Posts Tagged ‘Human Rights Defenders’

« Older posts

Bouayach urges stronger human rights protection across Africa

February 12, 2026

Amina Bouayach, President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), has issued a powerful call for the reinforcement of human rights mechanisms across Africa.

Speaking at the African Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) conference in Yaoundé, Bouayach warned that the continent’s legal frameworks are under unprecedented strain from a “triple threat” of security instability, climate change, and health crises. As the head of Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH), she emphasized that these overlapping emergencies are systematically eroding the rule of law and the capacity of states to meet their international obligations.

Bouayach highlighted a concerning global decline in multilateralism, noting that human rights are increasingly being sidelined in international discourse. She argued that international treaties and regional African mechanisms must be viewed as complementary rather than competing forces. According to her vision, while international laws provide the global benchmark, regional bodies are essential for adapting those standards to local African realities. She stressed that bridging the gap between high-level commitments and national legislation is the only way to restore citizen trust in state institutions.

The address identified several critical “blind spots” in the current continental approach, specifically pointing to the limited use of African legal mechanisms and the persistent barriers to justice for the general population. Bouayach cited the devastating conflict in Sudan—where access to basic healthcare and food has collapsed—and the chronic insecurity in Somalia as prime examples of how state fragility directly translates into human rights violations. She noted that recognizing these failures is not an admission of weakness but a necessary act of “clear-sightedness” required to move toward genuine reform.

To combat these trends, Bouayach urged African states to fully align their national institutions with the Paris Principles, the international gold standard for institutional independence and effectiveness. She concluded by calling for a surge in resources and guaranteed autonomy for human rights defenders, asserting that the rule of law must remain the non-negotiable pillar of Africa’s long-term stability and economic development.

https://apanews.net/bouayach-urges-stronger-human-rights-protection-across-africa/

Posted in Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , ,

Call for input: OHCHR Online Survey on “Civil Society Space”

February 11, 2026

Purpose:To inform the High Commissioner’s report pursuant to the Human Rights Council resolution 59/10.

In its resolution 59/10, the Human Rights Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to “prepare a thematic report in follow-up to the report containing practical recommendations for the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society, based on good practices and lessons learned, submitted to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-second session, to review progress against the recommendations contained therein, to identify new and emerging trends concerning civil society space, including through an analysis of the specific contribution and risks faced by underrepresented parts of civil society, and to provide an updated set of recommendations in the light of those trends, and to present the report to the Council at its sixty-third session.”

OHCHR invites States to respond to this online survey and share good practices and measures to protect and promote civic space in their countries, with a focus on the five areas outlined in the previous report (A/HRC/32/20) – as reflected below – on “practical recommendations for the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society, based on good practices and lessons learned.” Please take the online survey here: English – French – Spanish

OHCHR also invites civil society, non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions, United Nations entities and other relevant stakeholders, to respond to this online survey. If you are an organization working in a specific country, please provide information related to that country or context. If you represent a global and regional organization, please consider providing information for as many regions and/or countries as appropriate. Please take the online survey here: English– French– Spanish

Any questions and queries should be directed to: ohchr-civicspacesurvey@un.org.

The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, 6 March 2026, at 18:00 Central European Time.

Posted in Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, OHCHR | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

UN experts concerned by denial of medical care for woman human rights defender Yang Li in China

February 5, 2026

UN human rights experts on 5 February 2026 urged China to immediately grant full access to adequate medical treatment for woman human rights defender, Yang Li, from Jintan, Jiangsu Province, saying that her attempts to travel to Beijing for medical appointments have been intercepted on numerous occasions and allegedly resulted in her arbitrary detention.

“The arrest and indictment of Yang Li appear to represent an effort by the authorities to prevent her from peacefully exercising her rights to seek redress for legitimate grievances. This harassment is compounded by the fact that it was coupled with preventing her from accessing medical treatment,” the experts said.

Yang Li has been advocating against land requisition and crop clearance being carried out by the authorities in Jiangsu Province since 2009. Her efforts to seek redress for her family and members of her community through filing petitions have led to her being administratively detained multiple times since 2014.

