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Dublin: Stories of Courage - a new campaign to highlight work of human rights defenders around the worldposted on: 2013/04/25

Front Line Defenders has launched a new promotional campaign using outdoor advertising and social media to highlight the exceptional work being done by all 6 finalists for this year's Front Line Defenders Award.

Russia: 'Operation Crazy Xerox' – Unprecedented pressure on Civil Society

The following blog is based on interviews with human rights defenders in the Russian Federation.

In the Russian Federation mass inspections of non-governmental organisations are currently taking place. According to  Russian human rights organisation Agora which is trying to maintain a comprehensive list of NGOs searched, to date at least 94 NGOs in 24 regions have been visited.

This wave of inspections is unprecedented and looks more like police raids than regular inspections: teams of representatives from different state institutions come to the offices without warning, they take away boxes of documents and, sometimes, office equipment. During searches at some of the leading human rights NGOs the inspectors arrived at the same time as journalists from the tv channel NTV , a “teletabloid” which broadcasts the most odious pro-Kremlin propaganda. The Prosecutor office has denied co-ordinating the time of the searches with the journalists, but it is difficult to believe in such coincidence.

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Pakistan: Killing of human rights defender Ms Perveen Rehmanposted on: 2013/03/15

On 13 March 2013, human rights defender Ms Perveen Rehman was shot and killed by armed motorcyclists, close to her offices. Perveen Rehman was a social and economic rights defender, working with communities in the slums of Karachi.

Bahrain: UPDATE – Human rights defender Mr Sayed Yousif Al-Muhafdha cleared of all chargesposted on: 2013/03/15

On 11 March 2013, human rights defender Mr Sayed Yousif Al-Muhafdha was cleared of all charges relating to spreading false information on social media network Twitter.

A great leap forward for human rights in China or maybe even just one small step?

15/03/2013 - This week the world’s most populous country is finalising a once-in-a-decade leadership transition which began in November 2012 .The conclusion of the National People's Congress will see Xi Jinping assume the position of President of China, and will usher in a new era in which China is expected to surpass the United States in terms of size of its economy.

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Uganda: Detention of human rights defenders Messrs Gerald Kankya, Simon Amanyire and Gilbert Kayondoposted on: 2013/01/23

On 21 January 2013, human rights defenders Messrs Gerald Kankya, Simon Amanyire and Gilbert Kayondo were detained following an extensive police interrogation of several members of the Twerwaneho Listeners Club (TLC) at the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Fort Portal Police Station. The human rights defenders were each accused of making defamatory statements against Uganda's First Family during a radio talk show aired in late November 2012.

Honduras: Sambo Creek

I fell in love with Sambo Creek the moment we turned onto the sand-swept main road, just as the sun was setting. A Garifuna village on the north coast of Honduras, the strong sense of community was immediately evident. Naum, our host from OFRANEH (Organizacion Fraternal Negra de Honduras) met our car and walked us through the village. He greeted every man, woman, and child we passed by name.

“Are you from Sambo Creek originally?” I asked Naum.

“I was born here, raised here, and I will die here,” he answered, in a tone of voice that implied he did not feel stuck, but rather would not want to live anywhere else.

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Thailand: Update – Verdict in case of human rights defender Mr Somyot Prueksakasemsuk to be announced on 23 January 2013posted on: 2013/01/21

The verdict in the case of human rights defender and labour rights activist Mr Somyot Prueksakasemsuk is scheduled to be announced by Ratchadapisek Criminal Court on 23 January 2013 at 9am. The human rights defender has been in detention since 30 April 2011 and is charged with contravening Section 112 of the Criminal Code, which forbids defaming, insulting or threatening the royal family, commonly known as the lèse majesté law.

Bahrain: Update – Release on bail of human rights defender Mr Sayed Yousif Al-Muhafdaposted on: 2013/01/21

On 17 January 2013, human rights defender Mr Sayed Yousif Al-Muhafdha was released on bail pending trial after paying 100 Bahraini Dinars (approximately 200 Euro). He had been in detention since 17 December 2012. The human rights defender faces charges of spreading false information on Twitter, a trial date has been set for 29 January 2013.

Russian Federation: Death threats issued against human rights defender Mr Vitaly Ponomarev and his familyposted on: 2013/01/18

On 12 January 2013, human rights defender Mr Vitaly Ponomarev received several anonymous death threats through electronic mail. Vitaly Ponomarev is the head of the Central Asia programme of Human Rights Centre (HRC) Memorial, which was founded in 1999 and has a major focus on documenting human rights violations in Central Asian states, particularly Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, in close cooperation with local human right defenders.