Archive for the 'organisations' Category
March 20, 2014
On 17 March 2014 UAE human rights defender Mr Osama Al-Najjar was arrested as he returned home from visiting his father in prison. Front Line Defenders states that he was held at his home for approximately three hours before being brought to an unknown location by state security forces. No charges have been brought against the human rights defender thus far. Osama Al-Najjar is the son of one of the so-called UAE94 – 94 individuals including human rights defenders sentenced to 7 to 15 years imprisonment on charges of attempting to overthrow the government. Osama Al-Najjar’s father is serving eleven years in prison. The son lobbies for detainees’ rights and disseminates information regarding conditions and ill-treatment particularly via social media websites. He has also appeared on television and given talks on the case of the UAE94. It is alleged that this arrest is directly related to his online activism.
[On 16 March 2014 Osama Al-Najjar responded, on Twitter, to remarks made by the Ruler of Sharjah during a radio interview that families of the UAE94 should not fill their children with hate and malice against the country. The human rights defender tweeted, “your highness, the doctor, we do not hate our country and we do not forget injustice we faced even if our mothers forgot it. Those who were unjust to my father carry 20 months of unfair jail and harassment on their conscience”]
Posted in Front Line, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Al-Najjar, arbitrary arrest, Emirates, Front Line (NGO), Front Line Defenders, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, ill treatment, illegal detention, on-line, Osama Al-Najjar, twitter, UAE, UAE94
March 19, 2014
On Monday 17 March, I reported on a clampdown on human rights defenders in Sri Lanka which looked very much like reprisals (https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/sri-lanka-champion-retaliator-against-human-rights-defenders/). Fortunately, Front Line Defenders reports today that the human rights defenders Ruki Fernando and Reverend Praveen Mahesan were released from detention. They had been detained on 16 March 2014 when visiting the Killinochchi district after the arrest of human rights defender Ms Balendran Jayakumari. She remains in detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/25400).
Posted in Front Line, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: AHRC, anti-terrorist laws, Balendran Jayakumari, Forced disappearance, Front Line (NGO), Front Line Defenders, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, illegal detention, reprisals, Reverend Praveen Mahesan, Ruki Fernando, Sri Lanka, UN Human Rights Council
March 17, 2014
Today, 17 March 2014, the Asian Human Rights Commission, comes out with a statement that makes Sri Lanka look like one the worst offenders when it comes to retaliation and reprisals against human rights defenders. My feelings about reprisals are well-known and were recently expressed in: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/zero-tolerance-for-states-that-take-reprisals-against-hrds-lets-up-the-ante/
A draft resolution promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka is being discussed at the United Nations Human Rights Council. The proposed resolution calls for, among other things, the Office of the High Commissioner, “To lead a comprehensive investigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka and establish the facts and circumstances of such violations and of the crimes committed with the view to avoiding impunity and ensuring accountability with assistance from relevant experts”.
The statement of the AHRC reads: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in AHRC, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 4 Comments »
Tags: AHRC, anti-reprisals focal point, arbitrary arrest, Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando, detention, Forced disappearance, investigation, large scale violations, reprisals, retaliation, Sri Lanka, UN, UN Human Rights Council
March 16, 2014
While the whole of the Syrian population suffers terribly, it is important to recognize that human rights defenders, activists, media and humanitarian workers have been particularly targeted for their work since the beginning of the Syrian uprising three years ago. Many have been arrested or abducted by either government forces and pro-government militias or by non-state armed groups. The channels for obtaining reliable information are drying up and that is certainly not a coincidence.
Now several international NGOs such as Amnesty International, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, FIDH, Frontline Defenders, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders have come together to work jointly, with other international, regional and Syrian organizations, to campaign for the release of these Silenced Voices of Syria. The campaign is starting with the documentation of 37 emblematic cases.
