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Across the globe human rights defenders face various forms of persecution in their everyday struggle for human rights

In Honduras an anonymous tip off alerts members of Cofadeh that their Director Bertha Oliva, and other prominent human rights defenders, are on a death list.

In Armenia Mr Arshaluys Hakobyan of the Helsinki Association is taken into custody and beaten.

In Thailand Ms Angkhana Neelaphaijit who is the chairperson of the Working Group on Justice and Peace (WGJP) and wife of the missing human rights lawyer, Somchai Neelaphaijit, who disappeared on 12 March 2004 in Bangkok, is subjected to an ongoing campaign of harassment and intimidation.

These few cases are typical of the thousands of human rights defenders who dedicate their lives and risk their personal security in defence of the rights of others.

Your support will help them to create more just and equal societies for all. These are the people with the power to change the world.

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- Thompson Ade Bayor, lawyer and human rights defender, Liberia

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Urgent Cases

Turkmenistan: Threats against human rights defender and journalist Mrs Natalia Shabuntsposted on: 2012/02/03

On 3 February 2012 a bloodstained sheep’s head was put on the apartment’s door of Mrs Natalia Shabunts in Ashkhabad.

India: Attack against human rights defenders opposing a nuclear plant project at Koodankulamposted on: 2012/02/02

On 31 January 2012, six representatives of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) and 15 of their supporters were attacked and had stones thrown at them in the Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu State.

Cambodia: Human rights defender Mr San Samneang summoned and interrogated in relation to fabricated chargesposted on: 2012/02/02

On 30 January 2012, human rights defender Mr San Samneang appeared before Battambang Court on charges of Intentional Damage and Intentional Violence.

Gao Zhisheng - Currently missing in Chinaposted on: 2012/02/01

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.

Colombia: David Rabelo Crespo arrestedposted on: 2012/02/01

On 14 September 2010 human rights defender David Rabelo Crespo was arrested in Barrancabermeja, Colombia and is facing politically motivated charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and aggravated murder.

Honduras: Protect Defenders of Gay Rights in Hondurasposted on: 2012/02/01

Across the country, human rights defenders from various organisations working on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights have been targeted by threats, surveillance, kidnappings, intimidation and killings. Despite these threats the defenders of the LGBTI community continue to work for progress in this extremely dangerous environment. LGBTI defenders in Honduras are doubly discriminated against. They are discriminated firstly because they are human rights defenders and secondly because they defend LGBTI rights.

Belarus: Administrative conviction of human rights defender Mr Aleg Volchakposted on: 2012/01/31

On 30 January 2012, human rights defender Mr Aleg Volchak was sentenced to 4 days imprisonment for petty hooliganism. Aleg Volchak is head of human rights organisation Pravovaya pomoshch naseleniyu (Legal assistance to the population) closed down by the Belarusian authorities in 2003 but since registered in Ukraine.

El Salvador: Attack against anti-mining activist and human rights defender Father Santos Neftalí Ruíz Martínezposted on: 2012/01/31

Front Line Defenders expresses concern regarding the attack against Father Santos Neftalí Ruíz Martínez on 20 January 2012. Father Neftalí is the Secretary of the Board of the Comité Ambiental de Cabañas – CAC.

Uzbekistan: Ongoing detention of human rights defender Mr Akzam Turgunov declared 'arbitrary' by UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentionposted on: 2012/01/31

In an opinion recently made available, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) confirms that the ongoing detention of human rights defender Mr Akzam Turgunov is arbitrary, and calls for his immediate release.

Uzbekistan: Ongoing intimidation, judicial harassment and threats against human rights defender Ms Tatiana Dovlatova and her familyposted on: 2012/01/30

Human rights defender Ms Tatiana Dovlatova and her family face intimidation, harassment, threats and continuous surveillance by law enforcement authorities following a television broadcast in which she spoke out against the human rights situation in the country.

Russian Federation: Campaign of harassment against children's rights defender Mrs Vera Drobinskayaposted on: 2012/01/27

On 16 January 2012, a group of individuals visited the home of children's rights defender Mrs Vera Drobinskaya and attempted to take her seven foster children from her. Vera Drobinskaya has been subjected to a campaign of harassment after denouncing violations of the rights of children living in a home for mentally disabled children in the village of Raznochinovka, in the region of Astrakhan.

Honduras: Death threats and intimidation of human rights defender Ms Gilda Carolina Silvestrucchiposted on: 2012/01/27

Over the course of January 2012 human rights defender and independent journalist and editor of daily programme "En La Plaza" Ms Gilda Carolina Silvestrucchi has been subjected to surveillance and death threats.

Malawi: Arrest of human rights defender Mr Ben Chiza Mkandawireposted on: 2012/01/26

On 24 January 2012, human rights defender and student activist Mr Ben Chiza Mkandawire was arrested in Lilongwe. He was questioned by police before being released on police bail the same day.

Venezuela: Assassination attempt against human rights defender Mr Víctor Martínezposted on: 2012/01/25

On 23 January 2012, human rights defender Mr Víctor Martínez was the victim of an assassination attempt at his home in the west of Barquisimeto, Lara.

