+ Journalists who urgently need some time out. This could be the case for example if they work in a war zone or crisis area, or if they recently reported on a particularly sensitive topic and are now being threatened or harassed, and those who need time to focus on a new journalistic project that they would work on during the scholarship period.
What RSF Germany offers:
RSF Germany pays your travel expenses, provide an apartment, pay a monthly grant of 1000 € and provide a pass for free public transport in Berlin for six months. As a participant, you will have the opportunity to take on a new journalistic challenge during your scholarship. You can also use the time to expand your professional network and to recover from stressful circumstances in your home country. You will have time to develop new ideas and enhance your journalistic skills. Psychosocial support is offered if needed, as well as advice and guidance if you want to explore the political and cultural scene in Berlin.
Research project:
+ During the scholarship you will develop an investigative research project of your own choosing
+ The project is to be of a journalistic nature (in pictures, sound or writing)
+ It can be developed in cooperation with an international medium, combined with a stay abroad
+ The goal is to publish the results of your project and if possible present them at a public event
Requirements:
Participants should have a good command of English or German. You should also have adequate work experience as a journalist. In addition, you should have the firm intention to return to your country of origin after the six-month scholarship period.
Applications:
Please send your completed application form and any other documents required via PDF to timeout@reporter-ohne-grenzen.de by 12 June 2020.
Applications from women and queer people are particularly welcome.
You can also communicate with RSF Germany in encrypted form (GnuPG/GPG-Key). Applicants will be informed of the decision by mid-July at the latest.
As director of the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu - FIDDH, the Head of Secretariat reports directly to the Chair of the Board of ProtectDefenders.eu. They works under the supervision and management of the Board with the assistance of other Secretariat staff members. They supervises and coordinates effectively all elements of three programmes: the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism EIDHR2019/410-910, the EU Emergency grants for Human Rights Defenders at risk EIDHR2019/412-087 and the Comprehensive support to Human Rights Defenders in Turkey IPA2018/403-372. In addition, they provides overall representation of, and coordination between, the Board of ProtectDefenders.eu, the Turkey project Board, the members of the two Consortia; ensures liaison with the EU Commission, EEAS, EP and other external actors; manages the Secretariat and its staff.
Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter should besent by email to recruit@protectdefenders.eu before 10 June 2020. Please indicate as subject of the email: “your surname - HoS maternity replacement”
The position might be filled before the deadline, early applications are encouraged.
The successful candidate will be expected to start work in June 2020 until February 2021. The Head of Secretariat will be based at ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat in Brussels and would have the necessary permit to work in the EU.
May 26
Increasing reports of attacks against human rights defenders in India and Guatemala - Protect Defenders NOW!
Over the past month, ProtectDefenders.eu has received a considerable and growing number of reports regarding attacks, threats, and alerts affecting human rights defenders in India. This information alerts to the numerous acts of police and judicial harassment in the repression of legitimate activities in favor of human rights. Among other incidents, police harassment and arbitrary detention of human rights defenders were reported in Manipur State, in relation to statements made to criticise the management of the current COVID-19 pandemic by local authorities.
Our monthly digest also highlights with great concern the situation of human rights defenders in Guatemala, after numerous alerts reported in the country. Among other, the threats, digital attacks and acts of intimidation against human rights lawyer Esteban Celada, or the acts of stigmatization and defamation against the Peasants’ Committee of the Highlands (CCDA) and against its leader, Ms Lesbia Artola.
Overall, at least 50 new incidents, including physical attacks, threats, and acts of harassment have been recorded in our Index of Attacks over the past month.
Manuals, tips, and resources for human rights defenders in times of COVID-19
In these times of restrictions and difficulties in the work of defence of human rights imposed by the containment measures of COVID-19 pandemic, we share a list of practical resources and materials for protection and advocacy work that may be useful for human rights defenders and local organizations. This list is not exhaustive and will be updated regularly with external contributions.
- OMCT #FacesOfHopecampaign, calling for the release of detained human rights defenders in the context of COVID-19 crisis. The campaign is promoting profiles of detained HRDs in the Philippines, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Turkey, Cameroon, and Peru.
- The Artists At Risk'sAR Covid-19 Emergency Fund to support artists who face threats to their freedom or lives and are unable to reach a country of safety during the coronavirus pandemic
May 12
#StaywithDefenders | PI's Global Campaign on the Right to Defend Human Rights in times of COVID19
COVID-19 is a challenge for all across the world. This is also true for women and men human rights defenders (W/HRDs), who are now even more at risk for standing for the Right to Defend Human Rights (RDHR).
"#StayWithDefenders in times of COVID-19" is latest PI's Global Campaign on the Right to Defend Human Rights in these difficult times. With this campaign, Protection International wants to call for international solidarity and recognition to both women and men human rights defenders (W/HRDs), be they individuals or collectives, under such times of crisis and uncertainty.
April 27
A message of solidarity to the community of The Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018
Given the extremely challenging and difficult times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ProtectDefenders.eu and all the convenors of the Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018, are sending a message of solidarity to the human rights defenders community. Our organisations remain operational and active, and continue to put pressure on governments so that human rights are at the forefront of any measures they take to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
For instance, ProtectDefenders.eu has taken all the necessary measures to maintain its global protection programmes to provide practical support to human rights defenders and local communities at risk. ProtectDefenders.eu's emergency support programmes - including the 24/7 hotline, remain available, as well as the funding for human rights organisations and groups operating in repressive contexts. Moreover, it will continue to receive requests for temporary relocation for at-risk defenders - and their families when possible, that will be processed as long as global movement limitations allow.
Only in the past weeks, ProtectDefenders.eu have received, among other information, worrying reports about the judicial harassment of Bahey el-Din Hassan, Director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), or the arbitrary arrest and subsequent release on bail of four women human rights defenders after they called on the State to take serious steps regarding the spread of the COVID-19 in prisons. Furthermore, many HRDs currently remain arbitrarily detained in Egypt, despite the additional risks derived from the COVID-19 pandemic, including inter alia Ibrahim Ezz El-Din, Haytham Mohamadein, Patrick George Zaki, Zyad El-Elaimy, Mahienour al-Massry, Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy, or Mohamed el-Baquer and Alaa Abdel Fattah.
In Uganda, land rights defenders Godfrey Ssebisolo, Erias Wanjala, and Fred Mwawula were arrested by and subjected to severe beatings and other forms of physical abuse by the prison authorities. The land rights defenders believe their arbitrary detention is part of a pattern of reprisals for their work opposing forced evictions perpetrated by the companies Agilis Partners, Great Season Company Limited, and Kiryandongo Sugar Limited.
Finally, on 1 March 2020, Cuban HRD Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara - a visual artist and human rights defender promoting freedom of expression and cultural rights, was arrested when leaving his house to attend a peaceful protest organised by the LGTBIQ community to call for freedom of expression. During the arrest, his girlfriend Claudia Genlui was violently beaten, and both had their phones confiscated. Since the entry into force of Decree 349, artists have been protesting against government control over cultural productions, resulting in a number of arbitrary arrests.
Announcement: Closing Call for Applications for Institutional Support Grants
Due to excessive number of applications received, the project Comprehensive Support to Human Rights Defenders in Turkey decided to close the call for applications for the institutional support grants to human rights defenders in Turkey. ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat will not accept institutional support grant applications received any later than 4 May 2020, 17:00 o’clock CET.
The project received a great interest in its grants program. We are thankful to every human rights defender organisation that reached out to the project seeking support to continue and extend their crucial human rights work in Turkey.
Protection Grants Programme will continue to accept applications as usual until the official end date of the project, 31 January 2022. For requests to improve the security and protection of individual human rights defenders and organisations, please apply directly to Front Line Defenders, who manages the protection grants of the project. For guidelines and secure online grant application form, please visit Front Line Defenders website by clicking here.
April 9
#ForFreedom COVID-19: Jailed Human Rights Defenders Must Be Released Immediately
Check out FIDH’s #ForFreedom campaign for the release of imprisoned human rights defenders threatened by the pandemic
In light of the serious threat posed to prisoners by the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, FIDH and its undersigned member organisations recall governments’ obligation to ensure the safety and health of detained individuals that are under their responsibility, and launch a campaign, #ForFreedom , to call for the release of all jailed human rights defenders (HRDs).
As the spread of COVID-19 poses an unprecedented threat, the need to release HRDs is more urgent than ever. Our rights and those who defend them must not become a casualty of this pandemic. FIDH and its member organisations are launching today a new global campaign #ForFreedom for the release of all HRDs detained worldwide. They should be freed and allowed to conduct their legitimate activities to defend the rights of individuals against injustice, discrimination, violence, and other forms of human rights violations.
“Hundreds of people all over the world are imprisoned not because they committed a crime, but because of their work to defend human rights. As legitimate actors of change, they should never have been detained in the first place,” declared Alice Mogwe, FIDH President.
As stated by UN High Commissioner for Human RightsMichelle Bachelet, “Now, more than ever, governments should release every person detained without sufficient legal basis, including political prisoners and others detained simply for expressing critical or dissenting views.” This concerns minors, migrants, refugees, political opponents, journalists, and HRDs.
The campaign website profiles imprisoned HRDs, including Loujain Al-Hathloul (Saudi Arabia); Azimjan Askarov (Kyrgyzstan); Sevda Özbingöl Çelik and Hasan Ceylan (Turkey); Yuri Dmitriev (Russia); Leila de Lima (Philippines); Pablo Lopez Alavez (Mexico); Khalil Maatouk (Syria); Narges Mohammadi (Iran); Miyan Abdul Qayoom (India); Nabeel Rajab (Bahrain); Germain Rukuki (Burundi); Patrick Zaki (Egypt). The website will be regularly updated with additional arbitrarily detained HRDs.
The urgency of the current health crisis presents authorities with an opportunity to redress the unjust deprivation of liberty of all these individuals, many of whom are incarcerated in deplorable sanitary conditions and are denied adequate health care.
In such a context, FIDH and its undersigned member organisations more generally call on governments to relieve congestion in prisons by releasing vast numbers of prisoners on a temporary, permanent or conditional basis for public health reasons. Along with human rights defenders, priority should be given to the elderly, children, those with health conditions, prisoners of conscience, prisoners detained for expressing their opinions, administrative detainees, prisoners detained for minor or non-violent offences, untried detainees, and individuals held in immigration detention centres.
In times of crisis, governments have an obligation to protect those who are most vulnerable. Prison populations, confined to detention facilities that can easily become virus hotspots, are among those most vulnerable to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a particular risk in countries where minimum standards for detention conditions are not met, overcrowding is the norm, and social distancing is impossible to achieve. The spread of the virus in places of detention will be inevitable unless urgent measures are taken to mitigate this risk. Otherwise, incarceration could be equivalent to a death sentence for many detainees who contract, or are at risk of contracting, the COVID-19 virus.
Such measures would be consistent with the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (revised and adopted as the “Nelson Mandela Rules”), which detail measures aimed at ensuring adequate personal hygiene, health, and safety of prisoners, as well as the specific advice issued by the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture.
We welcome the move by a number of countries, including Turkey, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Senegal and Bahrain, to begin releasing prisoners in an effort to reduce overcrowding and prevent the spread of the virus. We urge these and other countries to include HRDs among those who should be released immediately. Many countries have excluded prisoners convicted of terrorism-related offences from the release, thus penalising HRDs unjustly criminalised on trumped-up terrorism charges. HRDs should be exempt from such blanket disqualifications as their human rights work must not be conflated with terrorism.
Brussels-Geneva, March 31, 2020 – While welcoming the current intentions in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on the early release of prisoners due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ProtectDefenders.eu echoes the OMCT Europe call to legislators to not discriminate against any group of inmates on the basis of political opinion, ethnic, racial, religious differences or human rights activism.
A draft bill currently discussed by lawmakers to reduce prison overcrowding in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak could lead to the early release of up to 100,000 prisoners. With a current prison population of 286,000, the penitentiary system of Turkey is designed to host no more than 200,000 inmates. In addition to overcrowding, concerns over detention conditions have repeatedly been raised by both local and international bodies, such as the Council of Europe or the United Nations Committee against Torture, among others.
An effort to reduce the prison population is a welcome step at all times, but especially when overcrowded prisons risk becoming a tinderbox for a pandemic putting prisoners and penitentiary staff at grave risk.
However, the draft law will exclude thousands of inmates on trial or sentenced for non-violent crimes - notably speech offenses included under the country’s notorious terrorism offenses or crimes against the State legislation - including journalists, purge victims and human rights defenders.
Terrorism charges have systematically been used to imprison and silence journalists, lawyers, political opponents and human rights defenders. The exclusion of these categories of inmates from any early conditional release will constitute discriminatory treatment towards certain groups of prisoners, and violate Turkey’s international obligations, including under the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet had reminded States that “[n]ow, more than ever, governments should release every person detained without sufficient legal basis, including political prisoners and others detained simply for expressing critical or dissenting views”.
The OMCT Europe calls on the authorities of Turkey to:
1. Start the release of the prisoners immediately in light of the rapidly growing danger from the spread of COVID-19, without reservations or discrimination based on their political, ethnic or professional background.
2. Secure equality of treatment to all groups of prisoners while executing the early release.
3. Release all prisoners that have not committed any acts of violence, including speech offenses, such as human rights activists and political prisoners, without further delay.
4. Ensure the well-being of all other prisoners in the country, mitigate the impact of physical distancing in and outside the prison through other ways of online communications, ensure full access to legal counsel if need be through modern technology, and provide access to health services without discrimination in line with international standards.
We will continue to monitor the situation in Turkey and act to support the respect for the right to public health, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
OMCT Europe is an affiliate organisation of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) supporting its goals and objectives in Europe, Turkey and Central Asia as well as before the European institutions. The OMCT works with over 200 member organisations which constitute its SOS-Torture Network, to end torture, fight impunity and protect human rights defenders worldwide. Together, we make up the largest global group actively standing up to torture. Helping local voices be heard, we support our vital partners in the field and provide direct assistance to victims. Our international secretariat is based in Geneva, with offices in Brussels and Tunis.
For more information, please contact:
Iolanda Jaquemet, Director of Communications ij@omct.org
COVID-19 outbreak: A message from ProtectDefenders.eu
Amidst the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are taking all the necessary measures to maintain the global protection programmes in support of human rights defenders and local communities at risk.
ProtectDefenders.eu - the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism, remains operational despite the coronavirus crisis. We continue focused on maintaining our support to human rights defenders at risk and taking the necessary measures to safeguard our staff. Some of our activities, however, might be impacted.
"A global pandemic is a new situation for all of us. Most of us already are or soon may be forced to start working remotely. Many will use their home as an office. In some places, there is no doubt this crisis will be abused to further repress human rights defenders (HRDs) and human rights organisations (HROs) like many other crisis situations have been used in the past. Physical and emotional environments are also very different for each of us..."
March 23
Unabated persecution and harassment of human rights defenders in Turkey
Moreover, the situation of media is far from improving, and according to RSF, Turkey continues to be the world’s biggest jailer of professional journalists and the country is ranked 157 in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index. Spending more than a year in prison before trial is the new norm, and long jail sentences are common, in some cases as long as life imprisonment with no possibility of a pardon.
In consideration of these worrying developments in Turkey creating an ever less enabling environment for human rights defenders, with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat, five international organizations working in the human rights field established in late 2019 a grant-making program to provide support to human rights defenders in Turkey. The project aims to protect human rights defenders at risk, support human rights defender organizations in continuing to carry out their work while strengthening their domestic and international networks and increase their capacities in documenting human rights abuses, access to justice mechanisms and advocating for a more enabling environment for their work in Turkey.
Ongoing attacks amidst a context of impunity in Colombia
Colombia remains one of the most dangerous countries for human rights defenders in the world, and the country in Latin America where more human rights defenders are killed. Threats against HRDs have reportedly skyrocketed, in a context of high rates of impunity and sustained policy of institutional misuse to try to silence the defense of human rights. These trends and concerns have been documented not only in a recent report launched by ProtectDefenders.eu’s member OMCT on the criminalisation of HRDs, but also are aligned with the conclusions of the country visit of the UN Special Rapporteur Michel Forst, on the situation of human rights defenders in Colombia, presented on 4 March 2020 in Geneva. The risk faced by defenders has reportedly increased since the signing of the peace agreement.
Only in recent weeks, new alerts and attacks against defenders have been made public. As regards the situation of media, according to RSF, Colombia (129 in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index) continues to be one of the Western Hemisphere’s most dangerous countries for journalists, who are still the frequent targets of death threats, attacks, and murder. Coverage of such subjects as the environment, public order, armed conflicts, corruption or collusion between politicians and illegal armed groups systematically elicits harassment, intimidation, and violence.
Since its launch in 2015, ProtectDefenders.eu has considered the situation of HRDs in Colombia as a priority and consequently, the EU HRD mechanism mobilises resources in a sustained and intense way to support defenders and organisations to carry out their work more securely. Emergency grants, material support, financing, training, accompaniment, and advocacy, as well as complete temporary relocation initiatives, are coordinated to provide comprehensive assistance to around 300 HRDs in Colombia each year.
In particular, during the past three months, RSF financial support allowed its partner organisation in Pakistan Freedom Network to start producing short video contents for social media. In one of those, released at the end of February, the journalist Asma Shirazi, winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism, spoke to FreedomNetwork about draft journalists' safety bill which the federal cabinet took up on 25 February 2020.
The video had more than 300 views and was a first big step towards raising awareness among the general public about press freedom issues in the country.
March 6
Consultancy Vacancy: Workshop on psychological and emotional well-being for staff
ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for an experienced consultant to organise a training workshop for its staff to incorporate psychological and emotional health education in their daily work, promote well being and encourage supportive workplace relationships. The terms of reference for this assignment are available here.
Applicants with the relevant academic and professional background are requested to send their submissions by 15 March 2020.
