On 25 June 2023, human rights defender and union leader Shahidul Islam was attacked by agroup of men at the Prince Jacquard Sweaters factory in Gazipur while resolving a worker paymentdispute. He died the same day from the fatal inuries sustained during the attack.
On 21 September 2023, a training on the environment and human rights that was organised by the Centre for Justice, Governance and Environment Action (CJGEA) for the Uyombo Community, was disrupted by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) of Matsangoni.
On 20 May 2023, law enfocement officers in Perm raided the apartment of woman human rights defender and lawyer Elena Pershakova for six hours. During the raid, the authorities seized the woman human rights defender’s phone, laptop, hard drive and work-related documents. The Federal Security Service in the city of Perm scheduled Elena Pershakova’s questioning for 24 May 2023. It is not yet clear if there are any charges being brought against the woman human rights defender or if she will be questioned as a witness.
Front Line Defender welcomes the release of the human rights defender Freddy Alberto Navas, who was released in a group of 222 political prisoners and human rights defenders deported from Nicaragua to the United States of America on 9 February 2022.
On 10 February 2022, the Nicaraguan Public Prosecutor's Office convicted peasant farmer leader and human rights defender Freddy Alberto Navas López on charges of "conspiracy to undermine national integrity and treason".
On 21 March 2023, Russian law enforcement authorities raided apartments of at least eight former staff members of International “Memorial” and Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial.” The raid happened at the apartments of human rights defenders Oleg Orlov, Yan Rachinskii, Nikita Petrov, Alexandra Polivanova, Alexander Gurianov, Irina Ostrovskaya, Galina Iordanskaya, and Alyona Kozlova. Since the raids, former staff members brought in for questioning to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Tverskoy District in Moscow.
On 1 March 2023, prominent human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja informed his family of gross ill-treatment by prison guards in relation to serious health complications that he is experiencing.
Front Line Defender welcomes the release of the human rights defender John Cerna, who was released in a group of 222 political prisoners and human rights defenders deported from Nicaragua to the United States of America.
On 20 July 2022, the Supreme Court of India granted interim bail to human rights defender Mohammed Zubair in all the cases filed against him by the Delhi police and Uttar Pradesh police.
On 5 May 2022, woman human rights defender Nokuthula Mabaso was shot and killed outside of her home in eKhenana. Nokuthula Mabaso was a member of the Abahlali baseMjondolo movement. On May 6 2022, Nokuthula Mabaso was set to testify in court in a case against the alleged perpetrator of consistent attacks against the eKhenana Commune. The police has opened an investigation into the shooting, but no suspects have been arrested.
On 4 May 2022, military officers raided the offices of the non-governmental organization Dynamique des Femmes Leaders d'IRUMU (DYFELE) in search of woman human rights defender Miriam Furaha in the Irumu territory. The officers confiscated two computers during the raid. Prior to this raid, Miriam Furaha had been attacked several times in her home by men in military uniforms. The woman human rights defender has gone into hiding.
On 8 March 2022, land rights defender and member of the grass-roots movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, Ayanda Ngila, was shot and killed by four armed men. At the time of the shooting, the human rights defender had been working on repairing an irrigation pipe in the eKhenana community garden. The gunmen fled the scene through the river. A suspect has been detained for questioning by the Cato police.
On 15 September 2021 around 5:30 p.m., human rights defender Juan Macababbad was shot dead outside his residence in Surallah town, South Cotabato by two unidentified individuals. After the attack, the human rights defender was taken to Javelosa Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
On 20 May 2021, officers of the Investigation Department of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia searched the home of human rights defender Sashik Sultanyan, houses of his colleagues and an office of the Yezidi Centre for Human Rights as part of a criminal investigation for “actions aimed at the incitement of national, racial or religious hatred, at racial superiority or humiliation of national dignity” (Part 1 and Part 2 of Art. 226 of the Criminal Code).
On 2 May 2021, human rights defender Dan Balucio and youth human rights defender Maria Jesusa “Sasah” Sta. Rosa were arrested in coordinated raids led by the police and military in the region of Bicol. Dan Balucio is currently detained at the Sto Domingo Police station and Maria Jesusa is detained at Police Station 2 in Naga City, where they both have access to their lawyers.
