Posts Tagged ‘HRDs’
March 18, 2012
Iranian activists have issued a statement urging the government to release political prisoners for Norooz, the Iranian New Year. Radio Zamaneh reports that 440 Iranian civic and political activists of various stripes have signed a statement demanding that the government at least allow political prisoners to spend the New Year with their families, on the first day of spring in March.
The statement condemns the harsh sentences handed recently to Nasrin Sotoudeh, Nargess Mohammadi and Abdolfattah Soltani, members of the Human Rights Defenders Centre, and it denounces the arrest of journalists, political activists and all prisoners of conscience.
via Iranian activists call for release of political prisoners for Norooz.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Abdolfattah Soltani, detention, HRDs, Human Rights Defenders, Iran, Nargess Mohammadi, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Norooz, political prisoners
February 20, 2012
On 13 February 2012, the Belgium parliamentarians adopted by unanimity a resolution strengthening its earlier resolutions of 2003 et 2005, in which they urge the Belgium Government to be more active with regard to the protection of human rights defenders. This kind of action by parliaments is rare but extremely important as I believe it helps to focus policy within the broad – and often vague – human rights language and gives long-term stability
The parliamentarians ask for example that the Government meets with HRDs during official visits, that diplomats maintain regular contact with HRDs in prior consultation with local and national human rights NGOs. They also want to see stronger support for HRDs in the context of conflict prevention, diplomatic dialogues and development aid. Other recommendations relate to the EU and the UN.
Protection International, the Brussels-based international NGO, has rightly welcomed the resolution which is in line with with the best practices it has collected over the years. It now calls on the Government to put the policy into practice.
The Parliament’s Resolution – in French and Dutch – is available at: http://www.lachambre.be/FLWB/PDF/53/1887/53K1887008.pdf
The comments by Protection International (in French) at: http://protectionline.org/PI-se-rejouit-de-l-adoption-d-une.html
Posted in Human Rights Defenders, Protection International | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Belgium, European Union, HRDs, Human Rights Defenders, Parliament, Protection International, Protection on Line, Resolution
January 17, 2012
Norma Cruz is a human rights defender who received 47 death threats via text messages sent to her mobile phone. As the leader of women’s rights organization Survivors’ Foundation (Fundación Sobrevivientes) in Guatemala she receives repeated threats for simply doing her work to support victims of violence against women and for pursuing prosecutions against those responsible for committing the crimes.
Sauro Scarpelli, Campaign Manager of the Individuals at Risk team, Amnesty International explains “At Amnesty International we are celebrating our 50th birthday and since our inception, we have been fighting for freedom of expression. It was our first campaign and unfortunately 50 years later, despite a very different world, those defending human rights continue to be silenced, imprisoned and threatened with violence in new and different forms.”
Thousands letters to the Attorney General in Guatemala asking for the start of a full and impartial investigation on the threats Norma received had an impact and in September 2011 one of the people who made death threats against Norma Cruz was convicted. The global pressure is working locally! That’s why Amnesty International is kicking off the year with a new action for freedom of expression on 23 January 2012.
picture: Guatemalan human rights defender Norma Cruz (c) Amnesty International
Go to: http://livewire.amnesty.org/2012/01/17/stop-the-death-threats-join-our-campaign-for-freedom-of-expression/
Posted in AI, Amnesty international, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Amnesty International, death threats, freedom of expression, Guatemala, HRDs, Human rights defender, Norma Cruz, Survivors’ Foundation
December 22, 2011
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today – 22 December – that the annual award for HRDs, the Tulip, has been awarded to the Chinese human rights activist Ni Yulan. The announcement of the award was delayed several weeks at the request of Ms Ni’s family in the interest of her safety. The activist is currently in custody awaiting trial. The Human Rights Defenders Tulip is awarded annually to someone who has made an extraordinary contribution to protecting and promoting human rights.
Posted in Human Rights Defenders | 2 Comments »
Tags: China, detention, HRDs, Human rights defender, Tulip, Tulp
December 19, 2011
On Sunday 18 December 2011, five local human rights groups accused the Egyptian military of systematically targeting female political activists.
