Posts Tagged ‘Human Rights Defenders’

In a few hours starts side event on retaliation against HRDs – can be followed on internet

September 10, 2013

In the context of my previous post, here is the reference to a side event organized by the ISHR on this topic which starts today (Tuesday) at 13h15-14h45 Swiss time in the Palais des Nations, Room 21. You can follow the event at www.ishr.ch/council/webcast.

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An exceptional number of NGOs (90!) demand justice for Munir in Indonesia

September 10, 2013

Nine years after the killing of human rights defender Munir Said Thalib, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must take decisive and concrete action to ensure those responsible – including those at the highest levels – are brought to justice, and that all defenders of human rights are better protected. President Yudhoyono, who has himself described Munir’s case as a “test of our history”, but he has just one year of his presidency remaining in which to ensure full justice and reparations are delivered. The President’s failure so far to do so, at a time the protection of human rights defenders across the country remains seriously under threat, raises serious questions about his legacy.

On 7 September 2004, Munir was found dead on a flight from Jakarta to the Netherlands. Read the rest of this entry »

More controversy surrounding the issue of retaliation against HRDs in Sri Lanka

September 10, 2013

article_image

On 9 September 2013, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that she had an immediate concern for the protection of human rights defenders, journalists and communities that she met during her recent visit to Sri Lanka. Read the rest of this entry »

Burma: human rights defender Ms Naw Ohn Hla sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour

September 5, 2013

On 29 August 2013, human rights defender Ms Naw Ohn Hla was found guilty of disturbing public tranquillity under Section 505(b) of the Burmese Penal Code and sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour. She had been arrested on 13 August 2013 during a peaceful protest. Read the rest of this entry »

Azerbaijan sees crackdown on HRDs and civil society as a whole

September 3, 2013

A recent 100-page report by Human Rights Watch, “Tightening the Screws: Azerbaijan’s Crackdown on Civil Society and Dissent,” documents the dramatic deterioration of the government’s record on freedom of expression, assembly, and association in the past 18 months. The authorities have arrested dozens of political activists on bogus charges, imprisoned critical journalists, broken up peaceful public demonstrations, and adopted legislation imposing new restrictions on fundamental freedoms.HRW_logo Read the rest of this entry »

Three UN Rapporteurs call on Uganda to repeal new bill restricting public assembly

September 3, 2013
(Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peacful assembly and of association Maina Kiai. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré)
On 9 August 2013 three independent United Nations Rapporteurs jointly called on the Government of Uganda to repeal a new bill that places restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and to prepare a new version that complies with the country’s international human rights obligations. Read the rest of this entry »

“I have a dream…..” – King inspires Human Rights Defenders around the globe

September 2, 2013

On 28 August 2013, 50 years after Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, Corinne Duffy of Human Rights First (HRF) gives an interesting palette of stories how his words and action continue to inspire HRDs everywhere: HRF logo

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Killing of 3 indigenous HRDs in Honduras on 25 August

August 30, 2013

On 25 August 2013, human rights defenders Ms María Enriqueta Matute, Mr Armando Fúnez Medina and Mr Ricardo Soto Fúnez were killed in an attack in Honduras. The three belonged to various tribes of the Tolupán indigenous people, from Locomapa, in the Yoro zone, and had been involved in a peaceful protest against a local mining operation and the construction of Read the rest of this entry »

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons Statements

August 29, 2013

English: Ban Ki-moon 日本語: 潘基文

The UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon gave the Annual Leiden Freedom Lecture, in the Netherlands, on 28 August 2013 and made a number of strong points relevant to human rights defenders: Read the rest of this entry »

Asian Parliamentarians and Human Rights Defenders meet again on the issue of Torture – 11-13 November

August 27, 2013

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in collaboration with DIGNITY, has made the practice of custodial torture and ill-treatment a core area of engagement. With a view to counteract the widespread practice of torture, the AHRC and DIGNITY have formed an Asian Alliance against Torture and Ill-treatment (AAATI) in 2012. The first conference of Asian Parliamentarians and Human Rights Defenders was held in Hong Kong in 2012 [ see report Torture – Asian and Global Perspectives Vol. 1, No. 3 ].

The focus for the second meeting [scheduled for 11-13 November 2013] will be to identify the reluctance of governments to achieve a substantial change in the nature of policing in their countries to bring these institutions at par with the policing systems of advanced democracies.

The link below refers to the announcement which in fact is a CONCEPT PAPER:

ASIA: Second Regional Conference of Asian Parliamentarians & Human Rights Defenders on Elimination of Custodial Torture and Ill-treatment in Asia November 2013, Hong Kong — Asian Human Rights Commission

For details please contact: Bijo Francis, Executive Director, Email: ahrc at ahrc.asia