Update: on 7 August 2019, human rights defender Guo Feixiong was released, at the end of his six-year prison sentence.
Guo, the 2015 winner of the Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, served a six year prison sentence for “gathering crowds to disturb social order” and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”.
On 17 March 2024, women human rights defenders Sasui Lohar and Sorath Lohar, together with other protestors engaged in a peaceful demonstration outside the Larkana Press Club, faced arrest and excessive use of force by Larkana police. The women human rights defenders had gathered peacefully to protest against the lack of justice or effective investigation into the killing of Hidayat Lohar, the father of Sasui Lohar and Sorath Lohar, on 16 February 2024. Sindh police used excessive force against the protesters, including firing live bullets, baton charges, and tear gas.
On 17 March 2024, women human rights defenders Sasui Lohar and Sorath Lohar, together with other protestors engaged in a peaceful demonstration outside the Larkana Press Club, faced arrest and excessive use of force by Larkana police. The women human rights defenders had gathered peacefully to protest against the lack of justice or effective investigation into the killing of Hidayat Lohar, the father of Sasui Lohar and Sorath Lohar, on 16 February 2024. Sindh police used excessive force against the protesters, including firing live bullets, baton charges, and tear gas.
On 26 December 2023, the Council of the Tyumen Regional Bar Association scheduled a disciplinary hearing against human rights defender and lawyer Aleksey Ladin which is due to take place on 24 January 2024.
On 27 October 2023, human rights defender and lawyer Aleksey Ladin was released after completing 14 days of administrative arrest in the detention centre in Simferopol in Russian-occupied Crimea.
On 23 October 2023 colleagues of woman human rights defender Nasta Loika reported that over the weekend, between 22 and 23 October 2023, prison Authorities transfered Nasta Loika to the Homel Penal Colony #4, where she will be serving her sentence.
On 13 October 2023, the Belarus Committee for State Security (KGB) included Nasta Loika in a list of “persons, participating in terrorist activities.”
On 19 February 2024, the High Court in Hong Kong convened a case management hearing in the case against the Hong Kong Alliance and its three former leaders, woman human rights defender Chow Hang-tung, labour rights defender Lee Cheuk-yan, and human rights lawyer Albert Ho Chun-yan.
On July 25 2020, human rights defender Azimjan Askarov died in Kyrgyzstan at penal colony №47 where he had been transferred a day before for medical examination.
On 22 July 2020, Azimjan Askarov’s lawyer Valeryan Vakhitov visited the human rights defender in prison and reported that his health had deteriorated significantly.
On 14 September 2023, human rights defenders Adilur Rahman and A.S.M Nasiruddin Elan were sentenced for two years of jail by the Cyber Tribunal of Dhaka. The human rights defenders are Secretary and Director of Odhikar, a renowned human rights organisation documenting human rights violations in Bangladesh.
On 5 February 2024, father of woman human rights defender and journalist Iryna Danylovych, Bronislav Danylovych, reported that she continued to suffer from severe headaches and migraines, and ear pains resulting from prolonged ear infection. Despite her health conditions, Iryna can’t access medication in the Penal Colony #7 in Zelenokumsk in the Stavropol Region of Russia.
في الذكرى السنوية السابعة للإنتفاضة الشعبية السلمية للشعب البحريني، والتي اندلعت في 14 شباط / فبراير 2011، دعت المنظماتُ غير الحكومية المجتمعَ الدولي إلى مساعدة المدافعين عن حقوق الإنسان في البحرين -المحكوم بعضهم بالسجن مدى الحياة- ووقف اضطهاد الصحفيين لمجرد ممارستهم السلمية لحقهم في حرية التجمُّع والتعبير. في 5 فبراير / شباط 2018، غرّدت زوجة عبد الهادي، السيدة خديجة الموسوي، قائلةً بإنها تمكنت من زيارة زوجها الذي تم استهدافه وإساءة معاملته في سجن جو، وأنه تم نقله إلى المستشفى وهو مصفّد في الأغلال.
On 15 August 2023, human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was denied a prearrangedvideo call with his daughter days after he was rushed to the intensive care unit where doctorsdeclared his life was in danger. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is at imminent danger of losing his life sincehe has started a water-only hunger strike on 9 August 2023 in protest of his continuedimprisonment and denial of access to adequate medical treatment.
On 19 February 2024, the High Court in Hong Kong convened a case management hearing in the case against the Hong Kong Alliance and its three former leaders, woman human rights defender Chow Hang-tung, labour rights defender Lee Cheuk-yan, and human rights lawyer Albert Ho Chun-yan.
