Attacks on human rights defenders in Tunisia escalateposted on: 2006/05/24

A group of over 20 human rights organisations released a joint press statement detailing the recent harassment of human rights defenders in Tunisia, which has increased significantly in the last weeks. Press Release

Over 20 human rights organizations condemned the increased repression against human rights defenders and lawyers on 23 May in Tunisia.

On 11 May 2006, head of the newly established independent Syndicate of Journalists, Lotfi Hajji, was detained and interrogated for four hours after he was accused of holding a secret meeting.

On 18 May 2006, Tunisian authorities prevented the family of recently deceased human rights defender, Adel Arfaoui, from entering the headquarters of the Tunisian League for Human Rights to attend a memorial ceremony in his honour.

Security forces attacked Yves Steiner, a member of the executive office of the Swiss Branch of Amnesty International, while he was attending the annual general meeting of the Amnesty International Tunisia Branch.

Human rights defenders defy repression in Western Saharaposted on: 2006/05/11

11 May 2006

In spite of the release of human rights defenders and others from detention in March and April, the Moroccan authorities continue to try to repress any independent human rights work in Western Sahara. Human rights organizations are denied legal registration and human rights defenders are subjected to heavy surveillance, threats and harassment.

“The Moroccan authorities must move to ensure that human rights defenders are free to undertake their legitimate work in conformity with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,” said Front Line Deputy Director, Andrew Anderson, at the end of a Front Line mission to Western Sahara. “The international community must also play a much stronger role in ensuring that independent civil society can operate freely as a prerequisite for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”

Front Line met with human rights defenders operating under constant heavy surveillance in Laayoune and Smara.

Statement from women human rights defenders arrested on International Womens Dayposted on: 2006/04/03

9 March 2006 A peaceful gathering of around 1,000 women human rights defenders celebrating International Women's Day in Iran, was violently broken up by Iranian security forces on 8th March. This forms part of a pattern of ongoing attacks on women human rights defenders by the Iranian authorities.This is their statement:

Tehran: The peaceful gathering of women's rights activists, women's groups and human rights defenders who had gathered in Park Daneshjoo (Student Park) yesterday, in commemoration of March 8th, International Women's Day, ended in violence, when they were attacked and assaulted by plain clothes militia, special anti riot forces of the Revolutionary guards, soldiers and police.

Approximately 1,000 women had gathered in Park Daneshjoo on the occasion of International Women's Day to emphasize their stance in support of women's human rights and peace.

Ethiopia: Human rights defenders at riskposted on: 2006/02/06

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has published a report of an international fact-finding mission to Ethiopia titled Human Rights Defenders Under Pressure. The report details how defending human rights in Ethiopia today comes down to facing constant risks of clashes with federal, regional and local authorities, who show a blatant will to control and neutralise independent civil society, while the ruling power and State agents continue to subject human rights defenders to repression, harassment and retaliation.