threats

Upsurge of violence against human rights organizations in Guatemala

On 20 May 2007 intruders broke into the office of ActionAid in Zone 13 of Guatemala City and stole computer hard-drives containing files on ActionAids work in Guatemala. No other items of value were taken. ActionAid is the fifth member of the International Forum of NGOs to be attacked in the last month.

Guatemala

Ongoing persecution of human rights defenders in Tunisia

On 24 May 2007, Mohammed Abbou one of Tunisian leading human rights defenders was forcibly dragged from a meeting with his family simply because his wife Samia mentioned that she had met a joint Front Line and Human Rights First mission in Tunisia to investigate the situation for human rights defenders

Túnez

Gégé Katana, ganadora del Premio Front Line 2007 a Defensores de Derechos Humanos en Riesgo

Gégé Katana

Gégé Katana es una destacada defensora de derechos humanos de Uvira, región oriental de la República Democrática del Congo (RDC). Es presidenta del Solidarite des Femmmes Activistes pour la Defense des Droits Humains, SOFAD (Movimiento de Solidaridad de las Mujeres Activistas de Derechos Humanos), una organización de base que trabaja a través de una red de 625 mujeres en investigación y realización de campañas contra la violencia sexual, así como en asesoría y ayuda a mujeres sobrevivientes de violaciones sexuales. SOFAD también educa a las comunidades locales en derechos de las mujeres y los niños, y realiza labores de cabildeo para obtener justicia y lograr una reforma a las leyes discriminatorias.

Gégé Katana ha trabajado en varias organizaciones no gubernamentales, entre ellas el IDEA –Instituto Africano por el Desarrollo y la Educación de las personas adultas. Es miembro de la red Fondo Global por las Mujeres y Coordinadora del Synergie des Femmes Defenseurs des Droits de le l'Homme en Sud-Kivu, en la RDC.

Gégé Katana winner of 2007 Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk

Gégé Katana is a leading human rights defender working in Uvira, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. She is the president of Solidarite des Femmmes Activistes pour la Defense des Droits Humains, SOFAD (Solidarity Movement of Women Human Rights Activists) an organisation that works through a grassroots network of 625 women to research and campaign against sexual violence, and provide counselling and help to rape survivors. SOFAD also educates local communities on women and children’s rights, and lobbies the government to deliver justice and reform discriminatory laws.

Gégé Katana has worked with several non-governmental organisations including; IDEA/Afrique - Institut pour le developpement et l’education des adultes. She is a network member of the Global Fund for Women and Coordinator for the Synergie des Femmes Defenseurs des Droits de le l'Homme du Sud-Kivu en RDC (SYFEDH).

Front Line mission to DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya

A Front Line mission visited Rwanda, Burundi, the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya between 8 and 16 of April 2007. Front Line Director Mary Lawlor and Protection Coordinator Natacha O’Brien met with human rights defenders at risk and national authorities to discuss the protection and security of human rights defenders in the region

República Democrática del Congo

Is it Surat Ikamov's turn?

Saturday, 07 April 2007

Uzbekistán

Ongoing harassment of Bahraini human rights defenders

State security forces arrested the chair of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Abdulhadi Al-khawaja and the Secretary General of the HAQ Movement for Liberty and Democracy, Hasan Mushaima on 2 February 2007. Abdulhadi Al-khawaja’s arrest is the latest in a pattern of persecution at the hands of the Bahrain authorities.

Bahréin

Threats against Guatemalan environmentalist

Flaviano Bianchini a human rights defender and environmentalist with the Mother Jungle Collective (Colectivo Madre Selva) in Guatemala has been the subject of a series of threats and acts of intimidation since 12 January 2007.

Bianchini recently carried out studies about the contamination of the Río Tzalá in the Sipakapa area of Guatemala in the San Marco department in which he denounced the presence of mining products in the water.

Guatemala

Human rights defenders in Bahrain discussed in UK House of Lords

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.

Bahréin

Killing of human rights defender a ‘terrible loss for the human rights community’

A leading human rights defender and critic of the Philippine government, Bishop Alberto Ramento was brutally murdered in his parish of San Sebastian on 3 October. “His death is a terrible loss for the human rights community in the Philippines,” Director of Front Line, Mary Lawlor said.

Bishop Ramento was a prolific peace and human rights advocate in the Philippines. He was a convener for the ‘Pilgrims for Peace’, an organisation that supports the peace process in the country, a leader of the human rights group, ‘Karapatan’ one of the most active human rights organisations reporting on extra-judicial killings in the Philippines. Bishop Ramento was also the Chairman of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente’s (IFI) Supreme Council of Bishops, and Chairman of the National Council of Churches.

Police investigations have reportedly concluded that Bishop Alberto Ramento's death was the result of a robbery. His family and fellow clergy strongly suspect that his killing was politically motivated, as he had received a series of death threats prior to his murder.

Filipinas

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