ProtectionLine

50 people, human rights defenders and political activists: arbitrarily arrested during a meeting for political change - Swaziland - Africa

Amnesty International — 2010-09-08T10:57:22Z

7 September 2010

Amnesty International has called for an end to the harassment of human rights defenders and political activists in Swaziland following the arrest on Monday of nearly 50 people at a gathering of activists in the country's largest city, Manzini.

Most of those arrested were released without charge within hours however 16 people remain in custody. They include members of southern African and international trade union organizations. Amnesty International has called for their immediate release.

"The arbitrary arrest of these political activists, lawyers, trade unionists and journalists is nothing short of police harassment and intimidation,” said Amnesty International's southern Africa researcher Mary Rayner who has just returned from the country.

The arrests occurred when police broke up a meeting organized by a broad coalition of groups campaigning for political change in Swaziland.

Police also arrested at least one journalist covering the event and assaulted a human rights defender who had photographed the police actions.

The mass arrests occurred just before two days of planned pro-democracy demonstrations across the country.

Political activists, human rights defenders and trade unionists have been harassed, threatened, ill-treated and detained by the Swaziland police over the past year under draconian anti-terrorism legislation.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-...

Sandra Zambrano and others, members of APUVIMEH (LGBTI organisation): kidnapped, intimidated and harassed - Honduras - Latin America

Front Line — 2010-09-06T18:11:53Z

3 September 2010

Front Line expresses its deep concern regarding recent incidents of kidnapping, surveillance, threats, harassment and intimidation against members of the LGBTI organization Association for a Better Life (Asociación por una Vida Mejor- APUVIMEH).

Further Information

APUVIMEH works with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community and those affected by HIV / AIDS in Honduras. It also operates a shelter for people with HIV / AIDS and those of the LGBTI community, "Casa Renacer", and runs several projects including a program for prevention of HIV / AIDS and sexual infections, and a gay youth project.

In recent months, members and staff of APUVIMEH have been subject to surveillance, threats, kidnappings and intimidation. On 14 August 2010, an APUVIMEH officer who works in the prevention of HIV/ADIS project – whose name is known to Front Line but withheld for security reasons - was kidnapped in front of the offices of APUVIMEH. It is reported that the perpetrators, who have not been identified, pushed a handkerchief into his mouth along with an unknown type of pill. It believed that the pill was a sleeping tablet, as the APUVIMEH officer lost consciousness and cannot remember anything afterwards. Some 19 hours later, the man was found abandoned about 30kms from the municipal capital of San Juancito. His belongings had been robbed, including his university identification card, credit cards, cell phone, books and notebooks. The family decided not to report the kidnapping to the authorities because of their fear of reprisals, while the victim is severely traumatised by the attack.

The week of 9 August, a few days before the kidnapping, the residence of Ms Sandra Zambrano, project manager for APUVIMEH, was kept under surveillance by armed men. Unidentified men stood in front of the house for half an hour and asked neighbours and passersby questions about Sandra Zambrano and her family. On August 13, at approximately 9:00 am, it was noticed that APUVIMEH's office was being watched by an unknown man. On August 20, APUVIMEH filed a complaint with the Human Rights Unit of the Ministry of Security to ask for security measures. It was agreed that a police patrol would be provided for Sandra Zambrano's house and another for the organization's office. However, while officials conducted their patrols as planned on 23 August, they have not been back since and police have not been in contact Sandra Zambrano.

There have also been reports by APUVIMEH of several previous incidents of threats and harassment. Since December 2009, five of their members have fled the country to ensure their safety because of death threats, surveillance, intimidation, raising of their identities publicly and surveillance of the office. As a result of intimidation and surveillance, APUVIMEH has decided to close the office of its gay youth project with effect from 2 September. Front Line previously issued an urgent appeal in connection with Mr Walter Trochez, a member of APUVIMEH who was brutally murdered on 17 December 2009.

Front Line expresses its serious concern regarding the above-mentioned incidents and views such actions as forming part of a systematic campaign of intimidation against members of the LGBTI community in Honduras, and in particular LGBTI human rights defenders. Front Line is particularly concerned for the safety of Sandra Zambrano and other members of APUVIMEH, and considers that the surveillance, threats and intimidation directed against them are directly related to their work in defence of human rights. This campaign is becoming increasingly violent: at least 30 members of the LGBTI community have reportedly been killed so far in 2010, and there are several documented cases of LGBTI fleeing the country for their safety.

Jorge Wilder Quiroz Quispe, Claudia Lecoña and Marcelo H. Garcia, human rights lawyers: victims of harassment and stigmatisation - Bolivia - Latin America

Front Line — 2010-09-06T14:31:00Z

2 September 2010

Front Line is concerned following reports received of recent incidents of harassment and stigmatisation of la Asamblea Permanente de Derechos Humanos de Bolivia (Permanent Assembly on Human Rights of Bolivia – APDHB), in particular, of human rights lawyers Dr Jorge Wilder Quiroz Quispe and Dr Claudia Lecoña, who are married, and of Dr Marcelo H. Garcia.

Further Information

APDHB is an independent human rights organisation working on the investigation of human rights violations in Bolivia.

On 17 August 2010, APDHB's President, Ms Yolanda Herrera, launched a document named the “Caranavi Report”, which presented APDHB's conclusions regarding their investigation into events which occurred on 7 and 8 May 2010 during a police operation in the Caranavi region. Police intervened to break up a group of protesters who were blocking a major road. During the operation two youths died in circumstances which have never been clarified.

Also on 17 August, Jorge Wilder Quiroz Quispe and Claudia Lecoña, lawyers for the victims of the Caranavi incident and partners of APDHB, filed a lawsuit with regard to the killings, citing Mr Sacha Sergio Llorenti Soliz, Minister for Government, Mr Gustavo Torrico, a former Deputy Minister for the Interior, and Mr Oscar Nina, Commander General of the Police, for the alleged crime of murder.

