Posts Tagged ‘Human Rights Defenders’
October 29, 2016
The definition of who is a human rights defenders and who is not, is in my view and that of many others not a very fruitful debate [see inter alia” https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/hinah-jilani-on-human-rights-defenders-the-first-report-of-her-maastricht-lecture/] What is more relevant is the question of how they are described in the media. On this topic Hans Rollmann has written a clarifying piece in the The Independent of Canada on 28 October 2016, entitled: “Calling Indigenous Peoples ‘land protectors’ or ‘land defenders’ is not loaded language. Calling them ‘protesters’ is.”
Land Protectors shut down work on the $12 billion Muskrat Falls hydro project in a fight to protect their traditional food and way of life. Photo by Justin Brake.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Canada, definition of HRD, environmental issues, Hans Rollman, Human Rights Defenders, indigenous peoples, land rights, land rights defender
October 19, 2016
Andrew Anderson, in the meantime confirmed as the new Director of Front Line Defenders [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/10/08/front-line-defenders-announces-steady-hand-andrew-anderson-as-new-executive-director/], argues – in a very interesting piece published by the International Human Rights Funders Group on 8 September 2016 – for the following:
(1) increased direct support to human rights defenders working at the local and national level,
(2) more flexibility in funding, and
(3) a greater focus on core, multi-year support.
As the piece is short and to the point, here the full text: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 2 Comments »
Tags: Andrew Anderson, donors, Front Line (NGO), funding, Human Rights Defenders, International Human Rights Funders Group, support
October 12, 2016
The Permanent Mission of Norway to the UN, Amnesty International, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Global Witness, the International Platform against Impunity, and the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) cordially invite you to a panel discussion. “Empower environmental defenders, safeguard our future”
Monday 24 October 2016 1:00-2:30 in Conference Room 7 at the United Nations HQ in New York
In his latest report to the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders warns of “a truly global crisis” of killings of environmental human rights defenders and that the vision espoused in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is “doomed to fail” if more is not done to protect those on the frontlines. The Special Rapporteur calls for urgent action and outlines a range of recommendations to empower and protect environmental defenders.
see also: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/09/01/violence-against-environmental-human-rights-defenders-one-of-the-worst-trends-in-recent-years/
This side event will foster a discussion of these recommendations: why they are important, what is required to implement them effectively, and what the main challenges are to their effective implementation.
Speakers will include the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Michel Forst, as well as State, NGO, and business representatives.
For more information, please contact: e.openshaw@ishr.ch
Posted in AI, FIDH, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR | Leave a Comment »
Tags: CIVICUS, environmental activists, FIDH, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, land rights defender, Michel Forst, New York, Norway, Panel of Experts, side event, UN
October 5, 2016
The problem of reprisals against human rights defenders has been the subject of quite a few posts in this blog [see my earlier posts: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/reprisals/]. On 3 October 2016 the SG of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, finally unveiled details about the long-awaited focal point against reprisals. This is a much-needed element to help combat the growing problem of governments preventing human rights defenders from engaging with the UN or punishing and even imprisoning them when they do so.
Assistant Secretary General, Andrew Gilmour, will be given a special mandate to receive, consider and respond to allegations of intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders and other civil society actors engaging with the UN. In announcing the appointment Mr Ban said ‘These courageous individuals are often our only eyes and ears in extremely tough environments – and we owe them our best possible support’. ‘I have decided, in consultation with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to designate my new Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Mr. Andrew Gilmour, to lead our efforts within the UN system to put a stop to all intimidation and reprisals against those cooperating with the United Nations on human rights,’.
A recent report by the SG shows that reprisals take many forms, including travel bans, the issuance of arrest warrants on terrorism charges, detention and torture, surveillance, death threats, attempts to frame activists for criminal acts, defamation, and intimidation. In several cases defenders are tarnished as ‘terrorists’ or ‘traitors’, contributing to perceptions that engagement with the UN is an act of betrayal. In some cases reprisals have led to individuals fleeing their country, in others, to death.
This is an extremely welcome development. The ability of people or organisations to provide evidence or submit information or complaints to the UN is not a privilege – it is a fundamental right enshrined in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and it must be protected,’ said Ms Sinclair, ISHR’s legal counsel.
Source: Ban Ki-moon appoints high-ranking official to combat reprisals against human rights defenders | ISHR
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, OHCHR, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: Andrew Gilmour, anti-reprisals focal point, Ban Ki-moon, harassment, Human Rights Defenders, intimidation, ISHR, reprisals, Sinclair, UN
October 2, 2016
please pass this on to those who you think are deserving candidates:
Call For Nominations – 2017
MARTIN ENNALS AWARD
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Deadline: 9 November 2016
Nominations can be submitted electronically at www.martinennalsaward.org (for the PDF version see below)
- The Award is granted annually to an individual, or exceptionally an organisation, in recognition of their commitment and ongoing efforts in the defence and promotion of human rights.
- The MEA aims to encourage individuals or organisations, particularly those who are working in conditions hostile to fundamental human rights and who are at risk and in need of protection. Special account is taken of those who combat human rights violations by courageous and innovative means.
