Etsri Clumson-Eklu, Togo

President of Front Line, Director of Front Line, Representative of the Irish Government, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:

First of all, allow me to convey the best wishes of the brave members of the The Togolese League for Human Rights. The Togolese are pleased with the good relationship and solidarity which unites Front Line, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the LTDH. More than ever, now is the time to strengthen this relationship due to the horrible, dramatic and inhuman transformation that has been taking place in Togo since February 5th 2005. I am speaking, of course, of the extreme violation of rights and the strategy of terror that have marred Togo since the run-up to the controversial presidential election of April 24th 2005.

These terrible transformations are the unfortunate consequences of the Togolese People’s fight for freedom. Democracy, a legally constituted state and Human Rights exist only on paper in Togo.

Our report today will be concerned with presenting the LTDH; my country, Togo; and the difficult conditions in which Human Rights Defenders live and the risks that they and their families are exposed to.

PRESENTATION OF LTDH

The Togolese League for Human Rights or the LTDH is a private, apolitical, non-profit organisation that was created on July 20th 1990 by a group of lawyers, university professors, doctors and other members of civil society. The League aims to contribute to the creation of a legally constituted state in Togo via the promotion, protection and defence of Human Rights.

It is noteworthy that the LTDH is the first private Human Rights organisation in Togo after the National Human Rights Commission. In its ten years of existence, LTDH has not been swayed from its mission – promoting respect for Human Rights in Togo.

At this crucial point in the socio-political life of Togo, the LTDH clearly meets a need and should be understood as one of the privileged parties of action that are leading the Togolese people towards freedom. The LTDH has set up two bodies for the running of the organisation – a General Assembly and an Executive Board. The General Assembly is the main body of the organisation and includes all members. From the General Assembly, the Executive Board is elected. The General Assembly meets once per year to discuss any issues related to the running of the organisation and to approve the Activity Reports and the Financial Reports of the Executive Board.

The Executive Board is the body which coordinates and manages the organisation. It formulates the budget of the LTDH and approves new members. The Board, which is composed of nine members elected for a three year tenure (the president’s tenure is renewable once), meets on the first Tuesday of every month. For implementation of the LTDH policies, the Executive Board can create specialist working groups.

Today, the LTDH has almost 3,000 members and at least 12 branches in Togo.

Since its creation, the LTDH has led several campaigns for the promotion, protection and defence of Human Rights on a national and international scale.

The LTDH has organised training seminars bringing together civil society and the security forces. The LTDH has also led activities to help the victims of Human Rights violations to protect themselves. The LTDH, working together with its partners, has made known its actions on an international scale. France’s National Consultative Commission of Human Rights has awarded the LTDH its Human Rights prize. France has also awarded the Edit de Nantes award to the LTDH. The LTDH enjoys excellent relations with other Human Rights Organisations both nationally and internationally. The LTDH chairs the Togolese Coalition of Defenders of Human Rights. The LTDH is affiliated with the Federation of International Leagues on Human Rights and the Interafrican Union for Human Rights. On May 27th 2004, The LTDH published a report on the Human Rights situation in Togo between January 2003 and April 2004. Its AGM was held on November 6th 2004.

THE DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN TOGO

Defenders of Human Rights in Togo are in danger of intimidation, unfair dismissal, upheavals and death.

On the administrative front

Refusal to issue a récipissé (receipt authorising an organisation) to associations that are not close to the government. The LTDH had been without récipissé since July 20th 1990.

A meeting between the President of Togo and a delegation of the Federation of International Leagues on Human Rights (FIDH) along with their privileged partner, the LTDH, was necessary to finally secure a receipt. The receipt just recently arrived on October 7th 2005.

Even though the President and Vice-President of the LTDH were representatives of the workers, they were made redundant and have not received any salary for 38 months.

On May 13 2005, vice-president of the LTDH Mr. CLUMSON-EKLU Hihédéva Etsri Siméon was presenting his preliminary report on the serious Human Rights violations in Togo from February 5th to May 5th 2005 before, during and after the controversial presidential election of April 24th 2005. During the presentation, he was almost killed by militia led by the national delegate of JRPT, the youth section of the ruling party. As a result of the attack, the report was not published.

The cowardly violence perpetrated against Jean-Baptiste K.D. Ozilan (alias Dimas Dzikodo), editor of the newspaper Forum de la Semaine, on October 9th 2005 contributes to the climate of terror that is deliberately maintained to prevent journalists, Defenders of Human Rights and Democrats in general from working towards a legally constituted state in Togo.

Radio and television stations have been closed or destroyed; HAAC (the media regulatory body) has censored us, journalists have been harassed and have received death threats. Now, organised individuals who are truly anti-freedom have moved from threats to violence with the savage beating of Dimas Dzikodo at the entrance to his newspaper’s HQ.

THANK YOU.