Posts Tagged ‘Human Rights Defenders’
May 24, 2013
The Bangkok Post of 24 May 2013 contains a nice little item that should give heart to those who work on UN special procedures and of wonder about the impact of all this advocacy work: It seems that Thailand has conceded a bit on issues raised by a UN special rapporteurs regarding freedom of expression and migrant labour, and to the fatal harassment of human rights defenders.The ‘admission’ is in a document included in 108 pages of communications involving special rapporteurs of the United Nations recently made available ahead of the 23rd session of the UN Human Rights Council.
via Thai government concedes abuses raised by a UN special rapporteur as abuses of human rights | Bangkok Post: news.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: advocacy work, Bangkok Post, enforcement, freedom of expression, Government of Thailand, Human right, Human Rights Defenders, lese majeste, migrant labour, migrants, rapporteurs, Special Rapporteur, thai government, Thailand, UN Special Rapporteur, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights Council, United Nations Special Rapporteur
May 24, 2013
On 23 May 2013, the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) submitted a detailed statement to the UN concerning the increased pressure on HRDs in Nepal. Here are some highlights:
1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to highlight the continuing need for closer monitoring by the Human Rights Council and the international community of the renewed threats and attacks that human rights defenders working in Nepal have had to face since the beginning of the year. Worries about potential reprisals from the former belligerents have arisen following progress in the investigation and prosecution of cases of human rights violations committed during the conflict. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in AHRC, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Agni Sapkota, AHRC, ALRC, Asian Human Rights Commission, Asian Legal Resource Centre, HRDs, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, impunity, journalists, legal resource centre, Maoism, Nepal, Non-governmental organization, threats, UN, UN Human Rights Council
May 23, 2013
Bahrain‘s Human Rights Minister during a visit to Morocco on 22 May stated: “Bahrain Has Presented Itself as a Model in Implementing BICI’s Recommendations”
He said that despite the regretful incidents that happened in 2011, the kingdom of Bahrain has presented itself as a model in its wise dealing with those events, highlighting Bahrain’s bold steps in this regard, including the establishment of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), led by international eminent judges, the acceptance of the recommendations featuring in BICI’s final report and the political leadership’s commitment to implementing them, out of its belief in the importance of protecting human rights. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in CIHRS, Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Bahrain, Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, blogger, freedom of expression, Front Line Defenders, Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Human right, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, illegal detention, Minister for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab, Naji Fateel, Zainab Al-Khawaja
May 23, 2013
Yesterday, 22 May, Amnesty International published its annual Report 2013 which documents the state of human rights during 2012. In five regional overviews and a country-by-country survey of 155 individual countries and territories, the report shows how the demand for human rights continued to resound in every corner of the globe… Resistance to injustice and repression took many forms, often inspiring acts of courage and determination from the communities and individuals facing seemingly insuperable obstacles. In the face of indifference, threats and attacks, human rights defenders pursued legal challenges at the national and international level to long-standing impunity and endemic discrimination.
Posted in AI, Amnesty international, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 2 Comments »
Tags: Advocacy Organizations, AI, Amnesty International, annual report 2013, human rights, Human Rights and Liberties, Human Rights Defenders, State of the World, worldwide campaign
May 22, 2013
“Angola: From Theory to Practice – Its Time to Guarantee the Capacity of Human Rights Defenders to Act” (original: ANGOLA: Da Teoria à Prática – É hora de garantir a capacidade de atuação dos defensores dos direitos humanos) is the title of the report (preliminary findings) published today by The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture OMCT.
The Observatory carried out a fact-finding mission in Angola, from April 21 to May 1, 2013, to analyse the context in which human rights defenders are operating in the country. The mission delegation met with, amongst others, members of human rights NGOs, journalists, lawyers, artists, along with representatives of national authorities, political parties and foreign diplomatic missions. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in FIDH, human rights, OMCT | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Angola, fact finding, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, International Federation for Human Rights, journalists, legal restrictions, NGO, Non-governmental organization, Observatory, special report, Thomas Masuku, World Organisation Against Torture
May 22, 2013
I reported earlier in this blog on the Panic Button idea of Amnesty International. Now I have learned that it has been chosen as a finalist in Google’s Global Impact Challenge for work on a mobile alert system that enables human rights activists to trigger rapid response from their network in an emergency. Four out of ten projects will win £500,000. Public voting is open until 31 May! You can watch the video and vote here: g.co/impactchallenge/amnesty
If AI wins this Challenge, the work could be scaled up substantially. Amnesty and partners would launch the mobile alert system and directly train and support activist networks globally to set-up and use the system safely as part of their security protocols.
via Danna Ingleton, Research and Policy Adviser, Individuals at Risk.