This campaign will use a three-pronged strategy of 1. Research and Documentation, 2. Information/Sensitisation and 3/ Mobilization.
via FREE SILENCED VOICES OF SYRIA | Civil society activists, media and medical workers targeted for their work.
https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/one-more-disappearance-in-syria-roshdy-el-sheikh-rasheed/
Posted in AI, Amnesty international, EMHRN, FIDH, films, Front Line, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 2 Comments »
Tags: AI, Amnesty International, campaign, civil society organisations, coalition, disappearance, Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, FIDH, Front Line (NGO), Frontline Defenders, HRW, human rights campaign, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, humanitarian workers, illegal detention, journalists, lawyers, media, Reporters without Borders, RSF, Silenced Voices of Syria, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Syrian population, Syrian uprising
March 15, 2014
Today, 14 March, Amnesty International brought out a statement severely criticizing China‘s treatment of human rights defenders in need of medical care. Cao Shunli, 52, died from organ failure on Friday at a hospital in Beijing, after five months in detention. Repeated requests by Cao’s family for her to receive medical treatment for serious health problems were denied.[ https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/serious-concern-for-health-of-detained-human-rights-defender-cao-shunli/]
“Cao Shunli’s death exposes just how callous and calculating the Chinese authorities are prepared to be to silence critics. The authorities today have blood on their hands.” said Anu Kultalahti, China Researcher at Amnesty International. “Cao Shunli was a courageous woman who paid the ultimate price for the fight for human rights in China. She should have never been detained in the first place; but to then deny her the medical treatment she desperately needed is a most barbaric act.”
Cao had led attempts to allow activists to contribute to China’s national human rights report, ahead of a UPR review at the UN Human Rights Council in 2013 and was arrested in September as she attempted to travel to Geneva to attend a human rights training course. Her detention was seen by many as a reprisal for her wanting to contribute to a public discussion on violations in China – the charges against her concerned “picking quarrels and making trouble” . The full Council is expected to hear the result of the UPR session on Wednesday 19 March. It will be interesting to see how the States and in particular China is going to react to this tragic event.
Many other NGOs and media have come out with statements about the death of Cao Shunli including Front Line (“Chinese Government Responsible for the Death of Cao Shunli“) and the International Service for Human Rights (http://www.ishr.ch/news/un-human-rights-council-must-demand-accountability-death-cao-shunli).
Posted in AI, Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR | 2 Comments »
Tags: AI, Amnesty International, Cao Shunli, China, Front Line (NGO), Geneva, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, human rights lawyer, ill treatment, illegal detention, International Service for Human Rights, lawyer, medical care. Cao Shunli, Reprisal, reprisals, UN, UN Human Rights Council, UPR, woman human rights defender
March 13, 2014
In March, Margaret Sekaggya will finish her term as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders. For more than five years the Ugandan Margaret Sekaggya has served the mandate with dedication and commitment, and has played an integral role in promoting the work of and furthering protection for human rights defenders around the world.
Also it has been announced that the new Special Rapporteur will be Michel Forst , from France.
He is a lawyer by training and the Secretary General of the Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de l’Homme de la Republique Française. From 2008 – 2013, he was the Independent Expert of the United Nations on the situation of human rights in Haiti. He was Director General of Amnesty International in France and worked in the human rights department of UNESCO. Mr. Forst is also a founding trustee of Front Line Defenders.
In short, Margaret Sekaggya did a great job – like her predecessor Hina Jilani – and the credentials of the new Rapporteur give all reason to hope that the level of knowledge and commitment will be maintained. Glad to report something good coming out of the Council!
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, OHCHR, UN | 2 Comments »
Tags: Commission Nationale Consultative, France, Geneva, Haiti, Hina Jilani, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, human rights mechanisms, international protection, Margaret Sekaggya, Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Uganda, UN, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Rapporteur, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
March 13, 2014
“States that commit or tolerate reprisals against #HRDs for cooperation with #UN should loose their voting rights says@thoolen“ is what Michael Ineichen twitted about my intervention in a meeting in Geneva organized by the ISHR. on 11 March. And that is basically correct. However, a bit more explanation of my rather ‘extremist position’ may be in order:
The topic of reprisals against persons who cooperate (as witnesses) with the UN and its various office holders has been raised by many, including this blog. [see: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/protecting-human-rights-defenders-from-reprisals-crucial-issue-with-timely-article-and-side-event-on-24-september/ and https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/conclusions-of-side-event-on-reprisals-against-human-rights-defenders/.] When at the very well-attended side event organized by the International Service for Human Rights in the margin of the UN Council of Human Rights, the issue of reprisals came up again, I said that the international community is perhaps a bit too timid in its reaction to the increase in reprisals against Human Rights Defenders who testify to or cooperate with the United Nations. I stated that ‘messing with witnesses’ is considered by judges in almost all legal systems as an extremely grave thing. Or taking another analogy from legal thinking: a crime is considered a ‘qualified crime’ or ‘aggravated crime’ (and punished more severely) when certain circumstances are present, including when there is a dependency link between the victim and the perpetrator (think of murder or rape by the a custodian, a teacher or a doctor).
