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Human rights defenders in Bahrain discussed in UK House of Lordsposted on: 2006/12/18

The increasing repression faced by human rights defenders in Bahrain was discussed at a seminar in the UK House of Lords on 18 December. The speakers included; Mrs. Ghada Jamsheer, President of the Women's Petition Committee, who discussed the situation with regard to women's rights in Bahrain. Jamsheer has repeatedly faced fabricated legal charges including "insulting the judiciary" as a result of her work to press for the rights of women in Bahrain's family courts. Front Line Deputy Director, Andrew Anderson, spoke of the pattern of threats, harassment, fabricated legal charges, torture and detention faced by human rights defenders who have dared to speak out about human rights in Bahrain. He stated that it was particularly ironic that Bahrain was repressing human rights defenders and trying to close down the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights at a time when it sits on the UN Human Rights Council.

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East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders conferenceposted on: 2006/11/30

Press Statement

EHAHRDN Index: UGA 033/008/2006 (Public)

27th November 2006

KAMPALA: GOVERNMENTS IN THE EAST&HORN OF AFRICA MUST OBSERVE MEDIA FREEDOM-A CALL FOR REDRESS

As the year 2006 draws to its close, the human rights movement in the East and Horn of Africa continues to nurse the shocking reports relating to infringement on press freedom by governments and government agencies within the sub-region. This infringement is despite the fact that press freedom is recognized in national, regional and international legislation as a key factor in ensuring transparency and democratic governance.

From Djibouti and Eritrea to Ethiopia, from Kenya to Somalia and Somaliland, from Sudan including Southern Sudan to Tanzania and Uganda, journalists continue to be subjected to a wide range of violations including harassment, intimidation, banning of media houses or restriction of their activities, unlawful arrests, incommunicado detention, imprisonment on unclear charges, torture, ill-treatment and extra-judicial killings.

Concern for the safety of Maldivian human rights defenderposted on: 2006/11/20

Shehenaz Abdulla, a senior Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activist and the coordinator of a demonstration aimed at speeding up democratic reforms in the Maldives, was arrested on 6 November. Since her detention she has been on hunger strike, as she believes she is being held in detention unlawfully. Reports claim she is at risk of torture and ill treatment, a routine measure used against political dissidents in the Maldives.

The Maldivian Democratic Party had planned a week of demonstrations to express opposition to the incumbent President Maymoon Abdul Gayoom, who has been in power for 28 years. Their hopes of a peaceful resolution were quashed. More than 100 people were arrested in connection with the demonstration and according to reports many have been subjected to ill treatment and torture. The demonstration has been cancelled due to concerns for the safety of protesters.

Phillip Wellman, an American reporter working in the Maldives for the online newspaper Minivannews.com, was arrested together with Graham Quick, a freelance photographer working for the London-based Observer newspaper where they had gone to cover the arrests of MDP activists.

One year on and still no justice for Pascal Kabunguluposted on: 2006/08/01

27 July 2006

One year ago, on 31 July 2005, hugely respected human rights defender Pascal Kabungulu was shot dead in front of his family at his home in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by three armed men.

Pascal was the Executive Secretary of human rights organisation Heritiers de la Justice. He is survived by his wife Kitumani Kasiba and their six children, who were forced to go into exile shortly after his murder.

Front Line is extremely concerned with the lack of progress of the legal investigations into his death. There have been two separate investigations; the first was a commission of enquiry established by the acting governor, Didace Kaningini. The members of this commission concluded that they could not act on the case as the commission had lost credibility when the governor was accused of fabricating evidence to incriminate members of Heritiers de la Justice.

The Senior Military Prosecutor for the province also initiated a military investigation and three soldiers were arrested on suspicion of killing Pascal. The three men were former soldiers of the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Democratie kk- Goma (RCD-Goma).

Three Iranian human rights defenders imprisoned without charge or trialposted on: 2006/07/19

20 July 2006

Three prominent human rights defenders, including a pro-democracy author of over 20 books, are being held in the notorious political prisoner section 209 of Evin prison in Tehran, without charge or access to lawyers or family members.

Trade unionist, Mansoor Ossanlu, intellectual, commentator and writer Dr Raimin Jahanbegloo and Head of the Alumni Association of Iran, Sayed Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini have been held for seven months, two and a half months and one month respectively and may be at risk of ill-treatment or torture.

Mansoor Ossanlu, a staunch advocate of workers' rights and Head of the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, was arrested on 22 December 2005 at his home. 11 of his colleagues were also arrested but were all released by 26 December. Charges have not been officially brought against him but reports suggest he may be facing charges of contact with Iranian opposition groups.

Bahrain's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council must mean better protection for human rights defendersposted on: 2006/04/24

24 April 2006 Front Line Press Release

During a recent visit to meet with human rights defenders in Bahrain, the Deputy Director of Front Line welcomed the candidacy of Bahrain for election to the new UN Human Rights Council.

Bahrain is a candidate for one of the 13 seats allocated to the region of Asia on the UN Human Rights Council.

Three Colombian Human Rights Defenders Killed, November 2003posted on: 2004/06/17

In November three more members of (CUT) were murdered by paramilitaries bringing the total number of trade unionists murdered in 2003 to 63.

On November 3 Pacheco Everto Fiholl, a teacher and member of the teachers union (EDUMAG-FECODE) was shot dead in Magdalena, a province in the North of Colombia, and another teacher and member of the same union, Nubia Estela Castro, disappeared. Her body covered with bullet wounds and showing evidence of torture was found the following day in the grounds of an agricultural estate. Their deaths bring the number of teachers and members of the teacher’s union killed in this province alone to 30 in the past 12 years. No arrests have been made.

On November 12 Zully Esther Pérez, a journalist and national leader of the Health and Social Security workers ( SINDESS) was shot dead by four gunmen as she left her home, also in the province of Magdalena. Zully Esther had worked as a broadcast journalist with various local radio stations and most recently had been co-hosting a weekly current affairs programme. Her work as a union leader and with the local hospital formed an important part of her journalism.