March 5
Check out the video: UNSR report on Human Rights Defenders in conflict areas
Check out the video by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, launched on the occasion of his last report, addressing the situation of human rights defenders operating in conflict areas. "Each day, defenders take great risks to ensure that human rights are respected in war zone countries. It is time to acknowledge their contribution to international peace."
In this report, the last one before concluding his six-year mandate and presented to the Human Rights Council on 4 March 2020, Forst called on States and non-State actors to implement and strengthen protection mechanisms for defenders in conflict and post-conflict situations. “Defenders in conflict settings are courageous men and women who provide emergency relief, ensure access to civilians and document civilian casualties and violations of international law. In too many cases their contributions go unnoticed, while they face multiple threats to their safety due to conflict related insecurity or the very nature of their work, for example when they denounce violations committed by warring parties. Women defenders are particularly exposed to gender based violence, including sexual violence” Forst said.
According to the UNSR on HRDs, defenders in conflict and post-conflict situation face serious restrictions on their freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. Their activities are restricted in the name of national security, public order and counter-terrorism; or through obstacles such as NGO registration, access to funding, suspension of online communications and cyber-attacks. Journalist and NGO staff members face arrest and criminal charges for denouncing human rights violations.
Training and capacity-building for a group of environmental rights defenders in Sumatra
At the request of a grassroots group of human rights defenders from North Sumatra (Indonesia), Peace Brigades International and the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) organised a safety and protection training in February 2020, funded by ProtectDefenders.eu.
For four days, twenty environmental rights lawyers and other defenders built on their existing security practices to strengthen their security as individuals and within their organizations. The participants, coming from nine different organisations, also used the opportunity to consolidate efforts on how to push for a full investigation into the killing of Golfrid Siregar, a lawyer with WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia). Golfrid was killed in mysterious circumstances in October 2019, and his murder is believed to be associated with his work defending local communities and their forests against megaprojects.
The diverse ecosystems of Sumatran rainforests contain many critically threatened species, such as the Sumatran tiger, the two most endangered species of orangutan, pygmy elephants and Sumatran rhinoceros, as well as the source of livelihoods for millions of people. In recent years, the environmental lawyers and other human rights defenders on the island have been subject to threats from both state and non-state actors.
Incommunicado detention of human rights defenders in China - Protect Defenders Now!
As of the end of January 2020, four Chinese human rights defenders have been held in incommunicado detention for a month, as reported in the ProtectDefenders.eu digest of alerts. In December 2019, police from Shandong province arrested human rights defenders Dai Zhenya in Xiamen, Fujian, Ding Jiaxi in Beijing, Li Yingjun in Zhangzhou, Fujian, and Zhang Zhongshun in Yantai, Shandong. Their arrests were part of a year-end crackdown in December 2019 affecting more than 20 human rights defenders across China.
Also, in Iran, ProtectDefenders.eu received information about the ill-treatment of imprisoned women human rights defenders Narges Mohammadi and Atena Daemi in Evin prison, following their participation in a peaceful sit-in protest. Atena Daemi was put in solitary confinement, where she was physically abused and denied medical assistance. Narges Mohammadi was physically abused by security agents and transferred to the Zanjan prison located over 300 km from Tehran. In DRC, ProtectDefenders.eu’s partners were informed about the arbitrary detention and the judicial harassment against human rights defenders Jean-Claude Malitano, coordinator of the NGO Action for Rural Promotion (APRu), which runs a legal clinic on human rights issues in Faradje, and Etienne Tandele, president of the New Civil Society of Faradje, in the province of Haut-Uélé, in the northeast of the country.
Internship at the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu
ProtectDefenders.eu - The EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism is looking for an 'Administration Intern. This is an exciting opportunity for a graduate to gain real experience and learning in a multicultural and dynamic team. During your internship, you will have the chance to apply your knowledge and skills to enhance the protection of human rights defenders worldwide.
Do you want to join us? Please send your CV and cover letter (please include information about your availability) before 12 February 2020 by email at recruit@protectdefenders.eu with the subject : 'Admnistration Internship'. Early applications are encouraged!
Land and indigenous rights defenders at risk in Brazil - Protect Defenders Now!
TheProtectDefenders.eu digest of alerts reports two recent killings of HRDs in Anapu, which elevates concerns about the lack of effective protection and access to justice for land rights defenders in the Brazilian state of Pará. Pará has one of the highest numbers of killings of environmental defenders in the country. Considered as a priority country for ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union mechanism mobilizes comprehensive support for Brazilian defenders at risk through the material and emergency support, financing, training, and advocacy.
Also, in Thailand, reliable sources have informed ProtectDefenders.eu’s partners about recent cases of judicial harassment and intimidation against human rights defenders. Zambia is also featured in this issue of the monthly digest.
Only in December 2019, at least 35 new attacks against HRDs have been reported.
January 21
"We need to walk the extra mile to protect Women Human Rights Defenders"
On 21 January 2020, ProtectDefenders.eu organised the conference "Women human rights defenders, at the forefront of environmental preservation", co-hosted by MEP and vice-chair of DROI Subcommittee Ms. Hannah Neumann and MEP and member of FEMM and ENVI Committees Ms. Soraya Rodríguez. This conference featured the testimonies of Cristina Palabay and Milena Florez, two environmental WHRD from the Philippines and Colombia, and high-level speakers from the European Commission, and it was chaired by Liliana De Marco, executive director of Protection International - a member of the Consortium of ProtectDefenders.eu.
Milena Florez and Cristina Palabay shared their testimony of resilience and their strategies to overcome the particular struggles they face as women defending rights in very oppressive contexts. "In Colombia, when megaprojects arrive in our territories, they find us there as women who are leading the struggle. Our goal is to defend life, and it concerns us all", Florez said.
As explained by MEP Hannah Neumann in her keynote, "the number of environmental defenders killed and under attack is ever-growing, but things get even worse when you are a woman and dare to speak up. We need to walk the extra mile to protect women human rights defenders". MEP Soraya Rodríguez noted that ·silence is the greatest accomplice of violence. That is why we need to give voice and power to women who defend human rights, also here in the European Parliament, and doing so with a gender perspective is essential."
Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) safeguarding environmental rights are a fundamental pillar in the protection of their communities and the environment and natural resources for future generations. However, they are confronted with an unprecedented scale of persecution and repression. It is time to strengthen the visibility on the situation and challenges faced by WHRDs and to act to offer better protection and create a more favorable environment for their work in the years to come.
SAVE THE DATE. CONFERENCE AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Women human rights defenders, at the forefront of environmental preservation
Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) safeguarding environmental rights are a fundamental pillar in the protection of their communities and in the protection of the environment and natural resources for future generations. However, they are confronted with an unprecedented scale of persecution and repression. It is time to strengthen the visibility on the situation and challenges faced by WHRDs and to act to offer better protection and create a more favorable environment for their work in the years to come.
ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism implemented by international civil society, is pleased to invite you to the conference "Women human rights defenders, at the forefront of environmental preservation", co-hosted by the vice-chair of DROI Subcommittee Ms Hannah NEUMANN and the member of FEMM and ENVI Ms. Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS. This conference will feature the testimonies of two renowned environmental WHRD from the Philippines and Colombia, a representative of the ProtectDefenders.eu’s Consortium and high-level speakers from the European Commission.
Interpretation Spanish/ English will be provided.
Please, confirm your participation by 15 January. If you need an accreditation to access the European Parliament in Brussels, kindly provide your ID information as soon as possible.
December 31
Killings of HRDs in Mexico and ongoing harassment of defenders in Crimea and Western Sahara
Throughout 2019, the situation of defenders in Mexico has remained particularly critical. ProtectDefenders.eu partners have regularly monitored and denounced the pattern of systematic attacks against HRDs in the country - one of the most dangerous places for the defense of human rights in the world. On 20 November 2019, the body of human rights defender Arnulfo Cerón Soriano was found buried under several tons of soil in the "El Aguaje" colony in Tlapa, Guerrero. Arnulfo Cerón Soriano was a lawyer and human rights defender belonging to the Naua people of the region of La Montaña, Guerrero. In recent months, Casa del Migrante de Saltillo (CMS) has reported a series of increasingly worrying threats and attacks, with a spike in intensity and frequency starting at the end of November. The judicial persecution and criminalization of the defense of rights continues to be reported in the country.
Also, the monthly issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest reports the sentencing of human rights defender Emir-usein Kuku to twelve years in a strict-regime correctional colony in Crimea, and the arbitrary detention of woman human rights defender Mahfouda Bamba Lefkire.
In 2019, ProtectDefenders.eu has documented more than 350 attacks against defenders. Since the launch of the index in 2016, more than 3,000 attacks have been reported. Real figures are likely much higher, as many alerts still go unreported.
December 9
Escucha los reportajes sobre ProtectDefenders.eu en la radio nacional de España
Conoce más acerca de ProtectDefenders.eu a través de dos reportajes realizados en los programas Solidaridad y Europa Abierta, de Radio Nacional de España.
En el programa Solidaridad, que puedes escuchar aquí, podrás descubrir cómo ProtectDefenders.eu ha acompañado a más de 30.000 personas defensoras en todo el mundo. Conoce también a Yésica Sánchez Maya, abogada feminista defensora de los derechos humanos e integrante del Consejo Directo del Consorcio Oaxaca en México. Con la participación de Javier Roura, responsable de comunicación del secretariado de ProtectDefenders.eu y Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui Director de la Oficina en Bruselas de la Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura y responsable para las Américas del Programa de Protección a Personas Defensoras.
En el programaEuropa Abiertapodrás conocer más acerca de nuestros programas de subvenciones de urgencia para personas defensoras en peligro o saber más sobre cómo, en ocasiones, la visibilidad de quienes defienden derechos humanos es un elemento de protección.
Haz clic en la imagen para escuchar los reportajes.
December 5
Applications now open for the ECPMF's Journalists-in-Residence Programme
ECPMF’s Journalists-in-Residence Programme provides a safe haven for media professionals from Turkey, Central Eastern Europe or the European part of Eurasia who need to take a break away from a hostile working environment. For a period of up to six months between February 2020 and August 2020 the programme provides temporary shelter, an opportunity to rest and recover, and if the fellow wishes, to continue one’s work.) The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) offers practical solidarity to journalists resident in Turkey, Central Eastern Europe and European part of Eurasia. The Centre extends its Journalists-in-Residence programme to up to three more media professionals and is now accepting applications (Deadline: 31 December 2019).
This invitation is for media professionals holding a valid passport and who are currently based in Turkey, Central Eastern Europe or in the European Part of Eurasia. Timeslots are available for stays up to six months, during the period from February to September 2020.
Participants are provided with a rent-free, furnished apartment in Leipzig, Germany, a monthly stipend of 1,000 euros, and free health insurance. ECPMF also covers travel costs to and from Leipzig, as well as, visa fees. The selected journalists are offered access to the Centre’s wide-ranging network of contacts, as well as, optional training sessions in useful skills such as, secure digital communication and data safety.
We are hiring - The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Grants Officer for the EU Emergency Fund
The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is recruiting a Grants Officer for the EU Emergency Fund for Human Rights Defenders at risk. This programme aims to support human rights defenders (HRDs) in situations where they are most at risk through the operation and implementation of a rapid and efficient EU Emergency Fund.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with experience in Human Rights and Grants, with strong communication skills, who will play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the project.
Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter should be sent by email to recruit@protectdefenders.eu by 10 December. Please write in the subject of the email: Your surname - Grant officer application”. The position might be filled before the deadline, early applications are encouraged. The successful candidate will be expected to start work in January 2020.
The Grant Officer will be based in ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat in Brussels and needs to have the necessary permit to work in the EU.
November 29
International Women Human Rights Defenders Day
Every year, ProtectDefenders.eu supports more than 5,000 women human rights defenders in the most vulnerable countries, through direct and gender-sensitive protection grants, funding to local women rights' organisations, comprehensive relocation programmes, training and capacity-building, accompaniment in the field, advocacy and specific outreach programs.
Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are key actors for sustainable development, social justice, peacebuilding in post-conflict areas, and the rule of law in the most vulnerable and fragile communities. However, WHRDs are particularly targeted, and their resilience very often confronted with specific threats that demand gender-focused tools and strategies for ensuring their safety. In this context, the development of protection mechanisms, capacity-building programmes and tailored advocacy initiatives that address WHRDs' particularities is an increasing demand to the international civil society and donors' community.
From the outset, ProtectDefenders.eu has committed to provide gender-sensitive assistance and WHRDs are a high priority target for the EU HRD mechanism. Today, WHRD represent 48% of the overall number of beneficiaries, and these figures are consistently increasing in time.
November 24
Human rights defenders targeted amidst protests in Iraq and Chile - Protect Defenders Now
Since anti-corruption demonstrations in Iraq began in early October 2019, human rights defenders have been targeted by the Iraqi authorities and other unknown militant groups. The demonstrations are calling for increased respect for civil and political rights in the country, and an end to corruption and chronic unemployment. According to Front Line Defenders, the Iraqi authorities and other militant groups have been using excessive force against protesters, resulting in mass killings, arrests, and the disappearance of participants. Human rights defenders, in particular, have been targeted and several have been forcibly disappeared, detained or killed.
The November 2019 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest also raises concern over intimidation and judicial harassment of human rights defenders in Chile, and over the abduction of Muhammad Ismail, father of WHRD Gulalai Ismail, in Pakistan.
Only in October 2019, ProtectDefenders.eu reported at least 32 new attacks against human rights defenders.
PBI accompanies Mexican lawyer and defender Maricela Vazquez on advocacy tour in Europe
With the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, Peace Brigades International (PBI) invited Maricela Vázquez, a lawyer from the Paso del Norte Center for Human Rights (PDN), to an advocacy tour in Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, from 16 September 2019 to 4 October 2019.
in Brussels, and before members of the European Parliament, Maricela Vázquez - together with a delegation of defenders, spoke about the human rights situation in Mexico, focusing on disappearances, torture, femicide, the situation of vulnerable groups such as defenders or migrants and the criminalisation of the defence of land and territory.
In Switzerland, Maricela Vázquez met with special United Nations procedures such as the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, to follow up on the case of Adrián Favela and Adriel Ávila.
These young people were disappeared in 2012, when several individuals in civilian clothes, carrying long weapons and identifying themselves as ministerial police, arrived at the Favela Márquez family's home and forcibly removed them according to several witnesses. The case is still under investigation and, according to the Paso del Norte Human Rights Center, this has been marked by the failure to comply with court orders at established times and the lack of progress and responses to find the whereabouts of the youth.
In her address during the session of the 42nd United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Maricela Vázquez insisted that access to justice in Mexico is made more difficult when “70% of human rights violations are committed by the armed forces. " The alarming situation of violence and its impacts was presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council, where lawyer Vázquez shared the figures of 24 defenders and 15 journalists killed in the current administration.
In Brussels, before members of the European Parliament, a delegation of human rights defenders, including the Paso del Norte Human Rights Center, spoke about the human rights situation in Mexico, focusing on disappearances, torture, femicide, the situation vulnerable groups such as defenders or migrants and the criminalization of the defense of land and territory.
Maricela Vázquez warned that torture is still practiced as an investigative method and asked the European Union for greater vigilance in the implementation of the Istanbul protocol in the framework of the agreement between the EU and Mexico to prevent and eradicate torture. He stressed that one of the causes would be the lack of harmonization of the General Laws on Disappearance and Torture in the Federal States.
She also called on the European Union to carry out more preventive actions against attacks against defenders and invited the EU Joint Parliamentary Commission to visit Ciudad Juárez. In a debate in the European Parliament, the Green MEP, Anna Cavazzini, called the EU for putting more pressure on the respect of Human Rights in Mexico and proposed to establish mechanisms of economic sanctions in case of non-compliance. Additionally, meetings were held with European institutions such as the EU's European External Action Service and 7 Permanent State Representations in Brussels.
During the European tour, Maricela Vázquez met in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the Netherlands, with the ministries of foreign affairs from whom they requested technical assistance in the forensic identification of missing persons, training of Mexican forensic experts and follow-up to the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Defenders and Journalists.
One year anniversary of the HRD World Summit and The Action Plan - Spread the message!
On the occasion of the Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018’s first anniversary, ProtectDefenders.eu and the Summit's convening group are publishing a summary of the Summit and relaunching the Action Plan, a key document that was adopted by hundreds of HRDs and organizations attending the Paris Summit, with a series of recommendations that need to be put into practice urgently.
As human rights defenders continue to be discriminated, intimidated, harassed, criminalized and killed on an alarming scale and those suffering intersecting forms of discrimination are at an even higher risk, action to tackle this scourge needs to be taken urgently. This Action Plan is a powerful tool to address those with power: States, businesses, financial institutions, donors and intergovernmental organizations. Since the action plan was adopted, this document has already been presented to the United Nations General Assembly and has been regularly referred to in advocacy work at the national level and in our work as international civil society organizations.
This document constitute a key tool to be used in our everyday activism and ensure that the right to defend human rights is upheld.
You can consult and download this material, available at the moment in English, French, and Spanish.
You can also relive the highlights of the HRD World Summit
October 29
Serious concerns over relentless repression of HRDs in Egypt
Moreover, the October 2019 digest of alerts rings the alerm their deepest concern over the sentencing of four women’s rights defenders in Iran, who have been targeted by the authorities for their defence of women’s rights and their support of the protests against mandatory hijab laws. Also, recent information reporting judicial harassment and police abuses against human rights defenders in Russia is featured this month.
Only in October 2019, ProtectDefenders. eu documented and reported at least 18 new attacks against human rights defenders and has provided emergency support to 25 human rights defenders facing high risk.
New Funding Opportunity for Human Rights Defenders in Turkey
In consideration of the latest developments in Turkey creating an ever less enabling environment for human rights defenders, with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat, five international organizations working in the human rights field established a new grant-making program to provide support to human rights defenders in Turkey. The Comprehensive Support to Human Rights Defenders in Turkey program is funded by the European Union.
