Posts Tagged ‘Human Rights Defenders’
October 10, 2014
The ceremony of the Martin Ennals Award 2014 is over (7 October 2014). It was again very impressive to hear and see 3 courageous Human Rights Defenders being honored. Some 450 people (my estimate) gave standing ovations to the 3 nominees whose work was shown in impressive films produced for the occasion. The film portraits are already available on the website: http://www.martinennalsaward.org where there is also a short summary of the whole evening.
Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
Especially the film on Chinese HRD Cao Shunli is a masterpiece given that the film makers had almost no images to work with due to the modesty of the human rights defender as well as her untimely death in detention only 2 days after her nomination in March 2014.
The internet has buzzed with congratulations and encouragements to the other two nominees, Adilur from Bangladesh and Alejandra Ancheita from Mexico. The latter became ultimately the Laureate [see https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/breaking-news-alejandra-ancheita-is-the-2014-mea-laureate/#more-5648 ].
One of the nicest surprises was the address by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at one of his first public appearances outside the UN. 
The High Commissioner gave a moving and almost poetic description of the sorry state of affairs left to human rights defenders to correct: He said inter alia: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in awards, films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, MEA, UN | 2 Comments »
Tags: Adilur Rahman Khan, Alejandra Ancheita, awards, Bangladesh, Cao Shunli, China, film, film portraits, Geneva, human rights award, Human Rights Defenders, human rights films, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, MEA, MEA ceremony, Mexico, speech, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ville de Geneve, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein
October 7, 2014
The Martin Ennals Foundation just announced in Geneva – during a ceremony broadcast live on the internet – that the MEA Laureate of 2014 is Alejandra Ancheita from Mexico. She was selected by a Jury representing the broad international Human Rights movement (see below).
Alejandra Ancheita is the founding Director of ProDESC. For over 15 years she has worked with migrants, workers, and indigenous communities to protect their land and labour rights vis-a-vis transnational mining and energy companies. These disputes have included violent attacks on those she is trying to protect. She is also one of the pioneers in seeking accountability for transnational companies in Mexican courts when local communities’ rights are not taken into account. In Mexico, there is a clear pattern of attacks, threats, criminalization, and murders of human rights defenders. Ms Ancheita and ProDESC have been subjected to surveillance, a defamation campaign in the national media, and a break in at their offices. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Adilur Rahman Khan, Alejandra Ancheita, awards, Bangladesh, Cao Shunli, China, City of Geneva, human rights award, Human Rights Defenders, MEA, MEA final nominee 2014, MEA laureate 2014, Mexico, Micheline Calmy Rey, ProDESC, Sandrine Salerno, woman human rights defender
October 3, 2014
Reminder: Martin Ennals Award 2014 to be announced at Ceremony in Geneva on 18:00, 7 October, at Uni Dufour. Watch live on: www.martinennalsaward.org
for more detail on the nominees: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/announcement-ceremony-of-the-martin-ennals-award-2014-on-7-october/
Posted in awards, Human Rights Defenders, MEA | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Adilur Rahman Khan, Alejandra Ancheita, awards, Cao Shunli, human rights award, Human Rights Defenders, internet, Martin Ennals Award, MEA, MEA 2014, MEA ceremony, Prince Zeid Raad Zeid al-Hussein, streaming, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein
October 1, 2014
If there was any doubt that the Chinese regime fears contamination from Hong Kong, today’s (1 October) report by the NGO China Human Rights Defenders [CHRD] makes clear that any expressions of support are dealt with harshly. Authorities are reported to have detained a dozen activists across China and threatened several others who expressed support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests in recent days….They include activist Wang Long, who was detained by police in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen on Monday for “creating a disturbance” after he posted messages about the protests online, CHRD said. The 25-year-old Wang made headlines last month with his decision to sue a state-owned telecom operator for denying him access to US search engine Google. Another activist, Shanghai-based Shen Yanqiu, posted online photos of herself with a shaved head in support for the Hong Kong protesters on Sunday, CHRD said. She was detained on Tuesday and is “being held in an unknown location”, according to the group. A group of “up to 20 citizens” were seized by police on Tuesday in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, near Hong Kong, after gathering in a city park to voice support the pro-democracy camp, according to CHRD. At least two activists – Huang Minpeng and Liu Hui – were detained by police and “denied food” while in custody before they were released in the afternoon, the group said. Other areas where activists have reportedly been detained or threatened include Beijing, the southwestern mega-city of Chongqing and central China’s Jiangxi province. (AFP/nd)
via China detains activists for supporting Hong Kong protests: Rights group – Channel NewsAsia.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: AFP, China, China Human Rights Defenders, crackdown, detention, freedom of expression, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Huang Minpeng, Human Rights Defenders, Liu Hui, NGO China Human Rights Defenders, protests, Shen Yanqiu, Wang Long
October 1, 2014
The Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF) today released its 2013 Annual Report detailing its activities in support of individuals, groups and NGOs who are defending human rights in a wide variety of distinctly challenging contexts across the Arab region. In 2013, when access to internal and external funding sources in the region remained limited and difficult, the Foundation faced the dual challenges of protecting defenders in increasingly repressive and violent environments and of consolidating positive civil society dynamics in countries where tentative steps were taken toward democratisation.
