OMCT | Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

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Ibrahim, Egyptian Human Rights Defender, on the ‘Faces of Hope Campaign’ of OMCT

September 12, 2026

The Faces of Hope campaign, launched by OMCT, aims to shine a light on the stories of human rights defenders who have been arbitrarily detained around the world. Faces of Hope has helped secure the release of several defenders, including Ibrahim, an Egyptian human rights defender who shares his story with us and continues to inspire hope and resilience among those who fight for human rights every day despite repression and isolation. In this interview, Ibrahim reflects on his experience in detention, the crucial role of public campaigns, and the importance of continuing to speak out, even when everything seems designed to enforce silence.

What does the Faces of Hope campaign mean to you?

Faces of Hope represents hope, sharing, and remembrance. Hope, because it gave me strength again after prison. Sharing, because it allows us to tell the stories of our hardships and our victories. And remembrance, because it reminds us that no one is forgotten. It is something deeply human.

Why are public campaigns like this so important?

When I was in prison, I often wondered whether my case had been forgotten. Knowing that people outside are speaking about you is vital. Campaigns like Faces of Hope tell prisoners, “You are not alone.” They break the silence and remind you that someone is working for your freedom.

What does the OMCT and partners’ SOS-Defenders platform contribute?

A voice. That is what prisoners need most. SOS-Defenders makes it possible to tell the stories that dictatorships want to hide. Like Faces of Hope, it keeps hope alive and ensures that people continue to speak out.

How did your detention change your commitment?

Torture broke me physically, but it strengthened my determination. I knew that once I was released, I had to keep going. The government wants us to be afraid; I chose instead to speak out even more loudly, especially on behalf of those who are still behind bars.

Why are there so many arbitrary arrests in Egypt?

The laws are at the heart of the problem. They allow anyone to be arrested without legitimate grounds. I myself was the victim of an enforced disappearance for six months, without a single charge ever being brought against me. These laws are used to silence people, not to protect them.

How can this be brought to an end?

By maintaining pressure. We must keep speaking out and exposing these abuses, just as Faces of Hope does. And the international community must put pressure on regimes that violate human rights. Respect for human rights cannot be negotiated.

Your message to the international community?

Do not forget Egypt’s prisoners. Keep speaking about them and refuse to compromise. Every word matters. Thanks to campaigns like Faces of Hope, we keep the light on in the darkest places.

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/blog/to-keep-speaking-is-to-resist-ibrahim-egyptian-human-rights-defender-on-the-faces-of-hope-campaign

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Tags: campaign, Faces of Hope campaign, Ibrahim, OMCT, solidarity action

Detention, torture and silence: SOS-Defenders’ 2025 report on censorship by detention — 60 new defenders were jailed last year

September 6, 2026

Repressive governments arbitrarily detained at least 60 human rights defenders across 14 countries in 2025, according to the latest report by the SOS-Defenders platform, a collective initiative of local, regional and international organisations coordinated by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT).

The 2025 edition of the Censorship by Detention report, released on 3 September 2026, documents the use of arbitrary arrest across 14 countries with repressive regimes. The report reveals journalists and bloggers were the single most targeted group, accounting for 28 of the 60 documented detentions, followed by community leaders, academics, NGO members and lawyers. Afghanistan (16), Ethiopia (14) and Guatemala (10) recorded the highest numbers.

Detention is rarely the end of the abuse. Human rights defenders held in 2025 were subjected to physical violence, psychological abuse and forced confessions, secret and prolonged incommunicado detention, and inhuman conditions including prison overcrowding, denial of medical care and prolonged solitary confinement. OMCT’s Global Torture Index rates the risk of torture and ill-treatment for defenders as “Considerable” or worse in 36 of the 38 countries assessed. The report warns that violations behind prison walls remain severely underreported.

“This report is both an alarm and a call to action,” said Stéphanie David, Secretary General of OMCT. “Governments are increasingly using detention not only as punishment, but as a weapon of censorship — and, too often, torture and ill-treatment follow through the prison gates. We refuse to let these defenders be erased: OMCT and its partners will continue to expose these practices.”

