Act Now! Across the globe human rights defenders face various forms of persecution in their everyday struggle for human rights Artillery shells are fired at radio studios in Mogadishu injuring two journalists. Fariba Davodi Mohajer is sentenced for campaigning on behalf of women in Iran. In the Philippines, gunmen ambush a car in which three human rights defenders are travelling, leaving one man injured. In Mexico, a journalist is abducted and six days later his body is found.
Send an international appeal and you can help protect human rights defenders Had it not been for Front Line, who would have been my refuge and safety?"
- Thompson Ade Bayor, lawyer and human rights defender, Liberia Become a Front Line defender sign up to receive Front Line actions, by email.
Urgent Cases Yemen: Arrest of human rights defenders, Mr Anees Mansoor and Mr Wajdy El-Shuaiby Posted on 2009/01/23 Front Line is concerned following information received regarding the arrest of human rights defenders Mr Anees Mansoor and Mr Wajdy El-Shuaiby, on 13 January 2009. Anees Mansoor is a member of the Lahaj branch of the National Organisation for Defending Rights and Freedoms “HOOD”, and a journalist for Al-ayam newspaper. Wajdy El-Shuaiby covers human rights issues as a journalist for Alwatni newspaper. arrestFront Linehuman rightshuman rights defenderWajdy El-ShuaibyYemen Ecuador: Threats against human rights organisation, ASELER Posted on 2009/01/22 Front Line is deeply concerned following information received in relation to threats made against Asesoría y Servicios Legales para Refugiados - ASELER (Legal Advice and Services for Refugees) during the past two weeks. ASELER is a non-governmental organisation based in Quito which provides legal advice and services to refugees and asylum seekers in Ecuador. AselerEcuadorFront Linehuman rightsHuman Rights DefendersthreatsEcuador Zimbabwe: Threats against Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, particularly Mr Kucaca Phulu and Mr Tineyi Mukweka Posted on 2009/01/22 Members of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), particularly Mr Kucaca Phulu and Mr Tineyi Mukweka, on 19 January 2009. ZLHR is a non-profit human rights organisation which aims to promote a culture of human rights in Zimbabwe and encourage the observance of the rule of law. Kucaca Phulu is the regional manager and Tineyi Mukweka is a paralegal of the ZLHR office in Bulawayo. Front Linehuman rightsHuman Rights DefendersMr Kucaca PhuluMr. Tony MukwekathreatsZimbabweZimbabwe Russia: Assassination of human rights lawyer, Mr Stanislav Markelov Posted on 2009/01/21 Front Line is deeply concerned following information received regarding the assassination of Russian human rights lawyer, Mr Stanislav Markelov, on 19 January 2009. Stanislav Markelov was the lawyer for the family of Elsa Kungayeva, an 18 year-old Chechen girl who was allegedly abducted and killed in March 2000 by Russian army Colonel Yuri Budanov. Colonel Budanov was arrested in 2000, sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment three years later, but released on parole on 15 January 2009. assassinationFront Linehuman rightshuman rights defenderRussiaStanislav MarkelovRussia Bahrain: Harassment of woman human rights defender, Ghada Jamsheer Posted on 2009/01/19 Front Line is deeply concerned following information received regarding an alleged harassment campaign against Ghada Jamsheer, a woman human rights defender. Ghada Jamsheer is the president of the Women's Petition Committee, an organisation which campaigns for the rights and dignity of women in the shari'ah family courts. BahrainBahrain.Front LineGhada Jamsheer. harassmenthuman rightshuman rights defender Kenya: Armed attack and mugging of human rights defender, Mr George Nyongesa Posted on 2009/01/19 Front Line is concerned following information received regarding the armed attack and mugging of human rights defender Mr George Nyongesa, in Nairobi, on 15 January 2009. George Nyongesa is a community organiser who works with Bunge la Mwananchi, a grassroots movement which aims to fight social injustice and promote accountable leadership at all levels in Kenya. armed attackFront LineGeorge Nyongesahuman rightshuman rights defenderKenyaKenya Honduras: Killing of transgender human rights defender, Cynthia Nicole Posted on 2009/01/16 Front Line is gravely concerned following reports received regarding the killing of transgender human rights defender, Cynthia Nicole, on 9 January 2009. Cynthia Nicole was a leader in Colectivo Violeta, an organisation which has worked in the defence of the rights of transgender people since 1995. Her work included providing information on HIV/AIDS and human rights, as well as representing her community at national conferences and in the media. She also worked as a translator with representatives of Front Line during a recent visit to Honduras to meet with human rights defenders at risk. Cynthia Nicole MorenoFront LineHondurashuman rightshuman rights defenderkillingLGBTIHonduras Azerbaijan: Accusations made against human rights defender, Ms Leyla Yunus Posted on 2009/01/14 Front Line is deeply concerned following information received of unfounded accusations of libel and judicial claims reportedly made