The project aims to protect human rights defenders at risk, support human rights defender organizations in continuing to carry out their work while strengthening their domestic and international networks and increase their capacities in documenting human rights abuses, access to justice mechanisms and advocating for a more enabling environment for their work in Turkey.
The project is offering two types of grants in order to meet its objectives and address comprehensively human rights defenders’ needs in the country.
Human rights defenders who can benefit from the grant-making program can be individual human rights defenders, registered civil society organizations and unregistered groups, initiatives or networks who can use financial support for their human rights work.
The project will give priority to those who are working in the most difficult situations such as remote areas and small cities, those who are specifically targeted for their area of human rights work and those who face obstacles to access funding to maintain their work including women HRDs, LGBTI HRDs, journalists and bloggers, and those denouncing the use of torture or working with survivors of torture.
Human rights defenders are invited to submit their proposals starting from today on our website. The call for applications will remain open and ProtectDefenders.eu will welcome applications on a rolling basis.
For more information about our grant-making programme, please visit ProtectDefenders.eu Turkey website. ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat is open to receiving your applications.
Human rights defenders, experts in psychosocial aspects of temporary relocation, as well as members of the EUTRP and other local entities will exchange and share their views on how to best address the well-being and psychosocial challenges during the cycle of temporary relocation of human rights defenders. Interpretation available English/ Spanish. Limited places available, registration required by 17 October 2019
October 14
We are hiring - The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Coordinator of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform
Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter should be sent by email to recruit@protectdefenders.eu by 25 October. Please write in the subject of the email the position you are applying for + your surname: “EUTRP Coordinator – Applicant’s surname”. Early applications are welcome since the successful candidate is expected to start work in November, if possible.
The EU HRD Mechanism
A consortium of 12 international NGOs have won the contract to renew the implementation of the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism. The members of the Consortium are: Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network (ESCR-Net), International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA), Urgent Action Fund for Women Human Rights Defenders (UAF), Protection International, Peace Brigades International (PBI), Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF), Forum Asia and East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP). Front Line Defenders, RSF, OMCT and FIDH will form the Board of the Consortium. A Secretariat has been established operating in Brussels for the past four years to coordinate the implementation of the EU HRD Mechanism, which began operations on 1st October 2015 and it is now renew for three additional years starting on 1 November 2019.
For more information on the programme, please visit our website:
Under the supervision and management of the Head of Secretariat and with the assistance of the other personnel employed for the purposes of HRD Mechanism: he/she ensures the effective coordination, development and animation of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform (EUTRP). This will include maintaining a communication platform between host institutions in order to share learnings, develop capacity and good practice, and coordinate effective responses to HRDs in need of temporary relocation. The Coordinator will work in close consultation with the members of the EUTRP and seek to establish guidelines on best practice as well as to expand the number of potential host institutions, particularly in the different global regions.
The Coordinator will be in charge of developing and implementing the grant programme to enhance shelters primarily at local and regional level in various ways, including: i) By providing direct material and financial support to new and emerging shelter programmes to develop and strengthen their capacity to deliver effective temporary relocation through a call for proposals. ii) Providing advise and expertise with the support of the consortium members and the EUTRP members and facilitating networking opportunities and knowledge-sharing among relocations initiatives.
According to the seniority and previous experiences of the candidate, the EUTRP coordinator might also coordinate the Programme Team at the Secretariat composed of two grant officers and one programme officer. In this role, under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat, the EUTRP coordinator should promote learning and knowledge sharing in the team; contribute to and review activities and reports for donors; support the team members identifying training needs and opportunities; and coordinating the organisation of the work in the team.
Tasks & General Responsibilities:
• Develops and implements a strategy for the development of the EUTRP, under the guidance of the Head of Secretariat, and in consultation with EUTRP members;
• In close consultation with EUTRP members, improves related procedures and guidelines as well a monitoring tools;
• Undertakes research on topics related to the support of HRDs undergoing temporary relocation in order to share lessons learnt and strengthen capacity;
• Animates and documents discussion between HRDs and members of the EUTRP including through organising the annual meeting of the EUTRP;
• Reports issues faced in the Platform functioning to HoS and suggests proactively solutions;
• Reviews the dedicated internet website and suggest necessary adjustments; ensures that the required visibility is given to the EUTRP on the mechanism website and with relevant stakeholders;
• Is in charge of the reporting related to the EUTRP;
• Develops a grant programme in support of shelters and relocation initiatives at the local and regional level;
• Is in charge of the implementation of the grant programme in support to shelter throughout all the phases of the support: application, implementation and reporting.
• Coordinates closely with the grant officers to keep a general overview of the grants allocated for temporary relocation
• Coordinate with the consortium members and external experts researches and studies on specific topics;
• If relevant according to seniority, previous experiences and competences:
? Coordinates the organisation of the work in the Programme Team;
? Promote a learning and knowledge sharing culture across the programme team;
? Support the team members identifying training needs and opportunities;
? Contribute to the contents including review of public and in-house reporting.
Experience/knowledge:
• A degree in law, political science, management or related fields;
• At least eight years of working experience in the NGO sector or international/regional organisations with a focus on human rights;
• Significant expertise in the fields of human rights defenders and relocation programmes;
• Experience in coordinating with diverse stakeholders, preferably within a platform/network;
• Experience in creating and maintaining partnerships at international level;
• Research and M&E experience;
• Experience and passion for leading and managing teams of culturally diverse staff, including team development is an asset.
Skills:
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English;
• Knowledge of other languages, in particular Spanish and/or French;
• Good organizational skills, with strong experience in organizing and facilitating meetings
The Coordinator of the EUTRP will be based in the HRD Mechanism's secretariat in Brussels and the role will involve frequent international travel to meet with host institutions. The post-holder will receive an indicative gross annual salary of €45 000, which might be adjust according to seniority and level of responsibility.
Killings and repression of human rights defenders in Honduras - Protect Defenders NOW!
In themonthly digest of alerts, ProtectDefenders.eu’s partners alert about the killing and repression of human rights defenders in the context of the Guapinol case, in Honduras. After the murder of defender Roberto Antonio Argueta Tejada and the ongoing criminalisation process against seven human rights defenders claiming for their water rights, ProtectDefenders.eu reiterates its condemnation of the improper use of the criminal law to control, neutralize and punish people who exercise the right to resistance in defense of land and territory.
Moreover, ProtectDefenders.eu has received with great concern recent information on the ongoing threats and harassment against human rights defenders in the Maldives, and is raising awareness about the escalating online threats against human rights defenders and journalist Mbolatiana Raveloarimsa, in Madagascar.
Only in September 2019, ProtectDefenders. eu reported at least 23 new attacks against human rights defenders and has provided emergency support to 16 human rights defenders facing high risk.
While information from ProtectDefenders.eu spans six years and are recorded across all regions covered by ACLED, only a subset of these fall within the mandate of ACLED, a real-time data and analysis source on political violence and protest around the world.
September 15
Addressing the serious deterioration of the human rights situation in Guatemala
The months of June, July and August 2019 have been particularly critical for human rights defenders in Guatemala. In the first six months of the year, UDEFEGUA has registered that 12 human rights defenders have been murdered. In addition, at least 361 attacks and 259 acts of criminalization against human rights defenders have been recorded. Before this alarming deterioration in the spaces where defenders carry out their work, PBI Guatemala keeps accompanying human rights defenders under threat and works to maintain the already shrunk space available in the country for the legitimate defense of human rights. With the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, PBI Guatemala has carried out different activities to address the critical situation in the country:
In June and August 2019, PBI Guatemala organized three security workshops with human rights defenders from the Comite Campesino del Altiplano (CCDA) – Region Las Verapaces and from La Resistencia Pacífica de Cahabon in Cobán, Alta Verapaz department. Two of the workshops were specifically dedicated to improve protection and security practices of the participants in a context of growing criminalization. The other workshop was dedicated to women human rights defenders at risk. It had as a main focus to strengthen the capacities of women human rights defenders on emotional, spiritual and physical healing, as this an essential tool for their integral protection to fight the risks in their human rights defense.
In June 2019, PBI Guatemala organized the 17th Meeting of Women Human Rights Defenders of the Territory – Body – Land in Coban, Alta Verapaz department. This space was facilitated by Tz’K’at, Red de Sanadoras Ancestrales del Feminismo Comunitario Territorial en Iximulew -Iximulew. Around 30 women from diverse organizations and social movements working in various departments of Guatemala, such as Peten, Alta and Baja Verapaz and Chiquimula attended this event where they strengthened their capacities on integral protection and security from the perspective of the physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Moreover, they built solidarity networks between them and they established mutual support alliances, which will be key for their security and protection.
Palestinian journalist, Reham Owda, temporarily relocated to Berlin with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu
Through the Rest and Refuge Scholarship run by Reporters Without Borders Germany and the Taz Panter Foundation, Palestinian journalist Reham Owda was granted a three-month relocation to Berlin from March until May 2019, with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu Temporary Relocation Programme. During that time, she benefited from psychological support in a peaceful environment, wrote an article for Taz newspaper and participated to their workshop about the political context in Palestine.
After being blocked in Gaza for six years due to the closing of the Rafah Crossing Point, Reham Owda’s relocation to Berlin allowed her to taste “the freedom of movement within European Union countries”, as well as “the democratic life in Germany and the freedom of the press”, she said. She was able to travel across Europe and visit different countries, therefore broadening her cultural, social and political knowledge. She believes that this experience will help her expand her network with other journalists and understand better the safety of journalists in conflict zones.
As a journalist and political analyst in the Gaza strip, Reham Owda worked for different media and newspapers in Palestine, covering political and human rights issues during and after the war of 2014. In this specific region, human rights defenders work under pressure and are subject to psychological trauma due to their work in a conflict zone. More particularly, they are deprived of their rights of assembly, peaceful demonstration, expression and movement.
Building the capacitites of Haven of Artist in Lebanon
With support from ProtectDefenders.eu,Urgent Action Fundsupported Haven of Artists in Lebanon, an organization that aims to endorse, encourage and expose the modern underground art scene of Lebanon and the Middle East. Their grant request was to support an artist/activist collective to secure its building and operations as well as organize a staff retreat to address collective security and burnout issues following an increased crackdown against LGBTQI groups by Lebanese General Security. A retreat for a team that has worked for over 8 years without compensation has assisted their collective mental health, and they were also able to install and repaint new doors, locks, security cameras, blankets, permits, and outstanding lawyer fees. "Now we are able to focus all of our energies on capacity building for our target audiences without the looming debt and fear of not making rent due to them."
September 12
Internship at the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu
ProtectDefenders.eu - The EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism is looking for a 'Programmes' intern. This is an exciting opportunity for a graduate to gain real experience and learning in a multicultural and dynamic team. During your internship, you will have the chance to apply your knowledge and skills to enhance the protection of human rights defenders worldwide.
Do you want to join us? Please send your CV and cover letter (please include information about your availability) before the 26 September 2019 by email at recruit@protectdefenders.eu with the subject : 'Internship'. Early applications are encouraged, the position might be filled before the deadline.
We are hiring - The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Finance Officer (Turkey project)
The Fondation Internationale pour les Défenseurs des Droits de L’Homme (FIDDH) - Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is currently recruiting a Finance Officer.This is an exciting opportunity for someone with some experience in EU funded projects and/or Grants, who will play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the project to support human rights defenders in Turkey.
The Finance Officer will be based in FIDDH in Brussels, the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu, and would have the necessary permit to work in the EU.
FIDDH values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter (please mention your availability) should be sent by email to recruit@ProtectDefenders.eu before 22 September 2019. Early applications are encouraged.
In order to deliver an efficient and effective comprehensive support to Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Turkey, a Consortium of five leading international NGOs, with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat based in Brussels, has been awarded a grant from the EU to implement a three-year programme. The members of the Turkey Consortium are: International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) – as lead of the Project, Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Organisation Against Torture Europe (OMCT) and the European Region of the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe).
The programme will support HRDs with a comprehensive approach mainly through the allocation of grants aiming at:
• Strengthening the protection of HRDs at risk through rapid response measures
• Supporting human rights organisations and human rights defenders to continue, and strengthening their capacities to, carry out their human rights work through the provision of institutional support grants
Purpose of the position:
Under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat and in close cooperation with the Programme Officer for the Turkey project, the Finance Officer maintains an effective and accurate financial reporting system for all the activities related to the project. This includes ensuring that all expenditures are in conformity with the relevant EU guidelines, that records of receipts and other relevant documentation of expenditure are maintained and that the financial reporting to the EU and the relevant audit reports are delivered on time and to the highest professional standards.
Tasks & General Responsibilities
Financial Control:
• Coordinate the financial aspects of the multi-year, multi-partner program in line with EU requirements and the grant contract;
• Ensure that financial management systems and records are effective and robust; while maintaining adequate filing system for all financial and accounting deliverables;
• Consolidate cash flows, reporting templates, financial plans and amendments throughout the project life;
• Monitor budget burn rates and cash-flow projections;
• Prepare the financial accounts for external audit and coordinate audit activities;
Financial Reporting:
• Oversee forward planning and preparation for reporting to EU, adherence with consortium requirements and time-lines, and timely submission of reports by the 5 member organisations and grants beneficiaries;
• Produce integrated financial reports on a timely basis and in line with international accounting standards and EU regulations;
• Finalize yearly accounts and provides any ad-hoc financial reports that may be required;
• Follow up the level of expenditures of the Secretariat's budget in close coordination with the Head of Secretariat;
• Prepare and coordinate each expenditure verification and possible external audit;
• Communicate on a regular basis with the FIDH finance department – sharing information and update FIDH, in particular during the audits, to share remarks and suggestions for improvements.
Capacity Building and general administrative support:
• Be available to partners and grantees to clarify EU financial rules and check compliance of reporting;
• Put forward recommendations when appropriate;
• If needed, undertake support visit to consortium members;
• Participate in consortium meetings to foster compliance and to address any financial issues;
• Ensure that internal audit recommendations for grant-funded projects are adhered to;
• Share lessons learned with consortium members throughout the project's implementation;
• Support in the logistical and administrative organisation of meetings when necessary;
• Have a close relationship with the FIDH, especially with finance department.
Experience/knowledge:
• Masters Degree in Finance or Accounting or professional accounting qualification, or three to five years equivalent professional experience
• Minimum of three years of experience in a finance/accounting role preferably with an international NGO
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing large budgets, with preference for previous experience working in a consortium or a network
• Experience in working on projects funded by major international donors, with preference for previous experience with EU
• Understanding of the security and protection of human rights defenders
• Knowledge and understanding Turkey economic and financial context would be an asset
Skills:
• Excellent oral and written English language skills. Fluency in Turkish or French is an asset.
• Strong financial management skills
• Ability to work towards tight reporting deadlines
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, communication and organisation skills.
The Finance Officer will be based in FIDDH in Brussels, the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu, and would have the necessary permit to work in the EU.
FIDDH values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter (please mention your availability) should be sent by email to recruit@ProtectDefenders.eu before 22 September 2019. Early applications are encouraged.
Serious deterioration of the situation of human rights defenders in Guatemala - Protect Defenders Now!
In the monthly digest of alerts, ProtectDefenders.eu’s partners alert about the deep worsening of the situation of human rights defenders in Guatemala. In a crucial period marked by the end of the CICIG mandate, civil society organizations denounce an escalation of attacks and threats against defenders and organizations, including recent murders of land rights defenders.
Moreover, ProtectDefenders.eu has received with great concern the ruling by the Chuy Regional Court of Kyrgyzstan to uphold the life sentence of Mr. Azimjan Askarov, the Director of the human rights organisation “Vozdukh” (Air). The monthly digest also denounces the judicial harassment faced by two human rights defenders in Malawi.
Only in August 2019, ProtectDefenders. eu reported at least 26 new attacks against human rights defenders and has provided emergency support to nine human rights defenders facing high risk.
We are hiring - The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for an administration officer
The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for an experienced administration officer to join our dynamic and energetic team in Brussels.
Under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat, the Administration Officer supports the team of the Secretariat facilitating a smooth implementation of the programme and ensuring an efficient working environment.
In August 2019, 18 LGBTI human rights defenders from 13 countries across Asia gathered together in Seoul, South Korea to attend a workshop around holistic security, organised by ILGA World - The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association and supported by ProtectDefenders.eu.
For four days, human rights defenders from India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam shared a safe space to discuss the impact that engaging in the LGBTI movement has on them, talk about burnout prevention, and address threats and needs regarding mental and physical health both from a personal and an organisational perspective.
The workshop was facilitated and designed by Rima Athar (The Coalition for Sexual & Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies, CSBR) and Lin Chew (Institute for Women’s Empowerment, IWE), who provided support and key indications to strengthen both individual activism and the larger LGBTI movement in the region.
Each participant represented their own organisation, working on issues as diverse as sex workers’ rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, interfaith and faith-based advocacy, feminist movement building, digital rights, trans persons’ rights, legal justice, mental health support and counselling and more.
Building upon their work - rooted in feminist praxis for leadership development and movement building - facilitators gave all participants concrete indications on how to address key needs that they had identified during the workshop: practical tools and advices that they could take back home and share with their communities!
Support for LGTBI defenders and organizations in Honduras
PBI Honduras, within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, is providing protective support to LGTBI defenders and organizations in the country. In August, PBI accompanied the Arcoiris Association in San Pedro Sula, where a cultural night and an LGTBI pride march were held. Also, after the murder of Bessy Ferrera - a transgender woman and a member of Arcoiris, PBI Honduras launched a public alert expressing concern over continuous attacks on trans women, in a context where 95% of attacks against them go unpunished.
July 28
ProtectDefenders.eu supports the Asturian temporary relocation programme for Human Rights Defenders
For more than two years, ProtectDefenders.eu has been providing sustained financial and technical support to the oldest temporary relocation program for human rights defenders in Spain, located in the Principality of Asturias, an autonomous region in the north of the country. Since 2001, the Asturian Program for Assistance to Victims of Violence in Colombia (Programa Asturiano de Atención a Víctimas de la Violencia en Colombia - PAV-DDHH) has been hosting trade unionists and human rights defenders from Colombia for a period of six months. In addition, every year since 2005, the Program conducts a mission to the country, which aims to verify the state of human rights in Colombia and to verify the situation of former beneficiaries of the program after their return.
