Dublin: Human rights defenders declare their support for Special Representative Hina Jilani

UN Special Representative on the situation of Human Rights Defenders under threat of arrest in Pakistan appeals for support to Front Line, Dublin Platform for human rights defenders Dublin 22-24 November 2007. The Pakistani authorities previously issued a warrant for her arrest and until recently the police were surrounding her house.

Further Information

Posted 27/11/2007 Hina Jilani the United Nations Special Representative for Human Rights Defenders made a dramatic appeal to the Front Line conference in Dublin on behalf of the lawyers and human rights defenders currently in prison in Pakistan.

Speaking directly by telephone to the conference from Lahore Ms.Jilani said "I call on you fellow members of the human rights community to speak out and demand that the international community take immediate action to secure the release of the lawyers and human rights defenders currently in prison, many of whom are being held in solitary confinement and have been tortured".

The 120 human rights defenders from more than 80 countries gathered in Dublin for the Front Line conference currently taking place in Dublin Castle issued the following message of support.

MESSAGE OF SUPPORT TO HINA JILANI

We, the participants in the Fourth Dublin Platform for human rights defenders, express our heartfelt support for human rights defender Hina Jilani, in the context of the violent crackdown in Pakistan.

The State of Emergency in Pakistan has resulted in the removal of key members of the judiciary as well as the arrest of hundreds of human rights defenders, many of whom have been tortured.

As human rights defenders coming from all regions of the world, we also send a message of support, friendship and solidarity to all Pakistani human rights defenders, lawyers and judges who have been arrested, ill-treated and dismissed under Martial Law. We call on the Pakistani authorities to cease immediately the harassment of human rights defenders and to restore the Rule of Law and the independence of the judiciary.

We, human rights defenders striving for the rights enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, endorse the message of Hina Jilani to this conference in which she demanded a return to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and the enjoyment of those rights which are at the heart of our daily work.

Human rights defenders are the key agents of social change who will ensure a future based on respect for fundamental human rights. This will only happen if human rights defenders are listened to, fully involved and – above all – respected. ENDS