 |
|||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Roundtable Consultation on Partnering for Human Rights in the Commonwealth.
 Civil Society Message to CHOGM 2009 Civil Society Organisations from across the Commonwealth and beyond met in London on 13 October 2009 and issued this message to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2009 The credibility of the Commonwealth as a values based association is being seriously questioned. Human rights and fundamental freedoms form an intrinsic part of Commonwealth Principles as enshrined in the 1971 Declaration of Commonwealth Principles and other subsequent Commonwealth communiqués and declarations. read more  Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition Statement in Support of Mary Robinson, Presidential Medal of Honor Awardee Members of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD IC) join with numerous women’s rights and human rights organizations around the world to salute Mary Robinson’s accomplishments and to celebrate her Presidential Medal of Freedom Award.  Women Human Rights Defenders On the occasion of the Global Day of Action for Human Rights in Iran, members of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD IC) express solidarity with the civil society in Iran in their struggle to demand that the leaders of the regime respect women’s rights and uphold their human rights as guaranteed in the Iranian constitution and in international human rights covenants that Iran has signed.
read more UPDATE
Addressing Gaps in the Defense of Women Human Rights Defenders: A Strategic Conversation The Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) in collaboration with the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD IC) organized a strategic conversation on Addressing Gaps in the Defense of Women Human Rights Defenders from June 27-30, 2009. About 30 women human rights leaders representing 25 organizations and 19 countries convened at the CWGL to discuss three thematic strands pertaining to gaps in the defense of women human rights defenders. Depending on their personal expertise or interest, participants were divided into three working groups: Families, Communities and Culture; Sexuality Baiting, the use of sexuality to attack women’s organizing; and Direct Accountability of Religious Fundamentalist Political Forces. read more
Members of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition deplore the systematic discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and activists in Uganda. Such abuses violate fundamental human rights and endanger the lives of human rights defenders, including sexual rights defenders, in the country. read more
April 9, 2009 President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad The Presidency Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Your Excellency: We, the undersigned members of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition, submit this statement to express our deepest concerns regarding the imprisonment of Alieh Eghdamdoost, as well as the recent arrest of 12 other human rights defenders in Iran. read more Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition
The Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition comprised of 18 international, regional and national women’s rights and human rights organisations, marks the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Day, by celebrating the courage of women human rights defenders around the world who challenge structures of discrimination and oppression that create environments conducive to human rights abuse. In the context of the current economic recession, women human rights defenders’ access to defence and protection is affected by shrinking resources and makes the nature and range of the attacks against them ever more severe.
Russian Federation: Criminal proceedings against women human rights defender Anastasia Denisova, 16 March 2010 The formal pre-hearing in the trial of women human rights defender Ms Anastasia Denisova will take place on 22 March 2010 at 10 am. Anastasia Denisova has been charged with the “illegal use of non-licensed software by a person in an official position” and the “creation of computer malware”. If found guilty of these charges, she could face up to nine years in prison and a fine of up to 700,000 Rubles (approximately 17,400 Euro). Anastasia Denisova is the president of the Youth Group for Tolerance “ETHnICS” (YGT “ETHnICS”), a member of the Coordinating Council of the International Youth Human Rights Movement, an employee of Human Rights Centre “Memorial”, and co-coordinator of the ”Green Alternative” group in the region of Krasnodar. YGT “ETHnICS” monitors manifestations of xenophobia and the situation of ethnic minorities in the Krasnodar region. Front Line previously issued an appeal in relation to the intimidation and harassment of Anastasia Denisova on 20 October 2009. read more India: Re-arrest of women human rights defender Irom Chanu Sharmila, 12 March 2010
Human rights defender Ms Irom Chanu Sharmila was re-arrested on 10 March 2010 and charged with attempting to commit suicide. Irom Chanu Sharmila had just been released from the security ward of Jawaharlal Nehru (JN) Hospital two days previously, 8 March 2010. She has been on hunger strike since 2 November 2000 in protest against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958 (AFSPA) which gives power to officers of the Indian Armed Forces to shoot anyone suspected of being an insurgent in so-called “disturbed areas”. The Act also stipulates that the central government must give its permission to prosecute any officer of the armed forces, which in effect grants them almost complete impunity. Irom Chanu Sharmila began her hunger strike on the same day that the Indian Armed Force known as the Assam Rifles killed ten innocent people in Malom, Manipur. At the time the army refused to initiate an inquiry into the massacre claiming that the officers had acted with the authority given to them under AFSPA. Iran: Arrest and detention of women human rights defender Mahboubeh Karami, 11 March 2010