“States must act,” added Claudia Virginia Samayoa, President of OMCT and Chair of the SOS-Defenders Advisory Group. “We call on governments to immediately and unconditionally release every human rights defender arbitrarily detained for their peaceful work, to end torture and ill-treatment behind bars, and to guarantee the right to defend human rights for all.”

Conversely, the report highlights that sustained coordinated advocacy, legal action, diplomatic pressure, and collective action contributed to securing the release of 87 defenders across 18 countries, with Belarus (22), Iran (15), Ethiopia (13) and Afghanistan (12) leading.

SOS-Defenders brings together more than 20 local, regional and international civil society organisations, convened under the auspices of the OMCT–FIDH Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. The initiative consolidates global data on the arbitrary detention of defenders on a single public platform to drive coordinated action for their release. Since its launch, the platform has published more than 670 cases of arbitrarily detained defenders.

https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/detention-torture-and-silence-sos-defenders-2025-report-on-censorship

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Tags: annual report 2025, detention, FIDH, Human Rights Defenders, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, OMCT, Stéphanie David, study, torture

Interview with Tania Pariona Tarqui, an Indigenous human rights defender from Peru,

August 20, 2026

OMCT published this interview.

Tania Pariona Tarqui is an Indigenous Quechua human rights defender, activist from Peru, and Executive Secretary of the coalition Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDDHH). As she started defending the rights of children and youth during her teenage years, now an advocate for women’s rights across South America, her work is more than ever relevant, not only in Peru, but for the global anti-torture movement. Over the past few months, the country has passed a series of laws that threaten decades of efforts for justice and accountability. Passing through Geneva for various advocacy meetings, she tells us all about the state of human rights in Peru and what these laws will mean for human rights defenders and victims of torture and ill-treatment.

What is the current human rights situation in Peru?

Peru is experiencing severe setbacks in human rights, even in very basic rights that took decades to achieve, such as gender equality or the broad women’s movement, along with sexual and reproductive health. We are also facing setbacks in terms of memory of our past. Recently, an Amnesty Law was passed to ensure impunity for serious human rights violations committed by the Armed Forces, the National Police, and self-defense committees during the internal armed conflict of the 1980s-2000s. This paves the way for impunity for those linked to crimes against humanity and erases the memory of thousands of victims who have waited decades for justice. In Peru today, our rights are not guaranteed, there is no protection.

What is the impact of these laws?

For families of victims of the 1980s conflict, as well as those killed in the 2022–2023 protests, these impunity measures deny justice and memory, rewriting history in ways that contradict lived experience. This “turning the page” denies grave violations. This is a hard blow to families who have fought for decades. The Amnesty Law would affect hundreds of cases, not isolated events. The State claims this law responds to terrorism, but in reality, it benefits human rights violators in the security forces implicated in torture, extrajudicial executions, and enforced disappearances.

What about human rights defenders?

Many human rights lawyers and organisations advocate for justice, but this law blocks their work by pardoning perpetrators of serious violations. Defenders are also stigmatised as “terrorists” or “terrorist sympathisers”. The term “terrorist” is indiscriminately applied by authorities, politicians, and even President Boluarte to delegitimise human rights defense. But lawyers are defending victims, not terrorists.

What can be done?

Raising a collective voice is essential. International solidarity must echo demands for justice globally. It is indispensable to maintain hope for a real democracy, not just the act of voting, but one that is intercultural, equal, and inclusive of Indigenous peoples and women. Currently, there are no political participation mechanisms for Indigenous peoples or Indigenous women. This is not true democracy.

The mechanisms of the UN and of the inter-American system are crucial, not only to issue recommendations but also to adopt a firm stance. Too often, human rights violations and violence against women are normalised. The international community must rethink its actions and strengthen democracies, protection mechanisms, and resources for defenders. Civil society is vital to democracy, yet civic space in Peru is shrinking. Without human rights, there is no democracy.

What is most important when defending human rights under these conditions?

Defending human rights today must go beyond the human rights community, reaching society at large. Youth and children must be included, with schools and communities addressing these issues. I come from a generation that witnessed progress thanks to older sisters who fought for important policy change. Now it is our duty to defend those advances, ensuring they remain for future generations.

