Posts Tagged ‘human rights’
November 9, 2013
The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre launched the Human Rights Arts prizes in an effort to show the work of young artists, while recognising the role of art in raising awareness of and defending human rights. The Emerging and the Community winners were chosen by judges working in the human rights field, while the staff from the centre chose two further winners, dubbed the Choice awards.
Works depicting the hardships of mainland immigrants and African refugees won two top awards (Elva Lai Ming-Chu won in the Emerging Artist category and photograper Alvin Fung Tsz Chung won the Community Artist prize). Artist Lo Chi-kit won a Choice award for his piece Under the Shadow, which he dedicated to detained, imprisoned and exiled human rights activists on the mainland. “Chi-kits work highlights the persecution and oppression that human rights defenders face around the world – sometimes to the point of being forced to flee their countries” Miller said.
via Crusading Hong Kong artists awarded inaugural Human Rights Art Prizes | South China Morning Post.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: art, awareness raising, China, Hong Kong, human rights, Human Rights and Liberties, Human Rights Arts, images, Lo Chi-kit, photo exhibit, refugees, South China Morning Post, The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre
November 7, 2013
Posted in human rights, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: death penalty, human rights, human rights issues, human rights of women, human trafficking, impu, Indigenous People, indigenous peoples, minorities, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR, one pagers, racial discrimination, xenophobia
November 6, 2013
The OMCT and the FIDH, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, made an intervention under agenda item 9: “Situation of human rights defenders” at the at the 54th session of African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights [ACHPR] on 5 November.
Human rights defenders were attacked, received threats or were slandered in the DRC, Senegal and Tunisia. In some cases they were even killed, as in the DRC and in Cameroon, in a climate of impunity. Defenders, and in particular defenders of economic, social and cultural rights, also continued to be subjected to arbitrary arrests and judicial harassment in Angola, Cameroon, the DRC, Egypt, Mauritania and Tunisia. Obstacles to freedom of association were also recorded, as for instance in Angola, Egypt and Rwanda. A summary is as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, OMCT | 1 Comment »
Tags: African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Angola, Cameroon, Death threat, DRC, Egypt, environmental issues, FIDH, foreign funding, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, freedom of expression, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, judicial harassment, killing, land disputes, LGBT rights, Mauritania, murder, Non-governmental organization, Observatory for the Protection of HRDs, OMCT, Rwanda, Senegal, Tunisia
November 5, 2013
The Indian government should vigorously investigate allegations that officials are using the law on foreign contributions to repress groups critical of the government, Human Rights Watch said on 31 October 2013.
The government should amend the 2010 Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act to protect the right to freedom of association and expression. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 4 Comments »
Tags: Civil society, Eurasia Review, Foreign Contribution Act, foreign funding, funding restrictions, Government of India, harassment, harss, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, India, Non-governmental organization, South Asia, United Nations Special Rapporteur
November 5, 2013
A huge social media campaign was mounted on behalf of Imam Baba Leigh during his incarceration [Twitter].
“Just a few days ago, on 22 October, I was given an award from the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network. I was not expecting it, which makes me all the more happy and appreciative. Sadly, I was not allowed to go and receive it in my home country, The Gambia, because there was a chance I could be arrested there. My responsibility, as a Muslim and as a scholar, is to ensure people enjoy their human rights, regardless of colour, race, gender, religion, tradition, economic status or anything else. We are all human beings at the end of the day. As a human rights activist receiving such a prestigious award is wonderful. You feel your work is recognised and encouraged.
Problems for me started when, in August 2012, our head of state President Jammeh promised to execute several inmates. So I went to talk to The Standard newspaper and urged the President to forgive them. “Forgiveness is part of faith and they are no longer a threat to the security of the nation,” I said quoting the holy Qur’an. A week after the executions, the Islamic Council of The Gambia made a declaration that the executions were Islamic. I gave a Friday sermon at the mosque and replied the executions had nothing to do with Islam. They were un-Islamic. Even though the holy Qur’an mentions executions, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) valued forgiveness. My comments caused a lot of commotion. The newspaper was shut down. I started receiving intimidating calls…
On 3 December, I was arriving home after a funeral when I found two men from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) there waiting for me. “You are wanted [at the NIA offices] to answer some questions,” they said…I was then put in a jail until around 1.00am. Then they started beating, hitting and kicking me. For nine days I suffered a lot. You never know how important and valuable freedom is until it is taken from you. I used to struggle trying to get people out of jail. Trying to bring peace. Trying to bring peaceful coexistence. I didn’t know this is the way things are until the day I was detained. You can understand ending up in prison if you commit a crime, if you are taken to a judge and sentenced. At least then you would know why you are being held, and for how long. I was abducted and then held incommunicado – I couldn’t see anybody, I couldn’t hear anybody.
I had not committed any crime and my conscience was clean. After nine days, they told me I was going home and they put me in another car. The man taking me said “we are taking you home”, but they drove to a hidden place called Bambadinka, which means “hole of dragons”. There I was put in a very small, very filthy, dirty room. I spent five months there. I was kept in a dark, small room where I couldn’t see or hear anything, only rats and spiders. After five months and 17 days, I was released. Some people say that I am now free. But this is not freedom. Freedom is to be able to go home when you want to. I’m just in a bigger jail.
My ambition is to speak for those who have no pulpit, no opportunity for themselves. And to pass the peaceful message of Islam and other religions. I’m urging people in position of authority, presidents and kings alike, to embrace the freedom of their people and to protect it. You can be a president today, you can be a leader today, you can be an authority today, but things change very quickly. You can find yourself fall from the presidency into prison. Then you will need the work of Amnesty International.”