On Friday 20 August, Dr Marcelo H. Garcia, a member of APDHB, gave a radio interview clarifying certain points in the report. The following Monday, 23 August, when he returned to work at the Department of Governance of La Paz, Marcelo Garcia was reportedly informed without explanation that he had been dismissed from his position as a Senior Clerk.

On 26 August a press conference was given by Police Commander Oscar Nina, who made accusations that Jorge Quiroz was a former Peruvian policeman who did not have Bolivian citizenship. Oscar Nina also stated that he would pursue those who “make accusations against the police without proof” (aquellos que "acusen sin pruebas a la Policía").

Early on the morning of 27 August, Jorge Quiroz and Claudia Lecoña filed a petition for injunction in court against Oscar Nina, accusing him of discrimination, violation of their privacy and security as well as psychological damage, asking the judge to order an end to persecution against them. The petition was rejected, but the presiding judge recommended that Oscar Nina cease making statements against the two lawyers publicly. Later that day, Jorge Quiroz and Claudia Lecoña's office in Yanacocha street was raided by police, reportedly to search for illegal drugs. Computer equipment was confiscated although the search warrant reportedly did not sanction their seizure.

On 28 August, their home was searched by police, allegedly as a result of an anonymous complaint which accused the two human rights defenders of criminal acts. Uniformed police officers along with one officer in plainclothes confiscated computers and other material. The search was filmed and it has been reported that the tape shows material being planted at the scene: a girl in plainclothes can reportedly be seen entering the residence with a red backpack. The backpack was later “confiscated” by the policemen who carried out the search.

On 30 August, the Deputy Minister for the Interior and Police, Marcos Farfán, gave a press conference in which he stated that Jorge Quiroz had “an irregular status in the country” (una "estadía irregular en el país") because he is subject to investigations in Bolivia for narcotrafficking, and that in Peru he was wanted by Interpol for extradition. In addition, the Deputy Minister stated that an arrest warrant had been issued against Jorge Quiroz by the Supreme Court in Trujillo, Peru, and had been sent to Interpol in Bolivia for his arrest. In response, on 31 August Jorge Quiroz reportedly presented a judicial resolution dating from 2007 proving that there was no penal process pending against him by the Peruvian judiciary, and denying that he had even been subject to an arrest warrant.

A second raid of the lawyers' home reportedly took place on 1 September. Jorge Quiroz also was required to present documentation to the state's Migration offices. He stated afterwards that he was questioned for approximately three hours regarding his entry into Bolivia, how he maintained himself and questions of a personal nature. He agreed to present further documentation, including photocopies of his professional qualifications.

Front Line believes that the public statements, searches and investigations by the authorities in relation to the aforementioned human rights defenders connected to APDHB constitute an attempt to prevent them from pursuing their investigations and discredit their work. Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of members of APDHB, particularly Jorge Quiroz, Claudia Lecoña and Marcelo Garcia.

Leang Sokchouen, Cambodian defender: sentenced to two years in prison for giving out anti-government leaflets - Cambodia - Asia

Amnesty International — 2010-09-03T12:59:06Z

1 September 2010

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have urged the Cambodian government to immediately release a human rights worker who was sentenced to two years in prison for giving out anti-government leaflets.

Leang Sokchouen, who works for the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), was convicted on charges of "disinformation" on Monday after a trial marked by numerous procedural flaws.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) have called or Sokchoeun's release in a joint statement.

“This conviction once again highlights the lack of independence and impartiality of the courts, which are all too often used as a tool against the less powerful, rather than to uphold their rights,” said Donna Guest, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific deputy director.

Cambodian police arrested Sokchouen on 29 May on charges of involvement in the production and distribution of anti-government leaflets in Takeo province in January.

He was held incommunicado for over 33 hours, despite numerous requests by his family and lawyer to visit him. Sokchouen was given a US$500 fine, plus a two-year prison sentence.

“Unfounded charges of disinformation or defamation are well-worn tactics used by the Cambodian government to create a climate of fear,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President, added: “We reiterate our call to the Cambodian authorities to abolish the crimes of defamation and disinformation in Cambodian criminal law and ensure that the Criminal Code is not used to abusively restrict the right to freedom of expression.”

Eric Sottas, Secretary General of OMCT, urged the Cambodian authorities to free the activist.

“Leang Sokchouen should be immediately and unconditionally released as his detention is arbitrary and due process was blatantly violated throughout investigation and trial,” he said.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-...

Liu Zhengyou, Hu Yulan, Ma Zingquan and Feng Guiqin, land rights defenders: convicted of fraud - People’s Republic of China - Asia

Front Line — 2010-09-02T18:19:56Z

27 August 2010

Human rights defenders Mr Liu Zhengyou, Ms Hu Yulan, Mr Ma Xingquan and Ms Feng Guiqin have been convicted of fraud in Zigong City, Sichuan Province.

Further Information

Liu Zhengyou has been sentenced to two years in prison, while his wife, Hu Yulan, was sentenced to one and a half years in prison on the same charges, but received a reprieve and was released. Both Ma Xingquan and Feng Guiqin were sentenced to two years in prison but have also been released. Ma Xingquan will serve his sentence outside of prison due to illness, while Feng Guiqin has been released on medical parole. All four human rights defenders were members of a group known to local residents as a “non-governmental letters and visits office,” which works to defend the rights of villagers and petitioners in Sichuan Province.

Liu Zhengyou is a defender of land and housing rights who has opposed government land confiscation, particularly of farmland. In addition, he has researched human rights violations including arbitrary detention and use of psychiatric institutions as detention centres. He has been the subject of harassment by the authorities for several years as a result of his work, including arbitrary detention, physical assaults, surveillance, interrogation and periods of house arrest. In 2006 he was prevented from leaving China in order to attend a human rights training session in Geneva, Switzerland, on the basis that he was under criminal investigation for his role in leading a protest by villagers in Shandong Province who had lost their land to developers without proper compensation.