Peru’s message of granting amnesty for crimes against humanity is disastrous, signaling to the world that impunity is acceptable. But as global conflicts show, impunity only harms the poorest and most vulnerable. We cannot normalise this; we must confront it now.

What message would you like to send to the international community?

To the international community: in Peru today, citizens’ rights are being violated, especially those who raise their voice against measures affecting our well-being and future.

Peru often presents itself abroad as a defender of human rights, but right now Peruvians have no guarantees of these rights. It is crucial that the international community pay attention, especially to cases of torture and arbitrary detention of activists, students, and indigenous women. Our call is for the international community not only to express concern but also to be present, speak out, and advocate for the rights of Peruvians.

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/blog/growing-impunity-peru-interview-with-a-peruvian-human-rights-defender

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Tags: activist from Peru, and Executive Secretary of the coalition Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDDHH), anti-torture campaign, history, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, impuntiy, interview, OMCT, OMCT SOS-Torture network, Peru, politics, Tania Pariona Tarqui, Tania Pariona Tarqui is an Indigenous Quechua human rights defender, video clip

Interview with Zaira Navas – a Salvadoran Woman Human Rights Defender in Exile

April 20, 2026

Zaira Navas, woman human rights defender from El Salvador.

In recent years, civic space has significantly reduced in El Salvador, under a state of exception, a state of emergency that suspended several constitutional rights. Human rights defenders have faced increasing threats and criminalisation, forcing many into silence or exile. Zaira Navas is a lawyer and human rights defender at Cristosal, partner of OMCT and the SOS-Torture Network. She is also a member of OMCT’s Latin America litigators’ group, part of four regional litigators’ groups that bring together lawyers and human rights defenders working at the front lines of the fight against torture and ill-treatment. Last year, Zaira Navas was pushed to flee El Salvador, after her colleague, Ruth López, prominent Salvadoran activist, was arrested. In Geneva to attend the Human Rights Council, she tells us about her experience being a woman human rights defender in exile, and where she still finds hope in her work.

What was it like to make the decision to leave El Salvador?

I am currently in exile due to repression under the state of exception in El Salvador imposed by President Nayib Bukele, which intensified in 2025. In May, my colleague Ruth López was detained on absurd corruption charges. That same week, I learned I could also be arrested. Our organisation, Cristosal, asked us to protect ourselves. There was no time to think about it. We left the country believing we would return in 15 days, but I have now been outside El Salvador for nine months.

How has exile affected you, as a woman and as a human rights defender?

The first months were filled with uncertainty. Violence and aggression against defenders increased, and our organisation was forced to close its operations in the country. There was no turning back.

There was a period when I felt depressed. Not only for being away from my country, but because I thought I could not continue my work. I am now separated from my family, but I am working, and that is a very important source of encouragement….

What actions should the international community take to ensure a safe environment for defending human rights in El Salvador?

The international community must closely monitor human rights violations in El Salvador and must pay close attention to what is happening in our country, questioning the anti-democratic methods and internal policies. International cooperation allows us to keep working. It is important that organisations that support human rights groups look for new ways to cooperate so that the work can continue from outside the country.

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/blog/it-is-my-way-of-life-and-my-legacy-interview-with-a-salvadoran-woman-human-rights-defender-in-exile

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Tags: Cristosal, El Salvador, exile, Human rights defender, human rights lawyer, OMCT, profile, video clip, woman human rights defender, Zaira Navas

After 16 years of outstanding leadership, Gerald Staberock is stepping down as Secretary General of the OMCT

March 6, 2026

OMCT Gerald Staberock Headshot

After 16 years of leadership, Gerald Staberock is stepping down from his role as Secretary General of the OMCT. The Executive Council has accepted his resignation and will oversee a smooth transition to new leadership to continue advancing the organization’s mission to combat torture and support human rights defenders worldwide.

A good friend and colleague has taken the thoughtful decision to start a managed transition of his own position at the helm of a key international NGO. Forgive me for being biased but he is a remarkable and exceptional person.

