One should be grateful for small gains: Front Line Defenders reported that on 11 May 2013, the Gambian government released renowned Muslim cleric and human rights defender, Iman Baba Leigh, to whose arrest I referred earlier. The human rights defender was arrested on 3 December 2012, and was detained incommunicado for five months for declaring the execution of nine death row inmates to be inimical to Islamic teaching. Imam Baba Leigh Read the rest of this entry »
Posts Tagged ‘human rights’
AI 2013 report comes with short video
May 29, 2013
Amnesty International’s 2013 report comes with an introductory video which shows governments are using the excuse of ‘internal affairs’ in shameful attempts to block concerted international action to resolve human rights emergencies.
Related articles
- Amnesty International publishes State of the World 2013, which covers 2012 (thoolen.wordpress.com)
Respected Iranian lawyer in exile, Karim Lahidji, elected President of the FIDH
May 28, 2013
(Karim Lahidji, President of the International Federation of Human Rights(c) FRANCE 24)
Today Karim Lahidji was elected as new President of FIDH. He succeeds to Souhayr Belhassen who headed the Federation for six years. The vote was held during the 38th FIDH Congress in Istanbul where the FIDH member organisations were meeting to elect the new International Board and define the main FIDH orientations for the next three years. “It is an immense honour Read the rest of this entry »
Social Divisions Hinder Saudi Rights Movement explains insider
May 28, 2013In an interesting blog post for Al-Monitor Bayan Perazzo (a professor in Saudi Arabia) writes on May 27 about the background to the human rights movement in Saudi Arabia. His detailed analysis seems very sound Read the rest of this entry »
“Free Bialatski!”, “Free Nabil” shouted by FIDH in the streets of Istanbul
May 27, 2013
The participants of the 38th Congress of the International Human Rights Federation (FIDH), which has started on 23 May in Istanbul, organized a procession with the demand to release their colleagues political prisoners Read the rest of this entry »
1 year of Human Rights Channel on YouTube: 90 countries. 1,892 videos
May 27, 2013Twelve months ago, Witness and its partners at Storyful launched the first dedicated space on YouTube for verified citizen video on human rights issues. 
Read the rest of this entry »
Vietnam sentences eight human rights defender in appeal
May 27, 2013On 23 May 2013 the appeal trials of Messrs Ho Duc Hoa, Thai Van Dung, Paulus Le Son, Nguyen Xuan Anh, Tran Minh Nhat, Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Ho Van Oanh and Nguyen Van Duyet were heard in a court in the northern city of Vinh, Vietnam. International observers were not allowed access to the hearing and there was a heavy police presence outside the court. Read the rest of this entry »
Oil-richness helps to shield Turkmenistan from criticism says Zawya
May 27, 2013When North Korea, Iran and Kazakhstan start praising your human rights records, it may be time to change tactics. Turkmenistan came under fire at a recent session of the United Nations Human Rights Council where it was questioned by its peers for its torture programs, systematic suppression of free speech and persecution of human rights defenders. Read the rest of this entry »
Arbitrary arrest of human rights defender Kuch Veng in Cambodia
May 27, 2013
(Kuch Veng being arrested)
On 19 May 2013, human rights defender Kuch Veng was arrested by four police officers at Kbal Trach commune in Cambodia. Kuch Veng is a land rights activist and is a member of the Community Peace Network.At 9.30am, four police officers led by Nhoeuk Sophea arrested the human rights defender while he was visiting families of villagers who are effected by the land conflict with Pheapimex, a land development firm owned by a businessman Choeung Sopheap and the wife of the Cambodia Peoples Party Senator Mr Lao Meng Khin. According to an eyewitness, the police did not show the court order and did not state a clear reason for his arrest. During the arrest, Kuch Veng’s sister, Chrep Samuth, was intimidated and harassed. The police told the villagers that if they wanted to know the charges, they would have to go to the district police station. It is reported that Kuch Veng was sent to the Pursat Provincial Court on 20 May 2013. Kuch Veng has been active with the Community Peace Network since 2010. He has been involved in land rights work since 2000 when Pheapimex started to be active in the area. Kuch Veng has been arrested many times before on account of his work on land rights. Front Line Defenders believes that the arrest of Kuch Veng is directly related to his work in the defence of human rights, in particular on land rights, and sees this as part of a pattern of ongoing harassment against the human rights defender.
via Cambodia: Arbitrary arrest of human rights defender Mr Kuch Veng | Front Line.
Double Bind: what to do if perpetrators are themselves being persecuted?
May 25, 2013Meredith Tax, a writer and political activist, has recently addressed in a book a most important and tricky subject: Double Bind: The Muslim Right, the Anglo-American Left, and Universal Human Rights, published by the Centre for Secular Space. Human rights defenders are supposed to protect the rights of those oppressed by the state or by non-state actors. Read the rest of this entry »
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 