On 2 May 2021, human rights defender Dan Balucio and youth human rights defender Maria Jesusa “Sasah” Sta. Rosa were arrested in coordinated raids led by the police and military in the region of Bicol. Dan Balucio is currently detained at the Sto Domingo Police station and Maria Jesusa is detained at Police Station 2 in Naga City, where they both have access to their lawyers.
On 15 April 2021, human rights defender Muhammad Ismail was released on bail after spending more than two months in detention. The human rights defender was granted bail by the Anti-terrorism court in Peshawar three days prior, on 12 April 2021.
On 15 February 2021, the Anti-Terrorism Court in Peshawar denied the bail application submitted by human rights defender Muhammad Ismail, despite his post COVID-19 health situation.
On 23 March 2021, the Military Commander of Hebron canceled the Military order to confiscate parts of human rights defenders Imad and Fayza Abu Shamsiyya’s house.
On 3 February 2021, the lawyer of human rights defenders Fayza Abu Shamsiyya and Imad Abu Shamsiyya informed them that the Military commander of Hebron had rejected their appeal against a military order which declares sections of their house in Tel Al-Ramida as a closed military zone.
On 23 March 2021, the Military Commander of Hebron canceled the Military order to confiscate parts of human rights defenders Imad and Fayza Abu Shamsiyya’s house.
On 3 February 2021, the lawyer of human rights defenders Fayza Abu Shamsiyya and Imad Abu Shamsiyya informed them that the Military commander of Hebron had rejected their appeal against a military order which declares sections of their house in Tel Al-Ramida as a closed military zone.
On 10 March 2021, Jaseb Hatteb, father of human rights defender Ali Jaseb Hatteb, was assassinated by an unknown militant in the city of Amarah. The family of the human rights defender believes that Jaseb Hatteb was assassinated as result of his efforts to find his son Ali Jaseb Hatteb who was abducted and disappeared on 8 October 2019.
On 7 March 2021, during coordinated operations led by the police and military in the Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces surrounding Metro Manila, five human rights defenders were among those killed and four human rights defenders were arrested. Human rights defenders Emanuel Asucion, Melvin Dasigao, Mark Lee Coros Bacasno, Chai Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista were among those killed, whilst human rights defenders Nimfa Lanzanas, Esteban Mendoza, Eugene Eugenio and Elizabeth Camoral were arrested during the raids.
On 7 March 2021, during coordinated operations led by the police and military in the Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces surrounding Metro Manila, five human rights defenders were among those killed and four human rights defenders were arrested. Human rights defenders Emanuel Asucion, Melvin Dasigao, Mark Lee Coros Bacasno, Chai Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista were among those killed, whilst human rights defenders Nimfa Lanzanas, Esteban Mendoza, Eugene Eugenio and Elizabeth Camoral were arrested during the raids.
On 7 March 2021, during coordinated operations led by the police and military in the Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces surrounding Metro Manila, five human rights defenders were among those killed and four human rights defenders were arrested. Human rights defenders Emanuel Asucion, Melvin Dasigao, Mark Lee Coros Bacasno, Chai Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista were among those killed, whilst human rights defenders Nimfa Lanzanas, Esteban Mendoza, Eugene Eugenio and Elizabeth Camoral were arrested during the raids.
On 7 March 2021, during coordinated operations led by the police and military in the Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces surrounding Metro Manila, five human rights defenders were among those killed and four human rights defenders were arrested. Human rights defenders Emanuel Asucion, Melvin Dasigao, Mark Lee Coros Bacasno, Chai Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista were among those killed, whilst human rights defenders Nimfa Lanzanas, Esteban Mendoza, Eugene Eugenio and Elizabeth Camoral were arrested during the raids.
On 7 March 2021, during coordinated operations led by the police and military in the Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces surrounding Metro Manila, five human rights defenders were among those killed and four human rights defenders were arrested. Human rights defenders Emanuel Asucion, Melvin Dasigao, Mark Lee Coros Bacasno, Chai Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista were among those killed, whilst human rights defenders Nimfa Lanzanas, Esteban Mendoza, Eugene Eugenio and Elizabeth Camoral were arrested during the raids.
