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Human Rights Defenders

Belarus: Widespread searches and judicial harassment of human rights defenders following Presidential Electionsposted on: 2011/01/12

Numerous individual human rights defenders and organisations have been subjected to police and judicial harassment, ill-treatment, searches and raids carried out at their offices and homes, since the unrest which followed the Presidential Elections of 19 December 2010.

Further Information

Most of the searches have been carried out in relation to a criminal investigation opened by the Minsk Department of Interior under Article 293 parts 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (participation and organisation of mass disorder) which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. This investigation aims at establishing the involvement of human rights defenders in the political unrest.

On 19 December 2010, Mr Aleh Gulak, Chair of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), who was observing the opposition rally, was arrested despite explaining the reasons for his presence. He was brought to a temporary detention facility where was forced to spend three hours standing with his face to a wall. On 20 December at midday, he was brought to court where he was accused of participation in an unauthorised rally.

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China: Harassment of human rights defender Ms Ni Yulanposted on: 2011/01/07

Human rights defender Ms Ni Yulan faces her 19th day without electricity or internet connection due to ongoing police harassment. Her water supply has also been cut for the majority of this time.

Further Information

Ni Yulan is a lawyer who has been involved in human rights defence for 11 years. She has been persistently targetted by police since offering legal aid to a Falun Gong practitioner in 1999. In 2002 Ni Yulan attempted to document on camera her neighbours' forced eviction and the demolition of their home. She was noticed by the police, and subsequently dragged to a police station and beaten so severely that she was left permanently disabled. She is currently confined to a wheelchair.

As of 7 January 2011, human rights defender Ni Yulan has had the electricity and internet connection cut for 19 consecutive days in the Beijing hotel room where she is currently staying, as a result of police pressure on the owners of the hotel. She has had only intermittent access to water during this time.

India: Release on bail of human rights defender Mr Ahongsangbam Mobi Singhposted on: 2011/01/07

On 5 January 2010, human rights defender Mr Ahongsangbam Mobi Singh(hereinafter A. Mobi Singh) was released on bail following seven nights in detention in Imphal, Manipur, on charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967.

Further Information

A. Mobi Singh is the Editor of the local daily newspaper “The Sanaleibak” as well as Vice President and spokesperson of the All Manipur Working Journalist's Union (AMWJU), a state-wide union which works to defend freedom of the press and journalistic independence in the context of the ongoing conflict between various State and non-State armed groups in Manipur.

On 28 December 2010, A. Mobi Singh was contacted on his mobile phone by an individual who identified himself as a member of the Tabungba faction of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), who requested that A. Mobi Singh send three members of the AMWJU to Delhi to meet and discuss publication of their statements, at the expense of the KCP.

On 29 December 2010, A. Mobi Singh was again contacted by an individual claiming to represent the KCP asking him to collect a sum of Rs.

Yemen: Physical assault of human rights defenders Ms Tawakkol Karman, Ms Bushra Alsorabi and Mr Ali al-Dailamiposted on: 2011/01/07

On 14 December 2010, human rights defenders Ms Tawakkol Karman, Ms Bushra Alsorabi and Mr Ali Hussain al-Dailami were physically assaulted during a peaceful protest in Sana'a, Yemen.

Further Information

Tawakkol Karman and Bushra Alsorabi are Chairperson and Executive Director respectively of Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC), an organisation which campaigns for freedom of the press and other human rights in Yemen. Ali Hussain al-Dailami is the executive director of the Yemeni Organization for the Defence of Democratic Rights and Freedom.

Tawakkol Karman has been the subject of Front Line Urgent Appeals dated 9 October 2009 and 27 October 2010, along with Bushra Alsorabi.

Zimbabwe: 83 Members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise removed from remandposted on: 2011/01/06

83 members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), who had been arrested while protesting peacefully on 20 September 2010, have been removed from remand out of custody in a routine hearing in Harare Magistrate's Court.

Further Information

Magistrate Macdonald Ndirowej granted an application for refusal of further remand which had been lodged by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights in a Court hearing on 1 December 2010.

The application had initially been refused on condition that the prosecution had their case properly prepared on 29 December.

India: Human rights defender Dr Binayak Sen sentenced to life imprisonment posted on: 2011/01/06

On 24 December 2010, Dr Binayak Sen was sentenced to life imprisonment by Raipur Additional District and Sessions Court. Dr Binayak Sen is the General Secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) regional office in the state of Chhattisgarh, as well as the Vice-President of the PUCL at a national level.

Further Information

The PUCL, which was founded in 1976, is a non-governmental, non-political organisation dedicated to the defence of civil liberties and human rights. In recent decades, Dr Binayak Sen has been involved in training people living in rural villages with regard to community health and disease prevention.

