arbitrary arrest | Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

Posts Tagged ‘arbitrary arrest’

Oman: arbitrary arrest of Said Jaddad

January 16, 2013

One does near much about Oman and the impression could be that it is doing relatively well (the position of women is acknowledged to be good; there is a governmental Human Rights Commission and limited democracy) but after reports in 2012 by AI, HRW and Freedom House amongst others, Frontline now, 14 January 2013, reports the arbitrary arrest of human rights defender and blogger Said Jaddad by the Special Division of Muscat Police Station, where he is currently being detained. Said Jaddad’s work includes the documenting of human rights violations as well as writing critical blog posts about human rights violations in Oman.

On 14 January, Said Jaddad received a call from the Special Division of Muscat Police Station, requesting that he present himself to the Station. No legal basis was provided for this request. Upon his arrival, the HRD was detained. He has been denied visitation rights and access to a lawyer, while no formal charges have yet been presented. Furthermore, Said Jaddad, who reportedly suffers from heart problems, has not been provided with medical attention. He has previously been subjected to interrogation by police, on each occasion he was requested to sign an undertaking to cease working in the field of human rights, which he rejected. In February 2011, the human rights defender was threatened if he did not cease his contact with international non-governmental organisations. Said Jaddad has also been officially banned from publishing in the Omani media, including in newspapers, such as Al Zaman and Ru’aya.

Front Line Defenders expresses serious concern at the arbitrary detention of Said Jaddad, and at his physical and psychological integrity, in particular given his reported medical condition. Front Line Defenders believes Said Jaddad’s detention to be solely motivated by his human rights work and views this act as part of an ongoing crackdown on human rights defenders in Oman, including continued acts of judicial harassment. For further information on this situation, please see Front Line Defenders’ appeal dated 15 June 2012 http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/18650 .

Posted in Front Line | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Amnesty International, Arab spring, arbitrary arrest, blogger, detention, Freedom House, Front Line Defenders, Frontline, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Watch, Non-governmental organization, Oman, Said Jaddad

Three international Human Rights Groups Urge Gambia to Stop Crackdown on HRDs

January 2, 2013

The Gambian Government must stop immediately intimidation and harassment of HRDs, journalists, lawyers and government critics generally says a joint statement by ARTICLE 19, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and Amnesty International. Since the beginning of December, at least nine cases of arbitrary arrest and illegal detention have been documented.

via Human Rights Groups Urge Gambia Govt to Stop Crackdown on Critics.

Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Amnesty International, arbitrary arrest, Article 19, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, crackdown, Gambia, Human Rights Defenders, illegal detention, journalists, urgent

Observatory for HRDs makes statement to 52nd session of African Commission on Human Rights

October 18, 2012

In a recent document (18 October 2012) the FIDH and the OMCT, in the framework of their joint Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, express their renewed concern about the situation of human rights defenders in Africa.

Since the last session of the African Commission in May 2012, the Observatory has not recorded any improvement of their situation on the continent. Quite on the contrary, human rights violations against defenders have continued, in particular judicial harassment, threats, intimidations, arbitrary detentions and unjustified condemnations. The situation of human rights defenders has even become alarming in situations of internal conflicts, such as for instance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For the full statement see:

The Observatory: Contribution to the 52nd ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights / October 18, 2012 / Statements / Human rights defenders / OMCT.

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Tags: Africa, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, arbitrary arrest, Democratic Republic of Congo, FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Observatory for the Protection of HRDs, OMCT

Zimbabwe: the High Commissioner has left; arbitrary arrests continue

July 2, 2012

The UN High commissioner of Human Rights has hardly left the country and the regime shows its true nature by arresting a groups of peaceful demonstrators.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has been informed by reliable sources about the repression of a peaceful demonstration organised by Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), a civic movement that defends women’s rights and freedoms in Zimbabwe.

According to the information received, on June 27, 2012 in the morning, 101 members of WOZA were arrested in the centre of Bulawayo, where protests were due to start at 11.00 a.m in ten different locations. All were taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station, many of whom handcuffed. Their lawyers were denied access to their clients on three occasions. The 101 were released without charges between 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. on the same day, in batches of 5 people so as to prevent any mass protests.

Previously, on June 26, 2012, eight members of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) were also arrested in Bulawayo as they were on their way back from a workshop to commemorate the 2012 United Nations International Day in Respect of Victims of Torture. They were also detained at Bulawayo Central Police Station for an hour, before being released without charges.

On the same day in Karoi, four other members of ZimRights were briefly detained before being released without charges.

The Observatory, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), expresses its deepest concern about the increasing obstacles to freedom of assembly, refers these cases to the United Nations Special Rapporteurs and requests urgent intervention by all. For action modalities go to:

Zimbabwe: Arbitrary arrests of WOZA peaceful demonstrators / June 29, 2012 / Urgent Interventions / Human rights defenders / OMCT.

Posted in FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, OMCT, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: arbitrary arrest, Human Rights Defenders, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, women human rights defenders, WOZA, Zimbabwe, ZimRights

Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards