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Joint Statement by many lawyer NGOs, alarmed by disappearance, detention and prosecution Erias Lukwago in Uganda

July 3, 2026
Joint Statement By Bar Associations, Law Societies And Lawyers’ Organisations On The Enforced Disappearance, Detention And Prosecution Of Advocate Erias Lukwago

On 2 july 2026 the undersigned bar associations, law societies, lawyers’ organisations, and human rights institutions, expressed serious concern regarding the enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, public humiliation, and criminal prosecution of Ugandan lawyer and senior opposition figure Advocate Erias Lukwago on misprision of treason charges.

Advocate Lukwago is a prominent lawyer from Uganda, former mayor of Kampala, and co-lead counsel for opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, and Haji Obeid Lutale, in proceedings that have attracted significant national, regional, and international attention. These proceedings include a suit against Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, in connection with alleged statements repeatedly threatening Dr. Besigye’s life on social media.

According to information placed before the High Court Uganda, on 15 June 2026, armed individuals reportedly dressed in Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) attire surrounded Advocate Lukwago’s residence, scaled the perimeter wall, forcibly entered his home, and removed him without producing a warrant or disclosing his destination. A habeas corpus application filed on his behalf alleged that he was taken by military personnel, held at an undisclosed location, and denied access to his family, legal counsel, and physician. The application further alleges that senior military officials publicly claimed responsibility for the operation through social media posts.

We are particularly concerned by widely circulated statements and images reportedly published by Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba through his official social media/X  account, before Advocate Lukwago was brought before court. These statements appeared to claim responsibility for his detention, threaten him with physical punishment, subject him to public humiliation and ridicule, and suggest that he was being held in military custody. Such conduct is wholly incompatible with constitutional governance, the presumption of innocence, the dignity of detained persons, judicial independence, and the rule of law.

On 17 June 2026, Advocate Lukwago was produced before the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Makindye in Kampala and charged with misprision of treason under Section 25 of the Penal Code Act (Cap. 128), arising from allegations that he failed to disclose information relating to alleged treasonous activities. The charge comes after almost two years of him handling the same matter that he is being enjoined to. He denied the charge, and was remanded to Luzira Prison until Monday 22 June 2026, when his case was due to be mentioned and a ruling on bail delivered.

On 22 June 2026, Advocate Lukwago was produced before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court for the ruling on his bail application, which had been sought on medical grounds in light of his deteriorating health. The ruling was deferred, reportedly citing the sensitivity of the case and security concerns at the court premises, and indicated that it would instead be delivered electronically through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS). On 23 June 2026, bail was denied, arguing that despite Advocate Lukwago’s fixed housing and a documented medical condition requiring continuous treatment, these factors were insufficient to warrant his release. While directing the prison authorities to refer him to Mulago National Referral Hospital for a comprehensive medical assessment, the court ordered that he remain remanded at Luzira Prison, with the substantive case due to be mentioned again on 30 June 2026. We are deeply concerned that bail was denied notwithstanding credible and documented concerns regarding Advocate Lukwago’s health and the conditions of his detention, and urge for his medical needs be addressed

We note that misprision of treason under section 25 of the Penal Code Act (Cap. 128) is framed as a failure to disclose known treasonous intent. The application of this provision to a practising lawyer raises serious concerns regarding legal professional privilege and the duty of confidentiality — key obligations to the right to effective legal representation, which a lawyer cannot lawfully set aside. We further note that the East Africa Law Society, the apex regional bar association in East Africa, has already expressed grave concern regarding the circumstances of Advocate Lukwago’s detention and has emphasized that advocates must never be targeted or subjected to reprisals for carrying out their professional duties.

A Pattern of Interference with Defence Counsel
​​This incident cannot be viewed in isolation. It forms part of a documented pattern of arrests, intimidation, reprisals, and interference directed at lawyers and legal representatives involved in politically sensitive matters in Uganda.

Most notably, human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza, a member of Dr. Besigye’s legal team, was arrested, assaulted, summarily convicted by the General Court Martial, and imprisoned on 7th January 2025 while attempting to represent his client. In a further reported incident, lawyer Ronald Iduli, also a member of the defence team, was allegedly subjected to an early morning raid of his family home on December 10, 2024. Reports further indicate that, on a separate occasion, lawyer Mariam Lutale was forcibly removed from a courtroom by uniformed personnel following a verbal protest directed at the presiding judge. We are gravely concerned by these cumulative reports and call for their independent investigation.

This pattern of interference has since extended to regional counsel. On 22 June 2026, shortly before the scheduled bail ruling, Kenyan Senior Counsel Martha Karua, a former Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Kenya, leader of the People’s Liberation Party, and the leader of the legal team representing Dr. Besigye and Haji Obeid Lutale, was denied entry into Uganda at Entebbe International Airport, and deported to Kenya. Ms. Karua had travelled to Kampala to support Advocate Lukwago’s defence team and observe the proceedings. She was reportedly held incommunicado at the airport and had her telephone taken from her before being returned to Kenya without any explanation, while other members of the delegation, including the President of the Law Society of Kenya, were cleared to enter. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/01/08/ugandan-human-rights-lawyer-sarah-bireete-detained/]

The cumulative effect of these incidents has been to significantly reduce the number of lawyers willing and able to participate in proceedings of direct public interest. This is a matter of serious concern for the administration of justice and for the rights of the accused to legal representation of their choosing in Uganda.