During their stay in Asturias, the human rights defenders participate in 'citizen diplomacy' and advocacy activities for peace before the Asturian and European institutions; and carry out continuous actions for denouncing, raising awareness and promoting human rights within the Spanish society.
In the current period, the program is welcoming five defenders and social leaders in the city of Gijón:
Nixon Gabriel Robledo, human rights defender who provides accompaniment to the victims of the internal armed conflict as a member of the Standing Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in the department of Chocó.
Juan Antonio Niño, lawyer, human rights defender, secretary of the Social Corporation for Community Counseling and Training - COSPACC, member of the Foundation for the Promotion of Social Justice Javier Alberto Barriga Vergel - FUNJAB. He represents victims of serious human rights violations with responsibility of the public force in the department of Casanare, including cases of extrajudicial executions committed by the National Army.
María del Carmen Mayuso, woman human rights defender, founder, survivor and activist of the Patriotic Union movement. For her work of social and political opposition to the privatization of the right to health, she has been the victim of accusations, stigmatization and abusive use of criminal law.
Álvaro Vega, a trade union leader and human rights defender, has been President of the Unitary Central of Workers CUT Sectional Valle del Cauca. In 2013 he was elected member of the National Executive Committee of the CUT and served as Director of Legal Affairs.
Abel Coicue, authority of the Indigenous Reserve of Huellas-Caloto, leader of the Association of Indigenous Cabildos of Northern Cauca -ACIN- and of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia ONIC, is a human rights defender and communicator of the radio station Radio Pa 'Yumat.
The PAV-DDHH is participated and supported by 17 social organizations, including unions, NGOs, solidarity committees and human rights associations. Some have the recognition of the human rights system of the UN and the OAS (Organization of American States). Five of these organizations are in Colombia and make up the Selection Committee. Twelve are in Asturias and make up the Commission of Organizations of Support to the PAV and the people received.
The PAV-DDHH depends on the Asturian Agency for Development Cooperation, is managed by the Soldepaz Pachakuti organization and follows up on the people they receive. In 13 years it has welcomed 90 people, of which 25 were women. According to their profile, 34 were trade unionists, 11 peasant and indigenous leaders and 45 human rights defenders.
CONSULTANCY VACANCY - Final evaluation of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism, ProtectDefenders.eu
ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a consultancy teamto conduct an external evaluation at the end of the first phase of the Project. This evaluation should focus on documenting the impact that the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism has had on the situation of human rights defenders during 37 months of implementation and whether the Consortium has delivered in accordance with the Project proposal and main objective of the Project. The evaluation should focus in particular on the direct support to human rights defenders under components and should compare this with other programmes and the broader EU support to HRDs. It should also provide recommendations to improve the relevance and effectiveness of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism in its follow-up phase of implementation.
The evaluation should concentrate as far as possible on the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism in its entirety. It is not the intention to evaluate the performance of the individual ProtectDefenders.eu Partners, although comparisons of practices can be used when relevant in order to draw lessons learned and contribute to improve overall performance.
The terms of reference of this assignment are available here.
Applicants are requested to send their submissions torecruit@protectdefenders.eu, with the subject "Evaluation consultant" by 16 August 2019.
July 16
Enforced disappearance of HRDs in Egypt. Attacks and repression in India and Zimbabwe - Protect Defenders Now!
ProtectDefenders.eu’s partners express their utmost concern over the recent reports on attacks and repression against human rights defenders in Egypt, since reliable sources informed about the enforced disappearance of Mr. Ibrahim Ezz El-Din, a researcher on the right to housing at the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF).
Moreover, the July 2019 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu's digest reports on the harassment and repression of human rights defenders in India, which is believed to be directly related to their peaceful and legitimate human rights work. Finally, this digest also warns about the situation of seven human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, who are facing judicial harassment after attending an advocacy training.
Only in June 2019, ProtectDefenders. eu reported at least 36 new attacks against human rights defenders and has provided emergency support to nine human rights defenders facing high risk.
Publication of a report on the shrinking civil society space in Tajikistan
In July 2019, OMCT in the framework of the Observatory published a mission report on the shrinking civil society space in Takijistan, ahead of Tajikistan’s review by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
The report, titled Their last stand? How human rights defenders are being squeezed out in Tajikistan, highlights how the regime of President Rahmon gradually eroded the freedom of association and expression of its critics, including human rights defenders. In particular, it outlines how the authorities have increasingly restricted the legal space for human rights organisations and independent lawyers to provide assistance to victims of human rights violations, including torture.
The report finds that amendments to, among others, the Law on Public Associations - allegedly introduced to combat money laundering, terrorism and financing of terrorism - severely restricted the ability of human rights defenders and others to set up and run civil society organisations without undue interference. At the same time various official bodies were handed tremendous powers to conduct frequent and intrusive inspections of NGOs.
Furthermore, journalists and lawyers have been criminally prosecuted for defending victims, including the 28 years jail sentence for prominent human rights lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov.
In this session - which is available in this podcast, participants debated new strategies to defend and increase solidarity to those risking their lives to protect the planet's most precious heritage. As stated by WHRD and Champion of Earth Joan Carling, indigenous communities must be able to fight for their rights without being intimidated or killed, and partnerships with indigenous people are necessary to protect their rights and deliver equitable benefits - “We need political will from States to implement the rights of indigenous peoples and human rights due diligence for the business sector. We are not opposing development, we just want to be treated with equality and respect and to engage into partnerships”.
Environmental degradation driven by political and economic interests aggravates inequality and impacts on communities, which are denied basic rights and face repression. Indigenous peoples and environmental human rights defenders are at the forefront of defending their territories against projects that exploit natural resources and they are under threat – 207 environmental human rights defenders were killed in 2017. Stella Matutina, a courageous WHRD from Mindanao warned about the "ethnocide of indigenous peoples, through erosion of our culture and our right to self-determination. Indigenous peoples undoubtedly are left behind in our unequal world". Also Ariane Assemat, of Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña Tlachinollan in Mexico alerted of the impunity of perpetrators of attacks and killings of land rights defenders "This is a global trend: the world is today deadlier than ever for those defending land rights".
Click to read more about the European Development Days 2019
Sabine Pallas, from the International Land Coalition, stressed the responsibility for international donors and governments to act to ensure that indigenous and environmental rights are protected, and efforts taken to make sure that defending rights and resources is not considered criminal. “We must respect and protect the rights of indigenous communities to engage in participatory consultations for a prior, free and informed consent. But also we must protect their right to disent.”
ProtectDefenders.eu and environmental rights defenders
In this regard, the implementation of ProtectDefenders.eu has focused very much in providing emergency support and assistance to land and indigenous HRDs worldwide. For example, nearly 400 out of the 1,200 emergency grants allocated during the first phase of the EU HRD mechanism were provided to land, indigenous and environmental defenders for them to implement quick security measures, such as physical protection, medical support, legal support, or urgent relocation. Also, ProtectDefenders.eu has funded the work of communities, and human rights groups advocating for land, indigenous and environmental rights across the globe, including in the most oppresive contexts, by providing 60 comprehensive grants for these groups to inmplement innovative projects (such as campaigns, advocacy, or training), or to reinforce or build their sustainability through core-funding, lifeline support or bridge funding. When urgent support in the field has not been enough to alleviate the danger HRDs are facing, ProtectDefenders.eu has accompanied land, indigenous, and environmental HRDs through 50 temporary relocation programmes with the support of host institutions worldwide.
Moreover, the training programme has reinforced the skills and the capacities of more than 3,000 land, indigenous, and environmental HRDs around the world, via comprehensive training programmes on physical security, holistic security, protection mechanisms, advocacy, and by providing ongoing support and physicial accompaniment to the defenders and the communities on their daily activities and actions.
Attacks and criminalisation of defenders in Philippines, the USA, and Bangladesh - Protect Defenders Now!
In the June digest of alerts,ProtectDefenders.eu partners reiterate their utmost concern over ongoing killings and attacks against human rights defenders in the Philippines and call upon the authorities to adopt effective measures to ensure the protection of human rights defenders in the country. Moreover, ProtectDefenders.eu partners express their concern about the systematic efforts by the authorities in the United States to criminalise migrant rights defenders, in a context of a migration crisis exacerbated by the border enforcement policy of “prevention through deterrence.” Recent information on criminalisation and intimidation of human rights defenders in Bangladesh is also reported in this issue of the digest.
Only in May 2019, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of Attacks and Alerts has reported 25 new incidents and attacks against human rights defenders.
UNSR consultation on impunity issues in the MENA region
In early June 2019, ProtectDefenders.eu, in partnership with the Gulf Center for Human Rights, supported the organisation of the UNSR regional consultation with MENA human rights defenders, which took place in Tunis. More than 40 defenders from all across the MENA region and Turkey joined this gathering to provide their inputs from the field and substantial contributions to the upcoming Michel Forst's report on impunity, which will be presented in October 2019 at the United Nations General Assembly.
In the region, governments and authorities remain the main perpetrators of violations against human rights defenders, which aggravates impunity. Also, lack of independence of the judiciary and the use of judicial and criminal processes to hinder the work of defenders are seen as common patterns across all the countries. According to participants, international institutions, and in particular the special procedures of the United Nations, can play a key role in addressing this impunity.
June 12
The Human Rights Defenders World Summit at RightsCon Tunis 2019
On 12 June, ProtectDefenders.eu participated at the RightsCon Tunis 2019 panel on the Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018. A delegation of human rights defenders presented their experience of taking action to defend human rights and the consequences they had to face because of these actions. They have also mentioned the significance of the Summit 2018 had for them and what states, businesses and donors must do to ensure their fundamental role is protected and recognised in the digital sphere and beyond. In relation to this, they have called on the Tech community to join them in the struggle for human rights.
At the end of the HRD World Summit 2018 in Paris, all defenders agreed on a landmark Action Plan, which was presented to the UN General Assembly in December 2018. As participants to the Paris Summit continue to spread this message around the world, this panel was an opportunity to remind the world of the essential work they do and the need to create a safe and enabling environment for all those who actively defend human rights.
The Action Plan calls on Governments, corporations, international financial institutions, donors and others to take practical steps to ensure human rights defenders are recognised and protected, including by adopting national governmental action plans and legislation, and protecting defenders as a key priority in foreign policy, particularly women human rights defenders, LGBT+, indigenous rights defenders and other marginalized defenders who face the most risk and exclusion.
Reporters Without Borders Germany and taz Panter Foundation invite three journalists from countries in crisis or war to stay in Berlin. They offer them a time of refuge and rest for three months. The first journalist will be invited from September to November 2019, the second from March to May 2020 and the third from April to June 2020.
Journalists who need a time out from their difficult working conditions. This might be the case after covering stories in an oppressive environment or after covering stories in war or unrest.
Journalists who feel the need to lie low awhile and get out of the view of state security because of their journalistic work.
What we offer:
We offer travel expenses, a decent apartment, a monthly stipend of €1000 and free transportation in Berlin for three months. Participants may completely withdraw from public life, use the time for writing or thinking, or they may want to explore political and cultural life in Berlin. Of course, we would be of help in that.
Conditions:
Participants have to be able to communicate in basic English or in German. Participants should have a relevant working-experience as journalists. They must have the firm intention to return to their country after three months.
How to apply:
Please use the application form and send the other requested documents to: auszeit@reporter-ohne-grenzen.de. The deadline for applications is 16 June 2019.
We offer to communicate with us via encrypted mail. The decision will be communicated to the candidates by the end of July at the latest.
On the side of more than 30,000 human rights defenders worldwide
Over the past three years, ProtectDefenders.eu - the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism implemented by a Consortium of international civil society organisations, has emerged as a solid, successful and crucial tool for at-risk human rights defenders, and as an increasingly referenced instrument within the international human rights defenders community. As per the three-years report, ProtectDefenders.eu has stepped up the practical support available to HRDs at risk and local human rights NGOs, and mobilised resources in favour of at least 30,018 defenders in a timely and comprehensive manner.
In a context marked by the increasing demand for support from human rights defenders operating in the most difficult contexts, ProtectDefenders.eu...
Read on to learn more about the key highlights of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism
has granted emergency support to 1,402 human rights defenders at high risk, in order to implement security measures, such as emergency relocation, individual security, medical support, or legal support. Over the past three years, the countries from which the highest number of HRDs received support were Syria, Burundi, Honduras, Russia, China, Iran, and DRC.
has facilitated and funded temporary relocation programmes for 459 human rights defenders (and their families when needed) with the support of comprehensive accompaniment schemes within host institutions from all over the world. For this purpose, ProtectDefenders.eu has maintained and broadened the EU Temporary Relocation Platform, supported the creation of new host organisations and engaged as an essential counterpart for human rights defenders in need for relocation and for host organisations.
has expanded the capacitites of more than 173 local human rights organisations, communities, and groups operating in the most dangerous contexts, through funding (such as seed-funding, core-funding and lifeline support) and contributions to develop sensitive initiatives and capacity-building programmes.
has provided capacity-development and training for at least 6,673 defenders aimed at empowering them to better manage their own security and to develop effective stragies and action to help them advance their their work in defence of Human Rights.
has provided effective guidance and immediate responses to 2,600 human rights defenders thanks to direct access to the 24/7 hotline, the ProtectDefenders.eu single-entry points, and direct contact with the Secretariat.
has monitored the situation of at least 1,323 human rights defenders in the field, through 284 fact-finding and advocacy missions, trial monitoring, accompaniment, or visits to prison.
has mobilised public and media attention, as well as political responses on more than 5,100 individual cases such as attacks or threats against defenders through appeals, letters or petitions:
has reached out to at least 4,289 of the less connected, most targeted and at-risk defenders around the world, through 60 initiatives, such as missions to remote areas.
ProtectDefenders.eu aims at reaching out to the less connected and particularly targeted defenders and these groups (such as Women Human Rights Defenders, LGBTI+ rights defenders, land and environment rights defenders, indigenous rights defenders, or defenders from remote areas) represent approximately 75% of the beneficiaries.
A commitment to coordination and efficiency for the success of a flagship mechanism
ProtectDefenders.eu has offered life-saving support to hundreds of defenders and enabled several thousands of them to continue their human rights work with more security. It has contributed to addressing emergency needs of HRDs and the pushback against shrinking space for local organisations supported via the different programmes, and to build an enabling environment conducive to better human rights protection and democratic development. Human rights defenders have been better equipped to navigate their work in the face of repression and threats and to pursue their activities for the respect and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the local level.
The uniquecombination of several strategic interventions including immediate support, financial assistance, capacity-building, strategic communications and advocacy, and outreach has together amplified one another and presents a strong, consolidated and comprehensive approach to supporting human rights defenders. The complementarity and the comprehensiveness of the mechanism have made a remarkable difference by linking individual support to defenders at risk, to building resilience among local communities, while successfully addressing emergency situations and broadening the space for civil society through intensive advocacy.
Read on to learn more
Therefore, a higher number of HRDs at risk have been taken away from harm or have been equipped with security skills and tools to protect themselves and their families. ProtectDefenders.eu has also enabled the provision of lifeline support including core- funding to groups and organisations facing increasing restrictions in carrying out their work and even the threat of closure in very repressive contexts. The management of the Temporary Relocation Programme, in coordination with the management of the EUTRP, has also strengthened the leverage for temporary relocation programmes for Human Rights Defenders, increased accommodation capacity and built stronger partnerships.
ProtectDefenders.eu has also successfully reinforced the network of support available for human rights defenders at risk by intensifying the collaboration with multiple stakeholders engaged in the defence of human rights defenders, such as local organisations, international NGOs, and European institutions, in particular the European Parliament, and the European External Action Service.
Lastly, ProtectDefenders.eu has successfully developed, consolidated and multiplied its public visibility and position as a reference for HRDs at risk, and increased its outreach to isolated defenders and those working in the most difficult contexts e.g. rural, WHRDs, LGBTI, indigenous, land/environmental defenders or journalists. This combination of visibility and recognition, as well as the prominent role of ProtectDefenders.eu as an instrument of action and influence, culminated in the organisation of the Human Rights Defenders World Summit in Paris, in October 2018.
Today, ProtectDefenders.eu is fully established and widely recognised as a visible, accessible, efficient and regularly referenced instrument to support Human Rights Defenders at risk worldwide. The EU HRD Mechanism has reportedly amplified, optimised and maximised the support previously provided to human rights defenders, and brought coordination among organisations to a new dimension, both in the daily management of the mechanism and to advance the HRDs agenda at the international level.
These results were made possible thanks to the unified consortium of NGOs, contributing with their own expertise and ensuring coordination and coherence throughout all the programmes. All these elements have laid down the foundation for the continuation of the EU HRD Mechanism and guarantee the ability of ProtectDefenders.eu to deliver practical and efficient support while adapting to new challenges posed by political, social and economic changes and an increasing trend of shrinking space for civil society.
A crucial instrument to counter the global backlash against human rights defenders
The situation of human rights defenders supported through the EU HRD mechanism has improved as a result of accessing grants, support, and multi-faceted assistance. This has prompted communities and defenders to continue advocating for human rights, mobilising for action, and forming or joining social movements. However, in every region of the world, human rights defenders have continued to face reprisals, harassment, and attacks because of their non-violent work and in response to their demands for basic rights.