Posted in Amnesty international, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy Organizations, AI, Amnesty International, google, Human right, human rights activists, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, information technology, networking, Panic Button, policy adviser, protection, security, security protocols
May 22, 2013
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon met on 21 May 2013 with the newly elected members of Mozambique‘s National Human Rights Commission and stressed the need to communicate with human rights defenders:
“Good governance, justice, human rights and anticorruption are central to the Government’s plans to reduce poverty and accelerate development. You have an essential role to play. Mozambique is faced with a number of human rights challenges. The Universal Periodic Review of Mozambique two years ago highlighted several, including arbitrary detention, torture and extrajudicial killings, access to justice and conditions in places of detention. Another major issue is discrimination and violence against women, especially in rural areas. …… The people of Mozambique expect this new institution to play a critical role in combating corruption and guaranteeing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. You will have the power to investigate alleged human rights violations and issue recommendations. I commend the inclusive nature of the membership of the Commission, and especially that it includes representation from civil society. Your decision to hold periodic open sessions with civil society is commendable and wise, and I encourage you to pursue regular communication with human rights defenders….”
via United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons Statements.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Ban Ki-moon, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Mozambique, National Human Rights Commission, United Nations, United Nations Secretary General, Universal Periodic Review, Universal Periodic Review of Mozambique
May 21, 2013
(Magamed Abubakarov)
Magamed Abubakarov, a Russian human rights lawyer specialized in terrorist cases in the North-Caucasus, will receive the Lawyers for Lawyers Award 2013. Magamed Abubakarov will accept the award on 31 May at the end of a seminar called ‘Lawyers controlled, independence at stake?’ in Amsterdam. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, L4L | 1 Comment »
Tags: Amsterdam, awards, Chechnya, Egbert Myjer, Els Swaab, Gustaf Kawer, Hague’s Shelter City Program, Heikelien Verrijn Stuart, human rights, human rights awards, Human Rights Defenders, Independence of Lawyers, Indonesia, Kabardino-Balkaria, L4L, lawyers, Lawyers for Lawyers, Magamed Abubakarov, Nalchik, North Caucasus, Olga Hamadi, Pakistan, Russia, Shahzad Akbar, Theo van Boven
May 21, 2013
(Konstantin Dolgov -Image from vaseljenska.com)
On 16 May 2013 Russia Today spoke with the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Commissioner for Human Rights Konstantin Dolgov, to find out his view on the situation as the hunger strike in Guantanamo hits its’ 100-day landmark. It is good to see Russia express its concern about this and even invoke the views of human rights defenders. Below I give some quotes from the interview. If only Russia would always be so concerned with their views! As to illustrate this the Moscow Times comes today with an article by Jonathan Earle Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: AI, Baltic countries, Council of Europe, EU, Foreign agent, Gitmo, Guantanamo, homophobia, Human right, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, human rights organization, illegal detention, jonathan earle, Konstantin Dolgov, minority rights, Moscow Times, politics, Ravil Mingazov, registration, RT (TV network), Russia, Russia Today, terrorism, United States, USA
May 20, 2013
(Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng Photo: AP)
On 19 May 2013
Bruno Waterfield, reports for the Daily Telegraph from Brussels that the blind human rights lawyer,
Chen Guangcheng, the exiled
Chinese dissident has demanded that the European Union (EU) must go public with the results of human rights talks with China’s leaders, and publish its own list of people known to be suffering repression and persecution. Chen Guangcheng wants Western leaders to be more straightforward about their dealings with China so that the public can hold them to account: “
The Chinese authorities try and pretend that they dont care about the highlighting of human right abuses but they do care. It is a responsibility to do this. If it is not pursued more actively the situation will go backwards.“
via Chen Guangcheng pressures the EU on secret human rights talks with China – Telegraph.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: Brussels, Chen Guangcheng, China, Daily Telegraph, dialogue, diplomatic pressure, EU, European Union, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, human rights lawyer, List of Chinese dissidents, politics
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 