Long-Term Cases
Front Line Defenders Executive Director, Andrew Anderson, reflects on the release of David Ravelo Crespo from prison after 7 years incarceration on false charges, and the impact of long-term prison for HRDs.
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Front Line Defenders in Action
Digital Security
Government Spying in Mexico
On 19 June, the New York Times published a groundbreaking article on the Mexican Government’s deployment of $80 million worth of spyware against lawyers, journalists and HRDs.
Since 2008, Front Line Defenders has carried out digital security trainings for HRDs and digital security trainers, which has contributed to building a network of experts to respond to the complexity of these threats.
FLD Award
Emil Kurbedinov, Crimea/Ukraine
Defending human rights activists and political prisoners is some of the most dangerous work a lawyer can do in Crimea. After years taking on these risky cases, Crimean Tatar lawyer Emil Kurbedinov was awarded the Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk on 26 May 2017 in a ceremony at City Hall in Dublin.
HRD Spotlight
Twerwaneho Listeners Club
The Twerwaneho Listeners Club in Fort Portal, Uganda, uses radio as a means of educating the community about human rights and to call attention to abuses in the country. Recently the high court dropped what were false charges against 4 HRDs.
Grant in Focus
Joe Moses, Papua New Guinea
Joe Avapura Moses is a community leader and a land rights defender with the Paga Hill community who lived along the waterfront of the Port Moresby peninsula in Papua New Guinea (PNG) before their homes were illegally bulldozed to make way for the Paga Hill Development Company Ltd. to develop a hotel, marina and exhibition centre.
As a result of his human rights work spearheading a legal resistance to this land grab, Joe has endured intimidation and police harassment, which ultimately forced him, his wife Ceyline and their two children into hiding.
Events
Speakers Tour & Annual Lecture
Front Line Defenders hosted Honduran HRD Regina Fonseca for a series of talks across Ireland from 25 to 28 April, including in Dublin, Belfast, Limerick and Cork.
Front Line Defenders, Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin hosted Nigerian lawyer and WHRD Hauwa Ibrahim to give the 2017 Front Line Defenders Annual Lecture, held at the Royal Irish Academy on 27 March.
Training
Protection Training in the Americas
For 5 days in April, 12 HRDs from Central and South America gathered in Costa Rica for a training on risk assessment and protection planning for HRDs at risk.
The need for trainings HRDs in the America is evident: HRDs in the region face some of the highest rates of killings in the world - attacks, death threats and psychological and legal persecution.
Dispatches 2016 presents the work Front Line Defenders has undertaken around the world for the protection and security of human rights defenders at risk in 2016, including the impact of grants, training, advocacy, visibility, rest & respite and other programs, as well as the launch of the HRD Memorial, honoring HRDs killed since the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in 1998.
Human Rights Defenders are crucial agents of social change. All too often they are the only people willing to take a stand for the rights of their communities.
As restrictive governments throughout the world seek to silence HRDs through persecution, intimidation, public humiliation, and extra-judicial killing, many are at greater risk than ever before.
Help us protect them by making a donation to Front Line Defenders today.