Smear campaigns, judicial harassment, criminalisation, and stigmatisation are widely employed by both state and non-state actors to try to intimidate HRDs. Defenders working in a context of conflict, crisis or political transition zones attempting to document atrocities are also subjected to appalling violations. Moreover, the rise of ISIS, religious fundamentalism, and other non-state actors, as well as populism and authoritarianism, continues to impact directly on the work of HRDs. More than 2,600 attacks and severe cases of targeting have been documented by ProtectDefenders.eu partners in the 37 months of implementation, and killings of human rights defenders continued to rise - 281 killings reported in 2016, 312 in 2017, and 321 in 2018, with a striking increase in the number of defenders killed in specific countries, such as Colombia, Brazil, Philippines, or Guatemala. Many of the attacks and threats continue to go unreported, and a vast majority of perpetrators are still not held accountable.
Read on to learn more
Defenders remained particularly targeted in countries where there is serious unrest, systematic conflict or political transition (Syria, Colombia, Egypt, Turkey, Kenya, Burundi, DRC, Philippines, Cambodia, among others) and a greater demand has been reported from land and environmental rights defenders, pro-democracy activists, and defenders advocating for freedom of expression, as a result of an increase or perpetuation of attacks, judicial harassment, and criminalisation against them. In this regard, ProtectDefenders.eu has contributed by responding to the repression and crackdown on land and environmental rights defenders, which have been particularly acute in countries such as Honduras, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Cambodia, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Cameroon, and the Philippines. In the case of Colombia, violence against human rights defenders and social leaders has increased significantly and the escalation of the attacks against social leaders and human rights defenders remained critical in the context of the implementation of the Peace Agreement.
There has been a growing backlash from governments against human rights defenders: National security legislation, ‘foreign agents’ laws, and travel bans are being introduced around the world in an attempt to limit the ability of defenders to continue their activities, in addition to an uptake in arbitrary detentions against HRDs and administrative harassment against human rights NGOs in several difficult countries. An increasing number of criminalisation cases on spurious or trumped-up charges have been reported.
Since the launch of ProtectDefenders.eu to-date, highly repressive new anti-NGO legislation - including limitations to their right to access funding - has been introduced in Bangladesh, China, Egypt and many more; in Cambodia, there has been an unprecedented increase in attacks and restrictions against the political opposition, civil society organizations and independent and critical media, as well as individuals exercising their fundamental freedoms; similar repressive laws include the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and anti-torture law in India, the Sedition Act in Malaysia, Cyber-crimes laws in Pakistan, and so on. Draconian measures in Egypt following adoption of the “NGO law” have served to harass and silence the human rights movement, while respected rights organisations and prominent NGO directors/board members have been subjected to persecution, asset freezes or to travel bans, and many NGO staff and directors have been summoned for interrogation by investigative judges. These measures appear to be at risk of being replicated in other countries and the situation in Turkey has deteriorated to the point that there is very limited space for any human rights activities. The work of the international community in support of human rights, including international NGOs or inter-governmental agencies, has also been restricted across all regions, such as the attacks against the CICIG and the diplomatic community in Guatemala, the expulsion of the OHCHR team from Nicaragua; attacks against the UN and its Special Rapporteurs in the Philippines and Burundi; as well as efforts to dismantle the African Commission and to restrict the work of the International Criminal Court in African countries.
Building the resilience of defenders operating in the most repressive contexts
ProtectDefenders.eu has provided targeted emergency responses to certain crises affecting human rights defenders, as in the case of Syria, Egypt, Burundi, Bangladesh, Turkey, or Nicaragua, as well as responding to the backlash reported against defenders of land and environmental rights or defenders advocating for the freedom of expression -including journalists and bloggers -, or LGBTI rights defenders. Moreover, a particular effort was made to support and reach out to particularly vulnerable HRDs and those working in the most difficult contexts.
Thanks to ProtectDefenders.eu support, organisations working in these hostile contexts and facing difficulties were able to maintain their core activities, increase their own capacity in security and protection and therefore improve their capability to continue their work in this repressive context, to find and access funding and to set up new initiatives to strengthen their advocacy capacities and structures. A number of organisations in particularly critical situations avoided closure as a result of that support. Many organisations were supported in creating bigger coalitions and networks in order to work together to overcome common obstacles and achieve better results, including as a measure of protection. In other situations where return to the country proved impossible. the mechanism could provide the seed funds for the creation of new human rights structures to continue addressing the protection of human rights defenders and crucial victim support.
Read on to learn more
The increased demand for funds attests not only the success of ProtectDefenders.eu in terms of outreach and visibility but also the deteriorating situation of the human rights situation across all regions and the crucial need for international community to increase resources to protect defenders and to adapt to the continuous transformation processes evolving at the societal level. At the same time a low and declining level of funding for human rights defenders and their organisations is available at the global level, as was concluded by a ProtectDefenders.eu report, commissioned and presented in 2018.
Human rights defenders, including groups and communities, reported unanimously that support received via training and capacity-building has increased their skills and tools to better manage their security situation and to better develop their work. Defenders and groups have been able to develop and strengthen protection, support and advocacy networks, as well as strategic activities enabling them to address the restrictive contexts where they carry out their activities. Training on digital security proved particularly useful in contexts where cyber-attacks continued to be widely used as a means of disrupting the HRDs' work or obtaining information which could be used to prosecute defenders or otherwise harm them, as sophisticated digital attacks, surveillance, monitoring - including surveillance of the HRDs in exile -, as well as offline and online censorship of the work of human rights defenders continue to increase across the world. Growth in the targeted stigmatization of HRDs in order to delegitimize their activities across all regions has further increased, including through digital communication means, and together with the increased criminalisation of individuals and their activities present distinct challenges in terms of providing protection.
The accompaniment and advocacy work at the local level, as well as the ongoing monitoring of the situation of individuals and the environments, have reportedly dissuaded direct attacks and allow the defenders to continue their work even in very hostile and risky environments. ProtectDefenders.eu has contributed to the improvement of the situations of the defenders reporting attacks and threats, and it has been a notable contributing factor in the release of HRDs in several countries such as Algeria, Belarus, Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Chad, Chile, Djibouti, the DRC, Ecuador, Egypt, Mauritania, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Zimbabwe, among others. Finally, ProtectDefenders.eu contributed to increasing the visibility, solidarity and legitimacy of defenders within the international community and raising awareness and visibility within national, regional and international media, in social networks and has in turn been reflected in international diplomacy actions.
This lab-debate session will be moderated by Luisa Ragher, Head of the Human Rights Division at the EEAS, and will include the participation of Sabine Pallas - Partnerships officer at the ILC- and the testimonies and experience of WHRDs Joan Carling -an indigenous rights activist and environmental defender from the Philippines, Luz Stella Matutina - known for her anti-mining advocacy and work for the rights of the native population in the Philippines, and Ariane Assemat - of Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña Tlachinollan in Mexico.
Register today to the European Development Days 2019
Indigenous peoples and environmental human rights defenders are today under menace: environmental degradation driven by political and economic interests aggravates inequality and impacts on communities, who are denied basic rights and face repression. Indigenous peoples and environmental human rights defenders are at the forefront of the defence of their territories, notably against projects that exploit natural resources, and there is growing evidence that full legal ownership of land by indigenous peoples is key to preserving biodiversity and combating poverty and climate change. However in 2017, at least 207 environmental human rights defenders were killed. As harmful practices and policies are posing increasing threats, this session will build awareness on the importance of the contribution of the defenders of the territory to sustainable development. Through case stories of ProtectDefenders.eu, this panel will debate new strategies to defend and increase solidarity to those risking their lives to protect the most precious heritage on our planet.
Killings of human rights defenders in Peru, and ongoing harassment and criminalisation reported in Algeria and Turkey
As reported in our May 2019 digest of alerts, In the first months of 2019, Peru has seen an increase in the number of killings of human rights defenders, and at least four HRDs have been murdered since the beginning of the year. At the time of the killings, Peru had no specific laws or policies on the protection of human rights defenders, and the work of civil society organisations was being obstructed by political actors linked to the extractive industries.
The ProtectDefenders.eu monthly digest also denounces the pattern of ongoing retaliation against human rights defenders, journalists, student activists, trade unionists and lawyers in Algeria, which has intensified since the start of massive protests in the country. In addition, ProtectDefenders.eu partners condemn the relentless persecution and criminalisation of human rights defenders in Turkey. The country is considered today the biggest jailer of professional journalists.
Only in April 2019, ProtectDefenders.eu reported at least 51 new attacks and threats against human rights defenders.
We are hiring - The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Programme Officer (Turkey project)
The Fondation Internationale pour les Défenseurs des Droits de L’Homme (FIDDH) - Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is currently recruiting a Programme Officer. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with experience in Human Rights in the Turkey context and/or Grants, with strong communication and administrative skills, who will play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the project Comprehensive support to Human Rights Defenders in Turkey.
Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter (please mention your availability) should be sent by email to recruit@ProtectDefenders.euby 12 May 2019 (extended deadline).
In order to deliver an efficient and effective comprehensive support to Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Turkey, a Consortium of five leading international NGOs, with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat based in Brussels, has been awarded a grant from the EU to implement a three-year programme. The members of the Turkey Consortium are: International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) – as lead of the Project, Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Organisation Against Torture Europe (OMCT) and the European Region of the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe).
The programme will support HRDs with a comprehensive approach to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms in Turkey. Specifically, this will be achieved through three main specific components:
- Strengthening the protection of HRDs at risk through rapid response measures;
- Supporting human rights organisations to continue to carry out their work through the provision of institutional support grants and the strengthening of networks at the domestic and international level;
- Strengthening the capacity of Turkish HRDs to document human right abuses, access to justice and advocate for a more enabling environment for HRDs in Turkey.
Purpose of the position
Under the supervision of the Head of the Secretariat, the Programme Officer will be primarily responsible for managing and reporting on the grants made to provide support to local HRDs/human rights organisations. The Programme Officer, who will work in close cooperation with the Finance/Reporting Officer and the Head of the Secretariat will perform the following tasks:
• Manage the single-entry points for the capacity-building grants for HRDs, and the grant to support human rights organisations;
• Keep a general overview of grants allocated directly by partners as support to local HRDs organizations, ensures sharing of good practises and lessons learnt with the partners;
• Organise all the relevant documents and consultations for the selection process of the local human rights organisations for grants;
• Carry out the first assessment of grants applications received, according to the internal procedures;
• Follow up on the grants awarded, monitoring the status of progress of grants and liaising with stakeholders to receive intermediate and final narrative and financial reports;
• Maintain up-to-date information within related folders and database;
• Reports issues faced in the grant allocation system to the Head of Secretariat and suggests pro-actively solutions;
• Ensures that all grants available within the project are advertised and promoted by all partners and on the website;
• Contribute to the preparation of the narrative reports to the Donor;
• Collaborate with the Finance officer and the Turkey Consortium partners in the preparation of annual meeting for the beneficiaries and other advocacy events;
• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of the communication and advocacy strategy for the programme;
• Contribute to the preparation of communication and promotional materials.
Experience and qualifications
• Degree in Political Science, International Relations or studies in relevant topics, or three to five years equivalent professional experience;
• Have a good knowledge of the EU procedures;
• At least three years of working experience in relevant field (NGO sector, preferably with a focus on human rights);
• Experience in managing grant programs;
• Understanding of the Turkey context;
• Experience in preparation of narrative reports and communication materials;
• Experience in working with people from diverse backgrounds;
• Capacity to work under pressure and to be rigorous and organised.
Skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Full command of English and Turkish (French is an asset);
• Skills in the use of software applications;
• Ability to work effectively in a small team and multi-tasking.
The Programme Officer will be based in ProtectDefenders.eu secretariat in Brussels and would have the necessary permit to work in the EU.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with experience in Human Rights in the Turkey context and/or Grants, with strong communication and administrative skills, who will play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the project.
FIDDH values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter (please mention your availability) should be sent by email to recruit@ProtectDefenders.eu before May 3 2019.
We are hiring - The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Finance Officer (Turkey project)
The Fondation Internationale pour les Défenseurs des Droits de L’Homme (FIDDH), Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is currently recruiting a Finance Officer. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with some experience in EU funded projects and/or Grants, who will play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the project Comprehensive Support to Human Rights Defenders in Turkey.
Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter (please mention your availability) should be sent by email to recruit@ProtectDefenders.euby 12 May 2019 (extended deadline).
In order to deliver an efficient and effective comprehensive support to Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Turkey, a Consortium of five leading international NGOs, with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat based in Brussels, has been awarded a grant from the EU to implement a three-year programme. The members of the Turkey Consortium are: International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) – as lead of the Project, Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Organisation Against Torture Europe (OMCT) and the European Region of the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe).
The programme will support HRDs with a comprehensive approach to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms in Turkey. Specifically, this will be achieved through three main specific components:
- Strengthening the protection of HRDs at risk through rapid response measures;
- Supporting human rights organisations to continue to carry out their work through the provision of institutional support grants and the strengthening of networks at the domestic and international level;
- Strengthening the capacity of Turkish HRDs to document human right abuses, access to justice and advocate for a more enabling environment for HRDs in Turkey.
Purpose of the position
Under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat and with the assistance of the Programme Officer for the Turkey project, the Finance Officer maintains an effective and accurate financial reporting system for all the activities related to the project Comprehensive support to Human Rights Defenders in Turkey. This includes ensuring that all expenditures are in conformity with the relevant EU guidelines, that records of receipts and other relevant documentation of expenditure are maintained and that the financial reporting to the EU and the relevant audit reports are delivered on time and to the highest professional standards.
Tasks & General Responsibilities
The Finance Officer will:
Financial Control:
• Coordinate the financial aspects of the multi-year, multi-partner program in line with EU requirements and the grant contract;
• Process the disbursement of funds in accordance with the agreed schedule;
• Ensure that financial management systems and records are effective and robust;
• Consolidate cash flows, reporting templates, financial plans and amendments throughout the project life;
• Maintain an adequate filing system for all financial and accounting deliverables to ensure ease of access during internal/external audit;
• Monitor budget burn rates and cash-flow projections;
• Recommend appropriate action on any significant variances ( +/-10%) and prepare budget amendments where necessary;
• Prepare the financial accounts for external audit and coordinate audit activities;
• Follow up on timely implementation of the recommendations to remedy significant variances.
Financial Reporting:
• Oversee forward planning and preparation for reporting to EU, adherence with consortium requirements and time-lines, and timely submission of reports by the 5 member organisations;
• Produce integrated financial reports on a timely basis and in line with international accounting standards and EU regulations;
• Finalize yearly accounts and provides any ad-hoc financial reports that may be required;
• Follow up the level of expenditures of the Secretariat's budget in close coordination with the Head of Secretariat;
• Prepare and coordinate each expenditure verification and possible external audit;
• Communicate on a regular basis with the FIDH finance department – sharing information and update FIDH, in particular during the audits, to share remarks and suggestions to improve the system.
Capacity Building and general administrative support:
• Be available to partners to clarify EU financial rules and check compliance of reporting;
• Put forward recommendations when appropriate;
• If needed, undertake support visit to consortium members;
• Participate in consortium meetings to foster compliance and to address any financial issues;
• Ensure that internal audit recommendations for grant-funded projects are adhered to;
• Share lessons learned with consortium members throughout the project's implementation;
• Support in the logistical and administrative organisation of meetings when necessary;
• Have a close relationship with the FIDH, especially with finance department.
Experience/knowledge
- Masters Degree in Finance or Accounting or professional accounting qualification, or three to five years equivalent professional experience;
- Minimum of three years of experience in a finance/accounting role preferably with an international NGO;
- Demonstrated experience in developing and managing large budgets, with preference for previous experience working in a consortium or a network;
- Experience in working on projects funded by major international donors, with preference for previous experience with EU;
- Strong coordination/negotiation skills specifically with the ability to effectively coordinate among partner organisations:
- Understanding of the security and protection of human rights defenders
Skills
- Excellent oral and written English language skills. Fluency in Turkish, French is an asset;
- Strong financial management skills;
- Ability to work towards tight reporting deadlines;
- Strong analytical, interpersonal, communication and organisation skills.
The Finance Officer will be based in ProtectDefenders.eu secretariat in Brussels and would have the necessary permit to work in the EU.
FIDDH values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter (please mention your availability) should be sent by email to recruit@ProtectDefenders.eu before May 3 2019.
Intensification of attacks against HRDs in Honduras, killings reported in Pakistan, and the sentencing of Oyub Titiev
TheProtectDefenders.eu monthly digest of alerts reports on the intensification of attacks against HRDs in Honduras, in a series of events seen as part of a systematic campaign of public, verbal and physical attacks against human rights defenders and journalists in the country.
The digest also reports on the killings of human rights defender Afzal Kohistani in Pakistan. Kohistani shot dead for seeking justice for 'honour killings' in the country.
Moreover, on 18 March, following a more than 9-hour court session in the context of an unfair trial, Oyub Titiev was found guilty of false charges of drug possession and sentenced to 4 years in a prison colony settlement.
Only in March 2019, ProtectDefenders.eu reported at least 29 new attacks and threats against human rights defenders.
Internship at the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu
The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu - The EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism is looking for a 'Programmes' intern.
Apply today and join a motivated and skilled team in Brussels!
Please send your CV and cover letter (please include information about your availability) before the 9 May 2019 by email at recruit@protectdefenders.eu with the subject: 'Internship'.
ProtectDefenders.eu is the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism, established to protect defenders at high risk and facing the most difficult situations worldwide.
ProtectDefenders.eu:
• Operates a permanent and rapid response mechanism to provide emergency support and material assistance to Human Rights Defenders in danger, their families and their work.
• Manages a support programme of temporary relocation for Human Rights Defenders at risk to relocate inside their country, within their region or abroad in case of urgent threat.
• Supports and coordinates an exchange platform for organisations and stakeholders working on temporary relocation for Human Rights Defenders, including through the EU temporary relocation platform.
• Provides training, support and capacity building to Human Rights Defenders and local organisations.
• Monitors the situation of human rights defenders and advocates for a protection agenda for Human Rights Defenders at local, regional and international level.
• Promotes coordination between organisations dedicated to support for Human Rights Defenders, EU institutions and other relevant actors.
