News on the topic: human rights defenders
10.08.2017 Observatory condemns judicial harassment against trade union leaders in Belarus
The Observatory fears that REP and BITU leaders are being targeted in reprisal for their human rights activities and calls for the immediate release of Mr. Komlik, as well as ending all judicial harassment against REP and BITU leaders, in particular Messrs Komlik and Fiadynich, in so far as it appears to only aim at sanctioning their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities.
04.08.2017 Let’s celebrate International Day of Solidarity with the civil society of Belarus
It’s 2017, and we would like to be happy that the world has changed, becoming more humane and kinder. But unfortunately, this minute the trade unions are being searched, and people are arrested after expressing solidarity with their colleagues, the death penalty is still in place.
18.07.2017 Tell Turkey: free Amnesty’s İdil Eser, Taner Kılıç, and other rights defenders
Every day, these women and men risk their own safety to defend others. They speak out for people’s freedom, they challenge injustices and they fight for everyone in Turkey to be treated fairly.
17.07.2017 Anar Mammadli: “While Belarusian government still wants to imitate democracy, in Azerbaijan it has already finished imitation”
Comparing the situation in Belarus and Azerbaijan, it can be noted that the authorities of both countries exchange experience of harassment of civil society activists. In particular, we periodically have to watch the waves of persecution of human rights defenders in the two ex-Soviet countries.
14.07.2017 Liu Xiaobo: A man who spoke truth to power
While history will not judge Beijing kindly—after all, the only other Nobel Peace laureate who died in custody was Carl von Ossietzki in 1938 Nazi Germany—foreign governments also bear a share of responsibility.
11.07.2017 Observatory calls on immediate release of Turkish human rights defenders
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary arrest and detention of eight human rights defenders in Turkey.
11.07.2017 Bahrain: Nabeel Rajab sentenced to two years in prison
According to the information received, on July 10, 2017, Manama’s Lower Criminal Court handed down a two years’ prison sentence against Mr. Nabeel Rajab. Mr. Rajab, who is at the hospital since April 8, 2017 (see background information), was sentenced in absentia.
05.07.2017 Key Notes from Civil Society Parallel Forum in Minsk
At the Civil Society Parallel Forum on July 4 in Minsk, international and Belarusian human rights defenders held a briefing with the participation of Miklós Haraszti, the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus whose mandate is not recognized by the Belarus Foreign Affairs Ministry.
29.06.2017 Position of Belarusian Human Rights Organizations as Regards Overall Human Rights Situation in Belarus
We, representatives of the Belarusian human rights community, hereby express our joint position as regards the human rights situation in Belarus before the session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the next round of the EU-Belarus Dialogue on Human Rights.
13.06.2017 UN Member and Observer States should call on Bahraini authorities to free human rights defender Nabeel Rajab
We, the undersigned, express our deep concern over the continued detention of prominent Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, on the first anniversary of his arrest. We urge you to call for his immediate release and for all charges against him to be dropped.
03.06.2017 Observatory condemns re-arrest and arbitrary detention of Pavel Levinau
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the re-arrest and arbitrary detention of Mr. Pavel Levinau, human rights defender and board member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.
31.05.2017 Human rights activist Pavel Levinau jailed for 15 days
Human rights defender Pavel Levinau was detained yesterday evening by police officers in Viciebsk. The activist will serve 15 days of administrative detention.
30.05.2017 “See you on the streets”: Kiai completes term as Rapporteur
Maina Kiai completed his term as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association on April 30, after serving in the position for six years. His successor, Ms. Annalisa Ciampi of Italy, took up her functions as Special Rapporteur on May 1.
18.05.2017 Brave: Amnesty International laucnhes new campaign to protect human rights defenders worldwide
281 people were killed in 2016 for defending human rights, up from 156 in 2015.
10.05.2017 Viasna still views Ministry of Justice’s decision on registration as predictable
The relevance of the issue is due to the preparation of an alternative report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee currently done by a coalition of human rights organizations. The HRC experts included a request for clarification of the situation with the refusal to register the Human Rights Center "Viasna" in the list of issues to be addressed in the framework of Belarus’ reporting to the Committee.
