Front Line expresses its deep concern regarding recent incidents of kidnapping, surveillance, threats, harassment and intimidation against members of the LGBTI organization Association for a Better Life (Asociación por una Vida Mejor- APUVIMEH).
Front Line is concerned following reports received of recent incidents of harassment and stigmatisation of la Asamblea Permanente de Derechos Humanos de Bolivia (Permanent Assembly on Human Rights of Bolivia – APDHB), in particular, of human rights lawyers Dr Jorge Wilder Quiroz Quispe and Dr Claudia Lecoña, who are married, and of Dr Marcelo H. Garcia.
On 19 August 2010, a bail hearing took place in the case of five detained human rights defenders - Mr Gnana Diraviam, Mr Anandan, Ms Bharathi Pillai, Ms Niharga Priya and Ms Sudha.
On 26 and 27 August 2010, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights will hold a public hearing regarding the case of Mr Rodolfo Montiel and Mr Teodoro Cabrera, two human rights defenders who were arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned and tortured by the Mexican authorities between 1999 and 2001.
Front Line is launching a new “Book of Testimonies” which is the personal testimonies of 50 human rights defenders from around the world who attended the 5th Dublin Platform in February 2010. Every one of the human rights defenders quoted in this book is at significant risk because of their legitimate human rights work.
Front Line is seriously concerned that human rights defenders arrested over the last days in Bahrain are being denied access to lawyers and to their families. The whereabouts of Dr. Abduljalil Al Singace and Abdul Ghani al-Kanjar remain unknown and they have reportedly been denied access to their families and to their lawyers since their arrest on 13 and 15 August 2010 respectively.
On 16 August 2010, the investigating judge at the Military Court in Rabat, Morocco renewed the detention of three Sahrawi human rights defenders, namely; Mr Ali Salem Tamek, Mr Brahim Dahane and Mr Ahmad Anasiri.
