Posts Tagged ‘AI’
September 13, 2016
The UN Human Rights Council – now in its 33rd session – has quite a few States on it that shouldn’t be there because of their own deplorable human rights record. In order to help influence the election process a number of procedures have been developed such as public pledges by the candidate States. NGOs, such as AI and the ISHR, have even organized public debates to which these States are invited [see: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/some-states-have-the-courage-to-set-out-their-commitments-as-members-of-the-human-rights-council/]
The ISHR has now published ‘scorecards’ for each of the States seeking election to the UN Human Rights Council for 2017-2019. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in AI, human rights, Human Rights Council, ISHR, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: AI, Civil society, cooperation with UN, elections, ISHR, pledge, UN Human Rights Council
September 7, 2016
This animation – published by AI on 5 September 2016 – was produced based on testimonies collected by Amnesty International by interviewing over 35 direct eyewitnesses and a senior military source. All the sources confirmed that at least 200 men and boys were arrested on 27 December 2014 in the villages of Magdeme and Doublé in Cameroon. In the same operation conducted jointly by the army, the police and the gendarmerie, at least 8 people, including a child, were killed, over 70 buildings were burnt down and many possessions were stolen or destroyed.
The fate of most of those arrested in these two villages remains unknown. At least 25 of these men and boys – perhaps more – died in custody during the night of their arrest in a makeshift cell, while 45 others were taken and registered in Maroua’s prison the following day. At least 130 people, therefore, remain unaccounted for, presumed to be victims of enforced disappearance, with some evidence suggesting more may have died while in the custody of the security forces.
You can sign the petition to the Cameroonian authorities here: http://bit.ly/2cbpF7v
Video: Africartoons Studio; Music: Kalakuta Music Group
for other posts on Cameroon: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/cameroon/
Posted in AI, films, human rights | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Africartoons Studio, AI, Amnesty International, animation, arbitrary arrest, Cameroon, disappearances, killings, petition, video clip
August 29, 2016
The situation in Burundi continues to be marred by instability and reports of serious human rights violations, including allegations of extra-judicial killings, disappearances, torture, and arbitrary detention of members of the opposition, civil society and those suspected of opposing the Government. Human rights defenders and journalists are among the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled the country since April 2015. I have written quite a bit about Burundi where all early warning signs of violence and ethnic cleansing are present [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/burundi-what-more-early-warning-does-one-need; https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/what-is-burundi-doing-in-the-un-human-rights-council/]. And the situation continues:
- The UN Committee against Torture (CAT) issued a wake-up call to Burundi said Amnesty International on 12 August 2016 after the Committee flagged an increase in the use of torture and other ill-treatment since the beginning of the country’s current crisis in April 2015. In its concluding observations the Committee’s 10 independent international experts expressed deep concern over hundreds of cases of torture alleged to have taken place in recent months in both official and unofficial places of detention.
- On 8 August 2016 the CAT had already issued a report that it was gravely concerned by reports that four Burundian lawyers who provided information to it are being subjected to reprisals. In a press statement issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee said the four lawyers – Armel Niyongere, Lambert Nigarura, Dieudonné Bashirahishize and Vital Nshimirimana – had contributed to an alternative report by a coalition of Burundian non-governmental organizations for the its review, and three were present at the review in Geneva on 28 and 29 July. According to the Committee, on 29 July, a Burundian prosecutor asked the President of the Bujumbura Bar Council to strike the lawyers off the professional register, alleging that they had committed several offences, including involvement in an insurrectionist movement and an attempted coup. The Committee’s letter, signed by Chair Jens Modvig and Rapporteur on Reprisals Alessio Bruni, notes that the prosecutor requested sanctions against the lawyers, rather than an inquiry to establish the facts, “which raises concerns with respect to presumption of innocence.” It goes on to state that this concern “is all the stronger given that the (prosecutor’s) request came on the same day that the Burundian delegation, presided over by the Minister of Justice, indicated they would not be participating in the second session of dialogue with the Committee, citing the alternative report by Burundian civil society in particular as the reason.” [Mr. Modvig and Mr. Bruni also point out that the Committee raised the issue of reprisals after the last regular review of Burundi in 2014. They reminded the Burundian Government that reprisals contravene Article 13 of the Convention against Torture, to which the country has been a party since 1993. Article 13 states that complainants and witnesses should be protected against all ill-treatment or intimidation as a consequence of making a complaint or giving evidence.]
