human rights defender

Sri Lanka: Killing of Sunday Leader newspaper editor, Mr Lasantha Wickramatunga

Front Line is gravely concerned by reports of the killing of Sunday Leader newspaper editor, Mr Lasantha Wickramatunga, on 8 January 2009. Lasantha Wickramatunga was a longtime critic of the Government's policy and the war with the Tamil Tiger rebels. In 2000 he was awarded an Integrity Award by Transparency International for his work exposing corruption in Sri Lankan politics.  Read More

Ethiopia: Charities and Societies Bill threatens the work of human rights defenders

Front Line is deeply concerned about the provisions of the forthcoming Charities and Societies Proclamation (draft law) which according to reports received is scheduled for discussion in the Ethiopian parliament on 24 December 2008. This is the fifth draft of a law to regulate all domestic and international civil society organisations (CSOs) operating in the country. The provisions of the new law would seriously curtail the already-limited work of human rights defenders in Ethiopia and would drastically reduce their ability to criticise or act independently of the government, through the imposition of arbitrary restrictions on their work, complex bureaucratic procedures, severe criminal penalties and escalated government surveillance of their activities.  Read More

Colombia – Killing of Mr Edwin Legarda Vazquez, husband of human rights defender, Ms Aída Quilcué

Front Line and Human Rights First strongly condemn the murder of Mr Edwin Legarda Vazquez, husband of human rights defender, Ms Aída Quilcué, Chief Counsel of the Consejo Regional Indígena de Colombia - CRIC (The Indigenous Regional Council of Cauca), on 16 December 2008. We ask that you urge the Colombian Government to undertake a prompt, impartial investigation into the murder and to protect Ms Quilcué and her family.  Read More

Jordan – Detention and deportation of Egyptian human rights defender, Mr Gamal Eid

Front Line is concerned following reports received that Egyptian human rights defender, Mr Gamal Eid, was detained and interrogated by the Jordanian intelligence service in Amman's Alia airport for 6 hours prior to being deported to Egypt on 15 December 2008. Gamal Eid is the Executive Director of the The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI). The ANHRI distributes information regarding human rights violations in the MENA region and provides legal support to cases related to human rights.  Read More

Colombia - Murder of human rights defender, Mr Joel Pérez Cárdenas

Front Line strongly condemns the murder of human rights defender, Mr Joel Pérez Cárdenas, near San Vicente del Caguán on 8 December 2008. Joel Pérez Cárdenas was one of the founders and first directors of the movement which became known as the Corporación por la Defensa de Derechos Humanos Caguán Vive (Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights in Caguán). He was the Chairman of the Junta de Acción Comunal de la Vereda Vegas Bajo Pato, (Board of Community Action of the Vereda Vegas in the region of Bajo Pato), Vice-President of the Asociación Ambiental del Bajo (The Environmental Association of Bajo Pato), and a former Councillor of San Vicente del Caguán for the Polo Democrático Alernativo (The Alternative Democratic Pole), a leftist opposition coalition.  Read More

Uzbekistan - Ongoing detention and deterioration in health of human rights defender Alisher Karamatov

Front Line is profoundly concerned by reports received concerning the continued detention and deteriorating health condition of human rights defender, Mr Alisher Karamatov, who has been detained since June 2006 and has been denied necessary medical treatment. Alisher Karamatov is the Chairperson of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), Mirzaabad region. He has served two years of a nine year sentence for “extortion” following a trial which international observers defined as “deeply flawed” and “unfair”.  Read More

Uzbekistan – Human rights defenders arrested and fined for organising peaceful protest

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports received the authorities arrested, tried and fined ten human rights defenders following their organisation of, and participation in, a peaceful demonstration in Tashkent on 6 December 2008. The defenders were members of the Ezgulik Human Rights Society, the Committee of Prisoners of Conscience and Uzbek Human Rights Alliance.  Read More

Turkmenistan - Human Rights Defender Valery Pal Pardoned

President of Turkmenistan Gurbankuly Berdymuhammedov signed a pardon in the light of the forthcoming "Neutrality Day". Three hundred and ninety prisoners, human rights defender Valery Pal among them, are to be released from jail.  Read More

Zimbabwe: Abduction of two more members of Zimbabwe Peace Project

Front Line is deeply concerned at the adbuction Pascal Gonzo and Broderick Takawira, staff members of Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), on 8 December 2008. They were taken away from ZPP offices by six men driving unmarked cars.  Read More

Lebanon: Charges of criminal slander dismissed against lawyer and human rights defender, Dr. Muhammad Mugraby

Front Line welcomes the decision of a Lebanese Criminal Court to dismiss charges of criminal slander against Muhammad Mugraby on 27 November 2008. The charges had arisen from a speech that Muhammad Mugraby gave to a European Parliament delegation in Brussels on 4 November 2003 which criticised the Lebanese government for its abuse of the judiciary. Despite the dismissal of charges against Muhammad Mugraby, Front Line is concerned about numerous other legal actions pending against Muhammad Mugraby.  Read More

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