On 24 May 2011, human rights defender Mr Dipal Barua was reportedly abducted by unknown men, ill-treated and interrogated about his human rights work. He was released and to his home in Dhaka, Bangladesh the following day. Dipal Barua works with people who are facing human rights violations and abuses. He completed a human rights training course with the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in December 2009. He was recently involved in providing assistance to Mr FMA Razzak, President of the Human Rights Development Centre (HRDC) and editor of the Gonomichhil fortnightly newspaper, who remains in a critical condition in hospital following an abduction and brutal attack in Paikgachha, Bangladesh on 29 April 2011.

On 25 November 2010, human rights defenders Ms Gulshan Karaeva and Mr Nodir Akhatov were detained and interrogated by Uzbek police officers over their suspected involvement in the organisation of a demontration in Karshi. Gulshan Karaeva and Nodir Akhatov are members of Karshi branch of Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU).

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On 25 November 2010, at approximatively 10:00am a group of muslim women gathered in front of the National Security Service (SNB) building in Karshi in protest, over the mass arrest of their children on 16 November 2010.

Gulshan Karaeva and Nodir Akhatov did not take part in the demonstration, but observed it taking place. Approximately one hour later, at 11:00am, a convoy of SNB officers interrupted the protest, and arrested Ms Karaeva and Mr Akhatov, as well as a number of others who were participating in the demonstration.

Those arrested were brought to the Karshi City Police Department where the were interrogated until 7:00pm. Police officers tried to force Ms Karaeva and Mr Akhatov to admit involvement in organising the protest, claiming that some of the demonstrators had made statements suggesting as such.

Human rights defender Mr Ghassan Abdallah was interrogated and threatened with torture by a Lebanese military intelligence unit. Ghassan Abdallah is the president of the Palestinian Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), an independent human rights NGO which works to promote, protect, and defend the rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The PHRO is a member of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and of the Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN).

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According to Ghassan Abdallah, on 5 October 2010 he received a phone call from Colonel Asmar, who asked him to pass by the investigation department of the military unit. Colonel Asmar insisted that the meeting was not for investigation purposes but to “have a cup of coffee” (an expression used in Lebanon which also means investigation).

On 9 October 2010 at approximately 9.30am Ghassan Abdallah went to the investigation department where he was interrogated for three hours. The interrogation took place in Colonel Asmar's office but was not officially recorded. Ghassan Abdallah was questioned for 30 minutes about PHRO membership of EMHRN.

Human rights defender Mr Ken Wafula, has been arrested and interrogated by the police in Kenya, has been subject to repeated summons to appear at the police station, and reportedly may face public security charges. Ken Wafula is a journalist and the Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (CHRD).

Further Information

On Friday 9 October 2009, Ken Wafula was arrested and interrogated by the local police in Eldoret, Kenya. He was re-released the same day but told not to leave the city. Between Saturday 10 and Thursday 15 October he received summons at least three times to report to the police station, where has been obliged to give further statements. It is reported that he will be charged with inciting the public and causing national disturbance, and that he was notified by a source from police headquarters that they are out to arrest and to try to silence him.

Mr Wafula believes he is being watched and that the police may be trying to entrap him.