human rights

Western Sahara: Systematic repression of human rights defenders

Following its recent visit to Western Sahara from 15 to 22 September 2008, Front Line expresses its serious concern in relation to repressive practices against human rights defenders in Western Sahara. These include intrusive surveillance of defenders, the imposition of obstacles to registration of non-governmental organisations, physical attacks and arbitrary detentions, such as the wave of arrests carried out on 21 September following a peaceful demonstration in the town of Smara.  Read More

Germany: Granting Tolerance Prize to Shirin Abadi

Shirin Abadi, a lawyer and an Iranian human rights activist, was awarded with the 2008 Tolerance Prize by the Protestant Academy of Tutzing. The prize is granted to people known for their peaceful efforts within political regimes, cultures and religions.  Read More

Iran: Women Human Rights Defenders Ronak Safarzadeh, Hana Abdi, and Fatemeh Goftari Sent to Solitary Confinement

According to information received from the city of Sanandaj, Ronak Safarzadeh, Hana Abdi, and Fatemeh Goftari, women human rights defenders, cultural and social council members of Kurdistan Azarmehr Women and members of the One Million Signatures campaign for legislative reform to promote women's rights in Iran, lost three weeks of visiting rights and were transferred to solitary confinement.  Read More

India: Judicial harassment of human rights defender Kirity Roy

Front Line is seriously concerned about the judicial harassment of Kirity Roy, the former president of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), a non-governmental human rights organisation based in Howrah, Kolkata, West Bengal. On 27 September 2008, police entered the offices of MASUM searching for Kirity Roy and affidavits from the People's Tribunal on Torture (PTT), which is organised by the National Project on Preventing Torture in India (NPPTI).  Read More

Serbia: Media threats and aggressive intimidation against human rights defender Sonja Biserko

Front Line is deeply concerned following information received of media threats and aggressive intimidation against human rights defender Sonja Biserko and staff at the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia (HCHRS). Sonja Biserko is the Chairperson of the HCHRS, a professional organisation working on the promotion of the rule of law and protection of human rights in Serbia.  Read More

India: Judicial harassment of human rights defender Kirity Roy

Front Line is seriously concerned about the judicial harassment of Kirity Roy, the former president of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), a non-governmental human rights organisation based in Howrah, Kolkata, West Bengal. On 27 September 2008, police entered the offices of MASUM searching for Kirity Roy and affidavits from the People's Tribunal on Torture (PTT), which is organised by the National Project on Preventing Torture in India (NPPTI).  Read More

The Philippines: Alleged enforced disappearance of human rights defender, James M Balao,

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of the alleged enforced disappearance of human rights defender James M. Balao on 17 September 2008. James M. Balao is a member of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), an independent group of non-governmental organisations in the Cordillera Region. CPA works to promote democracy and protect the rights of indigenous peoples.  Read More

Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) in Gaza city, denied Travel Permit.

Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) in Gaza city, was this week denied a permit by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to leave the Gaza Strip to address a major human rights conference in Brussels, Belgium.  Read More

Saudi Arabia: Human Rights Lawyer subject to Travel Ban wins Human Rights Watch Award

Saudi human rights lawyer Abd al-Rahman al-Lahim is the winner of the Human Rights Watch 2008 Human Rights Defender award. Human Rights Watch also announced four other winners of the 2008 award, courageous individuals working for justice and human rights from Uzbekistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Democratic Republic of Congo.  Read More

India: Arbitrary detention and intimidation of anti-dam activists in Manipur

Front Line is seriously concerned following reports of the arbitrary detention and intimidation of a group of human rights defenders opposed to the construction of the Mapithel Dam in Manipur State.These include T. Dewal from the village of Itham, L. Bipin from Tumukhong, L. Bobojit and H. Kendra Luwang from Moirangpurel. All are members of the Mapithel Dam Affected Ching-Tam Organization (MDACTO), an organisation which defends the rights of communities affected by the dam project.  Read More

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