The 5 NGOs (Nazra for Feminist Studies, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, the Hisham Mubarak Law Center and the Women and Memory Association) accuse in a joint statement the military rulers of exercising “unprecedented violence against protesters, with the targeting of female activists being a distinctive feature of the proceedings to disperse sit-ins, as depicted in pictures and video clips showing protesters being arrested, beaten, dragged and stripped of their clothes.”
Female protesters systematically targeted, say rights watchdogs | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Todays News from Egypt.
Posted in films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: arab awakening, demonstrations, Egypt, HRDs, military, women
December 15, 2011
The Chairperson of the South Sudan Human Rights Commission (SSHRC), Mr. Lawrence Korbandi, has called on local human rights defenders to step up their activities as many South Sudanese (both citizens and government officials) are still ignorant about their rights. He did so at an event for Human Rights Day last Saturday. He made a sobering assessment of the lack of appropriate legislation. Interesting enough the South Sudanese Presidential Advisor on Legal Affairs, Pelar Deng, was a guest at the meeting and promised improvements. He admitted that there were serious problems in the young state and reminded “government officials and security agencies that, it is a serious offense to violate someone’s rights. We shall take measures to ensure that human rights are respected and promoted in our country“. A quote worth remembering.
from: Oye! Times | South Sudanese Unaware Of Their Rights | Oye! Times.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: HRDs, Human Rights Day, Human rights defender, South Sudan, South Sudan Human Rights Commission
December 8, 2011
In message marking the UN declaration on Human Rights Defenders on the 9th December, the well-respected National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) has joined the call for making 9 December a special day for HRDs. A small group of bloggers on bloggersunite (www.bloggersunite.org) has been pushing for this since 2009 and the support by the NHRC is most useful. The text of the message is:
“The National as well as international community around the world are increasingly realizing and acknowledging the role and contribution of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in strengthening the human rights regime throughout the globe. The NHRC considers the HRDs as its partner in the endeavour to fulfill its role as an institution for promotion and protection of rights of common man. The NHRC understands that there are many security risks for human rights defenders and they have to tread a very risky and difficult path to perform their duties/tasks as a Human Rights Defender. The problems and harassment of the HRDs are in the knowledge of the NHRC and it has always made sincere efforts to ameliorate the problems. Measures like Focal Point for Human Rights Defenders, dedicated website space for HRDs and sensitization of functionaries of both state and non state actors, through workshops/trainings/seminars/meetings, have gone a long way in making the voice of the HRDs heard and restoration of their identity as promoter and protector of human rights. The Commission believes that 9th December, which is the day when the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders was adopted by United Nations on 9 December 1998, be declared as Human Rights Defenders Day to acknowledge and pledge continued support to the HRDs who are working for the creation and sustenance of a rights aware and rights respecting civil society.”
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: bloggersunite, HRDs, Human Rights Day, Human Rights Defenders, India, National Human Rights Commission, UN
December 8, 2011
Amidst the many violations and massive repression reported from Syria, there is the risk that individual cases will go unnoticed. Therefore your attention is drawn to the arrest on 4 December of 31-year old Razan Ghazzawi at the Syrian-Jordanian border. She was arrested by the Syrian immigration police while she was heading to Amman in order to attend the “Forum of defenders of freedom of expression in the Arab region” in her capacity of media officer of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), a non-recognized Syria-based human rights organization. On her blog <http://razanghazzawi.com/> – note that she courageously uses her real name !– Razzan Ghazzawi has been advocating for freedom of opinion in Syria and in the Arab region. Since the beginning of the unrest in Syria, Razzan has extensively covered violations of freedom of expression, including arbitrary arrests of journalists, bloggers and covered the political situation from a cultural perspective.
The Euro-Mediterrean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) fears that Razzan Ghazzawi may be subjected to ill treatments or acts of torture.
For more information, please contact:
In Brussels, Hayet Zeghiche hze@euromedrights.net <mailto:hze@euromedrights.net>
In Cairo, Shaimaa Abou Elkhir shy@euromedrights.net <mailto:shy@euromedrights.net>
Posted in EMHRN, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: blogger, EMHRN, HRDs, Razzan Ghazzawi, Syria
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 