Applicable Legal Standards

Lawyers must be able to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, harassment, threats, surveillance, arrest, detention, or other reprisals. The targeting of lawyers because of the clients they represent or the causes they advance strikes at the heart of the administration of justice and undermines public confidence in the rule of law.

Principle 16 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers provides that governments shall ensure that lawyers are able to perform all their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment, or improper interference and shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or other sanctions for actions taken in accordance with their professional duties.

Principle 18 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers also provides that lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a consequence of discharging their professional functions.

The circumstances surrounding Advocate Lukwago’s detention and prosecution are especially troubling because they appear to have arisen in the context of his professional representation of politically sensitive clients and while he was preparing to effect service of court process in proceedings involving those clients. Such actions taken against a lawyer in circumstances that appear connected to the discharge of professional duties raise serious concerns regarding interference with the independence of the legal profession and the administration of justice.

Call to Action

Accordingly, we call upon the Government of Uganda, the diplomatic community and all relevant authorities to:

  1. Ensure a prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation is conducted into the circumstances surrounding Advocate Lukwago’s enforced disappearance, detention, treatment, and alleged ill-treatment.
  2. Ensure that any threats, intimidation, or interference directed at Advocate Lukwago in connection with his professional representation of his clients are promptly and efficiently investigated.
  3. Ensure that all allegations of unlawful detention, torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and violations of due process are independently investigated and that those responsible are held accountable.
  4. Guarantee Advocate Lukwago’s safety, physical integrity, dignity, access to legal counsel of his choice family members, and medical treatment.
  5. Ensure that all criminal proceedings against Advocate Lukwago are dropped for being an abuse of process and the privilege and privacy of communications between lawyers and clients or conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution of Uganda, international human rights law, and fair trial guarantees.
  6. Respect and protect the independence of the legal profession and ensure that lawyers are able to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, hindrance, harassment, reprisals, or improper interference.
  7. Ensure that public officials, including military officials, refrain from statements or conduct that may undermine the presumption of innocence, interfere with ongoing judicial proceedings, intimidate lawyers, or otherwise prejudice the administration of justice.
  8. Ensure that all lawyers and human rights defenders in Uganda can perform their professional duties without fear of reprisals, harassment, or undue interference, in accordance with international standards, notably by implementing the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
  9. Ensure the security, safety and dignity of the lawyers representing Dr. Kizza Besigye and Haji Obeid Lutale; and
  10. The immediate reversal of the illegal declaration of Kenyan Senior Counsel Martha Karua, as persona non grata – a term alien to the domestic law of Uganda and reserved for diplomats in accordance with the Vienna Conventions – and guarantee her safe passage and entry into Uganda to proceed with her work of legally representing Dr. Kizza Besigye and Haji Obeid Lutale in their defense of the treason charges against them that carry a death sentence.

We further call upon regional and international bodies, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the East African Community, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, and other relevant regional and international mechanisms to closely monitor this matter and take all appropriate measures to safeguard the independence of the legal profession and the rule of law in Uganda.

The independence of lawyers is not a privilege of the legal profession. It is a safeguard for society as a whole. When lawyers are intimidated, detained, threatened, or prosecuted because of their professional activities, access to justice, the right to a fair trial, and the rule of law itself are placed at risk. An attack on one lawyer for carrying out his or her professional duties is an attack on the administration of justice itself.

Signatories:

African Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF)

Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC)

Constitution Defenders Forum

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (Conseil des Barreaux Européens, CCBE)

Deutscher Anwaltverein (German Bar Association)

Foundation Day of the Endangered Lawyer

Human Rights Institute of the Brussels Bar

Institute for the Rule of Law of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA-IROL)

International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL)

International Association of Russian Advocates

International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)

International Observatory for Lawyers at Risk (OIAD)

Law Society of England and Wales

Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L)

Pan-African Lawyers Union (PALU)

Republikanischer Anwältinnen- ©Anwälteverein (Republican Lawyers Association)

SADC Lawyers Association (SADC-LA)

Tanganyika Law Society (TLS)

Ubuntu Africa Law Group

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)

Joint Statement By Bar Associations, Law Societies And Lawyers’ Organisations On The Enforced Disappearance, Detention And Prosecution Of Advocate Erias Lukwago

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Kajeem, the Ivorian reggae-man who celebrates human rights

June 22, 2026

Amnesty International

On 22 June 2026, Amnesty International wrote about the inspiring Ivorian reggae artist/ human rights defender Guillaume Konan, known as Kajeem,

Guillaume Konan, known as Kajeem, is a singer and songwriter who grew up in Abobo, a neighbourhood of Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire. Now 57, he began his career in the 1990s in rap music before moving on to reggae. Kajeem is committed to defending rights and freedoms, and speaks out against restrictions on civic space in his country, particularly the right to freedom of expression. He has been working with Amnesty International for over a dozen years as a human rights ambassador.

Following the song “Osons le courage” (Let’s be brave) in 2023, which called on youth to resist injustice, he released in June 2026 the song “En toute liberté” (In total freedom) with artists Didier Awadi from Senegal and Soum Bill from Côte d’Ivoire, and the support of Amnesty International.