In 2004, he was awarded the Paul Harrison Award by the Christian Medical College in Vellore. Dr Binayak Sen has also campaigned to raise awareness with regard to human rights violations committed by allegedly state-sponsored Salwa Judum militias.

Israel: Human rights defender Mr Nuri al-Okbi sentenced to seven months imprisonmentposted on: 2011/01/06

Human rights defender Mr Nuri al-Okbi has been sentenced to seven months imprisonment on charges of "running a business without a license" by Ramla Magistrate's Court in Israel.

Further Information

Nuri al-Okbi, born in 1942 and father of 8 children, is head of the Association for Protection of the Rights of Bedouins in Israel and active for the rights of the Arab residents of Lod, many of whom were originally Negev Bedouins.

On 28 December 2010, Judge Zachariya Yemini of Ramla Magistrate's court sentenced Nuri Al-Okbi to seven months imprisonment on charges of “running a business without a license”. The business in question is a garage which Nuri al-Okbi has been running since 1964 in Lod. Over the years, the Municipality of Lod's policy has undergone various changes, with the garage being granted a permit some years, while being denied it in others.

It is reported that the Court originally appeared inclined to allow Nuri Al-Okbi perform community service in lieu of imprisonment.

Sudan: Human rights defender Dr Abdul Bassit Mirghani arrested in Khartoum following a wave of arrests across the capitalposted on: 2010/12/23

On 14 December 2010, human rights defender Dr Abdul Bassit Mirghani was arrested by Sudanese security officials in Khartoum and his current location is unknown.

Further information

This arrest forms part of a wave of arrests across Khartoum on the same day, during which 41 women and 4 men were arrested by state security officers while participating in a peaceful demonstration. Abdul Bassit Mirghani is the manager of El Fanar Centre for Human Rights, which hosted a meeting of the initiative “No to Oppressing Women” on 13 December.

On the morning of the 14 December 2010, hundreds of women and men gathered peacefully in central Khartoum as part of the initiative “No to Oppressing Women” in order to deliver a petition signed by many Sudanese citizens to the Ministry of Justice. The petition condemned the manner in which women are routinely punished in Sudan. Before the gathering reached the office of the minister, 41 women and 4 men were arrested by security officers. Some of the detainees were subject to long interrogations at the Sudanese National Intelligence Service’s headquarters and then transferred to police stations.

Sudan – Human rights defender Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam imprisoned in latest clampdown on human rights defenders and civil society activists. posted on: 2010/12/22

Sudan – leading human rights defender Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, Chairperson of the Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO) and winner of the 2005 Front Line Award imprisoned in latest clampdown on human rights defenders and civil society activists.

Further Information

Dr Mudawi had been summoned to the court in Khartoum on the morning of 22nd December 2010.

Dr Mudawi had previously been charged by the authorities with financial mismanagement but the prosecution was unable to bring any evidence against him and the judge acquitted him.

The Sudanese authorities ordered the same judge to make a new judgment on 22nd December. There was no new evidence presented and no judicial process but the judge announced that Dr Mudawi was now convicted and sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of 3,000 Sudanese Pounds.

“Front Line considers that Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam is being imprisoned arbitrarily, with not even the pretence of a fair legal process, because of his peaceful activities in defence of human rights in Sudan.

Colombia: Death threats against human rights defenders Ms Martha Lucia Giraldo, Ms Cristina Castro, Ms Berenice Celeyta and Ms Aída Quilcuéposted on: 2010/12/21

On 10 December 2010, human rights defenders Ms Martha Lucia Giraldo, Ms Cristina Castro, Ms Berenice Celeyta and Ms Aída Quilcué received numerous death threats following a public event held in Valle de Cauca to mark the 61st anniversary of International Human Rights Day.

Further Information

Marta Lucia Giraldo works with the Movimiento de Victimas de Crimenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes);

Cristina Castro is a member of the Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Politicos- Seccional Valle de Cauca - CSPP (Solidarity Committee for Political Prisoners – Valle de Cauca branch);

Berenice Celeyta is the Director of the Asociacion Para la Investigacion y Accion Social - Asociación NOMADESC (Association for Investigation and Social Action);

Aída Quilcué is the former Chief Counsel of the Consejo Regional Indígena de Colombia – CRIC (The Indigenous Regional Council of Cauca).

On 10 December 2010, various human rights organisations in the Valle de Cauca region of Colombia came together to mark the 61st anniversary of International Human Rights Day. Public events to mark the day were held in the municipalities of Cali and Zarzal.