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Front Line Defenders

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

Chinese human rights defender, Chen Xiaoming, dies shortly after release according to statement by HRIC, Human Rights in China.

According to a recent report by Human Rights in China (HRIC) the organisation has learned that Shanghai human rights defender Chen Xiaoming died on July 1, shortly after being released on medical parole. Numerous earlier requests by Chen's family for medical parole had been refused.  Read More

Front Line Sierra Leone: Murders Death Threats and Other Forms of Intimidation of Human Rights Defenders, 1997-2002

Human Rights work in Sierra Leone is a relatively new phenomenon. Before the military takeover in 1992, the country had been governed by a one party dictatorship for over twenty years. Verbal intimidation, unlawful imprisonment, unwarranted lawsuits, harassment, physical attacks, death threats or even murder were prevalent during this regime, and it was difficult for any group or individual to comment on or take any action against violations of Human Rights. Even after the end of this regime, Sierra Leone continues to see abuse of power and contempt for Human Rights by Governments, armed opposition groups and other segments of the society.

Tunisia: National Council of Liberties shut down by police

Since the 18 May 2007 the building housing the offices of the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia (CNLT), has been surrounded by a large contingent of political police who are preventing the staff of the CNLT from getting into their offices. The CNLT has effectively been shut down following a joint Human Rights First and Front Line mission to Tunisia from 20-24 May 2007 to assess the human rights situation there.  Read More

Leading Congolese journalist employed by UN-backed radio gunned down in Bukavu

Human rights defender and journalist Serge Maheshe was gunned down on 13 June 2007 in Bukavu, in the Province of Southern Kivu. Serge Maheshe was the editor of Radio Okapi in Bukavu, a radio station supported by the United Nations.  Read More

Front Line's acceptance speech for the King Baudouin Prize for Development


08 May 2007


Mary Lawlor Director, Front Line


Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam Chairperson of SUDO, the Sudan Social Development Organization


Gégé Katana President of SOFAD, the Solidarity Movement of Women Human Rights Activists (Solidarité des Femmes Activistes pour la Défense des Droits Humains)


Mary Lawlor


Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,


In the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Eleanor Roosevelt gave the most powerful rationale for why the work of human rights defenders is so important and why it is so important to protect them.

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world”  Read More

Front Line mission to DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya

A Front Line mission visited Rwanda, Burundi, the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya between 8 and 16 of April 2007. Front Line Director Mary Lawlor and Protection Coordinator Natacha O’Brien met with human rights defenders at risk and national authorities to discuss the protection and security of human rights defenders in the region  Read More

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