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Gao Zhisheng - Currently missing in Chinaposted on: 2010/12/07

Human rights defender and self-taught lawyer Gao Zhisheng was named one of China's top ten lawyers by the Ministry of Justice in 2001. However, after beginning to investigate and draw attention to allegations of abuse against members of China’s religious minorities, he became subject to harassment, detentions and forced disappearances himself. The whereabouts of Gao Zhisheng are currently unknown. He has not been heard from since 20 April 2010.

Further Information

In 2004 and 2005 Gao wrote three open letters to the Chinese leaders calling on the government to bring to a halt the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. As a result of this Gao’s license to practice law was revoked, his law firm shut down and his family began to face harassment from Chinese security forces. In February 2006 Gao organised a “Relay Hunger Strike for Human Rights,” which involved human rights defenders and citizens fasting for 24 hours in rotation. This was launched to protest against state harassment and abuse of human rights defenders and the lawyers who represented them.

Update: India -- Human rights defender Mr Mian Abdul Qayoom re-arrested three days after being released posted on: 2010/12/07

On 30 November 2010, human rights defender Mr Mian Abdul Qayoom was re-arrested as he left Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu and is currently being held in Hiranagar jail under a 10-day judicial custody order.

Further Information

Three days previously, on 27 November, the High Court of Kashmir quashed his detention under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act of 1978 (PSA). Mian Abdul Qayoom is the president of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Srinagar.

On 27 November 2010 the Jammu and Kashmir High Court reserved its order to overthrow the detention order against Mian Abdul Qayoom and release him from prison following almost 5 months in custody under the PSA.

Upon leaving the prison Mian Abdul Qayoom was re-arrested and brought before the court of a judicial magistrate.

Kyrgyzstan: Front Line given permission to visit imprisoned human rights defender Azimjan Askarov

Front Line's Deputy Director Andrew Anderson is currently on mission in Kyrgyzstan where he had been given permission to visit imprisoned human rights defender Azimjan Askarov. Azimjan is serving a life sentence after an unfair trial during which he was routinely beaten and denied access to his lawyer.

Azimjan Askarov - a brave man in a cruel imprisonment

"We had the great privilege of meeting Azimjan Askarov in prison colony 47 today in Bishkek.

The prison is actually supposed to be a prison hospital although that is not immediately obvious as we arrive at the entrance and shiver in the icy cold whilst our permissions and presents are processed and checked. Its very much a Soviet era institution, apparently the x-ray machine is a genuine antique, but we are ushered across a frozen courtyard and up to the Prison Director's office to meet Azimjan.

We receive a warm welcome from Azimjan who is looking much better than he did at his appeal hearing. He insists he is feeling much better too, and is being treated well here in Bishkek.

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Kyrgyzstan: Bumpy landing in Bishek

Front Line's Deputy Director Andrew Anderson is currently on mission in Kyrgyzstan - however the adventures started in the air as they successfully landed in Bishek - on the 4th attempt.

Good old hammer and sickle!

I was not sure if the hammer and sickle on the uniform of the Aeroflot woman at the check in for my flight from Moscow to Bishkek meant the uniform was twenty years old or they just had resisted corporate rebranding.

Our first two attempts to land in Bishkek the pilot had to pull out because of below minimum visability. So he announced we were diverting to Almaty. but he had to pull out of an attempted landing there too. Apparently whilst I was wondering how much extra fuel our plane might carry the weather cleared over Bishkek. We bumped down fourth time lucky. Good old hammer and sickle.

Pictured - Andrew Anderson with human rights defender Tolekan Ismailova outside Bishek prison.

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Uganda: UPDATE - Human rights defender Mr Al Amin Kimathi to go on trial for Ugandan World Cup bombingposted on: 2010/12/03

On 30 November 2010, the prosecution in the case of human rights defender Mr Al Amin Kirmathi who is accused of involvement in the World Cup suicide bombings in Kampala, sent the case to the Ugandan High Court for trial.

Further Information

Al Amin Kirmathi is due to go on trial with 17 others also accused of being involved in the bombing, while a further 17 were released and charges against them were dropped.

Al-Amin Kimathi is Executive Coordinator of Muslims Human Rights Forum (MHRF), and has been at the forefront in exposing and documenting human rights violations, arbitrary detention and unlawful renditions in the context of counter-terrorism operations in the East and Horn of Africa.

Al-Amin Kimathi was arrested in Kampala on 15 September 2010.

Sri Lanka - Arrest of human rights defenders Mr Aruna Roshantha and Mr Marcus Anthony Fernandoposted on: 2010/12/02

On 28 November 2010, human rights defenders Mr Aruna Roshantha and Mr Marcus Anthony Fernando were arrested on charges of conspiring against the Government in Sri Lanka after being requested to attend a meeting at the Police Headquarters to discuss their recent human rights activities.