On 20 August 2010 during an afternoon court hearing, Ziliujing district court in Zigong city sentenced Liu Zhengyou to two years in prison on charges of fraud. Although some 100 of Liu Zhengyou's supporters reportedly gathered outside the courthouse, his daughter Liu Jing was the only member of his family allowed to attend the hearing. Another supporter, Luo Shimo, had applied for permission to attend but was apprehended by police and held in a tea house until the proceedings had ended later that evening.

Liu Zhengyou was originally arrested on 11 November 2009 and placed in criminal detention on charges of fraud. It is believed that these charges stem from an accusation that Liu Zhengyou and Hu Yulan falsified documentation about their work to qualify for an insurance policy, which they have both denied. While waiting for trial, Liu Zhengyou staged two hunger strikes in protest at Hu Yulan's denial of bail and deteriorating health while she was held in detention. The start of the trial for the four human rights defenders was much delayed; the prosecutor reportedly returned the case to the police twice for further investigation due to a lack of sufficient evidence to go to trial. The trial eventually began on 6 July 2010.

Mr Zheng Jianwei, Liu Zhengyou's lawyer, has complained about procedural irregularities throughout the trial. He has alleged that the defence were not allowed access to all the evidence nor given enough time to analyse the evidence they were allowed to see, and that the prosecution presented evidence during the trial which had not been previously submitted to the court. In addition, the court refused multiple requests to conduct proceedings in Mandarin and refused to provide a translator so Liu Zhengyou could follow the hearings. It is also reported that under the relevant legal provisions, the court was obliged to pass sentence no later than 5 August 2010 but delayed the delivery of a verdict until 20 August.

Liu Zhengyou is reportedly in very poor health as a result of his months in detention; during a meeting with Zheng Jianwei in June 2010, Liu appeared “extremely weak” and had to be supported by two policemen. He currently suffers from high blood pressure, and reportedly appeared very thin and frail in court.

Front Line believes that the trial and sentencing of Liu Zhengyou, Hu Yulan, Ma Xingquan and Feng Guigin is directly related to their work in the defence of human rights in Sichuan Province. In particular, Front Line sees the imprisonment of Liu Zhengyou as forming part of an ongoing pattern of harassment by the Chinese authorities in relation to his work in the defence of land rights. Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Liu Zhengyou, particularly in the light of his deteriorating health.

Protection International is recruiting a Fundraiser - Belgium - European Union - Europe

Protection International — 2010-09-02T11:25:00Z

PROTECTION INTERNATIONAL RECRUITS A FUNDRAISER

With a minimum of 3 years of professional experience

Protection International is an equal opportunities employer and
fights against all kinds of discriminations.

Background

Protection International aisbl (PI) is an International NGO based in Brussels which aims at contributing to the improvement of the protection of human rights defenders throughout the world, through developing their capacity to manage their own security as they struggle against impunity and develop their activities if favour of a sustainable peace and justice in their respective countries or regions. PI seeks to contribute to a situation where human rights defenders are recognized as legitimate actors for social change and to an environment where they can effectively exercise their rights to defend universally recognised human rights.

To this end PI is developing a Global Protection Programme for Human Right Defenders, and has established Protection Desks in partnership with local partners or Regional Offices in Colombia, Guatemala, DR Congo, Uganda and Nepal.

(Further information on PI and its activities can be found on the following web sites:
www.protectioninternational.org and www.protectionline.org)

With a view to extending its financial capacity to develop this Global Protection Programme, PI is looking for a Fundraiser, who would work under the direct supervision of the responsible for Finances and of the Executive Committee.

Key responsibilities

To work within the mandate of Protection International and follow the principles of Impartiality and non- partisanship
To investigate and follow-up possible funding opportunities for PI's activities, under the supervision of PI's Responsible for Finances
To support and liaise with PI's representatives in Africa, South America and Asia in their searches for funding opportunities in the field
To elaborate, in liaison with the concerned departments of PI, proposals and budgets for new activities to be submitted to Donors
To ensure effective financial reporting on the projects (intermediary and final reports), in coordination with the Financial and Administrative Responsibles of PI
To monitor projects' implementation and ensure an effective cost control system
To collaborate and prepare General reports for PI management committee meetings and for the Donors

Essential requirements

University Degree (Licence/Master) in a relevant domain or Certificate of Fundraising Institute
At least 3 years proven professional experience in Fundraising for NGOs
Diplomacy and extensive capacities to deal with Donors constructively
Proven ability to write proposals and elaborate budgets
Proven ability to project management and cost control
Proven ability to elaborate reports (both internal and for Donors)
Ability to work to deadlines and to manage a varied amount of tasks
Ability to develop funding proposals and to coordinate with other partners or contracting entities
Proven interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and a respect for diversity in the working environment.
Flexibility and adaptability
Excellent level in English and French (written and spoken)

Preferable

Experience with human rights organisations
Experience in a multi-cultural and/or international work environment
Experience with working in networks
German, Dutch and/or Spanish are an asset

Conditions

Based in Brussels (possible travels in Europe and abroad to meet donors)
30 hours per week on average, but long hours and weekend work is to be expected (especially with regard to submission or reporting deadlines) for which time off in lieu will be given.
Fixed duration employment contract under Belgian legislation (one year, renewable) with a probation period of 6 months.
Remuneration will be negotiated, in particular on the basis of the direct relevant experience

Application should be sent to:
Protection International
Recruitment Fundraiser
11, rue de la linière
1060 Brussels
Belgium

Or by e-mail to:
orichard protectioninternational.org – with subject “Recruitment Fundraiser”
cc: chklotz protectioninternational.org

Deadline: 30 September 2010

Application should contain:

a motivation letter (in English/French)
the application form (to be downloaded from www.protectioninternational.org)
(not compulsory) a complementary curriculum vitae – max 3 pages

Diplomas will have to be justified before employment (any fake document or information contained in the dossier or given during the interviews would mean nullity of the employment relationship).

Selection Procedure:

All applications will be examined and, based on the above-mentioned criteria, a short-list will be established.