“I made my first visit to prisoners when I was 12, as a Catholic boy scout. It was a very formative experience for the young boy I was. I couldn’t understand how people could be put in those terrible conditions, no matter what they had done. So, when I started playing music as a teenager, I gravitated toward genres that stand up for the underdog. Freedom of expression was one of the first rights I sought to assert. Nowadays, the laws in Côte d’Ivoire regarding the internet are so vague that they have become pretexts for imprisoning whomever the authorities please. There is no worse oppression than the one carried out under the guise of the law. Being able to speak out against injustice is a fundamental right, and until the day I die, I will fight for it…. I write songs that denounce a system, not individuals.Ivorian singer Kajeem

I’ve faced various forms of pressure. Today, radio hosts are pressured not to play certain songs, and sponsors are pressured to stop supporting certain artists. The first song of mine which provoked threats was “Sergent 2 togos” (Sergeant 2 togos) released in 2006, which exposed police extortion at roadside checkpoints. I often joke that in other countries, when you’re threatened, you go to the police for protection. But I was being threatened by the police! I had to leave the country for six months.

When I released the song “Tu tournes film” (You’re shooting a movie) in 2023, I faced the same issues, but in a much more intense way. The song “Tu tournes film,” meaning “You’re just blowing hot air”, is about broken promises. An election pledge is a social contract made with the voters, but if you remind those guys of their promises, they get upset!

I woke up one morning to over 1,600 hate messages, including death threats. But I’ve never been very scared by that kind of thing, I think it’s counterproductive because a song has a life of its own, even if its author is dead! People shouldn’t see me as an enemy. I write songs that denounce a system, not individuals.

People may feel that human rights are a luxury they cannot afford because they have basic needs to meet. But how many people earn a lot of money while living under total oppression? We cannot prioritize our needs by saying, “Let’s eat first and worry about that later.” Human rights do not apply only to a certain category of countries or individuals, they are universal.

For me, the future is bright, as every day we see youth getting engaged despite all the distractions offered to them. I think of myself as a sad optimist, unlike the cheerful pessimists who seem happy but no longer believe in anything and just want to enjoy the moment. When you become aware of the realities, it makes you a little sad, but it motivates you because it shows you the work that needs to be done, and every morning, you head back into the fray.

Watch the video clip “En toute liberté” (In total freedom) with artists Kajeem, Didier Awadi and Soum Bill

In 1988 I was in Abidjan for the historic Human Rights Now! world tour concert organized by Amnesty. After that I kept running into the Amnesty team in the field, whether I was working with the Red Cross, visiting detainees, or organizing events at the university to raise awareness of human rights. We were working on the same issues, so I felt less alone. To me, Amnesty is truly like family.   Our song “En toute liberté” is for all those fighting for human rights, so they have a rallying cry.”

To mark the release of the song “En toute liberté” and as part of the campaign Resist run by Amnesty International, Kajeem and Amnesty International Côte d’Ivoire are organizing a digital campaign, as well as discussions on the right to freedom of expression at universities across Côte d’Ivoire.

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ISHR submits 66 cases of reprisals across 24 States to UN

May 28, 2026

In response to the annual call for inputs from the UN Secretary-General, ISHR, on 28 May 2026, has submitted 66 cases of intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders engaging with the UN from 24 countries.

ISHR’s submission shows that reprisals against people engaging with the United Nations remain widespread and increasingly sophisticated. Human rights defenders continue to face travel bans, arbitrary detention, surveillance, online harassment, attacks on family members, and misuse of national security laws aimed at silencing cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms.

Key trends highlighted in the report include the growing recognition of transnational repression as a form of retaliation, increasing self-censorship among defenders, and the expanding use of digital surveillance and legal restrictions to intimidate civil society. At the same time, the report notes stronger international attention to reprisals within the Human Rights Council, General Assembly, and Treaty Bodies, alongside continued gaps in accountability and protection for those targeted.

ISHR also submitted information and followed-up on numerous cases, including in Algeria,  Bahrain, Belarus, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Guatemala, India, Israel & United Sates of America, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Thailand, Venezuela, Vietnam and Yemen. 

Downloads pdf English

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New report: Human rights defenders at risk in the renewable energy transition

May 27, 2025

A new report by the research organization Swedwatch of 29 April 2025 highlights critical human rights risks associated with the global transition to renewable energy. The report reveals that human rights and environmental defenders face serious threats and reprisals in countries where renewable energy projects are being rapidly developed.

More than half of the world’s total prospective wind farm capacity, and more than two thirds of the prospective solar farm capacity, is estimated to take place in countries with obstructed, repressed or closed civic space.

While scaling up wind, solar, and hydropower is essential to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, this growth must not come at the expense of human rights.

–We cannot build a green future on the backs of those who are silenced or displaced. The renewable energy transition must not come at the cost of human rights. Defenders are not obstacles – they are essential allies in ensuring that this is just, equitable, and sustainable, says Alice Blondel, Director Swedwatch.

Renewable energy projects require large land areas, often affecting local communities, ecosystems, and livelihoods. Swedwatch’s analysis shows that the renewable energy transition will largely take place in countries with restricted civic space and poor human rights protections, where defenders who raise concerns often face harassment, legal persecution and at times even deadly violence.

