coming down from the highlands to gather in front of the courthouse, holding a candle vigil for the their murdered family members.
The prosecution spent hours presenting overwhelming evidence in the form of military documents, exhumation reports, photos and footage from the film Granito: How To Nail A Dictator, linking Ríos Montt directly to hundreds of deaths and disappearances. Surviving family members, Ixil Maya in traditional dress, crowded the standing room only courtroom in stunned silence. Some wept. Outside the courthouse, in an open area now named Human Rights Plaza, hundreds more watched the proceedings on a huge screen. I reported in an earlier post on the film Granito: How To Nail A Dictator which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. (The defense argued that Ríos Montt did not have command responsibility over his Army officers in the highlands, and that he was not responsible for the massacres. This is belied by a clip from Granito that the prosecution and the Guatemalan media used to show the general taking command responsibility, saying that “If I don’t control the army, then who does?”)
Judge Carol Patricia Flores deliberated for hours and returned her decision to prosecute Ríos Montt on charges of genocide, place him under house arrest, and set bail for USD $65,000. People hugged, cheered and set off firecrackers outside when the Judge read her decision stating that “the extermination of the civilian population was the result of military plans, and that these plans were executed under the command of Ríos Montt.”
Posted in films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: Efraín Ríos Montt, genocide, Granito, Guatemala, human rights, Maya peoples, Sundance Film Festival
January 26, 2012
It is good to see that not only human rights functionaries in the EU express themselves when confronted with human rights issues: Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, met the Vice-President of the Belarusian Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, Valiantin Stefanovic, to discuss the situation of human rights activists in Belarus. In this context, the Commissioner expressed his concerns about the ongoing politically motivated targeting of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”.
Their meeting took place after the Minsk City Court rejected the cassation appeal of renowned human rights defender and President of “Viasna” and Vice-President of the
International Federation for Human Rights Ales Bialiatski, who was sentenced on 24 November 2011 on politically motivated grounds as a consequence of his work to the benefit of victims of repression.
Commissioner Füle expressed his deep concern over this decision and reiterated the EU’s call on Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mr Bialiatski and to drop the charges against him and against his deputy Valiantsin Stefanovic.
Belarus: Commissioner Füle with the activists of Viasna and FIDH.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Ales Bialiatski, Belarus, European Neighbourhood Policy, European Union, Human right, human rights, International Federation for Human Rights, Viasna Human Rights Centre, Štefan Füle
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 