Short-listed candidates will be invited to an interview with the selection committee. Dates will be communicated individually in due time.

Protection International is recruiting a Protection Officer based in Jakarta and reporting to the PI Regional Office in Bangkok - Indonesia - Asia

Protection International — 2010-09-02T09:51:00Z

16 July 2010

Protection International aisbl within its Global Protection Program for Human Rights Defenders calls for a Protection Officer based in Jakarta to work under the coordination of the Protection International (PI) Regional Office in Bangkok

Job Title: Protection Officer
Location: The position is based in Jakarta, Indonesia with frequent travels.
Report to: PI representative in Bangkok.

Background:
Protection International aisbl (PI) is an international NGO based in Brussels which aims at contributing to the improvement of the protection of human rights defenders throughout the world, through developing their capacity to manage their own security as they struggle against impunity and develop their activities in favour of sustainable peace and justice in their respective countries or regions. PI seeks to contribute to a situation where human rights defenders are recognized as legitimate actors for social change and to an environment where they can effectively exercise their rights to defend universally recognised human rights.
To this end PI is developing a Global Protection Programme for Human Right Defenders, and has established Protection Desks or Regional Offices all over the world: Colombia, Guatemala, DR Congo, Uganda (East and Horn of Africa), Nepal.

Further information on PI and its activities can be found on the following websites: www.protectioninternational.org and www.protectionline.org

Key responsibilities:

To work within the mandate of Protection International;
To coordinate the office to be established in the country;
To contribute to the development of a database relating to the risks faced by Human Rights Defenders (in particular to security incidents) in the region;
To develop and conduct security training sessions and to propose adaptations of PI's Security training New Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders according to specific requirements of local, national and regional context;
To report on training sessions (including on their evaluation and to propose any recommendations on possible adaptations);
To analyse the situation of HRDs and HROs at risk in Indonesia and provide security counseling;
To assess training needs among target groups and identify areas of advocacy within the mandate of the Regional Office;
To contribute to the development of advocacy activities and documents in coordination with the PI Representative;
To liaise with regional, national and/or local HRD organisations with a view to establishing or reinforcing relationships and possibly developing partnerships;
To liaise with (I)NGOs, international organisations and bodies working in the country on the protection of human rights defenders;
To collaborate and prepare reports for the PI Representative on programme and thematic topics;
To contribute to the development of the organisation's security plan, update it and abide by it;
To keep abreast of the political situation in the country and contribute to the organisational political analysis.

Essential requirements:

Educational background: minimum BA Degree (International Human Rights / Humanitarian law, Political Science, Education, Social Science, etc…);
At least 3 years of experience in human rights work;
Understanding of the UN Human Rights system, the European Union and ASEAN Human Rights mechanisms;
Experience with local and/or regional human rights organisations and human rights issues;
Field mission experience;
Experience in the practical delivery of training, preferably adult learning;
Ability to prepare reports and conduct presentations on key issues by formulating positions, articulating options concisely, and making and defending recommendations;
Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate, implement and review work processes and plans;
Experience in a multi-cultural and/or international work environment;
Ability to work under pressure and to multi-task;
Willingness and ability to travel for extended periods of time;
Commitment to gender equality as well as to cultural, ethnic, sexual orientation and religious equality;
Analytical skills as well as creative and interactive skills;
Interactive/ Assertive/ Self-confident;
Understanding of rules of participation and how to encourage inclusion;
Diplomacy and extensive capacities to deal with challenges and situations of conflict constructively;
Proven ability to write and speak concisely and clearly and communicate effectively;
Experience in coordinating programmes;
Experience in writing projects proposal and reports (narrative);
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
Proven team work skills;
Ability to work independently.

Languages:
Fluency in spoken and written English and Indonesian (knowledge of other local languages appreciated)

Contract Conditions:
Fixed term full contract for 12 months with 3 months trial period. Continuation is subject to funding and mutual satisfaction. Protection International is an equal opportunities employer. Salary payment according to previous experience.

The selection process includes several steps:

CV short-list
Written test
2 day training attendance
Face to Face interview in Indonesia in October.

Application should contain:

a motivation letter (in English)
the application form (to be downloaded from www.protectioninternational.org)
complementary curriculum vitae – max 3 pages
contact of 3 references

Diplomas will have to be justified before employment (any fake document or information contained in the dossier or given during the interviews would mean nullification of the employment relationship).

Applications should be sent to:

tessa_deryck protectioninternational.org and cc'ed to mcaraj protectioninternational.org
by 26 September 2010

Further information about the activities of Protection International can be obtained from: www.protectioninternational.org and www.protectionline.org

Julius Kaggwa and Viktória Mohácsi, Ugandan and Hungarian defenders respectively: win the HRF “2010 Human Rights Award” - United States of America

Human Rights First — 2010-09-01T11:22:52Z

27 August 2010

New York City – Human Rights First will present its 2010 Human Rights Award to a renowned Hungarian advocate for the rights of the Roma people in Europe and a Ugandan activist on the front lines of defeating a draconian anti-homosexuality bill there. The group will honor this year's recipients, Julius Kaggwa and Viktória Mohácsi, at its annual award dinner in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 21.

"Julius and Viktória are courageous leaders in the fight against discrimination and hate crimes in their own societies," said Human Rights First President and CEO Elisa Massimino. "Human Rights First is pleased to honor these activists who—at great personal risk—stand up for the rights of those targeted for discrimination and abuse, Julius in Africa and Viktória in Europe. LGBTI persons and the Roma face prejudices that often are masked as socially acceptable in both parts of the world. In reality, such prejudices are at the root of widespread discrimination, marginalization, and outright violence. Despite death threats and ongoing danger to their own well-being, these two human rights advocates persevere in the struggle for equal opportunity and equal treatment for all. We draw strength from their resolve and their example. We are privileged to work with them and to honor their courage and achievements with this award."

