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Belarus: Update - Sentence of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski upheld following cassation appealposted on: 2012/01/24

Further to the urgent appeal dated 11 November 2011, Front Line Defenders has received the following information.

Vietnam: Update – Sentence of human rights defender Pham Minh Hoang reduced to 17 months on appealposted on: 2011/11/29

On 29 November 2011, the Court of Appeals of the Supreme People's Court reduced the sentence of human rights defender Professor Pham Minh Hoang from three years to 17 months.

Bahrain: Cautious welcome for announcement of new trial for medical professionals, but concern mounts for welfare of prisoners denied medical treatmentposted on: 2011/10/10

Following the international outcry over the sentencing of 20 medical professionals to sentences ranging from 5 to 15 years the Attorney General of Bahrain has announced that the medics will now have a new trial before a civilian court.

Bahrain: Cautious welcome for announcement of new trial for medical professionals, but concern mounts for welfare of prisoners denied medical treatmentposted on: 2011/10/07

Following the international outcry over the sentencing of 20 medical professionals to sentences ranging from 5 to 15 years the Attorney General of Bahrain has announced that the medics will now have a new trial before a civilian court.

Further Information

Front Line Defenders welcomes this positive news while treating it with due caution given the failure of the Bahraini Government to honour previous commitments to transfer all outstanding cases to civilian courts and to reinstate those people who had been dismissed from their jobs because of their alleged participation in the pro-democracy demonstrations.

This announcement does nothing to address the fact that human rights defenders, political activists, health professionals and trade unionists have been subjected to summary justice, arrested on trumped up charges, held incommunicado, tortured and denied access to their lawyers and families.

Iran: Sentencing of human rights lawyer Mr Khalil Bahramianposted on: 2011/02/10

Human rights lawyer Mr Khalil Bahramian has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and banned from practicing law for 10 years. Khalil Bahramian has been an active lawyer for 46 years during which time he has defended numerous political prisoners and human rights defenders. He is an active opponent of the death penalty and a member of the International Committee Against Executions.

Further Information

It is reported that Branch 28 of Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Khalil Bahramian on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “insulting the head of the judiciary,” in retaliation for his work representing persecuted political activists in Iran. Khalil Bahramian has lodged an appeal against his sentence.

Front Line believes the sentencing of Khalil Bahramian is directly related to his legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights. If confirmed, Khalil Bahramian's sentencing would reflect an environment of increasing judicial harassment against human rights lawyers and other human rights defenders in Iran.

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Israel: UPDATE- Human rights defender Ameer Makhoul convicted by Israel and will be sentenced in Decemberposted on: 2010/10/29

Human rights defender Mr Ameer Makhoul was convicted of being involved in espionage operations with the Lebanese group Hizbullah. According to a statement from the Israeli Justice Ministry, Mr Ameer Makhoul confessed to, and was found guilty of espionage and aggravating espionage by the Haifa district court. He also pleaded guilty to charges of contact with a foreign agent and conspiracy to aid the enemy in time of war. While he was found guilty of the former, the state dropped the charge of assisting the enemy in time of war. Ameer Makhoul will be sentenced in December.

China: Journalist Mr Hairat Niyaz sentenced to fifteen years in prison after criticising the authorities in the international pressposted on: 2010/07/27

Human rights defender Mr Hairat Niyaz was found guilty of "endangering national security" and sentenced to fifteen years in prison following a one-day trial on 23 July 2010.

Syria: Update - Sentencing of human rights defender Haitham al-Maleh to three years in jailposted on: 2010/07/05

Further to the Urgent Appeal issued on 23 October 2009 and the subsequent updates issued on 17 February and 8 June 2010, Front Line has received the following information concerning the trial of human rights defender Haitham al-Maleh: On 4 July 2010 Haitham al-Maleh was sentenced to three years in jail by a Syrian military court on charges of "spreading false news that undermined the morals of the nation".

Iran: Update - Appeal against sentencing of human rights defender Ms Jila Baniyaghoob to one year in prison and 30-year ban from journalismposted on: 2010/07/05

Further to the Urgent Appeal issued on 24 June 2009 and the subsequent update of 15 September 2009, Front Line has received the following new information regarding the prosecution of human rights defender and journalist Ms Jila Baniyaghoob: On 27 June 2010, Jila Baniyaghoob's lawyer lodged an appeal against the 8 June 2010 sentencing of Jila Baniyaghoob to one year in prison and to a 30-year ban from journalism by the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

Syria: Update - Human rights defender Mr Muhanad Alhasani sentenced to three years in prisonposted on: 2010/06/24

Further to the Urgent Appeal issued on 30 July 2009 and subsequent update of 17 February 2010, Front Line has received the following new information regarding the prosecution of human rights defender Mr Muhanad Alhasani: On 23 June 2010, the Second Damascus Criminal Court sentenced Muhanad Alhasani to three years in prison having been found guilty of "spreading false information that could debilitate the morale of the nation” and “weakening national sentiments and encouraging racist and sectarian feelings” under Articles 285, 286, and 287 of the Syrian Criminal Code. It is reported that his lawyers are considering an appeal.