“Why do people turn to human rights defenders?” asks Vladimir Husainov in this video posted by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting [IPWR] on 27 January 2014. “Because they can at least do something, even though they have no official powers or authority.” Husainov is one of a handful of courageous human rights defenders in Uzbekistan. They investigate various kinds of abuses ranging from the routine practice of torture in detention to the use of child labour in the cotton fields. Read the rest of this entry »
Posts Tagged ‘Human Rights Defenders’
Uzbekistan’s Human Rights Defenders risk a lot by helping others
January 27, 2014Human Rights Defender Razan Zaitouneh still missing in Syria after one month
January 27, 2014[reposted as it seems that the link no longer worked – why? – Syrian secret service THAT sophisticated??]
After more than a month the abduction of 36-year-old human rights defender Ms. Razan Zaitouneh in Syria continues to go unsolved. She became part of the statistics herself that she was gathering inside Syria. Now part of ‘the missing’ inside her country Zaitouneh was joined in her abduction by her husband Nazem al-Hamadi, along with reform activist Ms. Sameera Alkhalil along with lawyer and poet Wael Hamada on December 9, 2013 in the Damascus suburb of Douma city. Just before she recorded this video message for the FIDH:
Political parties in Madurai, India, learn about human rights defenders
January 26, 2014There are plenty of training courses on human rights, but this one reported by the Times of India on 26 January deserves special mention as its main target were political parties. The two-day seminar started Saturday 25 January for members of political parties and movements in the state of Madurai. Human Rights Defenders Alert organised the event. Around 60 representatives from political parties and outfits [whatever these are!] attended the training course.
via Political activists learn how to defend human rights – The Times of India.
Human Rights Coalition sues prison officials in US for censoring human rights advocacy
January 26, 2014
The Human Rights Coalition (HRC), prisoner Robert Saleem Holbrook (pictured above) and College of Charleston Professor Kristi Brian brought a lawsuit on 8 January against employees of the State Correctional Institution (SCI) and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC) in the USA for confiscation of mail sent to Holbrook, a co-founder of HRC. “It is long overdue that prison officials are held to account for their attempts to silence those who speak out against this abusive system. The rights, health and lives of our loved ones are at stake.” HRC-Philadelphia activist Patricia Vickers stated. This lawsuit challenges the ability of PA DOC officials to target political dissent and human rights defenders with censorship. Read the rest of this entry »
Human rights defender and indigenous leader Justo Sorto killed in Honduras
January 24, 2014On 21 January 2014, the indigenous Lenca leader and human rights defender, Mr Justo Sorto, was found dead in Jesús de Otoro, Western Honduras. Justo Sorto was an active member for twenty years of the Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Indígenas Populares – COPINH (Civic Council of Popular Indigenous Organisations). The human rights defender was killed by several gunshots from a high-calibre weapon. [ COPINH is an organisation that works for the defence of the land and the environment, and for improving the living conditions of communities and indigenous peoples in Honduras.] The indigenous Lenca community works for the defence of its forests and against the execution of mining projects in the region. Read the rest of this entry »
Attempted attack at home of human rights defender Amina Mohamed in Kenya
January 24, 2014On 21 January 2014, a group of unidentified armed men attempted to break in to the house of human rights defender Ms Amina Mohamed. She was recently warned that a gang, hired by a young man involved in a lawsuit she is working on, was planning to “punish” her and her family for her activism on gender-based violence. Amina Mohamed is a community activist, and member of Bunge la Wamama Mashinani (The Women’s Parliament at the Grassroots), the women’s branch of the Bunge la Mwananchi movement (The People’s Parliament). Amina Mohamed has particularly been vocal on issues of gender-based violence in Kenya. 
Read the rest of this entry »
Human Rights First recommends complete revision of U.S. Strategy in Egypt
January 24, 2014On 23 January Human Rights First released a report that describes how the Egyptian government is increasingly targeting non-violent human rights defenders and activists through widespread repression, stifling basic freedoms and exacerbating the chronic instability that has plagued the country for the past three years. The new report titled, “Back to Square One: The U.S. Government and Political Change in Egypt,” outlines recommendations for the U.S. government to take a new course of action to advance human rights and the rule of law in order to achieve greater stability in this vital country. “The U.S. must overhaul its approach to Egypt if it’s to really get on the right side of history” said Brian Dooley of HRF.
The report calls on the U.S. government to:
- Provide clear, sustained and consistent public statements from Washington on its assessment of the situation in Egypt and the ramifications for U.S. interests, including human rights and democracy;
- Work with its donor partners to establish sizeable, sustained economic incentives for Egypt’s leaders that should be conditioned on Egypt adhering to democratic norms and international human rights standards;
- Use its vote and influence at the IMF to withhold loans to Egypt until sound economic policies are in place and meaningful progress is made on human rights and the rule of law;
- Use targeted funding to support civil society efforts to combat human rights abuses and promote an enabling environment that advances religious pluralism and tolerance;
- Promote clear, uniform conditions for the registration and operation of political parties that agree to be bound by the rules of peaceful, democratic contestation;
- Push the Egyptian authorities to investigate all incidents of violence against Christians, assaults on their property and institutions, and hold accountable those responsible; and
- Make available through the Justice Department, resources for prosecutions and police trainings.
For more information about today’s report or to speak with Dooley, please contact Mary Elizabeth Margolis at margolisme[at]humanrightsfirst.org.
Human Rights Watch annual report introduced with video
January 23, 2014Human Rights Watch World Report 2014 (covering 2013) was released on 21 January 2014 with press releases and – to illustrate the growing importance of images – with a press conference streamed live from Berlin. Speakers are Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, and Wenzel Michalski, Germany Director of Human Rights Watch.
Archiving video should not be a dirty word for Human Rights Defenders
January 22, 2014This blog has often referred to the growing role of images in the protection of human rights. The Activists Guide to Archiving Video produced by the NGO Witness is one tool that can greatly help those who want to be part of this development. The term “archive” may turn off many human rights defenders as something boring or at least not deserving priority but to neglect it would be a big error. As the Witness guide explains very clearly:
- Do you want your videos to be available in the future?
- Do you want your videos to serve as evidence of crimes or human rights abuses?
- Do you want your videos to raise awareness and educate future generations?
The risks of not archiving are big:
- Your videos may exist somewhere, but no one can find them.
- Someone may find your videos, but cannot understand what they are about.
- Your videos cannot be sufficiently authenticated or corroborated as evidence.
- Your videos’ quality may become so degraded that no one can use them.
- Your videos may be in a format that eventually no one can play.
- Your videos may be accidentally or deliberately deleted and lost forever.
In further sections the Guide help to understand how videos can be made accessible (shared) and brings clarity to tricky issues such as the different formats and copyright.
Worth a visit!!
Activists Guide to Archiving Video | archiveguide.witness.org.
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 