Since 2023, Yang Li has consistently attempted to travel to Beijing to file petitions and receive medical treatment. During these attempts, she has been subjected to physical assaults, administrative detention and been prevented from accessing necessary medical treatment – reportedly by officials from the Jintan and Beijing police. In October 2024, Yang Li was placed in criminal detention for the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” which was later changed to “disrupting the work order of state organs.” Yang Li was convicted in September 2025 and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment in a judicial process that indicated several fair trial inconsistencies.

“Yang Li is in urgent need of adequate medical treatment, capable of responding to the late-stage kidney disease she is suffering from,” the experts said. “Her condition appears to have worsened significantly as a result of the repeated denial of medical care, her treatment whilst in prison and the stress she has been subjected to through numerous detentions that appear to have been carried out without legal basis or justification.”

“We urge the authorities to cease the harassment and intimidation of Yang Li and her family and allow her full, immediate access to medical treatment of her choosing, to ensure her health does not further deteriorate and to prevent long-lasting impacts,” the experts said.

The experts have been in contact with the Government of China on these issues.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/china-un-experts-concerned-repeated-denial-medical-care-woman-human-rights

https://www.jurist.org/news/2026/02/un-experts-condemn-chinas-denial-of-medical-treatment-to-human-rights-defender/

Posted in Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

A network of legal professionals for the protection of human rights defenders in Africa

February 4, 2026

On 29 January 2026 ISHR, in collaboration with its various partners, announced that it has established a network of legal professionals for the protection of human rights defenders in Africa

Legal professionals and human rights defenders from several African countries came together to finalise the establishment of a network for the protection of human rights defenders in Africa.

This Network aims to be a space for collaboration, solidarity and strategic legal action, with a view to strengthening the collective response to violations of the rights of human rights defenders in Africa. Its establishment is part of a project implemented by the International Service for Human Rights with the support of Open Society Foundations, and in collaboration with national and regional human rights networks.

Participants at this regional meeting reviewed the Network’s founding charter, defining its principles, governance and operating procedures, and identifying common priorities for strengthening the legal protection of human rights defenders on the continent.

Participants noted that in some African countries, violations, criminalisation and impunity persist, even in contexts with specific legal frameworks. Emphasising the need to move beyond isolated approaches, participants agreed to strengthen regional coordination among legal professionals.

During the meeting, the Network members agreed on a set of common principles and values, including a defender-centred approach, commitment, solidarity, independence, apoliticality, professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality. They also defined clear criteria for the Network’s engagement in situations of violations, in order to ensure responsible, strategic actions that respect the safety of defenders.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss the legal challenges faced by defenders in different national contexts, as well as regional and international mechanisms that could strengthen their access to justice and protection.

The members of the Network committed to continuing the work begun at this meeting and to translating the adopted recommendations into concrete actions:

  1. For countries that have not yet adopted an act on the recognition and protection of human rights defenders, to adopt such legislation.
  2. For countries that have adopted such legislation, to implement it and establish national mechanisms for the protection of human rights defenders.

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/launch-of-the-network-of-legal-professionals-for-the-protection-of-human-rights-defenders-in-africa

Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Interpol leaked files reveal states abuse red notices to target dissidents

January 31, 2026

Interpol leaked files reveal states abuse red notices to target dissidents

Derren Chan od JURIST.org wrote on 27 January 2026 about this worrying issue:

Two media outlets reported on states’ abuses of Interpol red notices to target political dissidents and human rights defenders on Monday. Amnesty International urged Interpol to address this “grave institutional failure” and improve its transparency.

Disclose, a French investigative media outlet, reported that Interpol has disclosed to the public less than 10 percent of the 86,000 active red notices. As of September 2024, Russia (4,817), Peru (4,457), and Tajikistan (3,493) are the countries with the most active red notices. The report also revealed that Interpol’s Commission for the Control of Files (CCF) removed at least 322 notices in 2024 alone after deeming them unjustified. In March 2024 an HRW report also highlights cases of governments misusing Interpol, see https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2024/03/19/transnational-repression-human-rights-watch-and-other-reports/

At the same time, the BBC revealed that Interpol quietly dropped some initial measures that prevented Russia from abusing the red notices in 2025. The BBC also reported the phenomenon of countries using Interpol’s messaging systems to trace people abroad instead of issuing a notice that can be challenged by the target.