Under his leadership, OMCT gained renewed energy, reinforcing its footprint across regions through dynamic regional offices and in country-presence and further expanding the reach and impact of its global network. This was no small accomplishment. With staff, members and partners around the globe, Gerald also aided in “opening roads, working through landslides and filling gaps” so that OMCT could respond more effectively to the needs of people who were subject to torture and serious human rights violations or abuse. He has fostered a model of work that is lean and fitting for purpose in some of the toughest places in the world and has put our network of human rights defenders at the heart of our identity. He has maintained time after time that our true reserves are human – the trust, commitment and courage of our members, partners and staff.

The Executive Council of the OMCT extends special thanks to Gerald for his unwavering commitment to OMCT’s values and philosophy. After 16 years of dedicated service, Gerald has made the personal decision to step down to embrace new challenges and devote more time to his family, and the Executive Council fully supports and respects this decision, sharing his conviction that a leadership transition can be healthy for both him and the organization. We are committed to ensuring that this transition is safe, orderly and well-timed, and that OMCT remains firmly anchored in its values and strategic vision. Gerald has promised in the past that he’s committed to OMCT and the challenge of torture and, in any case, a smooth handover to the next Secretary General.

In this vein, the Executive Council is eager to start the recruitment process for the OMCT’s next Secretary General. You can access here the call for applications. Timing of the new Secretary General will depend on the availability of the candidate selected, and a dedicated transition process will be co-defined between the Executive Council working group, the incoming Secretary General and Gerald.

Gerald’s own Message to the SOS Torture Network and partners is a demonstration of his modesty and foresightedness:

I am writing you today to tell you that I informed our executive board early this year that it is time for leadership transition after 16 years at the OMCT. I can assure you that we will ensure that this is a safe, orderly and well-timed transition so that there will be no gaps. I am also addressing this to all our supporters; this is the time we need you to stay course with us more than ever. The relationship with many of you has been enriching, marked by a shared commitment that has helped us shape our vision. I would particularly like to thank our support committee in Geneva for their support.

For the past years, every time I came back from one of the many trips that are part of this job, I was intrigued by a watch making advertisement at the Geneva Airport. It basically says, ‘you never own this watch, your task is to keep it safe to hand over to a next generation’. Not being the owner of any luxury watches the advert always touched me, and each time I would think about OMCT. And when my decision nourished that after 16 years of leadership, it is time to accept that change is good, I had to look back at this advert.

My task was to take on an incredible gift from the founding fathers (yes, they were male) and a charismatic preceding director whom I call a friend. An organization built around a network, built around people that work in their countries to make them better places, more just, safer – and who sadly often don’t get the recognition for the good they do.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed and continue to enjoy working with amazing staff and members in our network. Human rights are really about people, people we help, serve, support, torture survivors and human rights defenders that make the difference. Our reserves are not financial but these relationships – they are our most important currency. In this, OMCT being able to provide tangible support is a is a meaningful achievement. Human rights work is also collective, it is about a movement, an eco-system. I appreciate our joint work in the Human Rights Defenders mechanism – Protect Defenders – stimulating and effective. I believe that our collective work within United Against Torture Consortium will be crucially important for the future. OMCT will remain about being united because it makes us better and stronger.

…I feel after 16 years it is the right moment to making sure that this incredible gift – not a watch – but an organization called OMCT – is given into the safe hands of a new generation…..

We can only hope that he will continue to be active on one capacity or another in the human rights movement, if only through social media: see: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerald-staberock-65a63146/

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/statements/message-from-the-omct-president-on-the-secretary-generals-transition

https://www.tdg.ch/torture-geneve-reste-une-bouee-de-sauvetage-pour-les-victimes-294155274623

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Tags: anti-torture campaign, call for applications, departure, Geneva, Gerald Staberock, Germany, international human rights movement, NGO, OMCT, OMCT SOS-Torture network, resignation, Tribune de Geneve, World Organisation Against Torture

