Hina Jilani

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, Ms. Hina Jilani, issued the following statement on her preliminary findings of her official visit to Guatemala. In her report Ms.Jilani highlighted the deteriorating situation for human rights defenders. 

8 December 2005 Nearly 200 women’s rights and human rights defenders from approximately 70 countries worldwide gathered from 29 November to 2 December in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to hold an historic global gathering on women human rights defenders. The consultation was attended by the First Lady of Sri Lanka, Shiranthi Rajapakse, and opened with a welcome address by Nimalka Fernando, from the Women’s Alliance for Peace and Democracy in Sri Lanka.

Front Line sponsored a two-day workshop for selected Women Human Rights Defenders immediately prior to the International Consultation. The workshop was led by Cecilia Jimenez and sought to develop appropriate methodology and resource materials for addressing the specific needs of women human rights defenders. The workshop drew heavily on the input from the participants and considered a number of case studies. 

Defending Women, Defending Rights International Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders

Mahboobeh Abbasgholizadeh, a woman activist in Iran and editor of Farzaneh (the first women’s studies journal in Iran) is in prison upon the order of Tehran’s General Prosecutor. For more than two weeks now, Mahboobeh has been held without any formal charges, and she has been denied access to legal counsel or any visitors. Her only apparent offense is her activism and strong linkages with international women’s rights movement. Fereshteh Ghazi, another woman journalist writing on women’s issues for a daily newspaper in Iran, was also arrested.

Irene Fernandez, a Malaysian woman activist who has been fighting for women workers’ rights, has been prosecuted and convicted by the Malaysian government in a case, which has been dragged on for eight years. She is being prosecuted for releasing comprehensive documentation of the abuses against migrant workers in detention in Malaysia. She is currently appealing her case before the court. 

Radhia Nasraoui, Human Rights Defender and lawyer from Tunisia ended her hunger strike on 10th December, after 56 days. As a result of her action, there has been some movement on the investigation into the incident in July where she was assaulted. Equipment, books and files that were taken from her office have been returned and the telephone line to her sister, her daughter and her aunt in Paris has been reconnected. Radhia is recovering well and expects to be back working in defence of human rights again as soon as possible.

She went on hunger strike on Wednesday, 15th October. Ms Nasraoui is a prominent member of the Tunisian bar who has represented many political clients. As a result she has been under constant pressure from the Tunisian authorities. The purpose of her hunger strike was to protest the harassment she faces as she tries to carry out her work, which she says has become intolerable.