- Nominations are welcome from all regions, genders, and human rights related themes.
- Three Finalists are selected and announced early in the year and the Laureate is selected from among them. All three are invited to participate in the ceremony in Geneva.
The following 10 international human rights NGOs form the Jury:
OMCT
ISHR
International Commission of Jurists
HURIDOCS
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights First
Front Line Defenders
FIDH
EWDE Germany
Amnesty International
The present value of the annual Award is a minimum of 20’000 Swiss Francs, to be used for further work in the field of human rights. The ceremony is hosted by the City of Geneva which provides each of the final three Finalists with project funds of 11’650 CHF and a 5’000 CHF travel grant.
The Award is named after Martin Ennals (1927-1991), an activist who was instrumental to the modern human rights movement and a driving force behind several organisations. His deep desire was to see more cooperation among NGOs.
Source: Call For Nominations – 2017 – MARTIN ENNALS AWARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS / September 23, 2016 / Events / Human rights defenders / OMCT
Posted in awards, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, MEA | Leave a Comment »
Tags: call for nominations, Candidate, human rights award, Human Rights Defenders, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, MEA
September 30, 2016
© International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
There was some hope that with the ‘nuclear agreement’ Iran would relent in its persecution of human rights defenders. [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2015/09/11/human-rights-defenders-squeezed-by-geo-politics-the-cases-of-colombia-iran-and-cuba/#more-6957] It now seems clear that this is not the case:
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Amnesty International, OMCT and FIDH and many others condemned a decision by an Iranian appeals court to uphold a 16-year jail sentence against journalist and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi. Under a law passed last year, she will ‘only’ serve the sentence linked to the most important charge – in this case 10 years for “forming and managing an illegal group” which pressed for an end to capital punishment. Mohammadi, 44, was the spokesperson of the Centre for Human Rights Defenders and campaigned for an end to the death penalty in Iran. 2003 Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi who founded the Centre for Human Rights Defenders, said: “I condemn this sentence imposed by the Iranian judicial system as Narges’s only crime is to be a human rights defender in a country that flouts these rights“.
Mohammadi went on hunger strike in June after being denied phone contact with her children, who live with their father in France. The authorities relented after 20 days of the hunger strike. [see also: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/retaliation-against-iranian-human-rights-defender-for-meeting-with-ashton/]
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in AI, Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, RSF | 2 Comments »
Tags: AI, Arash Sadeghi, freedom of expression, Front Line (NGO), Gholamreza Khosravi, Human Rights Defenders, Iran, Issa Saharkhiz, Journalist, Narges Mohammadi, prison sentence, Reporters without Borders, Shirin Ebadi
September 28, 2016
The Diplomat wrote under the title “OSCE Manages to Irritate Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Human Rights Advocates, Too” a good piece summarizing the situation at the latest annual human rights conference (officially the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting), taking place from 19-30 September 2016, in Warsaw.
Most attention should go to the recurring reprisals against HRDs and in particular (when they are out of reach through exile) against their family: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in awards, FIDH, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, OMCT | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Askarov, Aziza Abdirasulova, Eastern Europe, Human Rights Defenders, Kadyrzhan Batyrov, Kyrgyzstan, Moscow Mechanism (OSCE), Muhiddin Kabiri, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, OSCE, reprisals, Tajikistan, threats, Tolekan Ismailova, Uzbek, Warsaw
September 24, 2016
Posted in AI, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Arif Yunus, Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Human Rights House, Denis Krivosheev, European Court of Human Rights, harassment, Hikmat Babaoghlu, HRHF, Human Rights Defenders, Leyla Yunus, Michel Forst, referendum, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
September 21, 2016
Ghana, Hungary, Ireland and Uruguay – in cooperation with ISHR – are organizing a panel discussion about current situations, existing practices and new ideas for better implementation of Human Rights Council resolutions on preventing and responding to reprisals.
Monday 26 September 2016, 1.00 – 3.00 pm – Room XXIII, Palais des Nations
Panelists
• Ms Peggy Hicks, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Mr Alessio Bruni, Rapporteur on reprisals of the Committee Against Torture
• H.E. Ms Yvette Stevens, Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the UN
• Ms Maryam Al-Khawaja, Co-director of Gulf Center for Human Rights
• Mr Philip Lynch, Director of International Service for Human Rights
Moderator
• H.E. Ms Zsuzsanna Horváth, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN
For my earlier posts on reprisals: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/reprisals/
Source: Invitation, Monday 26 September, 1pm: Comprehensive responses to acts of intimidation and reprisals in the field of human rights
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Alessio Bruni, Geneva, Human Rights Defenders, intimidation, Ireland, ISHR, Maryam Al-Khawaja, Panel of Experts, Peggy Hicks, Phil Lynch, reprisals
September 21, 2016
Posted in films, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: death, Front Line (NGO), Gladys Lanza, Honduras, Human Rights Defenders, human rights of women, in memoriam, video clip, woman human rights defender, You Tube
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 