The resolution establishing the new Human Rights Council – replacing the previous Commission – states that “members elected to the Council shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.” And one of the novelties touted was that the General Assembly, via a two-thirds majority, can suspend the rights and privileges of any Council member that it decides has persistently committed gross and systematic violations of human rights during its term of membership.
The chilling effect that reprisals can have – especially when met with impunity – is potentially extremely damaging for the whole UN system of human rights procedures and will undo the slow but steady process of the last decades. Taken together with the above-mentioned seriousness of the aggravating character of reprisals, a powerful coalition of international and regional NGOs could well start public hearings with the purpose of demanding that States that commit reprisal be suspended.
If States can lose their right to vote in the General Assembly if they do not pay their fees for several years, there is in fact nothing shocking in demanding that States, who persecute and intimidate human rights defenders BECAUSE they cooperate with the United Nations, are not allowed to take part in the proceedings of the UN human rights body.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, UN | 17 Comments »
Tags: anti-reprisals focal point, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, international protection, International Service for Human Rights, ISHR, Michael Ineichen, NGOs, reprisals, retaliation, side event, suspension membership Council, Thoolen, twitter, UN Human Rights Council
March 10, 2014
The FIDH, on 6 March 2014, issued a statement on the lack of access to medical care for human rights defenders in Iran, resulting in further deterioration of their health FIDH fears this may amount to a systematic practice aiming at further intimidating civil society voices critical of the regime.
On March 2, 2014, several prisoners of conscience detained in Evin prison, Tehran, wrote their second Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: Abdolfattah Soltani, Afshin Karampour, Amir Eslami, Bahareh Hedayat, blogger, dervishes, detained, Evin Prison, FIDH, Hamidreza Moradi-Sarvestani, Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki, Human Rights Defenders, human rights lawyers, illegal detention, Iran, Journalist, Karim Lahidji, lawyers, medical treatment, Mostafa Daneshju, women human rights defenders
March 9, 2014
Yesterday, 7 March 2014, saw many expressions of solidarity with women human rights defenders at the occasion of International Women’s Day.
The ISHR picked the following cases as examples that stand out:
You can find many more cases via the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition [http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org/] which brings together women activists and those committed to the advancement of women human rights and those working on gender issues, to advocate for better protection of women human rights defenders.
via Honouring women human rights defenders on International Women’s Day! | ISHR.
Posted in Al-Hassani, films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Brazil, Conectas, Egypt, Egyptian women human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Huy Luong, Ilwad Elman, international women's day, ISHR, LGBT rights, Lucia Nader, Masa Amir, Somalia, Viet Nam, Women Human Rights, women human rights defenders, Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition
March 7, 2014
There seems to be almost unanimous agreement in the human rights movement that in outreach it will have to focus more on the visual aspects. In my end of year post in 2013 (see below) I tried to show to what extent this is already happening but a lot more systematic work is needed. Therefore it is good to be able to announce that True Heroes Films [THF] has concluded a coöperation agreement with the Geneva-based International Service for Human Rights [ISHR] with the purpose of supporting the visualisation process. As from Monday 10 March 2014 THF will operate a professionally equipped studio in the offices of the ISHR, strategically located close to the UN in Geneva. This will allow THF to provide images-related services, not just to the host but – against preferential fees – to all human rights organisations in the Geneva area. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, THF | 1 Comment »
Tags: audiovisual communication, cooperation, film portraits, films, Geneva, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, human rights films, human rights movement, images, International Service for Human Rights, ISHR, NGOs, streaming, THF, True Heroes Films, video clips, visualization techniques, webcast
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 