The implementation of ProtectDefenders.eu is led by a Consortium of 12 NGOs active in the field of Human Rights, namely Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network (ESCR-Net), International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA), Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights (UAF), Protection International (PI), Peace Brigades International (PBI), Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF), Forum Asia and East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP).
ProtectDefenders.eu is coordinated by an independent Secretariat based in Brussels.
TASKS TO BE PERFORMED BY THE INTERN DURING THE INTERNSHIP
Based at the Secretariat's office in Brussels, the intern will support the Grants Officer and under the overall supervision of the Head of Secretariat.
The intern will carry out a variety of tasks related to the purposes of the EU HRD Mechanism coordination and implementation, which will provide an opportunity for learning and achieving relevant work experience in the field of human rights at global and EU levels.
Tasks & General Responsibilities:
Allocation of grants: Temporary Relocation of Human Rights Defenders & Emergency Grants for Human Rights Defenders
• Carry out the first assessment of grants applications received, preparing summaries to be submitted to the Grants Officer;
• Contact references that endorse the grants application, in order to gather relevant information that validate the applications' credibility (background analysis, security analysis, need of immediate support);
• Participate in meetings with the Grants Officer, preparing a summary and briefing notes;
• Follow up on the grants awarded, monitoring the status of progress of grants and liaising with stakeholders to receive intermediate and final narrative and financial reports;
• Maintain up-to-date information within related folders and database.
• General support to activities or events implemented by the Secretariat.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
- Ongoing studies (master's degree) in law, international relations, social sciences or related field. Experience in human rights would be an asset.
- Knowledge of EU institutions, UN procedures and regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights would be an asset.
- Good drafting and editing skills.
- Ability to adapt to multidisciplinary work in the environment of a multicultural team.
- Good interpersonal and communication skills.
- Fluency in English and French, oral and written.
- Fluency in Spanish, Arabic or Russian would be an asset.
STARTING DATE & CONDITIONS
- Preferable starting date: 13 May 2019
- Duration: up to 6 months
-Conditions: Internship agreement with University is required. Alternatively, a voluntary agreement may be signed. Please note that this is an unpaid position. However, ProtectDefenders.eu shall provide reimbursement of transportation expenses and meals.
- The candidate needs to have permission to do an internship in Belgium.
HOW TO APPLY?
- Please send your CV and cover letter (please include information about your availability) before the 28th of April 2019 by email at recruit@protectdefenders.eu with the subject : 'Internship'.
- Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
- Interviews will be held in our office in Brussels or via Skype.
OTHER
For more information, please visit our website: www.protectdefenders.eu
Shahindha Ismail, Maldivian human rights activist, new fellow of the City of Hamburg in 2019 with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu
The Hamburg Foundation for Politically Persecuted People, with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu temporary relocation programme, has granted Maldivian human rights defenders Shahindha Ismail a one-year fellowship in the metropolitan city at the river Elbe. During this time, the South-Asian activist wants to meet and network with German and European representatives in politics and civil society. At public appearances, she also wants to educate her audience on her home country’s state of affairs.
Since its launch, ProtectDefenders.eu's temporary relocation programme for human rights defenders at risk has supported more than 330 relocation initiatives, benefiting at least 475 individuals worldwide.
Click to learn more about Shahindha Ismail.
14 years ago, Shahindha Ismail (40) founded the “Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN)“. This non-governmental organization opposes religious fundamentalism and fights for the restoration of basic democratic values and human rights. It is also committed to protecting the interests of political prisoners, ultimately fighting for their release. Due to her efforts against religious fanatics, Shahindha Ismail has become a target of radical Islamist groups. Via Facebook and Twitter, she has been receiving threats on a regular basis. Investigations into the MDN founder’s alleged infringement of the Blasphemy law also continue. In the so-called holiday paradise, the proposed sentence level for such a “crime“ ranges between five years in prison and a death penalty.
In Europe, the Maldives is a popular dream holiday destination. Little is known about the political and social issues the island state at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent has been facing for years. This primarily includes the effects of climate change as well as the proliferation of Islamist extremism. Although the chances for democratic reforms have slightly improved after the election of a new president and the recent forming of a new parliament, the life of human rights activist Shahindha Ismail is still in grave danger.
We are hiring - The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a finance officer
The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for an experienced finance officer to join our dynamic and energetic team in Brussels.
Under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat and with the assistance of the other Secretariat staff, the Finance Officer maintains an effective and accurate financial reporting system for all the HRD mechanism activities. This includes ensuring that all expenditures are in conformity with the relevant EU guidelines and that the financial reporting to the EU and the relevant audit reports are delivered on time and to the highest professional standards. Together with the Head of Secretariat, the Finance Officer ensures the development and implementation of expenditure plans and ensures that programmes are implemented within agreed and approved budgets through undertaking regular budget monitoring of expenditure against budget. The Finance Officer coordinates audits of the project and ensures that continuous monitoring and risk mitigation measures are in place.
We are hiring - The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for an administration officer (part time)
The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for an experienced administration officer (part time) to join our dynamic and energetic team in Brussels.
Under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat, the Administration Officer supports th team of the Secretariat facilitating a smooth implementation of the programme and ensuring an efficient working environment.
Aggravation of the situation of HRDs in Mexico and systematic harassment reported in Western Sahara and Belarus - Protect Defenders NOW
The ProtectDefenders.eu monthly digest of alerts reports on the constant aggravation of the situation of human rights defenders in Mexico. A few months after ProtectDefenders.eu warned about the pattern of assassinations of defenders, the country is this month, once again the main source of reports of violations and attacks against human rights defenders worldwide.
Moreover, ProtectDefenders.eu partners are expressing serious concern at the ongoing harassment of the human rights defenders in Western Sahara, which is seen as a direct consequence of their peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights. The judicial harassment of human rights defenders in Belarus, in the context of the repression of an environmental protest, is also featured in this digest of alerts.
Only in February 2019, ProtectDefenders.eu reported at least 64 new attacks and threats against human rights defenders. Click to read the digest of alerts, and share!
February 28
Duterte's war on human rights defenders in the Philippines
Click to learn more about the Observatory's report.
Since President Rodrigo Duterte took office on June 30, 2016, his ‘war on drugs,’ the continued impunity for human rights abuses, the imposition of martial law over the entire island of Mindanao since May 2017, and his crude anti-human rights rhetoric have all directly contributed to an increasingly hostile environment for human rights defenders.
The number of land and environmental defenders, as well as journalists, killed in the Philippines has increased dramatically during Duterte’s presidency. From July 2016 to November 2018, at least 76 land and environmental rights defenders and 12 journalists were killed in connection with their work. Labour rights activists have also been the target of attacks and at least eight of them have been killed on Duterte’s watch.
Civil society groups working on human rights issues have been demonised and vilified under the current administration and reported increased surveillance, intimidation, threats, and other acts of harassment by the authorities.
Likewise, members of the independent Commission on Human Rights (CHR) have been harassed and their mandate called into question by Duterte’s administration. The credibility of United Nations (UN) experts has similarly been attacked, with Duterte’s slandering of UN officials.
In the political sphere, the Department of Justice has pursued criminal charges against a number of Duterte’s political opponents who have taken strong pro-human rights stances. In an emblematic case, Senator Leila de Lima has been detained without trial for more than two years under spurious charges.
President Duterte has demonstrated utter disregard for human rights and the rule of law by condoning, and even encouraging, extrajudicial killings and other serious human rights violations. This behaviour has further reinforced the Philippines’ long-standing culture of impunity. In February 2018, the ongoing impunity for Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ killings was one of the key factors that triggered the opening of a preliminary examination by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The report urges authorities in the Philippines to put an end to the prevailing culture of impunity for human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and attacks against human rights defenders. This requires carrying out prompt, thorough, impartial, and transparent investigations into all allegations of human rights violations against human rights defenders.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.
Wave of killings of human rights defenders in Colombia, and crackdown on HRDs in Sudan and China - Protect Defenders NOW
The ProtectDefenders.eu monthly digest of alerts reports on the increasing numbers of killings of human rights defenders in Colombia. The epidemic has already reached extremely worrying heights during the first weeks of 2019, and at least six human rights defenders were killed in violent attacks, making the country the deadliest place in the world for HRDs. As demonstrated in a mission report published under ProtectDefenders.eu two years on the Peace Process with the FARC-EP, the State has failed to implement most of its obligations, including establishing an integrated presence in rural regions. This has led to a number of illegal armed groups fighting for control of the areas previously occupied by FARC-EP, which puts human rights defenders at an increased risk.
Moreover, ProtectDefenders.eu partners are alerting on the recent wave of arrests targeting human rights defenders in Sudan, in reprisal for the continuing protests. Over the last month, dozens of human rights defenders including women human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and academics have been arbitrarily arrested. The digest also features the ongoing pattern of repression and judicial harassment faced by human rights activists in China.
Increasing attacks against land rights defenders in Brazil, and judicial harassment in Kazakhstan and Thailand - Protect Defenders NOW
The ProtectDefenders.eu monthly digest of alerts sounds an alarm bell about the pattern of increasing attacks against land rights defenders in Brazil. The recent killings of two members of the Movement of Rural Landless Workers (MST), together with the climate of stigmatization against people who defend land rights show the intensification of the crisis of the right to defend human rights in the country.
Moreover, ProtectDefenders.eu partners are calling on the Thai authorities to ensure that no person is prosecuted or held criminally liable for defamation for activities protected under international law, in the context of recent complaints brought against human rights defenders. Finally, the digest shares recent reports of acts of harassment and interrogation of human rights defenders in Kazakhstan. which are believed to be part of the tactic applied by the Kazakh authorities in order to intimidate human rights defenders and activists and, consequently, prevent participants from taking part in peaceful protests.
Webinar: Rapid-response mechanisms and resources for frontline human rights defenders: ProtectDefenders.eu
Organisedon 7 February 2019 in collaboration with the International Civil Society Center, this webinar focused on the different tools and resources that ProtectDefenders.eu has available for activists at risk working in the frontline. ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism, provides emergency assistance and support to activists in many ways: from advocacy and capacity-building to material support, including temporary relocation, tailored to the specific needs of each individual, community or organization. The recording of the webinar is available here.
January 9
Human rights crisis in Nicaragua, recent killings in Syria and Philippines, and wave of repression in Iran - Protect Defenders NOW
ProtectDefenders.eu is deeply alarmed by recent reports of acts of intimidation and attacks against representatives of civil society in Nicaragua, where social protests are strongly repressed by the authorities, causing a serious human rights crisis. Moreover, ProtectDefenders.eu partners condemn in the strongest terms the killings of human rights defenders Benjamin Ramos, a founding member of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), in the Philippines, and human rights defender Raed Fares - the founder of the Kafranbel Media Centre- , who was shot dead by unknown assailants in Kafranbel, a town close to Idlib in northwestern Syria. Finally, the digest shares alarming information from Iran on the deterioration of the human rights situation and the new wave of harassment faced by defenders, in particular human rights lawyers, since September 2018.
Have a look at the gallery of pictures of the Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018
December 18
Watch the presentation of the World Summit's plan of action to the United Nations General Assembly
On December 18th, 2018, the World Summit's plan of action for how to protect and promote the work of human rights defenders was presented to the UN General Assembly following the major international summit held at the end of October. On behalf of hundreds of human rights defenders and organisations, Alice Mogwe delivered a powerful speech and called for States to ensure protection of human rights defenders worldwide. Do you want to watch the presentation of the Action Plan at the UNGA? Click on play.
December 18
Watch the highlights of the Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018
Click on play and watch the powerful video that summarizes The Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018 and the highlights of this historic event in Paris. Change the world. Protect human rights defenders!
December 18
Global action plan calls for States at the UN General Assembly to ensure protection of human rights defenders worldwide
The World Summit's plan of action for how to protect and promote the work of human rights defenders was presented to the UN General Assembly following the major international summit held at the end of October. This effort to move the international community at the highest level on the need to ensure the effective safety and security of human rights defenders around the world comes at a time when their role is constantly challenged and undermined in blatant contradiction with international obligations and commitments. The meeting took place on 18 December 2018, twenty years on from when the first UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders was created A representative from the recent Human Rights Defenders World Summit presented the outcomes at the UN General Assembly, shining a spotlight on the increasing levels of danger facing activists worldwide.
”We can only attain peace, security, dignity and sustainable development if we advance justice, freedom and equality for all, the ultimate goals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” said Alice Mogwe, Director of Ditshwanelo - the Botswana Centre for Human Rights, on behalf of The Human Rights Defenders World Summit.
States are the main perpetrators behind violations against human rights defenders, either directly or in complicity with other powerful non-State actors. They must take urgent action to recognise their essential role, protect those at risk, and take concrete measures to foster a safe and enabling environment for the defence of human rights without discrimination.
“Governments, companies and other powerful figures are harassing, spying on, jailing, torturing and even killing human rights defenders – just for defending the fundamental rights of their communities. These people must be respected, protected and able to live and work in an environment where it is safe to claim human rights.”
Marking the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, more than 150 human rights defenders from around the world gathered in Paris earlier this year to plan for the next 20 years of advancing human rights.
The Summit came at a time when, on an almost daily basis, a human rights defender is reported killed, when criminalization and defamation have become standard risks, when illegitimate and abusive restrictions to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are routinely introduced into law and when governments are failing their commitments made in 1998 to respect and protect these people.
During the summit, the participants adopted an Action Plan to be urgently implemented by States, businesses, financial institutions donors and intergovernmental institutions. https://hrdworldsummit.org/action-plan/
The Action Plan stresses that it is everyone’s responsibility to create an environment in which it is truly possible and safe to claim our human rights. However, it emphasises that those with power, state and non-state actors, must take the lead in creating a safe and enabling environment for those who defend human rights.
Meet the HRD World Summit's defenders, inspiring and courageous individuals and representatives of communities that advance and protect human rights, every day, in the most difficult places around the world.
December 10
The HRD World Summit participants release an action plan for the protection and the promotion of their work in the years to come
On the occasion of the Human Rights Day - 20 years on from the first UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and on the 70th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights -, the participants of the Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018 are releasing an action plan for the protection and the promotion of the work of human rights defenders in the years to come.
This action plan proposes a concrete set of measures and calls for a lasting commitment from States to act to protect human rights defenders and to take concrete actions to offer better protection and create a more favourable environment for their work.
Meet Francisco Rodríguez Cruz, human rights defender from Cuba!
In July 2018, Francisco was one of the LGBTI human rights defenders who gathered together in Mexico City from across Latin America and the Caribbean to attend a training on digital security, organised by ILGA with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu.
Watch the video below to learn more about his story, the LGBTI human rights situation in Cuba and the importance of digital security for our communities!
November 26
Killings of Human Rights Defenders in Mexico, criminalisation and judicial harassment in Algeria and Singapore - Protect Defenders NOW
Over the recent weeks, ProtectDefenders.eu’s partners have voiced their concerns on the situation in Mexico, where recent killigs and violent attacks have been reported. The context of judicial harassment of human rights defenders in Algeria, or the ongoing judicial harassment of human rights defenders in Singapore are also featured in the October issue of ProtectDefenders.eu digest of alerts, which reports more than 28 new attacks against defenders, only in October 2018.
ProtectDefenders.eu at the Paris Peace Forum: an essential tool for the protection and empowerment of more than 11,000 human rights defenders
ProtectDefenders.eu has been the featured project during the Paris Peace Forum's conversation on the United Nations declarations on Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders. Andrew Anderson, Front Line Defenders' executive director and member of the Board of ProtectDefenders.eu, highlighted that "over the last three years, we have been able to provide emergency support to more than 11,000 human rights defenders worldwide. This is not only statistics: it is immediate and practical assistance to people defending human rights when they are most at risk".
"On issues of women's rights and LGBTQ rights we see a very well organized backlash so that attention can be taken away from corruption and authoritarianism. But that in itself is a sign that there is avancement on these rights", Anderson pointed out, alluding to the current context in which when human rights defenders are increasingly the subject of severe attacks and threats.
ProtectDefenders.eu has participated in the first Paris Peace Forum, showcasing the experience of the international civil society implementing the EU HRD mechanism as a successful example of civil society partnership and taking stock of the achievements and challenges of ProtectDefenders.eu as an essential and consolidated tool for the protection, empowerment and sustainability of human rights defenders and human rights organizations in the places where they are most at risk.
We are hiring - The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a finance officer
The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for an experienced financer officer.
Under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat and with the assistance of the other Secretariat staff, the Finance Officer maintains an effective and accurate financial reporting system for all the HRD mechanism activities. Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter should be sent by email to recruit@protectdefenders.eu by November 26. Interview will take place on November 29 (in person or by Skype). The successful candidate will be expected to start working in December if possible. The initial contract will be up to End of January 2020. The position is expected to be full-time, although a contract at 80% can be discussed.
• Coordinate the financial aspects of the multi-state, multi-year, multi-partner program in line with EU requirements and the grant contract.
• Process the disbursement of funds in accordance with the agreed schedule.
• Ensure that financial management systems and records are effective and robust.
• Consolidate cash flows, reporting templates, financial plans and amendments throughout the project life.
• Maintain an adequate filing system for all financial and accounting deliverables to ensure ease of access during internal/external audit.
• Monitor budget burn rates and cash-flow projections.
• Recommend appropriate action on any significant variances ( +/-10%) and prepare budget amendments where necessary.
• Prepare the financial accounts for external audit and coordinate audit activities.
• Follow up on timely implementation of the recommendations to remedy significant variances.
Financial Reporting:
• Oversee forward planning and preparation for reporting to EU, adherence with consortium requirements and time-lines, and timely submission of reports by the 12 member organisations.
• Produce integrated financial reports on a timely basis and in line with international accounting standards and EU regulations.
• Finalize yearly accounts and provides any ad-hoc financial reports that may be required.
• Ensure that all consortium members submit accurate timesheets.