- Finally on 16 August the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, expressed his concern at inflammatory statements by public officials that could constitute incitement to violence including, most recently, by a senior official of the ruling CNDD-FDD political party. In a statement on 16 August 2016 that was published on the CNDD-FDD website, Pascal Nyabenda, who was at the time President of the CNDD-FDD party and President of the National Assembly, suggested that the genocide in Rwanda was a fabrication of the international community, (“montages genocidaires contre le Gouvernement dit Hutu de Kigali”) that was used to remove the Hutu government that was in place at the time. “This irresponsible statement could be interpreted as genocide denial”, Mr. Dieng said, “and has the potential to inflame ethnic tensions, both within Burundi and outside its borders”. At the 20 August meeting of the party, a new head of the CNDD-FDD was appointed but Mr. Nyabenda continues in his role as President of the National Assembly. Special Adviser Dieng also raised concern that the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD party, known as the Imbonerakure, continues to be associated with human rights abuses and is reported to have threatened ethnic violence. He noted that the Minister of the Interior of Burundi had confirmed that the Imbonakure formed part of the national security strategy, as the CAT also pointed out in its concluding observations.
- To make things even worse Burundi has rejected in early August the deployment of a United Nations police force saying the France-drafted resolution authorizing the security contingent was made without Bujumbura’s consent. “The government of Burundi rejects every aspect of this resolution linked to the deployment of any force on its territory,” spokesman Philippe Nzobonariba said in a statement released on Tuesday, adding that the resolution was “in violation of the fundamental principles required of the UN family and above all violating its sovereignty.” The response came after the UN Security Council authorized to dispatch of up to 228 officers to Bujumbura and elsewhere throughout the west African country for an initial period of one year, in an attempt to provide the council, according to French Ambassador Francois Delattre, with “eyes and ears” on the ground to provide early warning of possible mass atrocities. The planned deployment of the contingent has aroused fury from the country’s authorities, who initially agreed to accept no more than 50 officers The country’s authorities initially agreed to accept no more than 50 officers, but now infuriated by the UN planned deployment of 228-strong contingent, have rejected even the 50-strong security force.
- An overview of FIDH actions concerning Burundi in 2015/16: https://www.fidh.org/en/region/Africa/burundi/burundi-one-year-of-bloody-crisis
http://allafrica.com/stories/201608270196.html
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54640#.V8Pm3IRptgc
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/08/burundi-un-findings-must-be-a-wake-up-call-on-torture/
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/08/03/478262/Burundi-UNSC-UN-Nkurunziza-police-France
Posted in AI, FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Adama Dieng, AI, Alessio Bruni, Burundi, CAT, CNDD-FDD, early warning, ethnic conflict, human rights lawyers, Imbonakure, international monitoring, reprisals, torture, UN
July 5, 2016
I have long argued that we should take another look at the possibility of using the suspension clause when members of the UN Human Rights Council go too far (see e.g. in the case of persistent reprisals https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/zero-tolerance-for-states-that-take-reprisals-against-hrds-lets-up-the-ante/in the reprisals ). On Wednesday 29 June 2016, the two leading human rights NGOs, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have urged UN member-states to suspend Saudi Arabia from the UN Human Rights Council over the killing of civilians in Yemen and repression at home. It will be a long shot but worth seeing how it works out: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Amnesty international, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, UN | 3 Comments »
Tags: AI, death penalty, HRW, Human Rights Defenders, International humanitarian law, Libya, lobbying, reprisals, Saudi Arabia, suspension membership Council, UN Human Rights Council, USA, Yemen
May 20, 2016
This blog features regularly profiles of human rights defenders. This time slightly different: a profile by a human rights defender. Rupert Abbott who has worked several years in Cambodia. He spoke with Brent Crane and the interview appeared in the Phnom Penh Post of 20 May 2016 under the title: “MY PHNOM PENH”.