Women human rights defender Ms Mahboubeh Karami was arrested on 2 March 2010. Mahboubeh Karami is a member of the One Million Signature Campaign, a movement which aims to end discriminatory laws against women in Iran. Front Line previously issued an appeal in relation to the arrest and detention of Mahboubeh Karami on 2 April 2009. read more Guatemala: Break-in at the home of women human rights defender Ms Erenia Vanegas and threats and acts of intimidation against Ms Claudia Samayoa and members of SEDEM, 10 March 2010
The home of human rights defender Ms Erenia Vanegas was broken into on 5 March 2010 and the car of Ms Claudia Samayoa was tampered with in an attempt to cause an accident on 2 February 2010. Erenia Vanegas is an investigator with the Unidad de Protección de Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos Guatemala – UDEFEGUA (Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Guatamala) and Claudia Samayoa is the coordinator of the same organisation. UDEFEGUA supports the work of human rights defenders in preventing and responding to security risks, through monitoring, verification and advocacy work. UDEFEGUA has recently been investigating various cases of human rights defenders in Guatemala, including the defamation campaign against the San Juan Sacatepéquez movement and the murders in Malacatán. The organisation has also recently documented irregularities within the Ministry of Governance. read more Honduras: Murder of Claudia Larissa Brizuela, daughter of human rights defender Mr Pedro Brizuela 4 March 2010
The daughter of human rights defender Mr Pedro Brizuela, Ms Claudia Larissa Brizuela, was murdered on 24 February 2010. Pedro Brizuela is a member of the Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular - FNRP (National Popular Resistance Front). Claudia Larissa Brizuela was also a FNRP supporter. The FNRP is a pro-democracy movement which actively denounces human rights violations under the new de facto government, including acts of violence and aggression carried out against people involved in peaceful protests against the coup d'état of June 2009. read more Women Human Rights Defenders Murdered in the Philippines The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development mourn the loss of two brave women, human rights defenders. Concepcion ‘Connie’ Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo were among the 57 people murdered on November 23 in Maguindanao, Philippines. read more The Observatory: Yemen: Acts of harassment against the Sister's Arab Forum for Human Rights and its Chairperson, Ms. Amal Basha
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), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Republic of Yemen. read more Nicaragua – Police harassment and detention of women's rights defenders, and ill-treatment of Ms Patricia Orozco upon arrest
*Re: Nicaragua – Police harassment and detention of women's rights defenders, and ill-treatment of Ms Patricia Orozco upon arrest* On 30 October 2009, women human rights defenders Ms *Patricia Orozco*, Ms *Lorna Norori* and Ms *Ana Eveling Orozco*, were subject to police harassment and detention in the city of León. Patricia Orozco is a journalist and leader of el /*Movimiento Autónomo de Mujeres de Nicaragua –*/* MAM *(the Nicaraguan Women's Autonomous Movement), a social and political NGO which works for democracy and equality. She was ill-treated upon arrest. Ana Eveling Orozco is a lawyer and also a member of MAM, while Lorna Norori is a psychologist and member of el /*Movimiento contra el Abuso Sexual */(Movement against Sexual Abuse). read more LLAMADO URGENTE - EL OBSERVATORIO
El Observatorio para la Protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos, programa conjunto de la Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT) y de la Federación Internacional de Derechos Humanos (FIDH), solicita su intervención URGENTE ante la siguiente situación en Nicaragua. read more Vietnam - Human rights defender Mrs Tran Khai Thanh Thuy attacked and arrested on assault charges
On 19 October 2009 human rights defender, Mrs Tran Khai Thanh Thuy was reportedly moved to iHoa Lu prison, Hanoi, following her arrest on 8 October on charges of assault. Members of her family have reported that she was the victim of an assault at the hands of police agents, and that the photograph used as evidence against her has been doctored. Tran Khai Thanh Thuy is a novelist and journalist, member of banned pro-democracy group, and an honorary member of English PEN, which works to promote literature and human rights. read more Colombia - Women human rights defender and daughter targeted
Dear All Human rights defender Ingrid Vergara has received death threats and her daughter, 14-year-old Cendy Torres Vergara, has been followed by unknown individuals in the city of Sincelejo, northern Colombia. Ingrid Vergara documents and exposes human rights violations committed by paramilitary groups. Her life and that of her daughter may be at risk. read more
APWLD calls for an end to the persecution of women human rights defenders in the Philippines
"End the persecution of Filipina human rights defenders!" This is the call delivered by some 30 women and men activists from different countries to the Philippine Embassy last 24 April in Bangkok, Thailand. read more Archives |
|
||||||||||