The BBC’s report also outlined how the abuse of the red notice system impacted the life of an exiled Russian dissident, Igor Pestrikov. He fled the country with his family after he refused to supply metal products to government-designated buyers in 2022. During the two years when a red diffusion against him was active, he was unable to rent an apartment, and his bank accounts were frozen. CCF removed his case after he challenged that Russia’s case against him was politically motivated.

Interpol is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates law enforcement of over 196 member countries. When a member state issues a red notice, law enforcement in other member states will assist in locating and arresting the wanted persons. However, Article 3 of Interpol’s constitution prohibits it from participating in any political interventions.

Reacting to the reports, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns of Amnesty International, Erika Guevara Rosas, questioned Interpol’s credibility since it failed repeatedly to challenge whether the states use red notices legitimately. She urged Interpol to improve its transparency and “stop serving states’ political interest.” Conversely, Interpol told the BBC that some accusations misunderstood how Interpol and its CCF system work, or are based on factual errors. 

Relatedly, in November 2025, UN experts also flagged El Salvador’s misuse of the red notices to target two exiled Salvadoran human rights defenders, denouncing the country’s use of red notices as a means “to pursue its political agenda to harass and persecute human rights defenders beyond its borders.” According to international lawyer Kate McInnes, this marks the first time that UN Special Rapporteurs have issued a communication to Interpol. The communication warned that the red notices against the human rights offenders constituted transnational repression, violating Interpol’s constitution to uphold the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and to maintain political neutrality.

SEE:

UN experts concerned by Interpol red notices against human rights defenders from El Salvador

https://www.jurist.org/news/2026/01/interpol-leaked-files-reveal-states-abuse-red-notices-to-target-dissidents/

Posted in Amnesty international, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

FIDH seeks Representative to EU office in Brussels

January 30, 2026

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) office in Brussels represents FIDH before the institutions of the European Union (Council, Commission, European Parliament, and other associated bodies), as well as to the representations of its member states. It ensures the visibility of FIDH’s actions and those of its member organisations to the European Union and develops advocacy strategies to effectively mobilise the EU on human rights issues worldwide, while identifying ways to strengthen its lever.

FIDH is recruiting a : REPRESENTATIVE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION IN BRUSSELS – FULL-TIME PERMANENT CONTRACT

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the responsibility of the Advocacy Director based in Paris, your main responsibilities will be :

A / Define EU advocacy strategies in consultation with internal stakeholders, to support the implementation and strengthening of EU human rights policies, including :

  • Supporting FIDH member organisations and the FIDH Operations Directorate teams in defining and guiding FIDH recommendations targeting EU institutions;
  • Developing advocacy directions, the annual activity program, and implementing specific action programs led by FIDH offices, in coordination with the Operations Directorate and member organizations, and monitoring their progress;
  • Analysing the effectiveness and impact of EU human rights policies and proposing ways to strengthen them;
  • Developing the delegation’s communication strategy towards the EU, in collaboration with the Communications Directorate.

B / Implement the delegation’s activities:

  • Coordinate and supervise the participation of FIDH member NGOs or partners in various EU institutions;
  • Coordinate and supervise the provision of information to EU institutions based on inputs from FIDH, its members, and partners;
  • Represent FIDH before EU institutions, member state representations, and other stakeholders (funders, NGOs, media), ensuring strong relationships;
  • Oversee the strategy for promoting FIDH’s activities to the public;
  • Ensure reporting and evaluation of delegation activities, including advocacy actions and other reporting requirements (internal monthly and annual reports, narrative reports for other funders).

C / Foster and strengthen interaction with internal and external actors, ensuring quality support for FIDH member organisations during interfaces, sharing information on delegation strategies and activities, and developing partnerships with other NGOs.

D / Manage a team (currently one staff member + one intern).

E / Oversee the delegation’s day-to-day logistical and administrative management, with the support of delegation staff.