Rupert Abbott has worked at the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, for the UN at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal and as the deputy Asia Pacific director of AI
S-21
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in AI, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: AI, Cambodian Center for Human Rights, Human rights defender, human rights lawyer, Kbal Thnal bridge, Mu Sochua, Ou Virak, Phnom Penh Post, profiles, Rupert Abbott
March 23, 2016
In an era of rapid technological innovation and increasing access to new data sets, the possibilities for reconceptualizing and revolutionizing our ability to document human rights violations are vast. These new and emerging tools, resources and data streams provide exciting opportunities for human rights defenders.
The upcoming Responsible Data forum (RDF) looks to build upon the ethical, privacy and security challenges posed by the use of new & emerging data sets and new technologies in human rights documentation. This event will build off of the discussions started the 2015 RDF on Human Rights Documentation in Manila, in particular building on the tools & resources started there. This RDF will be a hands-on and collaborative event, focused on developing concrete resources and strategies to ensure that human rights documentation efforts are bettered by technology and data without causing undue or unforeseen harm.
New challenges and questions. Are we taking advantage of these new technologies and data streams to actually enhance our work? Do we sometimes use new kinds of data simply because it seems to enhance our credibility but doesn’t actually change our documentation? Are our project planning systems changing as a result of these new tools and resources? Should they? What can we learn from each other about how to helpfully engage with new and emerging technology and data? How can we tell the difference between innovation and tech & data exuberance? How should we weigh the potential benefits of experimenting with new technology and data versus the potential risks and harms that could occur?
VENUE: Thoughtworks, San Francisco, United States
APPLY HERE by March 24th, 2016!
[The Responsible Data Forum is a collaborative effort to develop useful tools and strategies for dealing with the ethical, security and privacy challenges facing data-driven advocacy. This is not a talk-shop. This RDF will bring together a small group of experts, practitioners and policy specialists to have a frank and open discussion about challenges with responsible data in data visualization. It is not about ‘naming and shaming’ but about being open about past experiences and building from them to better support the broader community. This event will employ a participatory methodology that enables participant collaboration on the development of actual tools and resources such as guidelines, checklists, frameworks and hopefully creative tools we haven’t yet thought of! A key outcome of this event will be the sharing of the developed tools with others outside of this event to promote and test the content, and develop further iterations.]
see also: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/category/organisations/huridocs/
Source: Human Rights Documentation — Responsible Data Forum
Posted in AI, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS | 1 Comment »
Tags: AI, Benetech, data, human rights documentation, HURIDOCS, images, information technology, networking, Responsible Data Forum, ThoughtWorks, visualisation
February 23, 2016
Amnesty International’s Regional Office in Dakar, Senegal, is looking for an experienced Human Rights Education Coordinator.
The Coordinator will contribute to the development and implementation of regional plans, strategies and projects, coordinate the implementation of human rights education work online and offline, ensure the alignment with global and regional campaigns, contribute the human rights education perspective in the region to internal AI policies, approaches, strategies, activism and research.
The successful candidate will have (inter alia):
- experience of working in human rights education
- first-hand in-depth knowledge and experience of the socio-political and economic context as well as experience of working with Human Rights Defenders in non-formal educational structures and environments in the region
- substantial experience in developing and conducting online and offline programmes for human rights education
- also experience and an understanding of membership organizations, and the capability both to work on your own initiative and as a member of a diverse and partly remote team, often under pressure
- demonstrated understanding of human rights education methodology, including Education Technology and its implications
- extensive experience of working in West Africa and with Human Rights Defenders you have a strong network and rich experience of undertaking this kind of work in the field.