[Imam Baba Leigh is currently in the USA where he has been receiving medical treatment]
‘This is Not Freedom … I’m Just in a Bigger Jail’: Imam Baba Leigh Takes us into his Gambian Nightmare – IBTimes UK.
Posted in AI, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: abolition, AI, awards, death penalty, death threats, Emad Baghi, executions, exile, Gambia, human rights, human rights awards, Human rights defender, IBTimes, illegal detention, illtreatment, Imam Baba Leigh, Islamic Council of The Gambia, islamic law, Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network, Sharia, the Gambia
November 2, 2013
A three-day Forum on the participation of African NGOs at the 54th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights [ACHPR] and also the 28th African Human Rights Book Fair concluded on Sunday, 20th October, 2013 in Kololi. The forum brought together stakeholders dealing with various human rights issues from different parts of Africa. Various reports were presented that touched on media freedom and freedom of expression as well as on laws and principles governing media practice such as defamation, sedition and other draconian laws that prevail in many African countries. Kebba Jeffang reports in the Foroyaa newspaper of 21 October on the results:
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 4 Comments »
Tags: Africa, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, African countries, African Human Rights Book Fair, Article 19, east africa, Eskinder Nega, Ethiopia, Foroyaa, freedom of expression, Horn of Africa, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, impunity, journalists, media, Media and Human Rights, meeting, Non-governmental organization, right to freedom of expression, Surveillance, the African Commission on Human, Uganda, Zimbabwe
November 2, 2013
“Women human rights defenders risk violence, prejudice and exclusion for their courageous work. Through this resolution, we want to contribute to their protection,” says Norway’s Foreign Minister Børge Brende. Norway is coordinating the UN General Assembly’s work in New York on the protection of human rights defenders. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, has on several occasions expressed great concern for the challenging working conditions of human rights defenders. This is the first time a resolution on the situation and significance of women human rights defenders has been put on the table. “We want to send a clear signal of support to women who fight for human rights around the world, and we call on member states to enable and allow for their work to make our societies better,” says Brende. The resolution also calls on national human rights institutions, regional organizations and the UN system to take action. The draft resolution was formally presented on Friday 1 November.
via Norway’s Proposal to Protect Women Human Rights Defenders – The Nordic Page – Panorama.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 3 Comments »
Tags: human rights, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, human rights of women, international protection, Margaret Sekaggya, New York, Norway, UN General Assembly, UN Resolution, UN Special Rapporteur, United Nations, United Nations Special Rapporteur, women human rights defenders
October 31, 2013
In an effort to solicit a response from the longtime Olympic partner Coca Cola, New York-based NGO ‘All Out’ dispatched three mobile billboards to Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta. The billboards bore messages: “Don’t Stay Bottled Up,” and “Speak Out Against Russia’s Anti-Gay Laws.” Trucks carrying the messages circled the company’s campus as All Out supporters displayed posters across the street from the main gates.
(trucks roll by Coca-Cola headquarters – ATR)
“150,000 people have sent messages to Coca-Cola asking them to speak up and speak out against Russia’s anti-gay laws,” says Wesley Adams, COO of All Out. “Coca-Cola’s been a strong supporter of gay and lesbian people in the United States. We’re asking them to extend that commitment to Russia as a Top Olympic Sponsor.”
(A protester holds a sign across from the company’s main gate – ATR)“We’ve asked for three things,” he says. “One is to speak out against Russia’s anti-gay laws. Two is to financially support Russian human rights defenders who are working on the ground there and three is to ask the IOC to change their rules so that future Olympics will only go to countries that respect human rights.”
Written and reported by Nick Devlin in Atlanta On-the-Scene — Human Rights Group Demonstrates at Coca-Cola HQ
.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: All Out, Atlanta, Civil society, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola headquarters, day rights, human rights, International Olympic Committee, LGBT rights, Olympic, Russia, United States, USA, Wesley Adams
October 31, 2013
In the last three days Morocco has been seen using Anti-Terrorism laws against human rights defenders and journalists exercising their freedom of expression. The following two cases come from Frontline: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Al Qaeda, Al Sabeel, Ali Anouzla, alianouzla, anti terrorism legislation, detention, freedom of expression, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, journalists, Lakome.com, media, Morocco, Mostafa Al-Hesnawi, Rabat, western Sahara
October 30, 2013
Today it was announced that the Bremen Solidarity Award for the year 2013 has been awarded by the German Province of Bremen to the Saharawis activist and President of the Collective of Saharawis Human Rights Defenders (CODESA), Ms. Aminatou Haidar.
The committee overseeing the selection of the winner explained that Aminatou Haidar has been chosen for her record of defending the Saharawis’ human rights desert, praising the great efforts being made by CODESA’s President in order that the Sahrawis benefit from their natural resources, as human rights cannot be separated from political and civil rights. “Aminatou Haidar has frequently and boldly defended the rights of the Saharawis by peaceful mean. She still struggling to find a just solution to the question of Western Sahara by the same means,” added the committee. The Bremen Solidarity Award has, since 1988, been presented to people who campaign for freedom, democracy and human rights and who fight against colonialism and racism.
via Activist Aminatou Haidar awarded Bremen Solidarity Award | Sahara Press Service.
Posted in human rights | 1 Comment »
Tags: Aminatou Haidar, awards, Bremen, Bremen Solidarity Award, Collective of Saharawis Human Rights Defenders, freedom, Germany, Human right, human rights, human rights award, non-violence, Province of Bremen, Sahrawi people, western Sahara, woman human rights defender
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 