The report Renewables and Reprisals – Defenders at risk in the green energy transition in Brazil, Honduras, Mozambique, and the Philippines is based on a global mapping of such high-risk areas for defenders, where civic space is restricted and where renewable energy expansion is projected to accelerate. Additionally, the report presents four case studies from Mozambique, Honduras, Brazil, and the Philippines, where defenders and affected community members describe restrictions and reprisals of defenders linked to renewable energy projects.

The report is authored by Swedwatch with input from Terramar Institute (Instituto Terramar), Network of Women Human Rights Lawyers and Defenders (Red de Abogadas Defensoras de Derechos Humanos) and Jalaur River for the People’s Movement (JRPM).

-The report underscores the urgent need for stronger protections for defenders, transparent consultation processes, and corporate accountability. Without immediate action, the rapid expansion of renewables risk repeating the same human rights abuses seen in industries such as mining and agribusiness, rather than fostering a truly just energy transition, says Alice Blondel.

Expansion of renewables in countries with high risks for defenders
Swedwatch’s findings indicate that a large share of the expansion of renewable energy is taking place in countries where civic space is restricted, and defenders are at significant risk.

Case studies: Defenders under threat
In the four case studies, defenders from Mozambique, Honduras, Brazil and the Philippines described restrictions of basic civic freedoms and risks of verbal, legal or violent physical attacks when reporting about impacts of renewable energy projects.

Mozambique: According to interviews in the report, the planning of the Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project has been marred by inadequate social and environmental impact assessments, lack of transparency, and suppression of civic engagement. Defenders reported threats, violation of freedom of assembly, and an overall disregard for their right to participate in decision-making processes.

Honduras: Human rights defenders have faced legal intimidation through SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) for their criticism of the Los Prados solar power project, according to a group of women human rights lawyers. Community members involved in protests have allegedly been surveilled and subjected to repressive actions by security forces. Defenders also reported smear campaigns in the media, further restricting their ability to voice concerns.

Brazil: In Brazil, the wind power project Bons Ventos failed to properly include impacted communities, including marginalized groups, traditional fishing, and quilombola communities, in consultations, according to interviews. Defenders decided to remain anonymous in the interviews out of fear of reprisals, citing increasing threats and violence against defenders in the past years.

The Philippines: Indigenous defenders from the Tumandok communities were allegedly threatened, harassed, and killed when the national police and the armed forces raided their communities after community leaders criticized the Jalaur River Multipurpose project, according to a CSO operating in the area. Defenders reporting on the dam project outlined persecution, surveillance and red-tagging – terror-labelling by the government accusing defenders of being communist insurgents, creating an environment of fear and impunity.

Swedwatch´s recommendations
As the world races to meet climate targets, a just transition must include the voices of those most affected by energy projects, and defenders are essential in ensuring that renewable energy projects respect human rights and the environment.

-Governments, businesses, and financial institutions must work together to ensure that human rights are protected, and that defenders can operate without fear of repression or violence. Engaging with defenders as valuable partners rather than as adversaries can help governments and businesses ensure renewable energy projects’ alignment with international human rights obligations, mitigate conflicts, and promote sustainable development, says Jessica Johansson.

Detailed recommendations to different actors can be found in the report, below the main ones are summarized:

Recommendations for governments:

  • Adopt legislation on mandatory human rights due diligence (HRDD) for companies, highlighting risks to defenders and meaningful consultation with defenders.
  • Adopt laws on company transparency laws and access to information.
  • Establish and enforce protections for defenders, ensuring they can operate without fear of retaliation, and provide effective legal remedies for those affected by violations.

Recommendations for companies and investors:

  • Strengthening their HRDD processes by integrating civic space risks and ensuring meaningful stakeholder engagement with defenders.
  • Adopt and enforce a zero-tolerance policy against reprisals targeting defenders (and affected communities).
  • Take appropriate action when business partners or third parties commit violations in relation to their business activities.

…

https://www.mynewsdesk.com/swedwatch/pressreleases/new-report-from-swedwatch-human-rights-defenders-at-risk-in-the-renewable-energy-transition-3382176?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=Alert&utm_content=pressrelease

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Hong Kong: Targeting of Exiled Activists’ Families Escalates

May 16, 2025

Father of Anna Kwok Charged with National Security Crime

The Hong Kong police arrested the father of a prominent US-based activist, Anna Kwok, on April 30, 2025, and charged him with a national security crime, Human Rights Watch said today. The arrest of Kwok Yin-sang was the first such prosecution of a family member of an exiled activist. Hong Kong authorities should immediately drop all charges and release him.

The Hong Kong authorities have recently intensified their harassment of the families of 19 wanted Hong Kong activists living in exile. Punishments and harassment against individuals for the alleged actions of another person is a form of collective punishment, prohibited by international human rights law.

“The Chinese government has increased its appalling use of collective punishment against family members of peaceful activists from Hong Kong,” said Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Hong Kong authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Anna Kwok’s father and cease harassing families of Hong Kong activists.”