Mohácsi is the founder of Desegregation, a Hungary-based organization she established to monitor hate crimes committed against Roma. Since 2008, the Roma community in Hungary has been subjected to a series of violent acts motivated by hatred, ranging from severe beatings in broad daylight to murders by arson, shootings or the throwing of Molotov cocktail explosives. Mohácsi has been a leading advocate to raise awareness and improve government responses to these attacks and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Earlier in her career, Mohácsi was an editor and news presenter for the Romani program on the Hungarian state television, Patrin. She was later elected a Hungarian Member of the European Parliament, one of only two Roma Euro-parliamentarians. During that period, from 2004-2009, Mohácsi raised awareness on the plight of Roma communities across Europe and the discrimination they faced. She led efforts to place the question of Roma rights on the agenda of the European Parliament and urged EU governments to take seriously their responsibilities to protect the rights of Roma people. She was an inspiring voice calling for the European Union to develop a coherent strategy on Roma integration across the continent.

Last year, as Hungary's antisemitic, anti-Roma and xenophobic far-right Jobbik party gained momentum, Mohacsi lost her parliamentary seat. While she focuses her activism largely in Hungary, she remains a leader in the fight for Roma rights throughout Europe.

Born and raised in Uganda, Kaggwa has long advocated for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa. He is the Director of Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development (SIPD), a project working to promote human rights protection and holistic support for children and people with intersex conditions. He has also been a lead player of the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law, a group that is at the forefront of domestic campaigning against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill recently tabled before the Ugandan parliament.

Homophobic legislation and violence against LGBTI individuals are on the rise in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa. Kaggwa's work aims to fight this trend by promoting tolerance towards sexual minorities in Uganda and campaigning for the decriminalization of homosexuality. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill aims to criminalize all homosexual acts, making it – in some cases – punishable by death. The legislation would also stifle any activism in support of the LGBTI community. Though Kaggwa faces ongoing harassment and personal danger linked to his work against the bill, his fight to defeat it and to protect the human rights of all Ugandas, including LGBTI Ugandans, goes on.

Human Rights First has presented its annual human rights awards for more than 20 years. In tribute to this long tradition and the awards' enduring legacy, this year's program will feature special guest and 1998 Human Rights Award recipient, Gerda Weissman Klein. Weissman Klein is a Holocaust survivor whose foundation, the Gerda and Kurt Klein Foundation, promotes tolerance, respect, and empowerment of students through education and community service. She has written several books about her experiences, including the memoir All But my Life, which was the basis for the 1995 Academy Award-winning documentary short film, One Survivor Remembers.

In addition to Weissmann Klein, former recipients include Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam from Darfur; Ludmilla Alexeeva from Russia; Helen Mack from Guatemala; Archbishop Pius Ncube from Zimbabwe; Saad Eddin Ibrahim from Egypt; Albie Sachs from South Africa; Hina Jalani from Pakistan; and Mary Robinson from Ireland. This year's Human Rights First awards ceremony will take place in New York City on Thursday, October 21.

Hrant Dink, murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist: European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rules against Turkey - Turkey

IFEX — 2010-09-01T10:45:03Z

30 August 2010

(BIANET/IFEX) - 25 August 2010 - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) convicted Turkey in the case of Hrant Dink. The Turkish-Armenian journalist was assassinated on 19 January 2007 in Istanbul.

According to news obtained by BIANET, the ECHR chamber decided that there had been a violation of the right to life because Turkey did not prevent the murder of the journalist and did not carry out an effective investigation afterwards. One of the files tried in the scope of this case was related to the punishment handed down to Dink prior to his death based on Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Law which bans "insults" to the Turkish state. The ECHR saw a violation of freedom of expression in the sentence.

In the defence argument recently submitted by Turkey to the Strasbourg court, Dink was compared to a Nazi leader and was accused of publishing "hate speeches". Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin had both distanced themselves from the defence.

After the defence argument made headlines, Turkish President Abdullah Gül admitted that Dink died because the necessary precautions had not been taken. Subsequently, he invited Hosrof Dink, brother of the killed journalist, to a meeting on 20 August.

The final court decision is expected to be announced in September. If Turkey decides to appeal, the ECHR Great Chamber will give the final decision.

Lawyer Fethiye Cetin, joint attorney of the Dink family, stated that rights violations continue in the trials and investigations related to Dink's murder. Cetin indicated, "The means of domestic remedies are being exhausted one by one".

The joint lawyers of the Dink family await the investigation of all persons involved in the murder who played a background role. However, Cetin does not expect much in the face of the developments.

According to the lawyer, the cases tried in Turkey and the investigation into the Dink murder constitute a violation of several articles of the European Convention of Human Rights. These are namely Articles 2, 6, 10, 13 and 14 on the right to life, the right to a fair trial, the right to freedom of expression, to an effective remedy and the prohibition of discrimination respectively.

http://www.ifex.org/turkey/2010/08/...

President Kabila urged to undertake reforms to promote press freedom and improve the worsening climate for journalists - Democratic Republic of Congo - Africa

Reporters Without Borders — 2010-08-31T18:48:05Z

30 August 2010

Reporters Without Borders and Journalist in Danger (JED), its local partner organisation, wrote to President Joseph Kabila today to condemn the steady decline in the climate for journalists and the reduction in the space for free expression in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The two organisations, which are particularly worried about Jullson Eninga, a journalist who is facing a possible 20-year jail sentence or even the death penalty on a charge of treason, urged President Kabila to undertake courageous and major reforms to promote press freedom and improve the climate before next year's presidential election. This is the text of the letter:

President Joseph Kabila
Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of Congo

Paris and Kinshasa, 30 August 2010

Dear President Kabila,

Reporters Without Borders and Journalist in Danger (JED), its local partner organisation, would again like to draw your attention to the steady decline in the climate for journalists and the reduction in the space for free expression in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Our two organisations already sounded the alarm on the 50th anniversary of the RDC's independence on 30 June, referring to several cases of murders of journalists, the frequent arrests and threats against media personnel, and the foreign media's difficulties in working properly.

