Human Rights Watch

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.  

Umida Niyazova, Uzbek journalist and human rights defender, was arrested on 22 January 2007 and taken to the pre-trial detention unit in the Uzbek city of Andijan. She was detained for four days before being handed over to the Office for Prosecution of Transport Offences in Tashkent on 26 January. On 21 December 2006, Niyazova's computer and passport were confiscated upon her arrival from Kyrgyzstan to the Tashkent airport in Uzbekistan. The customs officials said her computer contained illegal material. She was forced to flee Uzbekistan. Umida Niyazova turned to the UN in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) for protection. The Kyrgyz immigration services registered her as a person in need of protection. She was informed that all charges against her would be dropped on her return to Uzbekistan; however, she was arrested upon her arrival. The Office for Prosecution of Transport Offences in Uzbekistan initiated a criminal case against Niyazova for violation of articles 233 ("illegal border-crossing") and 246 ("illegal transportation of information material") of the criminal code. Umida Niyazova has worked for CJES since 2000 and with the Central Asian Internet magazine "Oasis" since 2005.  

The Indonesian Supreme Court has acquitted the only person convicted of the murder of leading human rights defender Munir Said Halib, according to a statement issued by Human Rights Watch on 6 October 2006. Munir was the director of the human rights group Imparsial, he was poisoned and died on a flight from Jakarta to the Netherlands in September 2004. To read the full Human Rights Watch statement click here