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Human Rights Defenders

Western Sahara – Human rights defenders Mr Ibrahim Beriaz and Mr Ali Salim Ablagh released while Mr Saeed Al-Wa’ban remains in detention, posted on: 2010/12/17

On 14 December 2010, human rights defenders Mr Ibrahim Beriaz, and Mr Ali Salim Ablagh were released from Bulmaharez prison, Marrakech, having served a two-year prison sentence. A third defender, Mr Saeed Al-Wa'ban remains in custody.

Further Information

The aforementioned defenders were reportedly arrested and brought to trial because of their role campaigning for the human rights of the Sahrawi people, including the right to self determination. In particular this included their participation in peaceful protests.

please see Front Line’s previous appeal on this case

Bahrain - Human rights defender Mr Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad arbitrarily arrested and held in incommunicado detentionposted on: 2010/12/16

On 15 December 2010, human rights defender, Mr Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad, aged 63 years, was arbitrarily arrested at his home. He is currently being held in incommunicado detention and his whereabouts is unknown. Mr Mohammed Jawad is a well-known independent human rights defender who campaigns for the human rights of detainees and prisoners.

Further Information

On the morning of 15 December 2010, security forces raided the home of Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad and took him away. There was no arrest warrant issued, and no reasons were given for the arrest. Mohammed Jawad's current location and status is unknown.

In the past Mohammed Jawad has been subjected to torture while in detention. He suffers from health problems which include pain in his back and the loss of hearing in both ears allegedly due to beating during past interrogations.

On the night of 14 December, Mr Mohammed Jawad was seen in Manama city centre holding a banner with pictures of detained human rights defenders. He used a megaphone to publicly call for their release.

Strasbourg: "EU High Representative pays tribute to human rights defenders as she welcomes the European Parliament Human Rights Report"posted on: 2010/12/16

"On Friday we celebrated international Human Rights Day. This year's theme highlighted the work of individuals and organisations worldwide who fight human rights violations, specifically discrimination. Over the past year I have met Nobel prize-winner Shirin Ebadi on Iran and Front Line award-winner Afghanistan's Human Rights Commissioner for Women Dr Soraya Sobhrang and other human rights defenders and will continue to do so. As I have said to you previously, I fully expect colleagues in Brussels and the Heads of the EU Delegations to do the same".

Full Text of The High Representative's Speech

Speech by Catherine Ashton EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission on the Annual Human Rights Report European Parliament, Strasbourg, 15 December 2010 On Friday we celebrated international Human Rights Day.

This year's theme highlighted the work of individuals and organisations worldwide who fight human rights violations, specifically discrimination.

China: Human rights defenders remain missing following Nobel crackdownposted on: 2010/12/15

As of 15 December 2010 several prominent human rights defenders remain missing or in police detention following a sweeping crackdown in the run-up to the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo on 10 December 2010.

Further Information

In the past number of days, police have lifted restrictions on many human rights defenders who had been confined to house arrest, had been forced back to their home towns, or had their internet and phone lines cut for the period surrounding the Nobel Ceremony.

Others though, have failed to resurface after being taken by police, and their prolonged periods of detention are cause for concern.

Among those who have yet to reappear are the following (list is not exhaustive):

Fan Yafeng, a prominent human rights lawyer and leader of an underground house church. On 9 December, following numerous house arrests and interrogations in the previous two months, Fan was taken into police custody once again and has been out of contact since.

Li Hai, a Beijing based dissident and a member of the house church led by Fan Yafeng. On 30 October he was seized by police at the premises of the church and since then he has been unreachable.

Gabon – Media stigmatisation campaign against human rights defender Marc Ona Essanguiposted on: 2010/12/15

During the last several weeks, human rights defender Mr Marc Ona Essangui has been the target of a smear campaign organised by pro government media in Gabon.

Further Information

The campaign targets him because of his support to the trial taking place in France in relation to properties allegedly unlawfully acquired there by the Gabonese President, the so called "Bien Mal Acquis"(BMA) trial.

