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23 January 2023

On the evening of 21 January 2023, Thulani Rudolf Maseko was gunned down at close range, shot through the windows of his home, in front of his wife and children in Luhleko, Mbabane by unknown assailants. Front Line Defenders believes, and is deeply concerned that, the killing of Thulani Rudolf Maseko appears to be a deliberate targeting and silencing of the lawyer and human rights defender, in direct retaliation to his legitimate work in defence of human rights.

HRD or Organization 
Open Case
10 May 2022

On 18 April 2022, the two human rights defenders Matendo Justin and Tubaholeze Kigabi were released from the central police station of Ruziya. The two human rights defenders were arrested and detained on 7 April 2022 without any charges, but were released on 18 April 2022 due to injuries sustained during their detention, for which they are receiving traditional treatment.

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Open Case
10 May 2022

On 18 April 2022, the two human rights defenders Matendo Justin and Tubaholeze Kigabi were released from the central police station of Ruziya. The two human rights defenders were arrested and detained on 7 April 2022 without any charges, but were released on 18 April 2022 due to injuries sustained during their detention, for which they are receiving traditional treatment.

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Open Case
11 March 2020

Land rights defenders Godfrey Ssebisolo, Erias Wanjala and Fred Mwawula reported that on 12 March their houses, located in Kisalanda village, were bulldozed by Great Season Company Limited. The defenders further reported that company agents made death threats against their families and refused to explain why the houses were being destroyed.

Rights 
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Open Case
11 March 2020

Land rights defenders Godfrey Ssebisolo, Erias Wanjala and Fred Mwawula reported that on 12 March their houses, located in Kisalanda village, were bulldozed by Great Season Company Limited. The defenders further reported that company agents made death threats against their families and refused to explain why the houses were being destroyed.

Rights 
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Open Case
12 March 2020

Land rights defenders Godfrey Ssebisolo, Erias Wanjala and Fred Mwawula reported that on 12 March their houses, located in Kisalanda village, were bulldozed by Great Season Company Limited. The defenders further reported that company agents made death threats against their families and refused to explain why the houses were being destroyed. The demolition took place on the same day the defenders were released on bail following their arrest two weeks earlier. 

Rights 
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Open Case
19 May 2020

On 16 May 2020, human rights defender Rams Wasolela was found in the forest on the road leading to Kipushi territory, 55 kilometers from the city of Lubumbashi. His abductors left him on this road at approximately 11pm that night. The defender is injured as a result of the beatings and torture he suffered when he was abducted.

HRD or Organization 
Open Case
29 March 2024

On 13 February 2023, journalist and human rights defender Rida Benotmane appeared before the Rabat Court of Appeal, represented by his lawyers. The counsel for the human rights defender presented the procedural appeals, pleading to the court to nullify the conviction decision of the First Instance Court based on multiple procedural errors. On 7 November 2022, the Court of First Instance in Rabat sentenced Rida Benotmane to three years in prison and a fine for expressing his opinion on social media.

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22 March 2024

On 7 March 2024 human rights defender G. N. Saibaba was released from Nagpur Central Jail after nearly a decade of imprisonment. Two days prior, on 5 March 2024, the human rights defender was acquitted of all charges by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, paving the way for his release.

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Open Case
6 September 2023

Imprisoned woman human rights defender and citizen journalist Zhang Zhan was hospitalised in July 2023 at a hospital in Shanghai managed by prison authorities. Prior to her hospitalisation, she weighed only 37kg, half of her weight prior to her arrest.

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Open Case
28 December 2022

On 16 August 2022, Vida Rabbani announced on her twitter account that the sentence of the Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court pertaining to five years imprisonment on the charge of “insulting the sacred,” four years imprisonment on the charge of “gathering and colluding to act against national security,” and one year imprisonment on the charge of “propaganda activities against the state” has been confirmed in the court of appeals. The instances mentioned for these charges include reporting on human rights violations and social media activities.

Violations 
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Open Case
30 January 2023

On 23 January 2023, a Dhaka court directed Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to further investigate the cases that are being taken against woman human rights defender and journalist Rozina Islam.

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Open Case
29 June 2022

On 26 June 2022, human rights defender, Amirsalar Davoudi, was transferred to prison. The human rights defender was sentenced to fourteen years in prison by Branch 36 of Tehran Court of Appeals on 1 December 2021. This includes two years in prison for “insulting the supreme leader two years for “disconcerting public opinion” and ten years for “forming a group to act against national security.” After the application of Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe single sentence of ten years in prison will be applied.

Rights 
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Open Case
11 December 2020

On 11 December 2020, human rights defender Alain Kemba Didah was found not guilty of the charges of “act of rebellion and disturbance of public order” by the Court of First Instance of N'djamena. On the same day, the defender was released from Amsinene prison where he had been detained since his arbitrary arrest on 27 November by police officers at the office of Radio FM-Liberté.

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11 September 2020

On 11 September 2020, a court in Delhi granted bail to human rights defender Khalif Saifi, in case 44/2020, which includes charges under Sections 147 (rioting), 186 (obstructing public servant from discharging duty), 149 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting, with deadly weapon), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from doing duty) and 307 (attempt to murder), and other sections of the Indian Penal Code.

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Open Case
16 January 2018

On 10 January 2018, Thai human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist Arnon Nampa appeared at the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) of the police to hear charges against him for contempt of court and violation of cyber crime laws as per the Computer Crime Act. If found guilty, he could face up to five years in prison for violating the Computer Crime Act and up to seven years in prison for contempt of court.

Violations 
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Open Case
12 July 2019

On 11 July 2019, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a raid on the office of Lawyers Collective and residence of senior advocates Indira Jaising and Anand Grover. The raid started at around 8 am and lasted for several hours.

Violations 
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13 September 2023

On 9 August 2023, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), an intelligence agency operating under the Bangladesh Bank, requested all banks of Bangladesh to provide account details of human rights defender Zillur Rahman and the Centre for Governance Studies.

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Open Case
14 September 2023

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.

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Open Case
9 August 2023

On 28 July 2023, the Supreme Court of India granted bail to human rights defenders Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, accused in the Bhima Koregaon case in 2018.

On 14 February 2020, an order was passed to move the investigation on the Bhima Koregaon case to the National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai. The next court hearing is set for 28 February 2020. Meanwhile, all nine human rights defenders have been transferred to Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.

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Open Case
23 March 2023

On 22 March 2023, the Patiala House Court in New Delhi remanded human rights defender and journalist Irfan Mehraj in NIA custody. Irfan Mehraj was arrested by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) under several charges including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 20 March 2023. In the evening of 20 March 2023, he received a ‘routine telephone call’ from the NIA and was asked to report to their office in Srinagar.

HRD or Organization 
Open Case
15 March 2023

On 18 August 2022, the convener of the Inter University Student Federation (IUSF), Wasantha Mudalige, the convener of the Inter University Bhikku Federation (IUBF), Galwewa Siridhamma Thero and Hashan Jeewantha were arrested along with 17 other peaceful protesters during a protest in Colombo.

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Open Case
9 January 2023

On 11 December 2022, a bail order of 6 billion IRR was issued for a new case opened against Mustafa Nili following his arrest in November 2022. The first court session was adjourned on 9 January 2023 at 28 Branch of Tehran Revolutionary Court when the human rights defender refused to be present in protest against the violation of due processes for the detainees of the recent protests taking place in Iran sparked by the killing of Mahsa Amini. Therefore, the new charges against the defender are yet to be known.

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