Home

attack

Chile: LGBTI rights defender Ms Javiera Villareal attacked and beatenposted on: 2012/02/10

On 2 February 2012, human rights defender Ms Javiera Villareal was attacked and beaten in Santiago by three unidentified assailants after she had distributed condoms as part of a health protection programme.

India: Attack against human rights defenders opposing a nuclear plant project at Koodankulamposted on: 2012/02/02

On 31 January 2012, six representatives of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) and 15 of their supporters were attacked and had stones thrown at them in the Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu State.

El Salvador: Attack against anti-mining activist and human rights defender Father Santos Neftalí Ruíz Martínezposted on: 2012/01/31

Front Line Defenders expresses concern regarding the attack against Father Santos Neftalí Ruíz Martínez on 20 January 2012. Father Neftalí is the Secretary of the Board of the Comité Ambiental de Cabañas – CAC.

Russia: Gay Culture and Rights Celebrated Despite Attacksposted on: 2011/09/20

LGBT organisation Coming Out issued a statement about Third International Festival QueerFest 2011, which opened September 15 in St. Petersburg, Russia, despite protests and attacks by members of clerical extremist organisations, who threw eggs, exploded firecrackers, and sprayed pepper spray at the premises.

Russia: Gay Culture and Rights Celebrated Despite Attacksposted on: 2011/09/20

LGBT organisation Coming Out issued a statement about Third International Festival QueerFest 2011, which opened September 15 in St. Petersburg, Russia, despite protests and attacks by members of clerical extremist organisations, who threw eggs, exploded firecrackers, and sprayed pepper spray at the premises.

Full text of the statement from Coming Out

Third International Festival QueerFest 2011 opened September 15 in St. Petersburg, Russia, despite protests and attacks by members of clerical extremist organisations, who threw eggs, exploded firecrackers, and sprayed pepper spray at the premises. Close to 200 people attended the opening ceremony, including representatives of Amnesty International, Civil Rights Defenders of Sweden, Human Rights Council of St. Petersburg and other leading human rights organisations of Russia and abroad; diplomats from the Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, France, Norway, artists and members of civil society spoke about the importance of LGBT rights work in Russia.

QueerFest's mission is to give Russian gays and lesbians a sense of Pride and to raise awareness of LGBT rights in society at large.

Bahrain: Attack on the medical profession as doctors and nurses are arrested, detained, abducted and ill-treatedposted on: 2011/05/26

The medical profession in Bahrain has been targeted by the authorities following the recent protests calling for political reform in the Kingdom. On 3 May 2011, the Military Public Prosecution charged 24 doctors and 23 nurses and paramedics of various offences based on "investigation results" and "confessions of some of the defendants". Serious violations against the medical profession in contravention of Bahraini and international standards have included arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, abduction, beating and verbal abuse. Scores of medical personnel have been held in incommunicado detention during which they were reportedly tortured and ill-treated apparently to force them to confess to charges leveled against them.

Bangladesh: Human rights defender, Mr FMA Razzak, in a critical condition in hospital following abduction and brutal attackposted on: 2011/05/03

On 29 April 2011 human rights defender and journalist Mr FMA Razzak was abducted and brutally attacked in Paikgachha, Bangladesh. He remains in a critical condition in hospital in Dhaka following a severe beating and torture. FMA Razzak is the President of the Human Rights Development Centre (HRDC) and editor of the Gonomichhil fortnightly newspaper. The HRDC is based in Paikgachha upazilla (sub-district) under Khulna district. Within his role as President of the HRDC, FMA Razzak works with victims of custodial torture, many of whom are facing fabricated charges brought by the law-enforcement officers who tortured them. Front Line issued an urgent appeal on 7 March 2011 in relation to a series of reported threats, intimidation and attacks against FMA Razzak.

Further Information

On 29 April 2011, at approximately 10.30pm, FMA Razzak was abducted from the Dhaka-bound bus terminal of Paikgachha along with his brother RM Bodiuzzama Bodiar and brother-in-law Mr Bakkar. It is reported that a group of around 20 men, armed with sticks, rods and sharp weapons and led by the brother of a Bangladesh Army Major, approached the three men and attacked them.

Iraq: Attack against human rights defender and blogger Mr Hayder Hamzozposted on: 2011/04/28

Front Line expresses concern regarding the attack against Iraqi human rights defender and blogger Mr Hayder Hamzoz on 22 April as he was taking part in a regular Friday protest in Sahat Al -Tahrir, a public square in Baghdad. Hayder Hamzoz attends the protests at Al-Tahrir square every Friday and uses his mobile phone to record the events to put up on Twitter and Facebook.

Further Information

On 22 April he was approached by young men who asked him about his Qalaxy mobile phone (a type of mobile that facilitates connection to social media networks) and then took the phone away. It is reported that he managed to take back his phone, but the group was then joined by more than 9 people at which point Hayder Hamzoz ran to escape the assault. The men reportedly grabbed him and beat him up using their hands and feet, causing him to bleed and almost faint. His phone was confiscated.

The security forces who were around at the time reportedly stopped protesters and friends of Hayder Hamzoz from rendering assistance to him. The attackers then made away with the phone under the watchful eye of the security forces who did not interfere.

Russian Federation: Failure to investigate attack on human rights lawyer Ms Sapiyat Magomedova posted on: 2011/02/23

The period of investigation into the physical assault by police of human rights defender Ms Sapiyat Magomedova in June 2010 has reportedly been prolonged until March 2011. Sapiyat Magomedova is a lawyer at Omarov and Partners, a law firm known for its strident defence of human rights.

Further Information

Omarov and Partners frequently take on cases relating to abductions, torture and extrajudicial executions in Dagestan. Sapiyat Magomedova has sent four applications to the European Court of Human Rights about violations of her clients' rights by detectives from the prosecutor's office in Khasavyurt, Dagestan.

Some eight months after the physical assault of Sapiyat Magomedova, the investigation remains at an apparent standstill, and those responsible have yet to be brought to justice. Furthermore, the investigation in the assault case subsequently taken against Sapiyat Magomedova also remains open.

On 17 June 2010, Sapiyat Magomedova was attacked and severely beaten by police officers at Khasavyurt police station as she attempted to meet a client.

Bahrain: Human rights defenders attacked during fatal police crackdown on peaceful protestersposted on: 2011/02/17

Early in the morning of 17 February 2011, a number of human rights defenders documenting human rights violations, including members of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human rights (BYSHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), were assaulted during alleged indiscriminate attacks against individuals taking part in the ongoing protests in Bahrain.

Further Information

Information received by Front Line indicates that on 17 February 2011 at approximately 3am, the Bahrain special security forces launched an attack on the large group of peaceful protesters who had gathered at Pearl roundabout in Al-Manama, using teargas, rubber bullets and shotguns.

It is alleged that the security forces waited for the protesters, many of whom were camping at the roundabout, to fall asleep before launching indiscriminate attacks on the crowd from the bridge that faces the Pearl roundabout. Protesters, including women and children, ran for cover only to be confronted and attacked by more police coming from the opposite direction.

The police are reportedly continuing to attack anyone who may appear at the Pearl roundabout.