Marc Ona Essangui is the national coordinator of the Publish What You Pay Coalition (PWYP) in Gabon and Executive Secretary of the environmental organisation Brainforest. In January 2009, Front Line published an urgent appeal on the arrest and detention, in December 2008, of Marc Ona Essangui and four other human rights defenders and journalists, which was linked to the same affaire.

Since the French Court of Cassation's decision on the BMA trial was rendered, on 9 November 2010, several media in Gabon began a stigmatisation campaign aimed at discrediting Marc Ona Essangui.

Iran – Human rights defender Mr Emadeddin Baghi sentenced to one-year imprisonment and five-year ban from journalismposted on: 2010/12/14

On 5 December 2010, human rights defender and journalist Mr Emadeddin Baghi began a one-year prison sentence, and a five-year ban from journalism and civil activities. Emadeddin Baghi is the president of the Association for the Defence of Prisoners Rights, which was established in 2003.

Further Information

On 30 November 2010, Emadeddin Baghi received a phone call from the judiciary during which he was told to present himself at Evin prison, Tehran, either on 4 or 5 December to begin serving his sentence. No formal legal procedures were conducted and Emadeddin Baghi's lawyer was not informed that his client was required to report to Evin Prison.

In December 2009, Emadeddin Baghi was arrested following mass anti-government protests during the Shi'a religious occasion of Ashoura. He spent six months in solitary confinement before going on trial on 23 June 2010.

GENEVA: Three UN independent experts express concerns over crackdown on human rights defenders since Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prizeposted on: 2010/12/14

“Since 8 October 2010, we have received reports of over 20 arrests or detentions of human rights defenders, and over 120 other cases of house arrests, including Liu Xiaobo’s wife, Liu Xia, travel restrictions, forced relocations, acts of intimidation, and blocking of means of communication, including removal of content on the Internet regarding the Nobel Peace Prize,” stated the experts.

Further Information

The statement was issued by:

    1. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya;
    2. Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue;
    3. Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, El Hadji Malick Sow.

Cambodia – Pre-trial detention of human rights defender Mr Sous Chantha on fabricated charges of drug smugglingposted on: 2010/12/13

Human rights defender and trade union leader Mr Sous Chantha has been held in pre-trial detention since 18 November 2010, on fabricated charges of drug smuggling. Sous Chantha is a union leader with United Apparel Garment Factory since 2006 and has acted as the factory leader of the local union affiliated with the Independent & Democratic Union Federation (IDUF) since 2008.

Further Information

On 18 November 2010, Sous Chantha was stopped on his motorcycle by military police approximately 400 metres from the factory in which he works. The military officers, on motorcycles and also accompanied by a car, approached the human rights defender on street 2002 in the Sen Sok district of Phnom Penh.

At first they questioned him as to why he was carrying a walkie-talkie device, then one military officer requested the keys to the motorcycle in order to search it. Upon opening the seat of the motorcycle the officer then reportedly pulled out nine small packages of illegal pills that he claimed had been hidden between the seat and the chassis.

Geneva: Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rightsposted on: 2010/12/13

To mark International Human Rights Day, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, issued a statement in which she paid tribute to the vital role played by human rights defenders. "We owe the progress we have made to the enormous efforts of hundreds of thousands of largely unsung heroes, known collectively as human rights defenders".

Further Information

Human rights defenders come from all walks of life, ranging from princesses and politicians, to professionals such as journalists, teachers and doctors, to people with little or no formal education. There are no special qualifications. All it takes is commitment, and courage".

To see the whole statement, please refer to :http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2010/12/62855_space.html

Russia – Human rights defender Mr Bakhrom Khamroev attacked by Russian security officerposted on: 2010/12/10

On 7 December 2010, human rights defender Mr Bakhrom Khamroev was attacked and beaten by a Russian law enforcement officer in plain clothing during a so-called “special operation against Islamic extremists” in Moscow. Bakhrom Khamroev is a member of Human Rights Centre “Memorial”. He works on the rights of migrants from Central Asian countries.