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.
On 15 July 2010 human rights lawyer Ms Lynne Stewart was resentenced to 120 months imprisonment by the Federal District Court in Manhattan following the orders of an appeals court who had deemed her original sentence of 28 months, too light.
17 April 2010 marks two years since the imprisonment of human rights defender and leader of the Me'phaa Indigenous People's Organization (OPIM), Raúl Hernández Abundio. He has been accused of the murder of Alejandro Feliciano García, who was reportedly linked to the Army and branches of the police and who was killed on 1 January 2008.
Four human rights defenders who were acquitted in the High Criminal Court in October 2009 after the case against them collapsed when forensic evidence proved police statements to be false, have apparently now been convicted and sentenced by the Court of Appeal.
Human rights defender Ms Chee Siok Chin was imprisoned for one week for having distributed flyers, without a permit, outside Raffles City shopping center in September 2006. Chee Siok Chin is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA). She was released on 9 January 2010.
On 14 December 2009, human rights defender, Mr Ennaama Asfari was released after serving a four-month sentence in prison, having been found guilty of "contempt toward public officials while in the performance of their duty”.
Uzbek human rights defender, Mr Dilmurod Sayid, was sentenced to 12.5 years of imprisonment on 30 July 2009, following a procedurally flawed trial which had allegedly been instigated by politically-motivated charges.
On 3 July, the seven journalists and executive members of the Gambian Press Union (GPU) accused of publishing with "seditious intention" were rearrested and remanded to prison by the Banjul High Court.
Front Line is relieved to learn that human rights defender Yahya Mohamed el Hafed Aaza decided 20 May 2009, to stop the hunger strike which he commenced on 3 April 2009 and has caused a dramatic deterioration in his health.
According to a recent statement by the Committee to Protect Journalists, with eight journalists in prison, Uzbekistan has confirmed its title as the leading jailer of journalists in Europe and Central Asia, Uznews.