In countries such as Syria, Libya, Algeria and Egypt, Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in EMHRN, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: annual report 2013, Arab region, Arab spring, Civil society, EMHRF, Euro-Mediterranean Foundation, Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders, Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, freedom of association, Human Rights Defenders, international protection, Middle East
October 1, 2014
Under the title “India dissociates itself from UN Human Rights Council resolution favouring pluralistic civil society“, Counterview of 30 September 2014, expresses its disappointment with the position taken by India (and other States such as South Africa) who one would normally expect to come out in support of a vibrant civil society, including specifically human rights defenders. They did not call for a vote – so the resolution passed – but expressed strong opposition. This is in line with earlier behaviour in the Council [see: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/india-and-south-africa-forsaking-their-human-rights-credentials/]. Here some extracts: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Article 19, Civil society, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, India, NGOs, South Africa, UN, UN Human Rights Council, UN Resolution, vibrant civil society
September 30, 2014
Yesterday, 29 September 2014, human rights defender Pierre Claver Mbonimpa was conditionally released from prison on grounds of ill health in Burundi. [He was arrested on 16 Mat this year: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/alert-mea-laureate-2007-pierre-claver-mbonimpa-arrested-in-burundi/]
Pierre Claver Mbonimpa is the President of the Burundi Association for the Promotion of Human Rights and of Detained Persons (Association Burundaise pour la Promotion des Droits Humains et des Personnes Détenues – APRODH), one of the most active human rights organisations in Burundi. For several years, the human rights defender has documented torture and the poor conditions of detention in prisons, and has campaigned against extra-judicial killings in the country. Pierre Claver Mbonimpa was the MEA Laureate in 2007.
MEA Laureate Mbonimpa, Burundi
Only two weeks ago the High Court of Bujumbura had still rejected a request by his defense lawyers for his provisional release due to serious illness. However, the court had ordered the establishment of a medical commission to assess the health of the human rights defender (see http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/27199> . As conditions of his release, Pierre Claver Mbonimpa is not permitted to travel beyond the borders of Bujumbura city, nor is he permitted to be in the proximity of the airport, train station or ports without judicial authorisation. Moreover, the human rights defender must appear before the judge when required.
On 18 September the European Parliament adopted a resolution which condemned Mbonimpa’s detention and deemed it “representative of the mounting risks facing human rights defenders” in Burundi. The resolution also called on the EU High Representative and the 28 EU Member States to ensure “a clear and principled EU policy vis a vis Burundi that addresses the on-going serious human rights violations” in the country. http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/09/19/dispatches-european-parliament-stands-mbonimpa-burundi
To read more about the case of Pierre Claver Mbonimpa: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/PierreClaverMbonimpa
Posted in Front Line, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: APRODH, Burundi, European Parliament, Front Line (NGO), Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, illegal detention, Mbonimpa, MEA, MEA Laureate 2007, medical, Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, release
September 30, 2014
On 6 October 2014 Front Line Defenders will be hosting US computer privacy expert and “digital security guru” Bruce Schneier as the key-note speaker for their second Annual Lecture [for those in Ireland: at 6.30 pm in the Trinity Biomedical Science Institute – tickets are available at: https://bruceschneierdublin2014.eventbrite.ie].