Further Information

Aruna Roshantha is a trade union leader with the Sri Lanka All Island Fishermen's Trade Union and Marcus Anthony Fernando is the Chairperson of the Negombo Lagoon Fisher People's Union. Both are leaders in the Alliance to Protect the Negombo Lagoon.

On 28 November 2010, Aruna Roshantha and Marcus Anthony Fernando were arrested, before subsequently being released on bail, under Section 150 of the Penal Code for conspiring against, and trying to incite people to overthrow, the Government of Sri Lanka.

That morning the two union leaders had been summoned by the Negombo Police to attend a meeting with Inspector Somasiri Liyanage at the Police Headquarters in Negombo.

Uzbekistan – Human rights defenders Ms Gulshan Karaeva and Mr Nodir Akhatov detained and interrogatedposted on: 2010/12/02

On 25 November 2010, human rights defenders Ms Gulshan Karaeva and Mr Nodir Akhatov were detained and interrogated by Uzbek police officers over their suspected involvement in the organisation of a demontration in Karshi. Gulshan Karaeva and Nodir Akhatov are members of Karshi branch of Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU).

Further Information

On 25 November 2010, at approximatively 10:00am a group of muslim women gathered in front of the National Security Service (SNB) building in Karshi in protest, over the mass arrest of their children on 16 November 2010.

Gulshan Karaeva and Nodir Akhatov did not take part in the demonstration, but observed it taking place. Approximately one hour later, at 11:00am, a convoy of SNB officers interrupted the protest, and arrested Ms Karaeva and Mr Akhatov, as well as a number of others who were participating in the demonstration.

Those arrested were brought to the Karshi City Police Department where the were interrogated until 7:00pm. Police officers tried to force Ms Karaeva and Mr Akhatov to admit involvement in organising the protest, claiming that some of the demonstrators had made statements suggesting as such.

Update: Iraq – Family members of human rights defender Ayad Muayyad Salih released from incommunicado detention posted on: 2010/12/02

On 29 November 2010 the father and brother of human rights defender Mr Ayad Muayyad Salih were released from prison.

Further Information

Mr Muayyad Salih Ahmed (aged 60 years) and Mr Ra'ed Muayyad Salih (aged 28 years) were held in incommunicado detention at a prison in Mosul for 35 days. At the time of their arrest no warrant was issued, and they were not formally charged.

Ayad Muayyad Salih is an active member of the Iraqi Institution for Development, a local NGO in Nineveh which works voluntarily to defend human rights in cooperation with others including the United Nations Bureau in Iraq. Mr Salih has been engaged in documenting and reporting on violations by the army especially in Nineveh/Mosul.

Front Line welcomes the release of Muayyad Salih Ahmed and his son Ra'ed Muayyad Salih but remains very concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of human rights defender Ayad Muayyad Salih who is remains in hiding since the arrest of his father and brother.

Tunisia – Travel ban against human rights defender Mr Ali Ben Salemposted on: 2010/12/02

On 26 November 2010, human rights defender Mr Ali Ben Salem, aged 78 years, was prevented from leaving on a flight from Tunis-Carthage airport to Barcelona, where he was due to take part in a number of events related to his human rights work.

Further Information

Ali Ben Salem is a founding member of several human rights organisations in Tunisia, including the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia(CNLT) and the Association of Former Members of the Resistance (ANAR). He is also president of the Bizerte branch of the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH).

On 26 November 2010, Ali Ben Salem arrived at Tunis-Carthage airport to take a flight to Barcelona, Spain. Around 8:00am, the border police prevented him from leaving the country on the pretext of legal proceedings against him, in particular libel proceedings instituted against Ali Ben Salem in June 2006, following a press release he published on behalf of the LTDH on the treatment of political prisoners in Tunisia.

Since the case was opened in 2006, it has remained at the stage of preparation for eventual judgement.

Update: Lebanon – Human rights defender Hatem Moqdadi released following brief detentionposted on: 2010/12/02

On 1 December 2010, at approximately 11.15 human rights defender Mr Hatem Moqdadi was released from custody following his arrest on 27 November by a Lebanese Military Intelligence Unit.

Further Information

Front Line has been informed that Hatem Moqdadi is in good health and was not subjected to torture during his detention. He was however threatened with physical and psychological torture, as well as other forms of cruel treatment.

Hatem Moqdadi is a coordinator for the Palestinian Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) and is based at Naher el-Bared Camp. The PHRO is an independent human rights NGO which works to promote, protect, and defend the rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Front Line welcomes the release of Hatem Moqdadi, but is extremely concerned that while in detention he was threatened with torture and other forms of cruel treatment.