Nothing has been done to improve the situation in the two months since then. Our organisations have even registered ten more deliberate attacks on journalists and media in the past two months, attacks that could foreshadow even greater repression in the run-up to next year's elections if preventive measures are not adopted.

Here are some examples:

1. Michel Tshiyoyo, a cameraman working for Radio Télévision Amazone (RTA) a station based in Kananga, the capital of Kasaï-Occidental province, was given an emergency evacuation to Kinshasa by the UN Stabilisation Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) on 17 August, shortly after receiving SMS threats from individuals allegedly close to the province's governor, Trésor Kapuku. His only crime was to have witnessed clashes a few days before between the governor and his men, on the one hand. and the population of the village of Lwandanda, 25 km from Kananga. Even after being evacuated, he continued to receive threats, including one coming from the telephone number 0812221172, warning that “murder is common in Kinshasa” and recalling the “fate of Chebeya.” Is it necessary to point out that it is the prevailing sense of impunity that permits this kind of brazenness?

2. Pascal Mulunda, the editor of the privately-owned weekly Le Monitor, has just been released after spending 24 days in prison and having to pay 600 dollars in unjustified bail amounts. He was arrested on 27 July and placed in pre-trial detention in Kinshasa prison as a result of a libel action brought by Baudouin Iheta, the coordinator of the Small-Scale Mining Technical Assistance and Training Service (SAESSCAM), over a 23 June article accusing Iheta of mismanagement and embezzlement. He was released conditionally on 19 August. According to his lawyer, he has to present himself before a judge every Tuesday and Friday and is banned from leaving the capital.

Is it also necessary to point out that the DRC continues to be a country where journalists are systematically jailed on defamation charges and the defamation legislation does not even require verifying the facts of a case?

3. Jullson Eninga, the editor of the daily Le Journal, has been held in the Kinshasa Penitentiary and Re-education Centre (CPRK) for the past five months without being given any chance to avail himself of the presumption of innocence. Initially accused of “propaganda on behalf of a rebellion,” a crime that does not exist under the DRC's legislation, he is currently being tried before a Kinshasa high court on a treason charge, which carries a possible 20-year jail sentence or the death penalty. This is because, in June 2009, he published a communiqué by the Hutu rebels of the Rwanda Democratic Liberation Forces (FDLR), who operate in the eastern DRC. The communiqué was taken from the Africatime.com website.

Eninga insists on his innocence, explaining that the publication of the communiqué was a mistake by the newspaper for which he has formally apologised. Le Journal has nonetheless remained closed for the past year at the behest of the communication ministry, which is also behind the prosecution. Everything points to a deliberate desire to hound and gag the independent press.

4. The transmission signals for Canal Kin Télévision (CKTV), Canal Congo Télévision (CCTV) and Radio Liberté Kinshasa (Ralik) – three opposition stations owned by Jean-Pierre Bemba – were all cut on 26 July. According to our information, a group of armed men stormed into the complex that houses the transmitters and ordered technicians to cut off their broadcasts. No official explanation was given to the three stations, which were able to resume normal broadcasting two days later.

5. Several soldiers stormed into Moto Oïcha, a radio station based in Oïcha, near Béni (in the eastern province of Nord-Kivu), on 28 July and asked to speak to a presenter. As he was absent, the solders beat the technician who was there, and then searched the building. Fearing for his safety, the presenter has been in hiding ever since. A few days before this incident, the station's news editor had received anonymous telephone threats.

All these press freedom violations are indicative of the difficulties that Congolese journalists are encountering in the course of trying to work without being exposed to threats and risks. This is the case both in the capital and the provinces, especially the eastern provinces.

We have for years been calling on your government to take measures to provide journalists with more security, to guarantee a better climate for free expression and to ombat impunity for murders of journalists. Shortly after Didace Namujimbo's murder in Bukavu in November 2008, for example, we urged you to create a special judicial commission to shed light on the murders of journalists, but you took no action.

The need is now more urgent than ever for you to undertake such courageous and major reforms to promote press freedom in the DRC. It would allow you to respond to the current problems as well as to prepare for next year, bearing in mind that the country's journalists are likely to encounter new problems linked to the campaign for the 2011 presidential election.

We very much hope you will take account of these requests.

Respectfully,

Jean-François Julliard, Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders

Donat M'Baya Tshimanga, President of Journalist in Danger

http://en.rsf.org/democratic-republ...,38234.html

Lev Ponomarev, head of the Movement for Human Rights: arbitrarily arrested and sentenced - Russian Federation - Europe

Human Rights Watch — 2010-08-30T08:32:20Z

26 August 2010

(Moscow) - The Tverskoi District Court of Moscow should overturn Lev Ponomarev's sentence of administrative arrest and ensure his immediate release from custody, Human Rights Watch said today. The activist was sentenced to three days for "disobeying police orders" and is currently serving the sentence at a special detention center of the Moscow Police Department.

"The Russian authorities should free Ponomarev immediately," said Tanya Lokshina, Russia researcher at Human Rights Watch. "And they should also allow people to exercise their rights to freedom of assembly instead of interfering with peaceful gatherings."

Ponomarev, a longtime human rights activist and head of the Movement for Human Rights, was arrested in the late afternoon on August 22, 2010, when he approached Pushkin Square in Moscow to join a public rally to support the protection of the Khimki Forest Park. Police detained him for several hours, alleging that earlier in the day he had failed to follow an order of a policeman, and released him pending an administrative hearing on August 25. On the evening of August 25, a justice of the peace upheld the police allegations and sentenced Ponomarev to three days under administrative detention.

In the early hours of August 26, Ponomarev was brought to the detention center of the Moscow Police Department. Prior to his arrival at the detention center, Ponomarev, 68, felt unwell and an ambulance had to be called twice for him during the night. Ponomarev's lawyer lodged an appeal with the Tverskoi district court, demanding that the ruling on administrative detention be dismissed.