Financial and administrative management of Secretariat managed activities:
• Ensure the daily accountancy of the Secretariat
• Follow up the level of expenditures of the Secretariat's budget in close coordination with the Head of Secretariat
• Ensure that all Human Resources procedures under Belgian Law are observed and carry out payment of salaries to the Secretariat staff.
• Ensure financial management of inter-mechanisms meetings, core group meeting, foundation meetings and consortium meetings.
Capacity Building:
• Be available to partners to clarify EU financial rules and check compliance of reporting.
• Put forward recommendations when appropriate.
• If needed, undertake support visit to consortium members.
• Participate in consortium meetings to foster compliance and to address any financial issues.
• Ensure that internal audit recommendations for grant-funded projects are adhered to.
• Share lessons learned with consortium members throughout the project's implementation.
General administrative and logistic support:
• Support in the logistical and administrative organisation of meetings when necessary.
• Ensure supply of stationery and necessary equipment for the Secretariat in coordination with other staff members.
• Perform other administrative tasks if needed.
Ensures timely communication with the Head of Secretariat regarding eventual problems and possible solutions.
Experience/knowledge:
• Masters Degree in Finance or Accounting or professional accounting qualification
• Minimum of five years of experience in a finance/accounting role preferably with an international NGO.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing large budgets, with preference for previous experience working in a consortium or a network.
• Demonstrated experience with accounting in Belgium.
• Considerable experience of successfully managing the implementation of complex projects.
• Experience in working on projects funded by major international donors, with preference for previous experience with EU.
• Strong coordination/negotiation skills specifically with the ability to effectively coordinate among partner organisations.
• Understanding of the security and protection of human rights defenders around the world.
Skills:
• Excellent oral and written English and French language skills
• Strong financial management skills
• Ability to work towards tight reporting deadlines
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, communication and organisation skills.
The Finance Officer should have the necessary permit to work in the EU. The Finance Officer will be based in ProtectDefenders.eu secretariat in Brussels. The gross annual salary for the position is €45 080 (full-time).
Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter should be sent by email to recruit@protectdefenders.eu by November 26. Interview will take place on November 29 (in person or by Skype). The successful candidate will be expected to start working in December if possible. The initial contract will be up to End of January 2020. The position is expected to be full-time, although a contract at 80% can be discussed.
PBI brings Human Rights Defenders together in Brussels to reflect on the UN Declaration
On the 20th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, PBI brought together HRDs from Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Kenya, Indonesia and Nepal to reflect on the importance of the Declaration as well as the support and international solidarity provided by organizations such as PBI. During three days, 13 human rights defenders from Indonesia, Latin America, Kenya and Nepal; as well as PBI representatives and partner organisations, came together in Brussels to exchange experiences and knowledge about holistic protection. This meeting allowed them to analyse the global tendencies that impact their risk as well as identify their common needs as a collective of human rights defenders. The sessions allowed to construct a common narrative and key messages and recommendations to political actors in the European Union and its member states.Watch the video below to find out more.
Weighing up the situation for human rights defenders over the past 20 years of the promotion of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights Defenders, we reiterate that we undertake our work in increasingly hostile contexts and we confront risks such as criminalization and the repression of social protest, the increase in killings and the increase in social conflictivity particularly due to the imposition of economic projects and religious fundamentalism.
Against this adverse scenario, we wanted to reflect on our achievements and we recognize, for example, that human rights defense movements have increased and strengthened in the countries where PBI maintains projects. We also highlight the historic sentences from the Inter-American Court as well as in certain States such as the sentence for genocide in Guatemala. In this vein, we consider that we have a greater amplitude of space in which to act and participate as human rights defenders. In certain countries, judicial insturments have progressively been adopted that strengthen the rule of law, such as the Kenyan Constitution in 2010. These successes have pushed for necessary changes so that societies may become fairer and more democratic and prove the importance of continuing to support and protect human rights defenders.
The delegation of 13 human rights defenders from Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Nepal and Indonesia had several meetings with the human rights and geographical departments of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the political attachées of members of the European Parliament. These political actors from the European Union had the opportunity to listen to the analysis and findings of the previous sessions and direct testimony from the human rights defenders, lawyers, defenders of women's rights, LGBTI rights, economic, social and cultural rights and others who daily confront violence. Similarly, they shared recommendations directed at recognizing the work of human rights defenders, improving their protection from a holistic perspective and reverting the situation of generalized impunity.
Concluding the event in Brussels, PBI joined the Permanent Representation of Austria in organizing a conference between human rights defenders, international experts from the UN, representatives from the EEAS and the General Trade Direction of the European Commission, permanent representatives of the member states and international human rights organizations. In the event the importance of good communication was highlighted as an empowering tool and protection through visibility, but also emphasis was put on the need to increase funds, promote and support networks and support the creation of legislation in favor of the protection of human rights defenders. The civil society representatives insisted on the need to promote binding legislation in the EU that regulates due diligence of companies and establishes effective mechanisms for access to justice with the participation of human rights defenders.
The HRD World Summit brings surge of new commitments to protect human rights defenders
On 29, 30, 31 October, 2018, human rights defenders from across all corners of the world gathered in Paris for the Human Rights Defenders World Summit, to develop a plan of action for how to protect and promote the work of activists fighting for rights, 20 years on from the first UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. After three days of discussions and strategy development spanning regional and global issues, environmental rights and women human rights defenders and the increasing attacks on human rights defenders everywhere, the momentum culminated in the presentation of a landmark action plan which will be presented to the UN in December.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who spoke at the opening ceremony said: "What human rights defenders teach us is that all of us can stand up for our rights and for the rights of others, in our neighborhoods, in our countries and all over the world. We can change the world.”
The Summit discussed calls on Governments, corporations, international financial institutions, donors and others, including the adoption of national governmental action plans, implementation of legislation to legally uphold the UN declaration, protecting defenders as a priority in foreign policy and prioritizing the protection and work of women human rights defenders, LGBT+, indigenous rights defenders and other marginalized defenders.
Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said: “The level of danger facing activists worldwide has reached crisis point. Every day ordinary people are threatened, tortured, imprisoned and killed for what they fight for or simply for who they are. Now is the time to act and tackle the global surge in repression of human rights defenders.”
The closing ceremony took place at the Palais de Chaillot, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed 70 years ago. The 150 defenders gathered together to set out the Action Plan and pay tribute to the men and women who work tirelessly to defend human rights around the world.
Among those in attendance over the last three days were Alice Mogwe, Secretary General of FIDH and the Director of Botswana Ditshwanelo; Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matthew Caruana Galizia, who is calling for justice after his mother, Daphne Caruana Galizia, was assassinated one year ago in Malta; Anielle Franco, who is bravely campaigning on behalf of her sister, Marielle Franco, a Brazilian activist and elected councillor who was shot dead in her car seven months ago.
Hina Jilani, President of OMCT, founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and the first UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders said: “States have never given us space. It is because of human rights defenders that there is space for civil society. Seeing you all here engaged in defending human rights, I am not too pessimistic. As a movement, we have never been as global as we are now. But we have to be clear to states: you need to live up to the challenge and speak out for defenders. Human rights don’t come for free.”
The 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders
In 1998, governments adopted the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders to acknowledge the key role of human rights defenders. Despite progress in some areas, many governments are continuing to fall short of their commitments 20 years on from the first Summit and the global context in which human rights defenders operate in has become increasingly challenging. Democratic values are under threat and systemic corruption, extreme inequality and discrimination, religious fundamentalism and extremist policies are all on the rise. Alongside this, we have seen a concerted effort to undermine, discredit and kill human rights defenders. In 2017, at least 312 human rights defenders were assassinated, twice as many as in 2015, almost all with impunity for the perpetrators. The Action Plan hopes to tackle these injustices and support Human Rights Defenders to continue their critical work in a safe environment.
Join the global call to protect human rights defenders everywhere
A human rights defender is somebody who demands justice and dignity for us all. Some expose corruption and call for those in power to face justice. Some demand basic services, such as health, education, housing to be widely available. Some defend the right for anyone to live according to their own gender and sexual orientation. Some are women who defend the right of every woman to choose their own life freely, without being forced into marriage or maternity. Some are farmers and communities that want to protect their land from pollution and from businesses that bleed the land dry of precious resources like water and forests. They are brave - but regular - people. And they’re under attack.
Those in power, such as governments and large companies, are trying to silence human rights defenders – unfairly branding them as criminals, terrorists or “foreign agents”. Human rights defenders are locked up for speaking up. They are threatened, attacked and even murdered in horrifying numbers.
Enough is enough. It’s time we do something so bold that the governments can’t ignore us.
20 years ago, governments around the world signed a declaration, promising they would protect human rights defenders. This December, those governments will hold a special meeting at the UN to discuss the situation.
With your help, we can show that the world is watching the outcome of this meeting. Human rights defenders will hand in all your signatures and demand real protection, not just lip service.
Sign your name now, and call on governments to:
• Celebrate and protect human rights defenders, especially those who are marginalized and under attack because of their gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity and race, religion, status, ability, age, class.
• Stop attacking, smearing and stigmatizing those who fight for human rights to become a reality for every person in the world.
For this global call, we all need to join forces. Together, and with your support, our voices can be louder than ever.
Harassment and attacks against HRDs in Israel/ OPT, Bangladesh and Russia - Protect Defenders NOW
Over the recent weeks, ProtectDefenders.eu’s partners have voiced their concerns on the situation of harassment and attacks against human rights activists in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and ongoing criminalisation procedures against HRDs in Bangladesh or the Russian Federation. The October issue of ProtectDefenders.eu also reports more than 25 new attacks against defenders only over last month.
On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018 will constitute an opportunity to review the progress made in the defence of human rights and in the protection of all those that defend these rights in all their diversity since the adoption of the Declaration. By creating a unique platform for the human rights defenders' voices to be heard, this Summit will also call for the international community to reinforce its commitments to protect human rights defenders, celebrate the essential work HRDs carry out in the most difficult environments, and raise awareness about the threats, obstacles and restrictions HRD are constantly confronted with. The Summit intends to shape the upcoming human rights defenders' agenda, showing the way forward to the international community engaged in the protection of human rights defenders and the promotion of a safer and more enabling environment.
October 15
Supporting a feminist community radio in Mexico City
Thanks to ProtectDefenders.eu, RSF was able to support CIMAC (Comunicación e Información de la Mujer), a Mexican civil society organisation funded by women journalists, in purchasing the necessary equipment they needed to start running adequately, mainly transmitter and antenna. It helped as well to provide the necessary professional and administrative support, personnel services and any other resources required for a successful implementation of the project and to ensure that administration capacity and internal control systems of project resources were adequate.
CIMAC (Comunicación e Información de la Mujer) is a Mexican civil society organisation funded by women journalists with whom RSF has been working. The organisation promotes gender equality and human rights among journalists, political actors, civil society and academia and aims in particular to build a journalism more sensitive to the question of gender and seeks to ensure that media respect the rights of women in their daily work.They decided to establish in 2017 a radio with other women CSOs, called Radio Violeta which is the first feminist community radio in Mexico City, promoting gender equality in a country typically dominated by men. The 106.1FM frequency was granted for 15 years. The radio tackles issues such as the youth and children, gender equality, gender violence, sexuality, health, relationships, art and culture. Yet, they had no funding to buy necessary equipment to run the radio and, in addition, they had been given six months to start functionnong otherwise the State would take away the frequency they were granted.
Degradation of the human rights situation in Guatemala and widespread repression against HRDs in Burundi - Protect Defenders NOW
Over the recent weeks, ProtectDefenders.eu’s partners have voiced their concerns on the situation in Guatemala, the context of repression of human rights defenders in Burundi, or the ongoing judicial harassment of human rights defenders in Tajikistan. The September issue of ProtectDefenders.eu also reports more than 35 new attacks against defenders only in August 2018.
We are hiring! ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Head of Secretariat
ProtectDefenders.eu is seeking to recruit an experienced manager to run the Secretariat of the mechanism in Brussels and to ensure coordination of the project implementation and all related financial and narrative reporting. This is an exciting opportunity for a experienced manager with strong communication skills who will play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the project.
We are hiring! ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Grants Officer
The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a grants officer, a position based in Brussels. Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter should be sent by email to recruit@ProtectDefenders.eu before October 5th. The successful candidate will be expected to start work in November if possible. Given the project period of the Programme, the initial contract will be one year.
ILGA training on digital security for LGBTI human rights defenders
In July 2018, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) conducted a training around digital security for LGBTI human rights defenders, supported by ProtectDefenders.eu. For three days, 19 participants from twelve countries across Latin America and the Caribbean gathered together in Mexico City to learn how to integrate holistic and digital security into their organisational practices. Now more than ever, it is crucial for human rights defenders to learn how to make informed decisions when communicating online, and safely exercise their rights without falling prey to preventable digital threats. This is all the more true for those defending the rights of communities of sexual, gender and sex minorities: as much as the opening of digital spaces has helped LGBTI individuals break their isolation, it has also made people’s privacy and work to help change public awareness more exposed to attacks.
Many human rights defenders are indeed aware of the techno-political context around them, but sometimes lack the resources to protect themselves. This is where this training came in handy, immediately familiarising participants with concrete methods for improving their digital security. A few interactive role-play activities introduced defenders to the structure of the Internet and of mobile phone network technologies, highlighting where potential threats to their work were hiding. During the training, participants also received an intensive introduction to encryption for emails, messages and sensitive data, and learnt a few good practices on how to protect their accounts and create strong passwords.
Those days proved to be an intense capacity building experience for all the defenders involved: not only they had the opportunity to immediately test what they were learning, but also built skills that they can now use in their activism, and transfer within their own communities.
The crackdown against WHRDs in Saudi Arabia, harassment and repression reported in Vietnam, Mauritania & Western Sahara
The latest issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu monthly digest of alerts reports on the aggravated crackdown against women human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia. ProtectDefenders.eu’s partners reiterate the call to put an end to all acts of harassment against human rights defenders in the country. In addition, the Consortium implementing the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism is warning about the systematic persecution and judicial repression of human rights defenders in Vietnam, restrictions to travel faced by human rights defenders in Mauritania, and threats and harassment of human rights defenders in Western Sahara.
Advocacy mission on the security situation of HRDs in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras
From July 17 to 23 of this year, three defenders from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras left their homes and headed to the north of the continent to participate in an advocacy mission organized by PBI, with funding from ProtectDefenders.eu, in Washington DC. The mission organised aimed at making the security situation of human rights defenders visible with key actors that can have an impact on their protection.
This specific mission focused on the vulnerability of defenders of the land, the territory and the environment in the region; on the aggressions that they face because of their work and their protection needs. A key objective of this delegation was to make visible the violence that comes with 'development' in many territories, as well as the damage that results from the participation of military forces involved in acts of repression against communities in resistance. Another objective was to highlight the lack of protection offered by the governments of Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico to those who defend economic, social and cultural rights and ensure commitments by the actors with whom they met to influence their improvement of their security conditions.
During the week the defenders had the opportunity to about their respective situations of risk because of the work that each one carries out in the defense of the land and territory and their countries. They met with 14 offices of members of Congress and the Senate and with the Department of the State of the United States. They also spoke with several NGOs to update them on their various cases and seek international support for their struggles.
Raúl Caal Ical, member of the Cahabón Peace Resistance who opposes the Oxec hydroelectric project in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala; Melvin Ariel, human rights lawyer of the Broad Movement for Dignity and Justice (MADJ) in Honduras; and José Ángel Rivas Vega, member of the Ódami indigenous community and Coordinator of the Campo de la Alianza Sierra Madre AC (ASMAC) explained the situation in which they live because of their work defending the land and territory in the Sierra Tarahumara in the state of Chihuahua.
José Ángel dedicates part of his work in ASMAC to advise projects aimed at the conservation and protection of the environment, giving a cultural perspective to these projects. He also participates in the interpretation and cultural translation of texts on the human rights of Indigenous Peoples. In addition, he participates as an interpreter and translator in the hearings of the Superior Court of Justice of Chihuahua. The organization ASMAC was created in the nineties and since its constitution works with peoples and communities of the Sierra Tarahumara promoting their rights to defend the land and territory, their preferential access to natural resources, rights to food, education and to the full exercise of their culture. ASMAC, apart from accompanying and empowering indigenous communities to know and be able to demand their rights, also participates in dialogue processes with authorities and other civil society actors to sensitize them to the rights of the communities.
Melvin Ariel is a lawyer and legal coordinator of MADJ in Honduras. Ariel has worked with the family of Berta Cáceres in the trial about her murder in 2016 and has represented several defenders of the land, territory and environment criminalized for their work. The MADJ has supported indigenous and peasant communities - for example the community of Pajuiles in Atlántida and the community of San Francisco Locomapa of the Tolupán people - in their vindication for the right to free, prior and informed consultation on the implementation of economic projects in your territories. Due to this work, members of the MADJ have suffered threats, attacks, criminalization, raids and even murders. The visit to Washington DC allowed Ariel to dialogue with government and civil society actors in the United States to give visibility to this situation. For Ariel, the visit was positive to establish contacts with potential allies and consolidate a support network in the United States.
Raul Caal Ical is Q'eqchi 'Maya and member of the Cahabón Peace Resistance, a municipality with 195 communities in Alta Verapaz. Since 2015, the communities are organizing to defend their territory and the Cahabón and Oxec rivers before the arrival of the hydroelectric company, OXEC, S.A. who wants to build two dams. The Guatemalan state allowed the company to start construction without having consulted the affected population, as established in ILO Convention 169. Faced with this, the communities organized their own consultation in good faith in August 2017 in which more than 26 thousand people from the
UN Special Rapporteur's visit to Colombia, with the support of PBI
From July 28 to August 1, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights defenders, Michel Forst, visited Colombia in the framework of an academic invitation convened by the Institute of Political Studies of the National University of Colombia, IERPI. PBI had an important leadership in the coordination of the visit, under the advocacy programme supported by ProtectDefenders.eu.