Interview with Jawad Fairooz, a Bahraini human rights defender,

February 25, 2026

Jawad Fairooz is a Bahraini human rights defender, Founder of OMCT’s SOS-Torture Network member organisation SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights. He is also a former Member of the Bahraini Council of Representatives, currently living in exile after years of persecution by the authorities, including detention, torture, and the revocation of his nationality. In Bahrain, severe restrictions on civic space persist alongside widespread impunity and ongoing allegations of torture. As the UN Committee Against Torture reviews Bahrain’s record, Jawad Fairooz reflects on the human rights climate in the country, the personal cost of his advocacy, and the urgent need for accountability, drawing on his experience and the findings highlighted by OMCT and partners’ Global Torture Index.Since the crackdown on the Arab Spring protests in 2011, Bahrain has been marked by grave human rights violations. .. More than 435 people have had their nationality revoked [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2018/02/25/i-am-bahraini-website-launched-in-effort-to-stop-denationalizations/], and over 300 prisoners of conscience remain behind bars, including opposition leaders. Freedom of speech and assembly are criminalised, torture has not been systematically banned, and political and civil rights continue to be restricted. The core violations that began years ago are still continuing today.

What has been the cost of your advocacy in Bahrain?

From the moment I became active in public life, I knew there would be a high price to pay. In 2004, while leading a large protest against the US invasion of Iraq, I was shot in the head with a live bullet. Since then, I have been targeted repeatedly through detention, torture, and eventually the revocation of my nationality.

The Global Torture Index classifies Bahrain as facing a “very high risk” of torture. Why?

Torture is not taken seriously by the authorities. There are no accountability and no clear mechanism to hold senior officials responsible. Victims are denied remedies, redress, and rehabilitation. Even after release, former detainees struggle to regain basic civil and political rights. They face obstacles in obtaining employment, housing, and other services. International recommendations from bodies such as the UN Committee Against Torture have not been implemented. There have been no meaningful legal amendments to fully prohibit torture or establish independent investigations. Semi-government institutions lack independence and cannot be trusted to address these abuses. All of this shows a clear lack of political will.

What are the main obstacles facing survivors of torture when seeking justice?

The government focuses on public relations rather than real reform. Institutions like the National Institution for Human Rights, the Special Investigation Unit, and other bodies exist, but they are not independent. Cases referred to them rarely result in accountability or fair trials. Victims consistently report that justice is denied. Torture has evolved from overt physical abuse to psychological and “soft” methods, including deprivation of rights, travel bans, revocation of nationality, deportation, and denial of documents and services. These practices show that torture continues in different forms, and the authorities are not serious about ending it at its roots…

You have been in exile. How do defenders continue their work despite reprisals?

Human rights defenders in exile pay a heavy price. Many are banned from entering Bahrain or face fabricated cases, Interpol notices, travel restrictions, and harassment of their families. Smear campaigns label activists as terrorists or foreign agents. Despite this, defenders continue out of belief in the cause and responsibility toward victims. It is extremely difficult, but repression cannot last forever, especially under international scrutiny.

What gives you hope to continue your work?

Silence only strengthens repression. The resilience of victims and their families gives me hope. Standing with them is a moral and spiritual duty. I believe oppression has a short life, and that by continuing this work, we help ensure that future generations do not inherit a reality of torture, executions, statelessness, and detention.

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/blog/silence-only-strengthens-repression-interview-with-bahraini-human-rights-defender

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Tags: Bahrain, denationalization, history, human rights, Human rights defender, interview, Jawad Fairooz, news, OMCT, politics, torture, video clip

NGOs such as the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Human Rights Watch declared “undesirable” by the Russia

January 18, 2026

Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

At the end of 2025 the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), one of the world’s oldest human rights movements and Human Rights Watch were declared “undesirable” by the Russian Federation. For FIDH the designation was made by the Prosecutor General of Russia on 13 November, and on 1 December, Russia’s Ministry of Justice included FIDH in its register of “undesirable organizations“, which currently contains 281 entities, including several FIDH members, such as the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), and Truth Hounds.

“This ignoble move not only further threatens and endangers our Russian members, partners, their staff, and ordinary Russian citizens supporting our human rights work. It also sends a clear message that Russia is no friend of the global human rights movement“, said Alexis Deswaef, FIDH President. “This designation of FIDH as an ‘undesirable organisation’ demonstrates the importance of our commitment to supporting those who defend human rights, whether in Russia or in exile. FIDH will continue to pursue this commitment more than ever.”