by the Azerbaijani Minister of Interior, Ramil Usubov, against Ms Leyla Yunus, a prominent human rights defender and director of the Azerbaijani Institute of Peace and Democracy. AzerbaijanAzerbaijanfalse accusationsFront Linehuman rightshuman rights defenderMs Leyla Yunus China: Arbitrary arrest and harassment of human rights defender, Mr Wang Debang Posted on 2009/01/14 Front Line is deeply concerned following reports received concerning the arbitrary arrest and harassment of Mr Wang Debang, a Beijing-based human rights defender, on 10 January 2009. Wang Debang was released after reportedly being interrogated for 6 hours. arbitray arrestChinaFront Linehuman rightshuman rights defenderWang Debang Azerbaijan: Accusations made against human rights defender, Ms Leyla Yunus Posted on 2009/01/14 Front Line is deeply concerned following information received of unfounded accusations of libel and judicial claims made by the Azerbaijani Minister of the Interior, Ramil Usubov, against Ms Leyla Yunus, a prominent human rights defender and director of the Azerbaijani Institute of Peace and Democracy. AzerbaijanAzerbaijanLeyla Yunus Ecuador: Detained human rights defender Vicente Zhunio Samaniego found in hospital with gunshot wounds to the head Posted on 2009/01/09 Front Line is extremely concerned following reports that human rights defender and community leader, Vicente Zhunio Samaniego, from Ecuador, has been located, after 16 hours of incommunicado detention, in a hospital with gunshot wounds to the head. detainedkillingEcuador Sri Lanka: Killing of Sunday Leader newspaper editor, Mr Lasantha Wickramatunga Posted on 2009/01/09 Front Line is gravely concerned by reports of the killing of Sunday Leader newspaper editor, Mr Lasantha Wickramatunga, on 8 January 2009. Lasantha Wickramatunga was a longtime critic of the Government's policy and the war with the Tamil Tiger rebels. In 2000 he was awarded an Integrity Award by Transparency International for his work exposing corruption in Sri Lankan politics. human rights defenderLasantha Wickramatunganewspaper editor killedSri LankaSunday LeaderSri Lanka Bahrain: Arbitrary detention of human rights defender Abdul-Redha Hassan Al-Saffar Posted on 2009/01/09 Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that the Bahrainian authorities have refused to disclose the whereabouts of human rights defender, Mr Abdul-Redha Hassan Al-Saffar, who was arbitrarily arrested, early in the morning of 21 December 2008, from his residence in Mahooze village by state security forces despite there being no arrest warrant against him. No reason has been given for his arrest and his whereabouts are as yet unknown. arrestBahrainBahrain Gabon: Charges against five human rights defenders and journalists Posted on 2009/01/09 Front Line is concerned at the charges of 'possession of a document for dissemination for the purpose of propaganda’ and ‘oral or written propaganda for incitement of rebellion against state authorities’ brought against the following five human rights defenders and journalists, arrested in Libreville on 31 December 2008: Mr Marc Ona Essangui, national coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Gabon, Mr Georges Mpaga, president of Réseau des organisations libres de la société civile pour la bonne gouvernance au Gabon – ROLBG (Gabonese civil society network for good governance), Mr Gregory Ngoua Minsta, public servant and plaintiff in a civil complaint lodged in Paris calling for an investigation into the assets acquired in France by the President of Gabon, Mr Gaston Asseko, technical director of Radio Saint-Marie, and Mr Dieudonne Koungou, journalist with the private magazine Tendance Gabon. AfricaGabonHuman Rights Defendersjournalists Tunisia: Smear campaign against human rights defender Sihem Bensedrine Posted on 2009/01/09 Front Line is concerned at the smear campaign against Ms Sihem Bensedrine, spokesperson of the Conseil national pour les libertés en Tunisie - CNLT (National Council for Liberties in Tunisia) and chief editor of the online newspaper and radio Kalima. Several newspapers have reported on accusations of opportunism and misuse of funds brought against Sihem Bensedrine by a former employee at Kalima, and depicted her and other eminent human rights defenders as 'radical activists' in apparently orchestrated smear campaign. Conseil national pour les libertés en Tunisie (CNLT)KalimaSihem BensedrineTunisia Ethiopia: Charities and Societies Bill threatens the work of human rights defenders Posted on 2008/12/22 Front Line is deeply concerned about the provisions of the forthcoming Charities and Societies Proclamation (draft law) which according to reports received is scheduled for discussion in the Ethiopian parliament on 24 December 2008. This is the fifth draft of a law to regulate all domestic and international civil society organisations (CSOs) operating in the country. The provisions of the new law would seriously curtail the already-limited work of human rights defenders in Ethiopia and would drastically reduce their ability to criticise or act independently of the government, through the imposition of arbitrary restrictions on their work, complex bureaucratic procedures, severe criminal penalties