Posts Tagged ‘detention’
April 10, 2013
On 8 April 2013, the Minister for the Prison Services, Ms Iris Valera, accused prominent human rights defender, Dr Humberto Prado Sifontes, of instigating violence within the country’s prisons ahead of upcoming elections on 14 April. Humberto Prado Sifontes is the Director of the Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones – OVP (Venezuelan Prisons Observatory) which documents cases of violations against persons in detention in Venezuela.
At a press conference at her office,the Minister stated that on 3 April Humberto Prado Sifontes had met with the families of prisoners in the Comunidad Penitenciaria de Coro. The Minister accused the human rights defender of planning protest actions within prisons all over the country, beginning with hunger strikes before escalating to blood strikes, where prisoners self-mutilate in order to bring attention to their situation. She alleged that Dr Humberto Prado Sifontes quickly departed from the Plaza and went to the Diocesan of the Archbishop when he noticed the presence of officials from the Ministry of Prison Services who were there to investigate what was going on. She claimed to have found evidence for these plans in the notebooks of a prisoner. Minister Valera also linked the human rights defender to two unrelated incidents; one in which five women tried to smuggle grenades into the same prison, and a foiled escape attempt at the Metropolitan Prison Yare II in Caracas. Dr Humberto Prado Sifontes was in fact in Coro to participate in two conferences organised by the University of Falcón. When the families of the prisoners heard of his presence in the State, they arranged to meet him in order to give him photographic and video evidence of torture in the prison.
In 2009 Dr Humberto Prado Sifontes was the winner of the Canadian Embassy in Venezuela’s first human rights award. Front Line Defenders has previously issued appeals to protect him in his peaceful and legitimate work on behalf of prisoner’s human rights in Venezuela. Given the political climate in the run-up to elections in Venezuela, Front Line Defenders is seriously concerned that statements such as those made by the Minister could lead to reprisals against the human rights defender, up to and including physical attack. 
Posted in Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: award, Canada, Caracas, defamation, detention, families of prisoners, Frontline Defenders, Human right, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Humberto Prado Sifontes, Iris Valera, Minister, prison, prisoners, protest actions, Venezuela
February 22, 2013
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) on 16 February 2013 reported that it had received information that authorities in the UAE are targeting family members of human rights defenders (pictured above) currently in detention. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: detention, Emirates, family, GCHR, Gulf Centre for Human Rights, harassment, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, judicial harassment, Middle East, Moza Al-Mansoori, Saleh Al-Dhufairi, UAE, United Arab Emirates
February 20, 2013
On 17 February 2013 I wrote about the case of Eynulla Fatullayev, editor of the website Haqqin.az, a former AI prisoner of conscience and winner of press freedom awards (see also quote at the end of this post) who seems to have taken a more apologetic stand with regard to violations in his home country Azerbaijan. Just a few days before – 11 February – the NGO Civil Rights Defenders had published a piece under the title: ‘New crackdown on human rights activities in Azerbaijan’. There seems to be no stand taken by Fatullayev (at least not in English).
Avaz Zeynalli, chief editor of Khural newspaper, charged for tax evasion and corruption.
The Azeri government is putting new pressure on the country’s already repressed civil society. NGOs that receive even minor funds can be severely punished, according to a new draft law. The draft follows a series of repressions of media workers and civil activists. According to the proposed amendments NGOs receiving donation over the equivalent of 190 euro without a proper agreement, face up to 3500 euro and confiscation of property. This increases the authorities’ control over NGOs. The violations have grown in the beginning of 2013. Media workers that have been covering demonstrations and riots have been arrested, questions and in some cases beaten. At the same time the homes of journalists and civil activists have been searched, detained, subjected to gas attacks, put under surveillance and in other ways obstructed in their work. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Azerbaijan, Civil Rights Defenders, Civil society, detention, Eynulla Fatullayev, Fatullayev, Freedom (Azerbaijan), freedom of expression, freedom of the press, International Press Institute, IPI, journalists, judicial harassment, NGOs, Unesco
February 19, 2013
Human rights defenders Messrs
He Jun Ling, Gao Yue Qiang, Liu Xiangying, and
Wang Xian Jie will go on a joint trial from 4 to 8 March 2013, reports Front Line Defenders.He Jun Ling, Gao Yue Qiang Liu Xiangying, and Wang Xian Jie are human rights defenders who were employed by the state controlled public transport operator SMRT Ltd. More than 100 mainland Chinese bus drivers refused to report for duty on the 26
th of November 2012. It took some time for authorities to label the stoppage an ‘illegal strike’. Once that happened, things moved quickly. 29 drivers accused of participating in the action were swiftly rounded up and deported. Five men were also arrested. One has already been tried, jailed and sent back home. The others – He Jun Ling, Gao Yue Qiang, Liu Xiang Ying and Wang Xian Jie – are waiting for their cases to be heard. They are currently facing charges of inciting an illegal strike among bus drivers, and could be sentenced to a fine of 2,000 Singapore dollars (approx €1,250), a 12-month prison sentence or both.
He Jun Ling and
Liu Xiangying revealed last week that were assaulted by police officials while they were held in custody in December 2012. According to the information received, He Jun Ling was interrogated from 5am to 1pm, during which time he was locked in a small room, handcuffed, and beaten in the stomach. Liu Xiangying reported that an official threatened him, stating that “they can dig a hole and bury him. No one will be able to find him.” He was also handcuffed to a chair and beaten in his neck and the left side of his body.
Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Chinese, detention, Front Line, Human Rights and Liberties, Human Rights Defenders, ill treatment, industrial action, police beatings, right to strike, Singapore, strike, torture, Trade union, transport, transportation, Vimeo
February 16, 2013
More than two months after his arrest, the whereabouts of human rights defender and religious leader Imam Baba Leigh continues to remain unknown. Imam Baba Leigh was taken from his home on 3 December 2012 by two men believed to be part of the Gambia‘s National Intelligence Agency. Imam Baba Leigh is a religious leader and an active human rights defender. He serves as a religious advisor for The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP), an organisation working in the area of sexual and reproductive health and the rights of women and children. He is known as an outspoken campaigner who has aptly used his religious status to advocate for human rights and social reform. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Baba Leigh, detention, disappearances, Forced disappearance, Front Line (NGO), Gambia, Human right, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, imam, Imam Baba Leigh, NGO, sexual and reproductive health
January 17, 2013
The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (RFK) Center denounced the arrest of Okay Machisa, director of the human rights group ZimRights and the most recent target in a series of arrests against Zimbabwean civil society activists in the lead up to the nations 2013 election. Since August of last year, nearly a dozen organizations – including Women of Zimbabwe Arise, Counseling Services Unit, and the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe – have experienced harassment in the form of office raids, multiple arrests, and physical abuse at the hands of police. Mr. Machisas arrest, on the grounds of conspiring to “commit voter registration fraud and publishing or communicating falsehoods”occurred just one month after the arrest of his deputy at ZimRights, Leo Chamahwinya.
“The increasingly brazen steps that Zimbabwean authorities have taken to block civic activism are an unsettling reminder of the violence and intimidation that has marred past elections,” said Santiago Canton, Director of Partners for Human Rights at the RFK Center. “In December, President Mugabe resolved to deregister so-called errant civic groups that deviate from their mandate during his annual political party conference in December. The international community, and in particular, leaders from the Southern African Development Community, must urge the government of Zimbabwe to immediately end all forms of harassment and intimidation against civil society organizations and human rights activists.”
Yesterday, January 16, Mr. Machisa was denied bail by a Harare Magistrate and remanded in custody until January 30 on dubious grounds.
via RFK Center Denounces Arrest of ZimRights Director
http://nehandaradio.com/2013/01/17/persecution-of-human-rights-defenders-unacceptable/
Posted in human rights | 2 Comments »
Tags: arbitrary arrest, Civil society, detention, elections, Leo Chamahwinya, Okay Machisa, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Santiago Canton, Zimbabwe, ZimRights
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
January 10, 2013
ARTICLE 19 
AND VIET TAN ON 9 JANUARY REPORT ON THE TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION OF 14 ACTIVISTS IN VIETNAM
- Ho Duc Hoa (13 years in prison, 5 years house arrest)
- Dang Xuan Dieu (13 years in prison, 5 years house arrest)
- Paulus Le Son (13 years in prison, 5 years house arrest)
- Nguyen Van Duyet (6 years in prison, 4 years house arrest)
- Nguyen Van Oai (3 years in prison, 2 years house arrest)
- Ho Van Oanh (3 years in prison, 2 years house arrest)
- Nguyen Dinh Cuong (4 years in prison, 3 years house arrest)
- Nguyen Xuan Anh (5 years in prison, 3 years house arrest)
- Thai Van Dung (5 years in prison, 3 years house arrest)
- Tran Minh Nhat (4 years in prison, 3 years house arrest)
- Nong Hung Anh (5 years in prison, 3 years house arrest)
- Nguyen Dang Vinh Phuc (probation)
- Nguyen Dang Minh Man (9 years in prison, 3 years house arrest)
- Dang Ngoc Minh (3 years in prison, 2 years house arrest)
The men and women were convicted of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the penal code. The criminal activities the group are said to have engaged in include writing commentary that is critical of the Government and distributing this on the internet, and both participating in and encouraging peaceful protest. ARTICLE 19 believes that these activities should not be considered to be criminal. The Vietnamese authorities have failed to recognise basic human rights and these convictions fail to meet international standards freedom of expression. “Thirteen people [one was given probation – ed] are now behind bars for doing nothing more than expressing legitimate political concerns. They have been locked away for sharing views about matters of public importance on the internet and for taking part in peaceful demonstrations. These are not things which should be considered criminal. It seems that the real crime here is the appalling abuse of fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of expression, by the state” said Agnes Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.
The group, many of them bloggers and citizen journalists, were arrested between August and December 2011 and held for more than a year before standing trial.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: activism, Article 19, bloggers, Democracy, detention, freedom of expression, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, prison, Viet Nam, Viet Tan, Vietnam
December 16, 2012
“Ales Bialiatski, Nabeel Rajab, Nasrin Sotoudeh… I dedicate this evening to them” With these words Souhayr Belhassen = the President of one of the oldest human rights NGOs in the world (the Anti-Slavery Society is older I think) – assigned the 90th anniversary of FIDH to its 26 activists currently in detention. Interesting to note that two of the three were nominees of the MEA tyhis year,
“These human rights activists are fighting for their freedom and their rights; they are fighting for our freedom and our rights. It is to them that I dedicate this gala evening. Your presence here this evening is a sign of your support for our fight. In their name, and in the name of FIDH, I thank you.”
read more on Human Rights Defenders : Souhayr Belhassen dedicates the 90th anniversary … – FIDH.
Posted in FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Ales Bialiatski, anniversary, detention, FIDH, Human Rights Defenders, MEA, Nabeel Rajab, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Souhayr Belhassen
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 