Under the “undesirable organisations” law, adopted in 2015 and further tightened in 2021 and 2024, the Prosecutor General’s Office has the power to declare as “undesirable” any foreign or international organisation that is deemed “a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state“.

Concretely, “undesirable organisations” are banned from engaging in any activities inside Russia, including the publication or dissemination of any information, carrying out financial transactions, and providing financial or other assistance to local organisations and individuals. The “participation in the activities” of an “undesirable organisation” is subject to administrative and criminal liability, including up to four years of imprisonment. Any Russian citizen or organisation cooperating with an “undesirable organisation“, even if residing outside Russia, faces administrative penalties and, in the case of individuals, criminal liability. In practice, the vague wording of the law has led to the punishment of individuals simply for reposting information disseminated by an “undesirable organisation” on social media platforms, even if the original posts predated the organisation’s designation as “undesirable“.

https://www.fidh.org/en/region/europe-central-asia/russia/russia-bans-the-oldest-worldwide-human-rights-movement

“For over three decades, Human Rights Watch’s work on post-Soviet Russia has pressed the government to uphold human rights and freedoms,” said Philippe Bolopion, executive director at Human Rights Watch. “Our work hasn’t changed, but what’s changed, dramatically, is the government’s full-throttled embrace of dictatorial policies, its staggering rise in repression, and the scope of the war crimes its forces are committing in Ukraine.”

The Prosecutor General’s Office made the decision to ban Human Rights Watch on November 10, as follows from the Ministry of Justice’s register of “undesirable” organizations updated today. The official reasons for the designation are not known.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/11/28/russia-government-designates-human-rights-watch-undesirable

and https://ilga.org/news/russia-ilga-world-undesirable/

and now also OMCT https://www.fidh.org/en/region/europe-ceal-asia/russia/russian-federation-russian-authorities-designate-the-world

On 24 July, Russia’s Ministry of Justice added the Norwegian-Russian organisation SmåRådina (SmåRådina: for Democracy in Russia) to the register of “undesirable” organisations. The Russian authorities have not publicly explained the reasons for the decision.

https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-bans-human-rights-foundation-chaired-by-yulia-navalnaya-undesirable-2026-08-07

https://www.thebarentsobserver.com/news/russia-declares-norwegian-organisation-smaradina-undesirable/455303

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Tags: FIDH, freedom a, freedom of association, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Foundation, Human Rights Watch, ILGA, International Federation for Human Rights, law on undesirable organisations, LGBTI, NGOs, OMCT, Russia, SmåRådina

The Global Torture Index – a new Tool to Combat Torture Worldwide – launches on 25 June 2025

May 26, 2025

The Global Torture Index, a pioneering initiative by OMCT and partners, is poised to revolutionize the global fight against torture. It will be launched on 25 June, during the Global Week Against Torture, organized by OMCT and its partners in collaboration with #UnitedAgainstTorture – an EU-funded consortium of six leading anti-torture organizations.

Despite 175 countries ratifying the UN Convention Against Torture, this grave violation of human rights persists in prisons, public assemblies, armed conflicts, and daily police interventions. Torture remains shrouded in secrecy, making it difficult to detect and eradicate.

The Global Torture Index is an innovative tool, developed in collaboration with over 200 local civil society organizations that form the SOS-Torture Network, human rights defenders, and consulted with international experts, provides robust, data-driven insights and trend analysis into the risk of torture and ill-treatment across countries. The Global Torture Index map will serve as a critical resource for policymakers, governments, media, and activists, offering actionable recommendations, measuring progress and regression on human rights compliance, identifying good practices and fostering global awareness.

Follow us on social media to learn how you can take part in the launch of the Global Torture Index and discover how this powerful tool will empower the global anti-torture movement, bring torture out of the shadows, and drive meaningful change.

The Global Torture Index – An Innovative Tool to Combat Torture Worldwide

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Tags: anti-torture campaign, documentation tools, Global Torture Index, Global Week Against Torture, OMCT

Venezuela: Where is Eduardo Torres?

May 13, 2025

ISHR, T

ISHR, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), request your urgent intervention in the following situation in Venezuela.