At around noon on August 22, Ponomarev had joined a group of opposition activists who attempted to march through the center of Moscow carrying a Russian flag. August 22 is national Flag Day in Russia, which commemorates the raising of the contemporary Russian tricolor flag over the Supreme Soviet building after a failed anti-democratic coup d'état attempt in 1991.

At approximately 1:00 p.m. the police apprehended several activists for taking part in that march, which had not been sanctioned by the city authorities. Ponomarev walked away when the police told marchers to disperse. As one of the organizers of a different and officially-sanctioned rally scheduled for 5 p.m. the same day, Ponomarev was taking care to avoid detention. As he approached Pushkin Square at around 4 p.m. together with Ludmilla Alexeeva, Chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, he was detained by police for having allegedly disobeyed their orders three hours earlier.

"Ponomarev's arrest was clearly timed and designed to ensure that he would not be able to participate in the authorized rally, in which he was supposed to be playing a key role," said Lokshina. "As such, it is a blatant violation of his freedom of assembly and yet another example of the pernicious ways the authorities like to interfere with the work of the Movement for Human Rights."

The European Court of Human Rights, whose judgments are binding on Russia, has previously held that three days' deprivation of liberty is a severe penalty for administrative offences allegedly committed while peacefully exercising the right to assembly, and a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Moreover on this occasion, Ponomarev had dispersed when instructed to, and did not ignore any order.

This is not the first time Ponomarev has been sentenced to administrative detention for his human rights work. In September 2006, he spent three days in jail for participating in a rally commemorating victims of the Beslan school hostage crisis and Amnesty International recognized him as a prisoner of conscience. Ponomarev was also brutally beaten in March 2009. The perpetrators have not yet been identified or brought to justice. That vicious attack prompted US President Barack Obama to raise the issue with his Russian counterpart, President Dmitri Medvedev, during their first ever meeting held in London in April 2009.

The rally at Pushkin Square was attended by up to 3,000 people. It was a part of a major campaign to safeguard the Khimki Forest Park, a legally protected ecosystem, from being damaged by major road construction planned by the authorities. Several prominent Russian rock musicians, including Yurii Shevchuk, were planning to perform. However, the authorities interfered and sought to undermine this authorized public gathering by preventing the organizers and musicians from setting up their sound equipment. The performers were left to perform without being heard by the audience.

The Russian authorities should immediately halt the practice of interfering with freedom of assembly, in particular through the detention of peaceful participants in public assemblies and human rights activists, said Human Rights Watch.

Russia is a party to the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which guarantee freedom of assembly (under articles 11 and 21 respectively). The right to freedom of assembly is recognized as fundamental to the foundations of a democratic society. Governments must safeguard the right and must also refrain from applying unreasonable indirect restrictions upon it.

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/08/...

Jhon Jairo Palacios, member of an Afro-descendant community: enforced disappearance and possible killing - Colombia - Latin America

I save lives - AI Belgique — 2010-08-26T10:42:33Z

24 August 2010

UA: Index: AMR 23/027/2010 Issue Date: 23 August 2010

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 4 OCTOBER 2010. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

A member of an Afro-descendant community in Colombia has been subjected to enforced disappearance, and possibly killed, by paramilitaries. The rest of the community are in grave danger.

Jhon Jairo Palacios, a member of an Afro-descendant community in the Cacarica River Basin in the north-east of the country, was abducted after he left his home in the Barranquilla area of the Cacarica River Basin, to take a boat to the municipal capital, Ríosucio, department of Chocó. On 30 July he telephoned his family to inform them that he would be returning to the Cacarica River Basin the following morning. His family called his mobile phone the next day. A man answered who said he was a member of a paramilitary group operating in the region, and went on, "Tell his family that he is already dead" (dígale a su familia que él ya está muerto). The family asked where his body was, and the man told them only that he had been abducted in Ríosucio and taken far away. On 9 August, sources close to the paramilitaries claimed that paramilitaries had killed Jhon Jairo Palacios.

The enforced disappearance and possible killing of Jhon Jairo Palacios came days before a contract was awarded for the construction of a major road in the region. The Cacarica communities have opposed this project, and there is concern that the enforced disappearance may be an attempt to silence them.

Paramilitaries have maintained a strong presence in the region despite the large presence of the armed forces. Paramilitary presence in the region has continued although army-backed paramilitaries were supposedly demobilized under a government-backed process during the previous government of President Álvaro Uribe. Over recent years Amnesty International has received reports of a regular paramilitary presence in La Honda and Tumaradó where paramilitaries stop and search people travelling into the Cacarica River Basin. In recent days paramilitaries were reported once again to be in the Tumaradó and La Honda areas.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Spanish or your own language:

Calling on the authorities to do everything necessary to establish the whereabouts of Jhon Jairo Palacios and if still alive to guarantee his safety and to order a full and impartial investigation into his enforced disappearance, publish the results and bring those responsible to justice;
Calling on them to take action to guarantee the safety of the Afro-descendant population of Cacarica as deemed appropriate by that population;
Urging them to take immediate action to dismantle paramilitary groups, in line with stated government commitments and recommendations made by the UN and other intergovernmental organizations.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 4 OCTOBER 2010 TO: Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

President
Señor Presidente Juan Manuel Santos
Presidente de la República,
Palacio de Nariño, Carrera 8 No.7-26,
Bogotá,
Colombia
Fax: +57 1 337 5890
Salutation: Dear President Santos/
Excmo. Sr. Presidente Santos

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sra. Angela María Holguín
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores
Calle 10 No 5-51,
Palacio de San Carlos,
Bogotá,
Colombia
Fax: +571 562 7822/ 571 562 7836
Salutation: Dear Minister/
Estimada Sra. Ministra
Copies to:

Human rights organization
Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz
Calle 61A, No. 17-26 (Chapinero), Bogotá,
Colombia

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.
Ambassade de Colombie
AV. F. D. ROOSEVELT 96A
1050 IXELLES
eMail: embcolombia emcolbru.org
Fax 02.646.54.91

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Over 3,000 members of the Afro-descendant communities of the Cacarica River Basin were forcibly displaced in the course of a large-scale joint army and paramilitary operation in February 1997. In the face of repeated paramilitary death threats and killings many of these people returned to their lands in 2000 and 2001. The Cacarica communities' insistence on their right as civilians not to be drawn into the conflict and that combatants, whether members of the armed forces, their paramilitary allies or guerrilla forces, remain outside their "humanitarian zones" have resulted in repeated threats and human rights abuses. The vast majority of these abuses have been committed by paramilitaries. Guerrilla forces operating in the department of Chocó have also killed or threatened civilians they accuse of collaborating with their enemies.