On May 2, national security police formally charged Kwok Yin-sang, 68, with “directly or indirectly” dealing with the finances of an “absconder” under section 90 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which carries a punishment of up to seven years in prison. Kwok Yin-sang remains in custody with a bail hearing scheduled for May 8. Anna Kwok’s brother was also arrested on April 30 but has been released on bail pending further investigation.

Anna Kwok, 28, is the executive director of Hong Kong Democracy Council, a nongovernmental organization based in Washington, DC. In July 2023, she was among a first group of eight people against whom the Hong Kong police issued arrests warrants and HK$1 million (US$129,000) bounties for violating Hong Kong’s National Security Law.

Since then, Hong Kong police have issued similar baseless arrest warrants and bounties against 11 other exiled Hong Kong activists.

Hong Kong authorities have sought to intimidate dozens of family members of the 19 “wanted” individuals, primarily by interrogating them. In the case of Ted Hui, a resident of Australia, they also confiscated HK$800,000 (US$103,000) from him and his family for having allegedly violated the National Security Law.

There has been a new wave of harassment against these families in recent months, Human Rights Watch said. After the Hong Kong police issued the third group of arrests and bounties against six exiled activists in December 2024, they began to harass their families. In January, police interrogated eight family members and former colleagues of the UK-based scholar Chung Kim-wah, and raided the office of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, with which Chung was formerly associated.

In February the police questioned the aunts and an uncle of Carmen Lau, a UK-based activist and former district councilor. On March 18, police interrogated the stepfather of the activist Tony Chung, who is in the UK.

On April 10, national security police took the parents of the US-based activist Frances Hui into custody for questioning.

The 19 wanted activists have also faced various other forms of harassment. In June and December 2024, the Hong Kong government cancelled the passports of 13 wanted activists, including Anna Kwok. In March, Lau and Chung reported that anonymous individuals sent letters to residents in various London neighborhoods urging them to hand in the activists to the Chinese Embassy in London, citing the warrants and bounties against them. Similar letters were sent to Melbourne-based Kevin Yam, a democracy activist and an Australian citizen.

Many of the 19 activists, including Kwok and Frances Hui, have reported online harassment campaigns, including rape and death threats, since the government issued the warrants and bounties against them. The media reported that an online campaign, which exhibited signs of a previous Chinese government influence operation, sought to mobilize far-right people in the UK to attack activists on the bounty list.

The 19 wanted activists live in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. The US government in March sanctioned six officials in Hong Kong for using the National Security Law “extraterritorially to intimidate, silence, and harass” the activists. The other three governments have issued statements condemning the arrest warrants, but have not taken action to hold Hong Kong officials accountable. The US government is also the only one that has arrested someone for allegedly harassing a Hong Kong activist on its soil, though the person was later acquitted.

The Chinese government has used two draconian national security laws, the National Security Law of 2020 and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance of 2024, to dismantle the city’s pro-democracy movement and take away its fundamental freedoms, which are enshrined in Hong Kong’s de facto constitution, the Basic Law. Over 200,000 Hong Kongers have left Hong Kong, among them protesters and activists who have continued their activism abroad.

The Australian, UK, and US governments, the European Union, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have all publicly expressed concerns about the two security laws.

“Beijing isn’t likely to stop abuses against the families of exiled activists unless affected governments send a strong message that such repression carries a cost,” Uluyol said. “They should fully investigate and sanction Chinese and Hong Kong officials involved, and pass strong laws to protect their residents and citizens from transnational abuses.”

https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/05/04/hong-kong-targeting-exiled-activists-families-escalates

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Venezuela: Where is Eduardo Torres? 

May 13, 2025

ISHR, T

ISHR, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), request your urgent intervention in the following situation in Venezuela.

The Observatory has been informed of the disappearance of Mr. Eduardo Torres, a labour lawyer who has been a member for over five years of the Venezuelan Education-Action Program on Human Rights (PROVEA), an FIDH member organisation.

According to witnesses, Eduardo Torres was last seen on Friday, 9 May 2025 at 4:00 p.m. in Parque Central in Caracas, after attending a meeting. At that moment, Mr. Torres contacted his family and informed them he was heading home, near Av. Fuerzas Armadas in Caracas, but he never arrived.

Seeking information about Eduardo Torres’ whereabouts, his wife, Ms. Emiselys Nuñez, accompanied by PROVEA members, have visited various detention centres in Caracas, including the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) at El Helicoide, several National Bolivarian Police (PNB) stations in Maripérez, Boleíta and Petare, as well as the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) in Boleíta. As of the publication of this urgent appeal, his whereabouts remain unknown.

On 11 May 2025, Ms. Emiselys Nuñez and PROVEA’s legal team went to the Palace of Justice to submit a “Habeas Corpus” petition before the Judge of First Instance in Control Functions of the Criminal Judicial Circuit of the Metropolitan Area of Caracas, Specialised in protection matters, to request information on whether Eduardo Torres had been detained by the Venezuelan State. However, after more than seven hours of waiting, they were not “authorised” to receive the document, without providing details, and in clear violation of Article 27 of the National Constitution and Articles 2, 3, and 4 of the Organic Law of Personal Liberty and Security.

On 12 May 2025, the PROVEA team, along with Mr. Torres’ wife and mother, went to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice and handed the “Habeas Corpus” petition at 12:10 pm.