SKILLS REQUIRED

Education & Experience:

  • Master’s degree in law, political science, or international relations, with at least 5 years of professional experience in a similar role, including 3 years in human rights advocacy;
  • Excellent knowledge of EU human rights policies, allowing you to identify and mobilise the most effective levers to achieve concrete results;
  • Strong understanding of international human rights standards and mechanisms.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT :

  • Full-time permanent contract – 39 hours/week
  • Based in Brussels – FIDH recognises the importance of flexible working arrangements for work-life balance and offers remote work options after the probationary period.
  • Salary: €57,000 gross per year
  • FIDH contribution to health insurance: €80/month; public transport subscription reimbursement in Brussels; meal vouchers of €8/meal (employee contribution: €1.09)
  • Leave and RTT: 25 days of paid leave per year, 24 compensatory rest days per year

Position to be filled : As soon as possible

How to apply

Send your CV AND cover letter to recrutement@fidh.org quoting reference DOIG-UE-0126 in the subject line no later than Friday, February 6, 2026.

Interviews will take place as applications are received.

FIDH reserves the right to close the recruitment process before the deadline for applications.

https://reliefweb.int/job/4196203/representative-european-union-brussels-full-time-permanent-contract

Posted in FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Unprecedented 1,000 American NGOs ask Congress halt funding for ICE

January 29, 2026

On 27 January 2026, 1,025 (!!) organisations in the USA sent the following letter:

Dear Members of Congress,

We the undersigned 1,025 organizations write to express our horror, outrage and deep grief about the news that federal agents have executed a human being in broad daylight on the streets of Minneapolis. How many more people have to die, how many more lies have to be told, and how many more children must be used as bait and abducted, before Congress fulfills its responsibilities and stops these out-of-control agencies from continuing to violently attack our immigrant communities and communities of color, as well as their many allies and supporters?

We demand an immediate halt in all funding for these deadly operations until the violence, abuses, and deaths in American communities and in immigration detention centers stop. Congress must refuse to provide one dollar to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol through the appropriations process and immediately take action to revoke the tens of billions already given through last summer’s reconciliation bill.

We demand that you act decisively and show DHS and the communities you serve that this cruelty and lawlessness is unacceptable and must end now. When federal agents are patrolling the streets of American cities and gunning people down in broad daylight, the bare minimum response is to stop the funding that enables these violent agencies to carry out these atrocities. You have the power and responsibility to stop this. What you do now will be remembered for future generations – take a stand today while you still have the power to do so

Click to access 1.27.26_No-funds-for-ICE-and-Border-Patrol-1-1.pdf

https://www.amnestyusa.org/blog/letter-from-1025-organizations-asks-congress-to-halt-funds-for-ice-and-border-patrol/

No Funds for ICE and Border Patrol

Posted in Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Human rights lawyers couple Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha sentenced to jail in Pakistan

January 27, 2026

Several media (such as the CSR Journal and Barrons) and NGO (Frontline) talk about the case of human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband and fellow lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha who were sentenced 10-year-jail by an Islamabad court on 24 January 2026 over anti-state social media posts. However, the pressure and arrest haven’t been able to silence her voice. She said to media agencies, “We will not back down. Truth seems overwhelmingly difficult in this country. But we knew that when we got into this work, we’re ready to face that,”. Mazari noted that the prison term won’t dent her resolve.

Imaan Mazari is a 32-year-old human rights lawyer from Pakistan who rose to fame for fighting some of the most sensitive cases and she has been defending ethnic minorities, journalists facing defamation charges and some of her clients have been branded blasphemers. With Mazari’s coming to prominence, so did the charges by the Pakistani government for cyber terrorism and hate speech. As per a court document, Mazari has been disseminating highly offensive content.

Mazari comes from a well-known family, she is the daughter of former minister for human rights, Shireen Mazari, and her late father was one of the top paediatricians of South Asia. Because of her strong determination of fighting back despite all odds, she is being compared to Pakistan’s one of the popular human rights lawyers, late Asma Jahangir. [see: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/14CC52FE-5F1B-4EF8-B1F5-607ED173AACC]

Mazari is a pro bono lawyer, she has handled some of the most sensitive cases in Pakistan, e.g. enforced disappearances of ethnic Balochs, she defended Mahrang Baloch. She has also taken up blasphemy cases.