FINAL HRE Coordinator Dakar.pdf (156.07 KB)
Source: Amnesty International – International Secretariat Careers – Human Rights Education Coordinator – Dakar (1481)
Posted in Amnesty international, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: AI, Amnesty International, Coordinator, Dakar, human rights education, job opportunity, posts, Senegal, staff, vacancy, west africa
January 13, 2016
US First Lady Michelle Obama (left) and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (right) pose with Samar Badawi (centre) as she receives the 2012 International Women of Courage Award.
In 2012, she was given an International Women of Courage Award. In December 2014, a Saudi Arabian judge imposed a travel ban on Samar. “Samar Badawi’s arrest today is yet another alarming setback for human rights in Saudi Arabia and demonstrates the extreme lengths to which the authorities are prepared to go in their relentless campaign to harass and intimidate human rights defenders into silent submission,” said Philip Luther, AI’S Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme. “Just weeks after Saudi Arabia shocked the world by executing 47 people in a single day, including the Shi’a Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, it has once again demonstrated its utter disregard for human rights. Samar Badawi has been arrested purely for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression, she must be immediately and unconditionally released.”
According to AFP, Raif Badawi’s wife, Ensaf Haidar, who lives in Canada as a refugee said in her Twitter account that her sister-in-law was arrested on the charge of directing a Twitter account named “the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia @WaleedAbulkhair.”
Samar is the sister of Raif Badawi, a well-known blogger who was awarded the EU’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2015/10/29/saudi-blogger-raif-badawi-awarded-europes-sakharov-prize/). Moreover, Waleed Abulkhair, who is Samar’s ex-husband, is also serving a 15-year jail sentence.
Posted in AI, awards, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: AI, Daily Mail, detention, Ensaf Haidar, Hillary Clinton, Human Rights Defenders, International Women of Courage Award, Michele Obama, New Europe, Philip Luther, Raif Badawi, Samar Badawi, saoudi arabia, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, Waleed Abulkhair, woman human rights defender
September 7, 2015
It does not rank as the worst human rights violation in the world but the stabbing of the lawyer of the Maldives’ ex-president is a classic case of attacking the defenders. Wonder why not more lawyers organizations have come out in professional solidarity:
On Friday 4 September lawyer Mahfooz Saeed was stabbed in the islands’ capital, Male, ahead of a visit by his international legal team, including human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. He underwent emergency surgery and is now in a stable condition. “There were many people who saw the incident. The attackers were also caught on CCTV cameras,” Shauna Aminath, a spokeswoman for the MDP, of which Saeed is also a member, told AFP. The party believes the attack was politically motivated, she said.
Amnesty International condemned the assault and called on the Maldivian government to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“This vicious attack must not go unpunished — Maldives authorities must ensure that human rights defenders can work free from fear of reprisals and that those responsible are held to account,” the human rights group said in a statement.
Amal Clooney is due to travel to the Maldives this week to meet with Nasheed. She is part of the legal team along with Jared Genser — who has represented Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi — and Ben Emmerson, a judge on international criminal tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia.
https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/retaliation-now-reaches-even-human-rights-commissioners-in-the-maldives-un-deeply-concerned/
Source: Lawyer for Maldives’ ex-president stabbed in Male | Arab News
Posted in AI, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: AFP, AI, Amal Clooney, attack, harassment, Human rights defender, human rights lawyer, human rights lawyers, Independence of Lawyers, Jared Genser, Mahfooz Saeed, Maldives, Nasheed, solidarity action, the Maldives
June 12, 2015
It is encouraging to see the range of human rights actors that have taken to using the Baku Games, starting today, as an occasion to draw attention to the human rights record of Azerbaijan. One of the more creative is the FIDH‘s launch of “REAL BAKU 2015,” an online video game, to denounce the arbitrary imprisonment of dozens of human rights defenders:
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in AI, FIDH, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, OMCT, RSF | 3 Comments »
Tags: AI, Azerbaijan, Baku Games, Committee to Protect Journalists, computer game, European Games, FIDH, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, Marietje Schaake, OMCT, Patrick Hickey, Reporters without Borders, sports and politics, the Guardian
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
US First Lady Michelle Obama (left) and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (right) pose with Samar Badawi (centre) as she receives the 2012 International Women of Courage Award.