Front Line News Archive

Mutabar TADJIBAEVA, released from prison on the 2nd of June and for the first time allowed to travel abroad, will receive the 2008 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA) on Thursday 20th November, 18h00, during an international ceremony in Geneva at the prestigious Musée Ariana. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will present the award and opera star Barbara Hendricks will perform. This year’s event is covered by Swiss Television for the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) which will broadcast a news flash on Euronews.  

Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) Chairman Wang Jin-pyng announced today that Dr. Sima Samar, Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and founder of the Shuhada Organization, has been selected as the winner of the 2008 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award (ADHRA). Samar is recognized for her contributions to advancing human rights and especially women’s rights and welfare in Afghanistan. She will formally receive the Award sculpture and a grant of US$100,000 at a ceremony in Taipei on December 10th, International Human Rights Day. Read more about the 2008 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award.

Front Line is extremely concerned by reports of the attempted assassination of Jesús Emilio Tuberquia on 1 November 2008. Jesús Emilio Tuberquia is a leader and legal representative of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó in the north-western department of Antioquia.  

Front Line, along with numerous other civil society organisations, has signed an open letter to the Iranian authorities asking them to end the harassment and prosecution of members of all women’s rights activists and defenders in Iran, including members of the One Million Signatures Campaign.

Read the letter to the Iranian authorities

Case Update

Esha Momeni Iranian-American student who had returned to Iran to complete her thesis involving a film documentary on women's situation -arrested on 15 October 2008-, has been released on a 198000 dollar bail from Evin prison. According to Reza Momeni, her father, Esha is not allowed to leave Iran and has to be present in a political court hearing on charges of "acting against national security and propagating against the government". These charges are heavy enough to have her sentenced to a life prison term. Read more about Esha Momeni's release.  

Front Line is concerned for the wellbeing of Muhammad Sadiq Kaboudvand, a journalist and the founder of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK). Information received today reveals that Mr. Kaboudvand is in solitary confinement and has been denied necessary treatment.  

Update

Front Line is deeply concerned by the decision of the Karakalpak Supreme Court’s Appeal Commission yesterday to uphold journalist and human rights activist Salijon Abdurahmanov’s 10-year prison term without explaining its decision. Salijon Abdurahmanov is a founding member and leading journalist with Uznews.net, a member of the Real Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan, and a member of the Committee to Protect Individuals' Rights in Karakalpakstan. He has also worked for Radio Liberty and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and has made public statements concerning human rights violations and restrictions on freedom of expression in Uzbekistan.  

On 7-8 October 2008, in a major inter-institutional initiative, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the United Nations marked the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by convening a high-level conference in Brussels, entitled "The Defenders take the floor". It was an occasion to review the international and regional support mechanisms that have been developed in favour of human rights defenders. Front Line Director, Mary Lawlor, gave a keynote speech, available here.