The Observatory highlights that Mr. Torres has been repeatedly been subjected to threats and acts of harassment by Venezuelan police officers. Like the rest of the PROVEA team, he is a beneficiary of precautionary protection measures granted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) due to repeated threats, criminalisation, and harassment in connection with his human rights work in Venezuela.

The Observatory recalls that on 7 January 2025, Mr. Carlos Correa, former PROVEA coordinator, was intercepted in the centre of the capital Caracas by hooded officials. His whereabouts remained unknown for several days before he was released on 16 January 2025.

The Observatory also recalls that on 15 October 2024, the passport of Mr. Torres, among other human rights defenders and/or persons identified as opponents, was cancelled in a selective and discretionary manner as a mechanism of repression and intimidation to prevent him from leaving the country and/or cooperating with international protection mechanisms, thus violating his rights to identity, free transit and mobility.

The Observatory expresses its deepest concern due to the high probability that Mr. Eduardo Torres is in a condition of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, due to his work as a human rights defender and given the constant threats against him. If confirmed, these acts would increase the risk of torture and ill-treatment against him.

The Observatory underlines that this disappearance occurs two weeks before the national and regional elections scheduled for 25 May 2025, again highlighting the risks against human rights defenders in Venezuela and exemplifying a systematic attempt to silence all critical voices committed to human rights and democracy in the country.

The Observatory urges the Venezuelan authorities to guarantee the physical and psychological security of Mr. Eduardo Torres, to disclose his whereabouts and to proceed to his immediate and unconditional release, in case he is indeed detained by State actors.

https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/venezuela-disappearance-of-eduardo-torres-member-of-provea

https://crm.ishr.ch/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=1573&cid=8618&cs=190006ac4febcf0f1c43accc05534fec_1747148711_168

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Defamation Campaign against Syrian woman rights defender Hiba Ezzideen Al- Hajji

April 25, 2025

On 23 April 2025 Front Line Defenders expressed its serious concern for Syrian woman human right defender Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajji, as well as her family and the ‘Equity and Empowerment’ organisation, who are being targeted by a defamation campaign on Facebook which seeks to incite violence against them. The online campaign, initiated both by individuals known to support the new government and unknown users, has targeted Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajii for a Facebook post she made on 20 April 2025, in which she advocated against forced marriages. This bombardment of defamatory messages has included calls for violence, including death threats, constituting a clear case of harassment.

Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajji is a Syrian feminist and woman human rights defender. She is the CEO of the Equity and Empowerment organisation and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors in Shan network for peace building. Equity and Empowerment is a women-led organisation which works on gender equality, focusing on digital security, economic and political empowerment. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2023/08/10/syrian-woman-human-rights-defender-hiba-ezzideen-al-hajji-threatened/]

Since 20 April 2025, Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajii’s Facebook account, through which she posted about women’s rights, has been used to start a defamation campaign and incite violence against her, as well as her family and the Equity and Empowerment organisation, both based in Idlib, Syria. The online campaign has led to Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajii receiving numerous death threats on the social media platform, both through private messages and through a flood of posts on her own account, as well as on Equity and Empowerment’s page. The online mob, formed by unknown users, have urged followers to post defamatory content against her online and called for physical violence, inciting people to burn down the center of Equity and Empowerment in Idlib, with the objective of killing Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajii and harming her family. They have distorted the meaning of an old video, in which she stated that it is unnecessary to use the veil in the centers of Equity and Empowerment where there are only women, to falsely accuse her of insulting the Hijab and Islam. The online mob have also attempted to distort her Facebook post in which she urged authorities to investigate cases of women’s abduction, in order to allow for accountability.

Several public figures have taken advantage of this defamation campaign in order to falsely accuse the woman rights defender of being an agent to Assad security branches, despite her clear stands against the Assad regime and extensive record of human rights activism against it. Subsequently, on 22 April, the police in Idlib closed down the center of Equity and Empowerment. Furthermore, the governor of Idlib announced via Facebook that he has requested the public prosecutor to file a lawsuit against Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajii for insulting the hijab. The woman human rights defender has expressed a profound concern for her personal safety and well-being. She has reported fearing for her life, as well as the lives of her family and team at Equity and Empowerment.

Front Line Defenders condemns the defamation and online campaign seeking to incite violence, as well as subsequent acts of intimidation against woman human rights defender Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajii, her family and her organisation Equity and Empowerment. Front Line Defenders believes that the defamation campaign and online harassment is directly related to Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajji’s work in the defence of human rights, particularly her work towards the promotion of women’s rights in Syria.

Front Line Defenders also expresses concern with the recurrent use of Facebook as a tool to incite violence against woman human rights defenders in Syria. The organisation urges Meta to immediately take down all Facebook posts against woman human rights defender Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajii and her organisation Equity and Empowerment, suspend any groups, pages and profiles used to defame her or organise attacks and incite violence against her and her organisation, while also storing data that is relevant for future investigations and accountability. Meta must fulfill their responsibility to protect human rights, in accordance with international human rights standards. They must take the necessary steps to guarantee the safety of human rights defenders online, ensuring their platforms do not contribute to violent and dangerous campaigns, or allow users to incite targeted violence against defenders, particularly woman human rights defenders, which puts their lives at serious risk. Front Line Defenders stands ready to assist Meta with identifying the defamatory and violent content in question and the accounts on which they are hosted or shared.

