On 23 March 2015, Kuwaiti security forces arrested human rights defender Mr Nawaf Al Hendal in Al-Erada square while he was monitoring peaceful protests. Reportedly, security forces beat the human rights defender during the arrest, which occurred in front of the National Assembly in Kuwait City, and confiscated his phone.
On 17 February 2016, human rights defender Mr Jean-Chrysostome Kijana was arrested in Bukavu following a peaceful demonstration organised in protest against a series of forced evictions in Mbobero in January 2016. He was detained and interrogated for over eight hours before being released.
On 4 June 2012, prominent human rights defender and lawyer Ms Asma Jahangir declared that an assassination plot against her exists within the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies.
On 9 August 2012, the wife of human rights defender Mr Zhu Chengzhi, received official notice from the authorities in Shaoyang City, Hunan Province, that her husband was being charged with 'inciting subversion of state power'.
As a result of his human rights activities Chen Guangcheng was imprisoned in 2006 and then held prisoner in his home on his release until 2012, when he escaped house arrest and found sanctuary in the US embassy in Beijing. He is currently living and working in the US and remains outspoken on human rights issues in China.
After months of detention and judicial harassment, the human rights defenders from the 15+2 case were released and all charges dropped. In June 2016, the HRDs had been released from prison and placed under house arrest. On 28 March 2016, the Provincial Court of Luanda had sentenced them to jail terms ranging from two years to eight years for the alleged crimes of preparatory acts of rebellion and association of criminals.
After months of detention and judicial harassment, the human rights defenders from the 15+2 case were released and all charges dropped. In June 2016, the HRDs had been released from prison and placed under house arrest. On 28 March 2016, the Provincial Court of Luanda had sentenced them to jail terms ranging from two years to eight years for the alleged crimes of preparatory acts of rebellion and association of criminals.
On 31 May 2016, judicial authorities in Manama ordered to suspend the sentence against human rights defender Zainab Al-Khawaja and release her on "humanitarian grounds”. She was jailed in Isa Town Women’s Prison with her one-year-old son, for over three months. Charges brought against her include "destroying public property" after she tore up a picture of the King of Bahrain twice.