and escalated government surveillance of their activities. Charities and Societies Billhuman rights defenderlegislationNGOsEthiopia Colombia – Killing of Mr Edwin Legarda Vazquez, husband of human rights defender, Ms Aída Quilcué Posted on 2008/12/19 Front Line and Human Rights First strongly condemn the murder of Mr Edwin Legarda Vazquez, husband of human rights defender, Ms Aída Quilcué, Chief Counsel of the Consejo Regional Indígena de Colombia - CRIC (The Indigenous Regional Council of Cauca), on 16 December 2008. We ask that you urge the Colombian Government to undertake a prompt, impartial investigation into the murder and to protect Ms Quilcué and her family. ColombiacolombiaFront Linehuman rightshuman rights defenderMr Edwin Legarda VazquezMs Aída Quilcué Jordan – Detention and deportation of Egyptian human rights defender, Mr Gamal Eid Posted on 2008/12/19 Front Line is concerned following reports received that Egyptian human rights defender, Mr Gamal Eid, was detained and interrogated by the Jordanian intelligence service in Amman's Alia airport for 6 hours prior to being deported to Egypt on 15 December 2008. Gamal Eid is the Executive Director of the The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI). The ANHRI distributes information regarding human rights violations in the MENA region and provides legal support to cases related to human rights. Front Linehuman rightshuman rights defenderJordanMr Gamal Eid Tunisia: Journalist Lotfi Hidouri arrested and lawyer Mohamed Abbou prevented from travelling to Arab Free Press Forum Posted on 2008/12/18 Front Line is concerned following reports that journalist Mr Lotfi Hidouri was arrested on 10 December 2008 at Tunis' Carthage airport as he prepared to leave for Beirut to attend the Third Arab Free Press Forum. Mr Mohamed Abbou, was also prevented from leaving the country and attending the conference in Beirut after he intervened to determine the reason for Lotfi Hidouri's arrest. Lotfi Hidouri is the sub-editor of Kalima newspaper and a member of L'Observatoire pour la Liberté de Presse – OLPEC (The Observatory for the Freedom of the Press). Mohamed Abbou is a lawyer and a member of the Conseil National pour les Libertés en Tunisie – CNLT (National Council for Liberties in Tunisia). Arab Free Press ForumarresteddetainedLotfi HidouriMohamed AbbouTunisia Colombia - Murder of human rights defender, Mr Joel Pérez Cárdenas Posted on 2008/12/16 Front Line strongly condemns the murder of human rights defender, Mr Joel Pérez Cárdenas, near San Vicente del Caguán on 8 December 2008. Joel Pérez Cárdenas was one of the founders and first directors of the movement which became known as the Corporación por la Defensa de Derechos Humanos Caguán Vive (Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights in Caguán). He was the Chairman of the Junta de Acción Comunal de la Vereda Vegas Bajo Pato, (Board of Community Action of the Vereda Vegas in the region of Bajo Pato), Vice-President of the Asociación Ambiental del Bajo (The Environmental Association of Bajo Pato), and a former Councillor of San Vicente del Caguán for the Polo Democrático Alernativo (The Alternative Democratic Pole), a leftist opposition coalition. Colombia
Tell Congress to Pass the Green Economic Recovery Plan
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new human right- and environmentalcampaigns- take action From: Rolf Stuber ([email protected]) You may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as unsafe Sent: 11 January 2009 14: 23PM To: 'Rolf Stuber' ([email protected]) .ExternalClass p.EC_MsoNormal, .ExternalClass li.EC_MsoNormal, .ExternalClass div.EC_MsoNormal {margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';} .ExternalClass a:link, .ExternalClass span.EC_MsoHyperlink {color:blue;text-decoration:underline;} .ExternalClass a:visited, .ExternalClass span.EC_MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple;text-decoration:underline;} .ExternalClass p {margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';} .ExternalClass span.EC_E-MailFormatvorlage18 {font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';color:windowtext;} .ExternalClass span.EC_E-MailFormatvorlage19 {font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';color:windowtext;} .ExternalClass .EC_MsoChpDefault {font-size:10.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt;} .ExternalClass div.EC_Section1 {page:Section1;} We must continue mobilizing to stop the invasion - the crisis in Gaza is becoming more and more desperate by the day.
Every minute now is a fight for survival. Those who survive attacks face intense trauma and a fruitless search for medical help, food and water.
Gaza is fast becoming a place where help just isn't there.
Gaza need your help now.
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new campaigns
Help defend the safety and work of Iran`s human rights lawyer Dr. Shirin Ebadi and to guarantee her protection...
Make Microfinance a priority...
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only one week until January 20th - tell Obama…
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– and invite your friends to take action too!!!
Tell Congress to Pass the Green Economic Recovery Plan