Iran: Arrest and ongoing detention of human rights defenders and journalists Ms Parastou Dokouhaki and Ms Marzieh Rasouliposted on: 2012/01/24

Over the past week bloggers and journalists Ms Parastou Dokouhaki and Ms Marzieh Rasouli were arrested by Iranian security forces in their homes in Tehran and are currently in detention.

Cuba: Human rights defender Mr Wilman Villar Mendoza dies following 50-day hunger strikeposted on: 2012/01/23

Front Line Defenders is deeply saddened by news received of the death of human rights defender Mr Wilman Villar Mendoza who died on 18 January 2012 in hospital in Santiago de Cuba following 50 days on hunger strike.

Russian Federation: Detention of human rights defender Mr Anton Ryzhov on his way from Chechnyaposted on: 2012/01/23

On 21 January 2012, human rights defender Mr Anton Ryzhov was temporarily detained in Nizhny Novgorod as he was on his way back from Chechnya.

Russian Federation: Human rights defender Mr Igor Kalyapin at risk of facing a criminal charge of disclosing State secretsposted on: 2012/01/20

On 18 January 2012, human rights defender Mr Igor Kalyapin was informed that a statement had been filed with the investigative authorities in the Chechen Republic accusing him of disclosing State secrets.

Igor Kalyapin is chairman of the Committee Against Torture, and founder and President of the Joint Mobile Group (JMG), who received the Front Line Defenders Award in April 2011 for their work in investigating torture and disappearances in Chechnya.

On 18 January 2012, Igor Kalyapin was notified by Mr Igor Sobol, Senior Investigator at the Department for the Investigation of Serious Cases of the Central Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Prosecutor’s Office, that the leader of the Chechen OMON (special police forces) had filed a statement accusing him of disclosing State secrets. On the basis of the statement, an enquiry was launched and a criminal case may be opened against Igor Kalyapin. Such disclosure constitutes a crime under Article 283 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and carries with it a prison sentence of 3 to 7 years.

The filing of this statement comes in the context of recent progress made in investigations conducted by the JMG, who works with Igor Sobol's investigative group, into cases in which members of the Chechen OMON are the chief suspects, in particular the abduction and subsequent ill-treatment of Mr Islam Umarpashayev. This case is the most high-profile case of the JMG and is currently under investigation by a group led by Igor Sobol. Igor Kalyapin represents the victim in that investigation. The “State secrets” allegedly disclosed refer to the fact Igor Kalyapin identified the place where Islam Umarpashayev was illegally detained on blogs that he wrote in the summer of 2011.

Igor Kalyapin described how the investigating group, accompanied by the JMG and Islam Umarpashayev, had attempted to enter the place where the victim had been detained in order for him to formally identify it for the purpose of the investigation.

China: Sentencing of human rights defender Mr Li Tie to ten years imprisonment on charges of subverting state powerposted on: 2012/01/19

On 18 January 2012, human rights defender and writer Mr Li Tie was sentenced to ten years in prison on subversion charges based on articles published on-line in which he was critical of the Chinese government and called on people to defend their rights.

In the last ten years Li Tie has written a number of articles endorsing democratic reform and advocating for local elections.

On 18 January 2012, following a hearing which lasted approximately half an hour, Wuhan Intermediate People's Court sentenced Li Tie to ten years in prison for “subversion of State power”.

Guatemala: Killing of human rights defender Mr Vidal Nahaman Cabrera Tuchposted on: 2012/01/19

Human rights defender Mr Vidal Nahaman Cabrera Tuch was shot dead on a minibus on 17 January 2012 as he travelled towards El Xab village in Retalhuleu.

India: Killing of human rights defender and right to information activist Mr S Bhuvaneswaranposted on: 2012/01/19

On 10 January 2012, Mr S Bhuvaneswaran was killed by two men armed with sickles in Kolathur in the district of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Palestine: Stabbing of human rights defender Mr Mahmoud Abu Rahma by masked men in Gaza Cityposted on: 2012/01/19

On 13 January 2012, human rights defender Mr Mahmoud Abu Rahma was attacked by three unknown armed men in Tal al-Hawa district in Gaza City.

Colombia: Death threats at gunpoint against human rights defender Mr Abelardo Sánchez Serranoposted on: 2012/01/19

On 13 January 2012, human rights defender Mr Abelardo Sánchez Serrano was threatened by two unknown men on a motorcycle in Barrancabermeja.

Philippines: Arrest and detention of human rights defender Mr Temogen Tulawieposted on: 2012/01/17

On 13 January 2012, prominent human rights defender Mr Temogen Tulawie was arrested at his house in Davao City. He appeared before the Regional Trial Court of Davao City on 16 January 2012 under the accusation of being involved in a bombing incident in the municipality of Patikul, Sulu on 13 May 2009.

Kazakhstan: Arrest and detention of labour rights defender Ms Roza Tuletaevaposted on: 2012/01/16

Human rights defender Ms Roza Tuletaeva, one of the leaders of the workers' strike committee of the oil company 'Ozenmunaigaz', was arrested on 3 January 2012 at her home in Zhanaozen, Western Kazakhstan.

Honduras: Attacks against human rights defenders Mr Gonzalo Cruz and Father Marco Aurelio Lorenzo by police agentsposted on: 2012/01/12

During recent weeks there have been reports of attacks by police agents against human rights defenders working on issues relating to the protection of natural resources.