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.
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 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 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 1 August 2024, Bronislav Danylovych, the father of imprisonment woman human rights defender and journalist Iryna Danylovych, passed away at the age of 78 after a long battle with cancer. Bronislav Danylovych was a main force in advocating for his daughter’s release and was dedicated to the cause of human rights.
On the 7th anniversary of the peaceful popular movement of the Bahraini people which started on 14 February 2011, the NGOs called on the international community to help free human rights defenders in Bahrain, some of whom are jailed for life, and to stop the persecution of journalists simply for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly. On 05 February 2018, Abdulhadi's wife Khadija Al-Mousawi tweeted that she visited her husband who has been targeted and abused in Jaw prison and has been taken to hospital in shackles.
On 3 September 2023, the lawyer of human rights defenders Jafar Ebrahimi and Kamyar Fakour announced that they have been charged with “disturbing the public order” and “insulting the prison authorities” at Branch 3 of Evin prison court. Both human rights defenders were forcibly transferred to Qezel Hesar prison from Evin prison on the same day, as part of a group of at least ten prisoners.
On 15 August 2023, human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was denied a prearranged video call with his daughter days after he was rushed to the intensive care unit where doctors declared his life was in danger. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is in imminent danger of losing his life sincehe has started a water-only hunger strike on 9 August 2023 in protest against his continued imprisonment and denial of access to adequate medical treatment.
On 25 January 2024, the Court of Final Appeal, Hong Kong’s top court, overturned the December 2022 ruling by the High Court acquitting woman human rights defender Chow Hang-tung of “inciting others to participate in an unauthorised assembly” in the 2021 vigil to commemorate the victims of the military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing in 1989.
On 21 July 2024, human rights defender Cheng Yuan completed a five-year sentence at the Chishan Prison in Hunan province, and subsequently returned to his home in Nanjing city, Jiangsu province.
On 13 June 2023, family members met human rights defender Cheng Yuan at the Chishan Prison in the Hunan province. Cheng Yuan said he was subjected to corporal punishment and other ill-treatment when he was placed in a high-security ward of the prison between January and April 2022.
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 25 November 2022, the Pervomaisky District Court of the City of Bishkek fined woman human rights defender Aziza Abdirasulova. The Court found woman human rights defender guilty for exhibiting disobedience to the lawful demand of an employee of the internal affairs bodies, a violation envisioned by the Article 128 of the Code of Offenses of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. Aziza Abdirasulova was violently detained while monitoring a peaceful protest in Bishkek on 15 November 2022.
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.
On Friday 11 March 2022, Raif Badawi was released from prison after serving a ten-year sentence. A ten-year travel ban is still being upheld against the human rights defender.
On 21 September 2019, human rights defender Raif Badawi ended his hunger strike after receiving a visit from the Saudi Human Rights Commission.
On 17 September 2019, human rights defender Raif Badawi began an open-ended hunger strike over the intensifying mistreatment and worsening detention conditions he is facing. Most recently, prison officials confiscated his books and important medicine.
On 5 September 2024, law enforcement officers transferred human rights defender Aleksei Sokolov from Pre-Trial Detention Center #1 to Sverdlovsk Regional Clinical Psychiatric Hospital in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Neither Aleksei Sokolov nor his family and lawyer had been informed in advance about the transfer.
On 27 April 2024, human rights defender Jafar Ebrahimi was released from Qezel Hesar prison in Alborz province after completing his prison term of two years.
On 31 October 2023, human rights defender Jafar Ebrahimi was released on two weeks medical furlough.
On 23 May 2024, the Ofer Military Court held a judicial review hearing to confirm a new four-month administrative detention order against woman human rights defender and lawyer Diala Ayesh.
In a decision dated 10 September 2024, the Guangdong Provincial High Court rejected human rights defenders Huang Xueqin’s and Wang Jianbing’s appeal and upheld the original verdict. However, the court failed to give advance notice to the lawyers of both human rights defenders regarding its decision to not convene a trial to consider their appeal, and its plan to announce the verdict on 10 September.
On 13 January 2023, Mytilene Appeals Court Greece officially dropped charges against 24 human rights defenders. This included aid workers Sean Binder, Nassos Karakitsos, Sara Mardini. The charges stem from work carried out by the human rights defenders in Greece where they assisted in migrant crossings to the island of Lesvos. As a result, they found themselves charged with “people smuggling” as well as “money laundering”, “espionage” and “membership in a criminal organisation”.
On 13 January 2023, Mytilene Appeals Court Greece officially dropped charges against 24 human rights defenders. This included aid workers Sean Binder, Nassos Karakitsos, Sara Mardini. The charges stem from work carried out by the human rights defenders in Greece where they assisted in migrant crossings to the island of Lesvos. As a result, they found themselves charged with “people smuggling” as well as “money laundering”, “espionage” and “membership in a criminal organisation”.
On 13 January 2023, Mytilene Appeals Court Greece officially dropped charges against 24 human rights defenders. This included aid workers Seán Binder, Nassos Karakitsos, Sara Mardini. The charges stem from work carried out by the human rights defenders in Greece where they assisted in migrant crossings to the island of Lesvos. As a result, they found themselves charged with “people smuggling” as well as “money laundering”, “espionage” and “membership in a criminal organisation”.