On 22 September 2023, human rights defenders Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing were tried at the Guangzhou Intermediate Court, Guangdong Province. The trial ended in the afternoon on the same day. The verdict, which was not delivered, will be announced by the court at a later, unspecified date.
On February 15, 2024, Kazakhstani authorities arrested Karakalpak human rights defender, community leader, and advocate Aqylbek Muratbai in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The authorities intend to deport him to Uzbekistan, at the request of the Uzbekistani authorities. Given the scope of the current repression against vocal critics of Uzbekistan’s policy towards Karakalpakstan, if extradited, Aqylbek Muratbai could face a severe prison sentence.
On 31 May 2022, a hearing for a new charge of “propaganda activities against the state” against woman human rights defender Zahra Rahimi took place at Shahid Moqadas 33 district (Evin) Court. This charge is in addition to the charge of “gathering and colluding with the intention of disturbing national security” for which she and three other human rights defenders, and the directors of Imam Ali’s Popular Student Relief Society (IAPSRS) Sharmin Meymandinejad, Zahra Rahimi, Katayoun Afrazeh, and Morteza Keymanesh have been under investigation by the same court for the last two years.
On 26 July 2019, the General Assembly of the Constitutional Court examined the individual applications of ten Academics for Peace, including Füsun Üstel, who have been sentenced to prison on charges of "propagandising for a terrorist organisation" for having signed the declaration entitled "We will not be a party to this crime". The Court ruled that the conviction of Academics for Peace violates their freedom of expression.
في يناير/كانون الثاني 2014، تم جلد رائف بدوي خمسين جلدة أمام الملأ العام تنفيذاً للحكم الذي صدر بحقه. لازالت هناك تسعمائة وخمسون جلدة تنتظره مع قضاء ما يقرب من عشر سنوات في السجن - وكل ذلك عقوبة لممارسته حرية التعبير على شبكة الإنترنت.
On 31 October 2023, the human rights defender Jafar Ebrahimi was released on two weeks medical furlough.
On 17 August 2023, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTA) announced that the health condition of human rights defender Jafar Ebrahimi, has significantly deteriorated while under detention in Evin prison.
في 25 يناير/كانون الثاني 2024، صدر أمر اعتقال إداري للمدافعة عن حقوق الإنسان ديالا عايش لمدة أربعة أشهر من قبل القيادة المركزية للجيش الإسرائيلي في الضفة الغربية المحتلة. وصدر الأمر دون أي تهمة أو محاكمة، ولم تمثُل أمام المحكمة. في 17 يناير/كانون الثاني 2024، اعتقلت القوات العسكرية الإسرائيلية ديالا عايش أثناء مرورها عبر حاجز "الكونتينر" العسكري الإسرائيلي بالقرب من بيت لحم في الضفة الغربية بالأراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة.
On 18 November 2022, migrant right defenders Seán Binder, Sara Mardini and Nassos Karakitsos attended their court summons at the first instance court on Lesvos Island. The human rights defenders informed the inquisitor and prosecution that they have nothing to add. Their trial will commence on 10 January 2023 and face charges classified as misdemeanour crimes, however the felony charges are still not concluded.
On 18 November 2022, migrant right defenders Seán Binder, Sara Mardini and Nassos Karakitsos attended their court summons at the first instance court on Lesvos Island. The human rights defenders informed the inquisitor and prosecution that they have nothing to add. Their trial will commence on 10 January 2023 and face charges classified as misdemeanour crimes, however the felony charges are still not concluded.
On 18 November 2022, migrant right defenders Seán Binder, Sara Mardini and Nassos Karakitsos attended their court summons at the first instance court on Lesvos Island. The human rights defenders informed the inquisitor and prosecution that they have nothing to add. Their trial will commence on 10 January 2023 and face charges classified as misdemeanour crimes, however the felony charges are still not concluded.
On 5 June 2023, the Higher Court of Uzbekistan upheld the decision of the Bukhara Regional Court to sentence human rights defender and lawyer Dauletmurat Tajimuratov to sixteen years in prison. The human rights defender was tried along with twenty-two other Karakalpak protesters and his was the only sentence that remained unchanged after the appeals trial. Dauletmurat Tajimuratov will spend the first two years of his sentence in prison and the remaining years in a high-security penal colony.
On 9 February 2024, woman human rights defender and lawyer Rocío San Miguel was detained along with five of her relatives by intelligence service officers under the charges of treason, conspiracy, terrorism among other crime allegations. The defender had been accused by the country’s Attorney General of being involved in an alleged plot to kill high-ranking authorities of the Venezuelan government, including the President.
On 8 January 2024, the human rights defender Mehdi Mahmoudian was released from Evin prison.