The Cacarica River Basin is in a region earmarked for a major road-building project. Jhon Jairo Palacios was subjected to enforced disappearance shortly before the contract for the construction of a road was awarded to a consortium. There is a danger that more people will be killed to silence any local opposition to the project.

UA: Index: AMR 23/027/2010 Issue Date: 23 August 2010

http://www.isavelives.be/en/node/5818

Allow families of the disappeared express their demands for truth, justice and reparation without fear of reprisals - Algeria - North Africa

2010-08-26T10:13:51Z

18 August 2010

Amnesty International, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights - FIDH - and the World Organisation Against Torture - OMCT), deplore the Algerian authorities' attempts to silence families of victims of enforced disappearance by violently breaking-up their last two weekly peaceful protests. The organizations call on the authorities to allow families of victims of enforced disappearance to hold peaceful protests without fear of reprisals, and to respond to their legitimate demands for truth, justice and adequate reparation.

On 11 August, law enforcement officials prevented some 40 relatives of victims of enforced disappearance and their supporters from holding a peaceful protest in front of the official human rights body, the National Advisory Commission for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (Commission nationale consultative de promotion et de protection des droits de l'Homme, CNCPPDH) in Algiers. Officials did not provide the families with an official reason for preventing their peaceful demonstration, merely stating that they are following “orders from above”.

Families of victims of enforced disappearance have been demanding for years that the authorities reveal the fate and whereabouts of their relatives, who vanished after being taken away by members of the security forces during the 1990s internal conflict. They have been holding peaceful protests in front of the CNCPPDH, and its predecessor the National Observatory for Human Rights (Observatoire national des droits de l'Homme), nearly every Wednesday since 1998.

Following the Algerian authorities' refusal for families to hold a similar protest on the previous Wednesday, as has been their norm for about 12 years, a number of activists participated in the protest on 11 August in solidarity. They included at least four human rights defenders from the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (Ligue Algerienne for la Defense des Droits de l'Homme - LADDH) including its head Moustafa Bouchachi, as well as human rights lawyer Amine Sidhoum.

Amnesty International, the EMHRN and the Observatory are deeply concerned that Algerian law enforcement officials violently dispersed the protestors pushing and hitting them at random according to accounts of eyewitnesses. Reports received by the organisations indicate that Algerian officials did not spare the aging mothers and even grandmothers of victims of enforced disappearance. Algerian officials also hit several human rights defenders and lawyers, who attempted to intervene to protect the relatives of the disappeared from being injured. As a result of the violent breakup of the protest, Fatma Lakhal, wife of a victim of enforced disappearance, and Hassan Farhati, member of the association SOS-Disappeared ( SOS-Disparus), the organizers of the protest, fell on the ground and fainted. Members of the police called an ambulance, and both were hospitalized for several hours. After having broken-up the gathering, Algerian officials forced the remaining protestors into a bus that drove them away.

Amnesty International, the EMHRN and the Observatory also regret that the Algerian judicial police arrested and briefly detained four of the protestors in an apparent attempt to intimidate them and deter them from holding similar demonstrations. Among those arrested were two members of the LADDH, and the 82 year-old father of a victim of enforced disappearance. They were all released within several hours without being formally charged.

Instead of penalizing families for calling for the truth about their disappeared relatives, the Algerian authorities should:

Ensure that human right defenders, families of the victims of enforced disappearance and others can conduct their human rights work and express views and opinions on human rights issues without fear of intimidation, harassment or prosecution by respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders);
Immediately conduct a full, independent and impartial investigation into allegations of violent conduct by security forces against peaceful protestors;
Ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, as set out by Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Algeria is a state party, are respected in practice and that no undue restrictions are placed on the exercise of these rights; and
Conduct full, impartial and independent investigations into the enforced disappearance of thousands of individuals during the 1990s internal conflict and bring those responsible to justice in proceedings meeting international standards of fair trial.
Background
To date, the Algerian authorities failed to address the legacy of the 1990s internal conflict, when governmental forces fought armed groups following the cancellation of the 1992 legislative elections, which were set to be won by the Islamic Salvation Front. The conflict was marred by grave human rights abuses committed by both the security forces and armed groups. During the conflict, thousands of individuals were subjected to enforced disappearances at the hands of the Algerian security forces. No proper investigations have been carried out by the Algerian authorities into theses disappearances and perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice.

In September 2005, a Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation was approved by referendum. The framework document denied that the security forces had been responsible for thousands of enforced disappearances, although it promised families of the disappeared compensation and recognition as “victims of the national tragedy”. The Decree Implementing the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation of February 2006 grants immunity from prosecution to security forces and state-armed militias and threatens with up to five years of imprisonment victims and their families, human rights defenders, journalists, and any other Algerians who document, protest, or comment critically on the conduct of security forces during the years of the internal conflict.

The Algerian authorities deny legal registration to associations representing families of victims of enforced disappearance, impeding their ability to conduct their human rights work and exposing them to risks of prosecution, intimidation and harassment.

For more information, please contact:
• Amnesty International: Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui: +442074135643
• EMHRN: Shaimaa Aboul Khir +45 32 64 17 16
• OMCT : Delphine Reculeau: + 41 22 809 49 39
• FIDH: Karine Appy: + 33 1 43 55 25 18