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/syria-defamation-campaign-against-woman-rights-defender-hiba-ezzideen-al-hajji

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Special Rapporteur: harmful narratives restricting freedom of assembly

November 29, 2024

In her latest report to the UN General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association , Gina Romero, underscored the effects of a growing negative rhetoric directed at civil society and activists.

The Special Rapporteur presented her report ‘Protecting the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association from Stigmatization’ in an interactive dialogue with States at the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee.

The report highlights the growing number of harmful narratives that stigmatise civil society groups and activists engaged in association and peaceful assemblies, labeling them as ‘enemies or threats to security and values.’

The Special Rapporteur highlighted an alarming trend of harmful narratives that undermine the legitimacy of peaceful activism and target human rights defenders and the public for exercising their rights to freedom of assembly and association. She discussed how activists and organisations face stigmatising labels and accusations for organising peaceful protests, forming associations, and bringing urgent issues to the attention of authorities and the international community. Her report listed specific narratives and language used in various countries to stigmatise the work of civil society organisations and activists.

Particularly vulnerable to these harmful attacks are advocates for ethnic and religious minorities, women, children, young activists, LGBTIQ+ people, environmental and Indigenous activists, and defenders of democracy, transparency, and fair elections, with trade unions and labor rights groups also being targeted frequently.

These narratives result in the restriction of human rights. While most States participating in the interactive dialogue welcomed the report, some rejected  the references to  their country in the report, including China, India, Iran, and Russia. Several States asked the Rapporteur about best practices and concrete examples to support and protect the right to peaceful assembly and association.

Gina Romero responded that States should avoid stigmatising protesters and civil society, facilitate peaceful assembly and association, and ensure any restrictions are evidence-based and meet the requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality. She also responded to criticism from China, India, Iran and Russia by emphasising the challenges faced when there are no responses from States to inquiries, denial of requests for country visits, or lack of clear information about state actions and called on states to engage more openly with her mandate. 

The Special Rapporteur also noted that harmful narratives from both State and non-State actors restrict access to freedoms of assembly and association, leading to rights violations and shrinking civic space. She called on States to detect, monitor, and counter such cases to ‘prevent undue legal restrictions and repression of these freedoms, which create a cycle of repression and stigmatization’ and implement legal and policy reforms.

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/unga79-special-rapporteur-reports-alarming-rise-in-harmful-narratives-restricting-freedom-of-peaceful-assembly-and-association

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Amnesty finds that young human rights defenders face online harassment for posting on human rights

July 3, 2024
Amnesty International
an illustration with a young person speaking into a megaphone. Around them are images of fists coming out of phone screens.

On July 1, 2024 AI published the findings of a survey which says that three out of five child and young human rights defenders face online harassment in connection with their activism, according to a new analysis of 400 responses to an Amnesty International questionnaire, distributed to young activists across 59 countries. More than 1400 young activists participated in the survey conducted as a part of Amnesty International’s global campaign to “Protect the Protest.”

Of those, 400 youth activists aged between 13 to 24 years agreed to the publication of their data.

They faced harassment in the form of hateful comments, threats, hacking and doxing which is often linked to offline abuse and political persecution often perpetrated by state actors with little or no response from Big Tech platforms resulting in the silencing of young people. 

The highest rates of online harassment were reported by young activists in Nigeria and Argentina.

“I have been harassed […] by a stranger because of my pronouns. The stranger told me it is not possible to be a ‘they/them’ and kept sending messages about how I am crazy for identifying the way I identify. I had to ignore the person’s messages,” said a 17-year-old Nigerian queer LGBTI activist who asked not to be identified.

Another young activist – 21-year-old male Nigerian LBGTI rights activist said, “People disagree with my liberal progressive views, and immediately check my profile to see that I am queer Nigerian living in Nigeria, and they come at me with so much vitriol. I am usually scared to share my opinion on apps like TikTok because I can go viral. The internet can be a very scary place,” he said adding that, “Someone cat fishing as a gay man, lured me into coming out to see him after befriending me for a while, and then he attacked me with his friends. This is Nigeria, I couldn’t go to the police for secondary victimization.”

Twenty-one percent of respondents say they are trolled or threatened on a weekly basis and close to a third of the young activists say that they have censored themselves in response to tech-facilitated violence, with a further 14 percent saying they have stopped posting about human rights and their activism altogether.

“I always think twice before making a comment, when I express my political position, I start to get many comments that not only have to do with my position, but also with my body, my gender identity or my sexuality,” said Sofía*, a 23-year-old human rights defender from Argentina shared her experience on X formerly known as Twitter.

The survey respondents said they faced the most abuse on Facebook, with 87 percent of the platform’s users reporting experiences of harassment, compared to 52 percent on X and 51 percent on Instagram.

The most common forms of online harassment are upsetting and disrespectful “troll” comments (60 percent) and upsetting or threatening direct messages (52 percent).

Five percent of the young activists say they have faced online sexual harassment, too, reporting that users posted intimate images (including real and AI-generated images) of them without consent.