This talk, entitled “Is it Possible to be Safe Online? Human Rights Defenders and the Internet”, will explore the issues faced by human rights defenders and everyday people on the ground as the use of computers and the Internet in their work is becoming increasingly commonplace and the threats posed by governments manipulating, monitoring and subverting electronic information, increased surveillance and censorship and the lack of security for digitally communicated and stored information is on the rise. Called a “security guru” by The Economist, Schneier has authored 12 books – including Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust Society Needs to Thrive – as well as hundred of article, essays and academic papers. His influential newsletter Crypto-Gram and his blog Schneier on Security are read by over 250,000 worldwide.
via Is it Possible to be Safe Online? Human Rights Defenders & the Internet – lecture by Bruce Schneier – 06/10.
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Bruce Schneier, censorship, digital security, Front Line (NGO), Human Rights Defenders, internet, Ireland, lecture, mass surveillance, monitoring, privacy, Protection on Line
September 29, 2014
In an important statement to a Ministerial meeting of the General Assembly on Regulating the veto in the event of mass atrocities, the new High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, made some crucial points. He said that in recent years, the Security Council‘s “inability to take decisive action regarding a number of appalling crises has led to enormous, avoidable, human suffering. It has shaken confidence in our own institutions. It has granted time and space to the perpetrators to commit more violations, and made them far less likely to provide access to UN officials or to respond to their concerns.” Therefore, he added, “From the human rights perspective, the adoption of a code of conduct on use of the veto, in very specific circumstances where well-founded facts demonstrate that international crimes are occurring or about to occur, would demonstrate on the part of the permanent members of the Council that quality of leadership and responsibility which our world so badly needs.”
Full text: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15103&LangID=E
Posted in Human Rights Defenders, OHCHR, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Al Hussein, atrocities, High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Defenders, humanitarian, mass atrocities, mass killings, the General Assembly, the UN Security Council, veto, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein
September 28, 2014
(Justice minister Mohamed Bushara Dosa at the 27th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, 24 September 2014 (Jean-Marc Ferré/UNHRC)
The UN Human Rights Council adopted a draft resolution in Geneva on Friday 26 September calling on the Sudanese government to conduct an independent enquiry into the killing of protestors in September 2013, and March 2014. It also agreed to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on the Situation of Human Rights in Sudan for another year. The Council expressed grave concern at the use of excessive force, including the lethal shooting of demonstrators, and called on the Sudanese government to launch an investigation and refer its findings to the judiciary to ensure justice and accountability for the incidents that occurred.
[A year ago, massive street protests erupted in the country against the lifting of fuel subsidies. According to activists, more than 200 people died in Sudan’s capital. On 11 March this year, a University of Khartoum student was fatally hit by a bullet, and other students were injured, when security forces attacked a peaceful demonstration by the students against widespread attacks by paramilitary troops on rural areas in Darfur.]
The UN human rights agency also expressed concern “at reports of restrictions on the media, pre- and post-publication censorship, seizure of newspapers, the banning of some journalists, and violations of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association and of peaceful assembly”. It urged the Sudanese government to further its efforts for the promotion and protection of human rights, in particular to ensure freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention, and to respect the human rights of all individuals, including human rights defenders and members of civil society organisations.
The draft resolution urged the Sudanese government to continue its full cooperation with the independent expert and allow him “effective” access to all parts of the country and concerned bodies, [It was proposed on Thursday that the Irish Thomas Edward will succeed the current independent expert, Mashood. A. Baderin.The Sudanese Minister of Justice, Mohamed Bushara Dosa, however, said on Saturday that Khartoum has objected to the appointment of Edward, on the grounds that Sudan had not been consulted. He said that Sudan has requested the extension of Baderin’s term. Dosa called on the UNHRC to end the mandate of the independent expert, and rejected the accusations of committing serious violations of freedoms and human rights, particularly in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. He further rejected accusations by the independent expert that Khartoum was dragging its feet in investigating the September 2013 protests, and pointed out that the government has submitted to him a detailed report on measures undertaken with respect to those events.]
(Sources: UNHCR, EU-UN.Europa, Sudan Tribune)
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: censorship, draft resolution, freedom of expression, Human Rights Defenders, independent enquiry, journalists, Justice minister Mohamed Bushara Dosa, mass kiling, Radio Dabanga, Sudan, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Rapporteur
The High Commissioner gave a moving and almost poetic description of the sorry state of affairs left to human rights defenders to correct: He said inter alia: Read the rest of this entry »
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 