Russian human rights defenders face on going harassmentposted on: 2007/03/23

On 22 March 2007, police officers arrived at the office of the Nizhny Novgorod Foundation to Support Tolerance in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia with the suspected intent of detaining two of its leaders, Stanislav Dmitrievsky and Oksana Chelysheva.

The two human rights defenders managed to obstruct the police officer’s plans by immediately contacting international human rights organizations and western diplomats in Moscow officers. The attack on the office is the latest in a series of police actions against the leaders of human rights organizations over recent days. Both Stanislav Dmitrievsky and Oksana Chelysheva have been subjected to heavy police surveillance, and uninvited visitors have presented themselves at their residences.

On January 23, the Federal Supreme Court of Russia denied an appeal of a lower court's order to close the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS). The RCFS, based in Nizhny Novgorod, was one of the few remaining organizations in Russia that was reporting on human rights conditions in Chechnya and the North Caucasus.

The Russian-Chechen Friendship Society has since reconstituted itself as three new organizations and moved the legal entity to Finland.

Oksana Chelysheva: The slow, painful death of journalism in Russiaposted on: 2007/03/23

Oksana Chelysheva: The slow, painful death of journalism in Russia

For a while, we are not going to be acting as a clearing house for news about Chechnya

Published: 05 February 2007

Did you read about the death of press freedom in Russia the other day? Well, probably not. Independent journalism doesn't expire in a single, dramatic moment. It's more like a series of small blows, leading not to out-and-out demise but suffocation and a life-sucking loss of morale. Another significant punch was landed last month. Russia's Supreme Court in Moscow closed the Russian Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS) on 23 January. This non-governmental organisation, which I helped run in Nizhny Novgorod, was the home for independent journalism on Chechnya. So, they closed us down and - for a while at least - we're not going to be acting as a clearing-house for journalism about Chechnya. Consider the events of the past few months. When the wasted figure of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko died from polonium 210 poisoning in London in November, a murder mystery began.

Human rights defender Ziyad Hmeidan finally releasedposted on: 2007/03/23

Al-Haq fieldworker, Ziyad Hmeidan

Front Line welcomes the release on 18 March 2007 of Al-Haq fieldworker and human rights defender, Ziyad Hmeidan detained by Israeli authorities without charge or trial since 23 May 2005

AL-HAQ PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE REF.: 5.2007E 19 March 2007

Al-Haq Fieldworker Released from Administrative Detention

On 18 March 2007, Al-Haq fieldworker and human rights defender, Ziyad Hmeidan, was dropped off by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) at the Dahiriya (Meitar) checkpoint, south of Hebron, at around 14:15, marking the end of almost two years of detention without charge or fair trial. From the checkpoint Ziyad travelled to the village of Sa’ir, where he met briefly with a number of Al-Haq’s staff, before heading on to Bethlehem, where he was reunited with his wife and two young children. Ziyad’s release, similar to the entire process which arbitrarily deprived him of his freedom for 20 months, was marked by obstructions from the Israeli authorities.

In the days preceding Ziyad’s scheduled release, his lawyer repeatedly contacted the IPS to find out where Ziyad would be released. Her requests were unsuccessful.

Extrajudicial killing of human rights defender in the Philippinesposted on: 2007/03/22

A gunman riding a motorcycle killed human rights defender, Siche Bustamente-Gandinao as she was retuning home with her husband and daughter on 10 March 2007 in Misamis Oriental.

Siche Bustamente-Gandinao is a member of Misamis Oriental Farmers Association (MOFA) and of opposition party Bayan Muna. During Philip Alston's - the U.N. Special Representative on Extrajudicial Killings - visit to the Philippines in February 2007, Siche Bustamente-Gandinao submitted a written testimony detailing the recent killing of her father-in-law, Dalmacio Gandinao, Chairman of MOFA and Coordinator of the Misamis Oriental Bayan Muna, in front of her and other family members by a group of seven gunmen.

Since 2001, there has been a marked escalation in extrajudicial killings in the Philippines; the extent of the violence has led to comparisons with old problems in the Philippines.

Women human rights defenders released in Iranposted on: 2007/03/20

Front Line celebrates the arrival of the Iranian New Year (Nourouz) on 21 March 2007 with the release of the two remaining detained women human rights defenders, Shadi Sadr and Mahboobeh Abasgholizadeh. They were released on March 19 with bail conditions. Front Line would like to thank everyone who took action on this case.

Shadi Sadr and Mahboobeh Abasgholizadeh were the last two women of the thirty-four women's rights defenders to remain in Evin prison after having been arrested during a peaceful demonstration on 4 March 2007 in front of Tehran's Revolutionary Court. The Iranian Authorities gradually released the women during the first week of the arrests. Shadi Sadr and Mahboobeh Abasgholizadeh spent 6-15 March in solitary confinement. Throughout their detainment they were kept in ward 209 of Evin Prison (run by the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran). According to their families, on March 15 both were transferred from solitary confinement into the same cell and were given newspapers to read.

Fear for the safety of two women human rights defenders still in detentionposted on: 2007/03/15

Shadi Sadr and Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh arbitrarily arrested along with thirty-one other women human rights defenders and journalists during a peaceful protest in Tehran on 4 March 2007 remain in solitary confinement in sector 209 of Evin prison.

The thirty-women who have been released have all reported on the harsh conditions of detention in Evin prison. It is understood that Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh is being held incommunicado. Both women have been denied access to medical care and the harsh conditions of their detention is worsening their medical conditions. Shadi Sadr suffers from a chronic stomach ulcer, and Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh suffers from arthritis and migraine headaches. They are both forced to sleep on the floor, with only one blanket. There is no toilet in their cells. They have faced three separate accusations: “acting against national security”, “holding an illegal assembly”, and “confronting the security forces.” The remaining two charges have not been disclosed to the lawyers of the women.

Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh was detained for a month in November 2004.

Fear for the safety of two women human rights defenders still in detentionposted on: 2007/03/15

Shadi Sadr and Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh arbitrarily arrested along with thirty-one other women human rights defenders and journalists during a peaceful protest in Tehran on 4 March 2007 remain in solitary confinement in sector 209 of Evin prison.

The thirty-women who have been released have all reported on the harsh conditions of detention in Evin prison. It is understood that Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh is being held incommunicado. Both women have been denied access to medical care and the harsh conditions of their detention is worsening their medical conditions. Shadi Sadr suffers from a chronic stomach ulcer, and Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh suffers from arthritis and migraine headaches. They are both forced to sleep on the floor, with only one blanket. There is no toilet in their cells. They have faced three separate accusations: “acting against national security”, “holding an illegal assembly”, and “confronting the security forces.” The remaining two charges have not been disclosed to the lawyers of the women.

Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh was detained for a month in November 2004.