For many of the survey participants harassment in relation to their online activism is not limited to the digital world either. Almost a third of respondents reported facing offline forms of harassment, from family members and people in their personal lives to negative repercussions in school, police questioning and political persecution.

Twenty-year-old non-binary activist Aree* from Thailand shared their experience of facing politically motivated prosecution in five different cases whilst they were still a child.

Abdul* a 23-year-old Afghan activist reported being denied work at a hospital after authorities found out about his social media activism.

The Israel-Gaza war currently stands out as an issue attracting high levels of abusive online behaviour, but the threat of online harassment appears to be omnipresent across all leading human rights issues. Peace and security, the rule of law, economic and gender equality, social and racial justice, and environmental protection all served as “trigger topics” for the attacks.

However, the way young activists are targeted varies and appears to be closely linked to intersectional experiences of discrimination, likely harming survivors of identity-based abuse in longer lasting ways than issue-based harassment.

Twenty-one percent of respondents say they have been harassed in connection with their gender and twenty percent in connection with their race or ethnicity. Smaller percentages said they face abuse in connection with their socio-economic background, age, sexual orientation and/or disabilities.

“At first it was simply hateful comments since the posts I published were daring and spoke openly about LGBT rights, which later made me receive threats in private messages and it went further when my account was hacked,” said Paul a 24-year-old activist from Cameroon, on being targeted for his LGBTI related activism adding that, “For 2 years, I have been living in total insecurity because of the work I do as an advocate for the rights of my community online.”

For Paul and many other young activists, online harassment is having deep effects on their mental health. Forty percent of the respondents say they have felt a sense of powerlessness and nervousness or are afraid of using social media. Some respondents have even felt unable to perform everyday tasks and felt physically unsafe. Accordingly, psychological support is the most popular form of support which young activists call for, ahead of easier to use reporting mechanisms and legal support.

Many of the young activists voiced frustrations over leading social media platforms’ failure to adequately respond to their reports of harassment saying the abusive comments are left on the platforms long after being flagged.

Some respondents also felt that social media platforms are playing an active part in silencing them; multiple activists reported that they found posts about the war in Gaza removed, echoing previous reports of content advocating for Palestinian rights being subject to potentially discriminatory moderation by various platforms.

Others highlighted platforms’ role in enabling state-led intimidation and censorship campaigns, undermining activists’ hope for government regulation to provide answers to the challenge of tech-facilitated violence.

Amnesty International has previously documented the repression of peaceful online speech by states including India, the Philippines and Vietnam and is currently calling for global solidarity actions in support of women and LGBTI activists facing state-backed online violence in Thailand.

*The young activists’ names have been changed to protect their identities.

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Front Line Defenders launches Global Analysis 2023/24 on human rights defenders

May 22, 2024

On 22 May 2024 Front Line Defenders launched its Global Analysis 2023/24 on the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk around the world, an in-depth annual publication detailing the variety of risks, threats and attacks faced by HRDs around the world.

The Global Analysis gives a panorama of the threats faced by HRDs in all regions of the world. Despite an assault on human rights and the rule of law in many countries, human rights defenders (HRDs) showed remarkable courage and persistence in advocating for more democratic, just and inclusive societies in 2023. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2023/04/04/front-line-defenders-just-published-its-global-analysis-2022-new-record-of-over-400-killings-in-one-year/]

At least 300 HRDs killed in 28 countries

The report also reveals statistics gathered and verified by the HRD Memorial initiative – which Front Line Defenders coordinates – documenting the killings of at least 300 HRDs in 28 countries in 2023. Almost a third of those killed (31%) were Indigenous people’s rights defenders. This brings the total documented killings of HRDs in the last decade to nearly 3,000.

“This appalling wave of attacks on human rights defenders is a direct result of an international human rights framework left in tatters and governments’ double standards when it comes to respecting human rights,” said Alan Glasgow, Executive Director of Front Line Defenders. “A quarter decade after the UN adopted a Declaration on human rights defenders, not enough progress has been made to ensure defenders are valued and protected. In this time, thousands of defenders have paid with their lives and many more face ongoing attacks and intimidation for their peaceful work. Urgent action is needed to change this.”

Wide-ranging risks to HRDs

Globally, the violation most commonly cited by HRDs was arbitrary arrest/detention (15%), followed by legal action (13%), continuing an ongoing trend of criminalisation as the most-reported risk. This was followed by death threats (10.2%), surveillance (9.8%) and physical attacks (8.5%). Trans and non gender-conforming HRDs reported slightly higher rates of physical attacks, and a much greater risk of smear campaigns. Globally, the five most targeted areas of human rights defence were: LGBTIQ+ rights (10.2%); Women’s rights (9.7%); Human rights movements (8.5%); Indigenous peoples’ rights (7.1%); and Human rights documentation (5.2%).

The statistics in the Global Analysis are derived from Front Line Defenders’ casework and approved grant applications between 1 January and 31 December 2023. The statistics are based on 1,538 reported violations in 105 countries. Front Line Defenders documents multiple violations per case or grant, as this is the reality of the situation for human rights defenders. For more details on how these and the HRD Memorial data are gathered, please refer to the Methodology section at the end of the report.

Download the full Global Analysis 2023/24

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/resource-publication/global-analysis-202324

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