Last year, the UN special rapporteur for human rights defenders said, “Cases against her appear to reflect an arbitrary use of the legal system to harass and intimidate”. She was first targeted in a press conference held sometime in early January, where a military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, shared Mazari’s post on X posts and filed a case against her, stating her as, “hidden elements committing subtle crimes. They operate under the guise of democracy and human rights to promote terrorism,”.

https://thecsrjournal.in/from-courtroom-prison-who-imaan-mazari-pakistan-human-rights-lawyer/

https://www.barrons.com/news/defiance-as-a-profession-pakistan-s-jailed-lawyer-imaan-mazari-07a01d94

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/imaan-zainab-mazari-and-hadi-ali-chattha-violently-arrested-despite-court-order

https://ommcomnews.com/world-news/un-experts-alarmed-by-conviction-of-pakistani-lawyers-and-human-rights-defenders

https://www.civicus.org/index.php/fr/medias-ressources/112-news/8102-pakistan-overturn-conviction-and-release-human-rights-lawyers-imaan-zainab-mazari-and-hadi-ali-chattha

Posted in Front Line, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Call for nominations for the PACE Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2026

January 19, 2026

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in partnership with the Václav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation, has issued a call for nominations for the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.

For more on this and other awards see: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/7A8B4A4A-0521-AA58-2BF0-DD1B71A25C8D

The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2026 edition of the Prize is 30 April 2026.

Nominations should be sent to the Parliamentary Assembly by e-mail to the following address: hrprize.pace@coe.int, using the form available on the Prize web page. They should be signed by at least five sponsors and submitted in either English or French.

Nomination form Václav Havel Human Rights Prize web page Video: “It’s time to run”

Posted in awards, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , ,

NGOs such as the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Human Rights Watch declared “undesirable” by the Russia

January 18, 2026

Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

At the end of 2025 the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), one of the world’s oldest human rights movements and Human Rights Watch were declared “undesirable” by the Russian Federation. For FIDH the designation was made by the Prosecutor General of Russia on 13 November, and on 1 December, Russia’s Ministry of Justice included FIDH in its register of “undesirable organizations“, which currently contains 281 entities, including several FIDH members, such as the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), and Truth Hounds.

“This ignoble move not only further threatens and endangers our Russian members, partners, their staff, and ordinary Russian citizens supporting our human rights work. It also sends a clear message that Russia is no friend of the global human rights movement“, said Alexis Deswaef, FIDH President. “This designation of FIDH as an ‘undesirable organisation’ demonstrates the importance of our commitment to supporting those who defend human rights, whether in Russia or in exile. FIDH will continue to pursue this commitment more than ever.”

Under the “undesirable organisations” law, adopted in 2015 and further tightened in 2021 and 2024, the Prosecutor General’s Office has the power to declare as “undesirable” any foreign or international organisation that is deemed “a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state“.

Concretely, “undesirable organisations” are banned from engaging in any activities inside Russia, including the publication or dissemination of any information, carrying out financial transactions, and providing financial or other assistance to local organisations and individuals. The “participation in the activities” of an “undesirable organisation” is subject to administrative and criminal liability, including up to four years of imprisonment. Any Russian citizen or organisation cooperating with an “undesirable organisation“, even if residing outside Russia, faces administrative penalties and, in the case of individuals, criminal liability. In practice, the vague wording of the law has led to the punishment of individuals simply for reposting information disseminated by an “undesirable organisation” on social media platforms, even if the original posts predated the organisation’s designation as “undesirable“.

https://www.fidh.org/en/region/europe-central-asia/russia/russia-bans-the-oldest-worldwide-human-rights-movement

“For over three decades, Human Rights Watch’s work on post-Soviet Russia has pressed the government to uphold human rights and freedoms,” said Philippe Bolopion, executive director at Human Rights Watch. “Our work hasn’t changed, but what’s changed, dramatically, is the government’s full-throttled embrace of dictatorial policies, its staggering rise in repression, and the scope of the war crimes its forces are committing in Ukraine.” 

The Prosecutor General’s Office made the decision to ban Human Rights Watch on November 10, as follows from the Ministry of Justice’s register of “undesirable” organizations updated today. The official reasons for the designation are not known.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/11/28/russia-government-designates-human-rights-watch-undesirable

and https://ilga.org/news/russia-ilga-world-undesirable/

Posted in FIDH, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

« Older posts