The Observatory has been informed of the disappearance of Mr. Eduardo Torres, a labour lawyer who has been a member for over five years of the Venezuelan Education-Action Program on Human Rights (PROVEA), an FIDH member organisation.

According to witnesses, Eduardo Torres was last seen on Friday, 9 May 2025 at 4:00 p.m. in Parque Central in Caracas, after attending a meeting. At that moment, Mr. Torres contacted his family and informed them he was heading home, near Av. Fuerzas Armadas in Caracas, but he never arrived.

Seeking information about Eduardo Torres’ whereabouts, his wife, Ms. Emiselys Nuñez, accompanied by PROVEA members, have visited various detention centres in Caracas, including the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) at El Helicoide, several National Bolivarian Police (PNB) stations in Maripérez, Boleíta and Petare, as well as the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) in Boleíta. As of the publication of this urgent appeal, his whereabouts remain unknown.

On 11 May 2025, Ms. Emiselys Nuñez and PROVEA’s legal team went to the Palace of Justice to submit a “Habeas Corpus” petition before the Judge of First Instance in Control Functions of the Criminal Judicial Circuit of the Metropolitan Area of Caracas, Specialised in protection matters, to request information on whether Eduardo Torres had been detained by the Venezuelan State. However, after more than seven hours of waiting, they were not “authorised” to receive the document, without providing details, and in clear violation of Article 27 of the National Constitution and Articles 2, 3, and 4 of the Organic Law of Personal Liberty and Security.

On 12 May 2025, the PROVEA team, along with Mr. Torres’ wife and mother, went to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice and handed the “Habeas Corpus” petition at 12:10 pm.

The Observatory highlights that Mr. Torres has been repeatedly been subjected to threats and acts of harassment by Venezuelan police officers. Like the rest of the PROVEA team, he is a beneficiary of precautionary protection measures granted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) due to repeated threats, criminalisation, and harassment in connection with his human rights work in Venezuela.

The Observatory recalls that on 7 January 2025, Mr. Carlos Correa, former PROVEA coordinator, was intercepted in the centre of the capital Caracas by hooded officials. His whereabouts remained unknown for several days before he was released on 16 January 2025.

The Observatory also recalls that on 15 October 2024, the passport of Mr. Torres, among other human rights defenders and/or persons identified as opponents, was cancelled in a selective and discretionary manner as a mechanism of repression and intimidation to prevent him from leaving the country and/or cooperating with international protection mechanisms, thus violating his rights to identity, free transit and mobility.

The Observatory expresses its deepest concern due to the high probability that Mr. Eduardo Torres is in a condition of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, due to his work as a human rights defender and given the constant threats against him. If confirmed, these acts would increase the risk of torture and ill-treatment against him.

The Observatory underlines that this disappearance occurs two weeks before the national and regional elections scheduled for 25 May 2025, again highlighting the risks against human rights defenders in Venezuela and exemplifying a systematic attempt to silence all critical voices committed to human rights and democracy in the country.

The Observatory urges the Venezuelan authorities to guarantee the physical and psychological security of Mr. Eduardo Torres, to disclose his whereabouts and to proceed to his immediate and unconditional release, in case he is indeed detained by State actors.

https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/venezuela-disappearance-of-eduardo-torres-member-of-provea

https://crm.ishr.ch/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=1573&cid=8618&cs=190006ac4febcf0f1c43accc05534fec_1747148711_168

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The Burundi crisis has been forgotten; interview with a Armel Niyongere, Burundian in exile

April 25, 2025

On 23 April, 2025 OMCT made public this interview with Armel Niyongere, exiled Burundian lawyer and Secretary General of SOS-Torture Burundi, a member of the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) SOS-Torture network. He continues to denounce human rights violations in his home country. Despite 10 years of threats and intimidation from the authorities, Mr. Niyongere continues his fight to promote and protect human rights. In this interview he talks about the difficulties of exile, the challenges facing those who defend human rights, and the role of the international community.

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/blog/burundian-crisis-forgotten-armel-niyongere-exil

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Tags: anti -torture, Armel Niyongere, Burundi, exile, Human rights defender, human rights lawyer, interview, OMCT, You Tube

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