The visit was an important occasion to make visible the delicate situation in which human rights defenders are found in Colombia: since January 1, 2016, more than 300 people, social leaders or defenders were murdered, according to figures from the Ombudsman's Office. After two days of traveling throughout Colombia to meet with defenders of the territory, Michel Forst arrived in Bogotá with a more complete agenda. A space was organized with Colombian civil society organizations to share an analysis of the situation in Colombia, of the Peace Agreements and the progress of their implementation, the attacks on leaders and the progress of the investigations by the Office of the Prosecutor. Many concerns were shared about the persistence of the armed conflict in the territories, where there is no clarity about the different actors and about the fact that the structural causes of the armed conflict have not yet been resolved, the little advance in land restitution and the fact that human rights defenders continue to be the target of stigmatization and attacks for defending their territories against megaprojects, as is the case of Ríos vivos Antioquia fighting against the damages of Hidroituango.
Michel Forst listened to all the testimonies with great attention and stressed the need to debate and build collective protection measures, and that Colombia has special attention from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the UN (OACHNUD). He also had the opportunity to meet with State institutions and United Nations agencies.On August 31, the academic event was organized with the focus on the importance of the role of defenders in the construction of peace. The Attorney General of the nation, Fernando Carrillo, the representative of the OACHNUD office in Colombia, Alberto Brunori, and Michel Forst introduced the event with speeches of support and support for the work of the defenders and the need to advance the fight against the impunity of these attacks in order to guarantee that these events are not repeated, as well as the need to implement effective prevention and protection measures, and to deconstruct the discourses that continue to stigmatize social leaders. It is expected that Dr. Michel Forst will soon be officially invited to Colombia.
Degradation of the human rights situation in Nicaragua, serious alerts reported in India and judicial repression in Morocco
The ProtectDefenders.eu monthly digest of alerts reports on the degradation of the human rights situation in Nicaragua, serious alerts reported in India & judicial repression in Morocco. Moreover, more than 31 attacks and threats have bee reported, according to the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of Attacks and Alerts.
June 2018 digest of alerts - Recent killings reported in Guatemala and the situation of HRDs in Saudi Arabia and DRC
At least seven human rights defenders have been murdered in Guatemala in the past few weeks. Also, our monthly digest of alerts and attacks against human rights defenders reports on the crackdown on Saudi civil society and women's rights defenders, and the degradation of the health status of imprisoned defenders in DRC. Check the full document here.
June 18
International workshop on the protection of human rights defenders
ProtectionDefenders.eu participated in the international workshop “Protection of Human Rights Defenders: good practices and the role of Italy”, organised by OSCE and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which took place in Rome. The workshop was attended also by representatives of the international civil society, NGOs and European authorities in the field of human rights defenders.
June 11
ProtectDefenders.eu at the Venice School of Human Rights
ProtectDefenders.eu conducted the opening lesson of the cluster on Human Rights Defenders, at the Venice Summer School of Human Rights. Together with the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, the session highlighted the importance and legitimacy of the work of human rights defenders, as well as their need for better protection, reviewing the international instruments available in their support and the current challenges.
June 6
ProtectDefenders.eu at the European Development Days 2018
The session was moderated by Meerim Ilyas, a senior programme officer at Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights, and included the participation and testimonies of Christine-Astrig Mardirossian, Programme Manager at the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (DG DEVCO, European Commission), and human rights defenders Emilie de Wolf (Consorcio Oaxaca - Mexico), Weeam Youssef (Gulf Center for Human Rights - Lebanon/ Syria), and Aigerim Kamidola (Feminita - Kazakhstan).
Through relevant examples from the field and the experience and highlights of ProtectDefenders.eu, this session discussed how to respond to the specific challenges when supporting the work of women human rights defenders, and how to improve the design of rapid-response programmes and advocacy initiatives that focus their needs and specificities.
30th anniversary of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
On the 30th anniversary of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, ProtectDefenders.eu participated in a two-day conference organised by the European Parliament. A delegation of human rights defenders accompanied by ProtectDefenders.eu (Emilie de Wolf, Aigerim Kamidola and Lolita Chávez) also joined the conference and shared with the audience the positive impact of the support received, as well as powerful testimonies of the numerous challenges they still face in their daily work.
Antoine Madelin, FIDH International Advocacy Director and current chair of the board of ProtectDefenders.eu highlighted that "In a context of global deterioration of the situation of human rights defenders ProtectDefenders.eu is meeting our number one challenge: supporting those human rights defenders working on the most difficult issues and in the most difficult countries, As we manage to consolidate the impact of our work over the last two and a half years, we see that ProtectDefenders.eu has been a crucial tool for the security, protection and empowerment for at least 11,200 human rights defenders around the world"
June 1
"Human rights defenders are neither enemies of the State nor enemies of development, but champions of change" - Check out our new video
On the occasion of the second annual meeting of ProtectDefenders.eu, held on November, 8th, 2017, human rights defenders and grassroots activists, and representatives of various EU institutions involved in the protection of human rights defenders and current development agenda met in Brussels under the motto "Champions of change - Human rights defenders at the forefront of development and democracy". You can check out here the video of this unique occasion, which highlighted the fundamental role of human rights defenders as drivers of change in their societies, and as key actors in the frontlines of development, rule of law and democracy.
In addition, a strong call was made to national and international actors to strengthen their efforts to ensure the protection of defenders working in the most difficult and restrictive contexts, who are subject to threats, harassment and attacks. Finally, ProtectDefenders.eu members warned of the drifting narrative away from the human rights discourses and called on society to put human rights back at the centre of the political and social agenda.
PBI warns of increasing attacks on defenders of land and territory in Guatemala
In Guatemala, defending human rights has become the highest risk activity, and the people who carry it out, face threats of all kinds that often end in violent deaths. The murder, in less than a month, of seven peasant leaders who participated in the Peasant Development Committee (CODECA) of Jalapa and Jutiapa and in the Altiplano Peasant Committee of the Altiplano (CCDA) of Alta Verapaz, reveals, without a doubt, a alarming increase in risk, especially for people who defend the land and the territory.
In this context, PBI has seen with concern the security situation of three of the organizations that it accompanies, the Campesino Coordinator Ch'orti 'Nuevo Día (CCCND), the Peaceful Resistance of Cahabón and the Verapaz Union of Campesino Organizations (UVOC). These organizations are suffering, especially since the beginning of 2018, episodes of serious threats and intimidation, attacks with firearms, arrests and criminalization of their leaders. Faced with this situation, PBI has increased the frequency with which international volunteers are present in the Oriente and Alta Verapaz regions, especially in the most threatened communities. PBI has accompanied leaders to make complaints before the state institutions responsible for investigating the attacks and has observed court hearings in cases of criminalization to ensure due process, especially in the case of Bernardo Caal Xól, leader of the Cahabón Peaceful Resistance He has been deprived of liberty since January 30, 2018. PBI has also intensified the follow-up to the work of the state institutions responsible for ensuring the safety and protection of defenders, basically the National Civil Police (PNC) and the Attorney General's Office for Human Rights (PDH) and has maintained a continuous work of information towards the international community, through meetings and the publication of an Alert that collects the security incidents of the three organizations accompanied by PBI and shows their worsening situation.
As a result of this warning, and in the framework of Protect Defenders coordination, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders published an urgent appeal focusing especially on threats to the coordinator of CCCND, Omar Jerónimo. In addition, 61 European human rights organizations sent an open letter to the Government of Guatemala requesting an early investigation of the murders of defenders and the adoption of measures to guarantee the protection and safety of defenders at risk.
Because of the increasingly worrying context, PBI asks the international community to take actions to improve the protection of those who defend land and territory in Guatemala, among which those specific measures included in the European Union Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, and especially the realization of visits to the affected regions and the maintenance of meetings with CCCND, the Peaceful Resistance of Cahabón and the UVOC. PBI's experience shows that the presence in regions far from the capital, making international attention visible on the situation of violation of rights that exists there, helps to deter new attacks and to preserve the security of those who are defending life.
Recent killings of Human Rights Defenders, and the situation in Egypt and Armenia featured in the May 2018 digest
In our monthly bulletin of alerts, ProtectDefenders.eu expresses its concern on the recent killings of Human Rights Defenders in Honduras, Peru and Myanmar, as well as the latest incidents related to the ongoing crackdown on civil society in Egypt and obstacles to freedom of reunion, and judicial harassment reported in Armenia
#TurnItOff - International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB)
On the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB), ILGA launched a new campaign raising the voices of LGBTI persons and human rights defenders from around the world. Starting from May 17 and unfolding for a whole week, the #TurnItOff campaign featured six human rights defenders who shared their personal stories and cast a light on how lesbophobia, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and interphobia have an impact on their lives and intersect with their identities.
As human rights violations against rainbow communities continue unabated all over the world, and we witness civil society spaces being shrunk, there has never been a better time to point out how the vital battle against LGBTI-phobia can’t be won in isolation. As this year’s theme for IDAHOTB was Alliances for solidarity, defenders also shared practical tips for allies to support rainbow communities.
Why #TurnItOff, then? For a very simple reason: lesbophobia, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and interphobia are a constant presence in the lives of everyone within rainbow communities. They sometimes are a noise in the background, but some other times they dangerously come to the forefront, in all shapes and sizes. LGBTI-phobia is also dramatically internalised, and always ready to surface in how we talk to ourselves, or in how we point fingers at people within our own community. These negative feelings also do not act in isolation: they intersect with other aspects of people’s identities, and with the discrimination that they face based on them.
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May 15
Colombia - No peace for human rights defenders, no peace without them
Defending human rights remains a high-risk activity in Colombia, making it the deadliest country in the world for human rights defenders. In 2017, between 106 and 126 defenders lost their lives due to the State's inability to protect them. These are the conclusions of the report of the Observatory (OMCT-FIDH), presented in Buenaventura, a place that experiences all the risks faced by defenders in the country.
"It is obvious that defenders are not living in peace in Colombia, but what needs to be made clear to everyone is that there can be no peace without them", said Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General. "Colombia is at a historic crossroads as it could leave behind the armed conflict and consolidate the rule of law, in which all human rights would be respected. This can only happen if safeguards are provided so that defenders can carry out their work freely and safely".
In the context of the peace process in Colombia, which has led to a historic decline in the number of murders, it is of serious concern that the number of killings of human rights defenders has increased at an alarming rate, making Colombia the country with the highest number of killings of defenders in the world.
The Observatory report identified four main factors increasing the vulnerability of human rights defenders and which must be urgently addressed by the authorities:
Firstly, the defence of human rights in Colombia cannot be guaranteed until the continuing operation of paramilitary structures is not publicly acknowledged and all measures necessary to dismantle such groups are not taken, since they are the main source of attacks faced by defenders.
Secondly, the stigmatisation and criminalisation of defenders remain a major concern. The report documents several worrying examples of the stigmatisation of defenders in 2017 via public statements and actions by all branches of the State (executive, legislative and judicial), as well as by the State security forces, which contribute to increasing the risk of attacks even further, within a context of extremely high levels of violence against defenders in Colombia.
Thirdly, despite the move to a post-conflict scenario, the legal environment and public policies continue to stigmatise and criminalise social protest, while State security forces still resort to an excessive use of force during demonstrations.
Finally, the best way to prevent attacks against defenders is through a functioning justice system. While progress has been made to tackle the impunity in attacks against defenders, as demonstrated by the increase of the rate of indictment achieved by the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Observatory emphasises that cases can only be considered as solved when the perpetrators are sentenced, which means that 94.5% of the murders registered by the Prosecutor's Office since 2016 remain in impunity. Moreover, current investigations fail to identify masterminds or planners as well as motives for the killings. Furthermore, other types of attacks such as threats are not sufficiently investigated. Challenges faced by the justice system remain significant.
"During my visit to Colombia exactly one year ago, we noted that the implementation of the peace agreement was far from being an easy task. Nevertheless, in light of the serious incidents detailed in this report, we call upon the international community to condition support for the State upon guarantees of the effective administration of justice ensuring the decrease of rampant impunity that persists in cases of killings and aggressions against defenders in Colombia", declared Dimitris Christopoulos, FIDH President.
The Observatory launches its report today in the city of Buenaventura, where one defender received threats from paramilitary structures simply for having spoken to the Observatory delegation. The city also saw the repression of the Civic Strike in 2017. On the first anniversary of the strike, human rights defenders are facing a particularly critical situation, making Buenaventura an emblematic example of all the risks faced by defenders throughout Colombia.
Capacitación sobre seguridad para defensores y defensoras de derechos LGBTI
Esta capacitación sobre seguridad digital y física es organizada por ILGA y se realiza bajo la iniciativa de ProtectDefenders.eu, instrumento establecido por la Unión Europea para proteger a defensores(as) de derechos humanos que se encuentran en situaciones de alto riesgo y que enfrentan los contextos más difíciles en el mundo.
El objetivo de la capacitación sobre temas de seguridad para activistas LGBTI es fortalecer a las organizaciones seleccionadas que trabajan por los derechos humanos vinculados a la diversidad sexual, identidades y expresiones de género y características sexuales y que son lideradas por personas LGBTI de la región de América Latina y el Caribe, aportando habilidades y herramientas sobre seguridad física, psicosocial y digital. Se espera que las personas participantes puedan socializar los saberes y los conocimientos obtenidos durante este taller con colegas, personas socias y su propia comunidad en la región.
¿Cuándo y dónde se realizará?
La capacitación tendrá lugar en la Ciudad de México del 10 al 13 de julio de 2018. Las personas participantes llegarán el 9 de julio y partirán el 13 de julio en horas de la tarde. La capacitación se basará en métodos de aprendizaje interactivos y requerirá de un alto nivel de participación de todas las personas participantes. Les activistes seleccionades recibirán tiquetes aéreos, alojamiento, comida, transporte, seguro médico y viáticos para asistir a la capacitación.
¿Quién puede aplicar?
Invitamos a las organizaciones LGBTI de América Latina y el Caribe que tengan trabajo en asuntos de derechos humanos vinculados a la diversidad sexual, identidades y expresiones de género y características sexuales y que son lideradas por personas LGBTI. Las organizaciones solicitantes podrán nominar hasta a dos personas de su personal/voluntaries para que participen en esta capacitación.
El curso será desarrollado íntegramente en español, por lo cual es requisito poder comunicarse y entender este idioma.
Para aplicar no es necesario tener previo conocimiento sobre seguridad personal y/o digital.
¿Cómo es el proceso de aplicación?
La aplicación debe realizarse a través de un formulario electrónico y debe ser completado en todos los campos que se informan como obligatorios.
Haz clic en el link para completar el formulario de aplicación
La fecha límite para aplicar es el 18 de mayo de 2018 a la medianoche de la Ciudad de México.
ILGA se esforzará por garantizar un equilibro geográfico y de identidades entre las personas que participen. El 25 de mayo se contactará sólo a las personas seleccionadas.
Contacto
Si tienes alguna pregunta con respecto a la capacitación, por favor envíanos un correo a digitalsecurity2018@ilga.org antes del 18 de mayo.
RSF and ProtectDefenders.eu's training for Lybian journalists in Tunis
From the 2nd of May to the 7th of May, RSF organised in Tunis a training on safety, with a training of trainers approach, to 9 Libyan journalists. The crisis for press freedom in Libya has reached an unprecedented level. Because of the political and security instability of the past four years and the open conflict between two rival governments, journalists have to risk their lives if they want to report, in a climate of complete impunity for press freedom predators, making journalism extremely dangerous. Hence the necessity of this training on safety considered, to provide comprehensive safety measures and awareness and mitigate risks and threats in a hostile environment.
An effort was put into the selection of the participants to reflect as much as possible the diversity, geographically, age-wise and among the profession. Special attention was also paid to form a gender-balanced group, though it may seem difficult when training groups are from war and conflict areas. Yet, 3 out the 9 participants were females. In addition, it was important to select the ones with the highest motivation and the best leadership skills as it was a training with a training of trainer approach, and they will be at some point reproducing the training and transferring the skills they learn. For 5 days, the 9 journalists were trained to better protect themselves, alternating between theory and practical exercises.
As the safety of journalists in conflict zones is a major issue, the trainer adopted a holistic approach and presented both psychosocial and digital security together with physical security. The participants were trained on how to identify and assess the risk while working in a hostile environment. An exercise was done about risks and threats facing Libyan journalists, and the participants learnt how to build a safety plan for a conflict reporting. A session focused as well on mobility and safety and how to deal with checkpoints in conflict zones, as well as surveillance and ambushes. The rest of the day was dedicated to a psychosocial safety and trauma session, where the participants learnt how to interview victims and how to deal with stress themselves.
Subsequently, the participants learnt how to deal with situations such as abduction, covering riots, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, through practical exercises and role play. How to deal with armed forces was later addressed when two journalists mentioned.
During the sessions, the participants learnt to concentrate on peacebuilding rather than the war or conflict itself: choosing well-balanced sources, expressions used, fact-checking, inclusive coverage. These discussions were good because they serve one of the objectives of the training, attitude change.
The next day tackled the issue of conflict sensitive reporting and the roles of journalists in the field (do’s and don’ts when reporting in unsafe places). The sensitive question of the ethical challenges and dilemmas relevant to safety was approached, as well as the challenges of dealing with violence and armed groups, and understanding their media strategy and ways to counter their propaganda. Discussions reflecting unconscious bias and differences between activism and journalism were an eye-opener for everyone.
In conclusion, the training was a success. Based on the trainer’s feedbacks, the performance of the participants was excellent. Some of them co-trained with her, and how they were able to give feedbacks and explanations reflected very well the skills and knowledge absorbed during the training sessions, especially the concept of safety and risk management. The participants managed to identify what they were doing wrong and will change that, and in addition, the training stressed some good practices they will continue doing it.
Through relevant examples from the field and the experience and highlights of ProtectDefenders.eu, this session will discuss how to respond to the specific challenges when supporting the work of women human rights defenders, and how to improve the design of rapid-response programmes and advocacy initiatives that focus their needs and specificities.
A final version of the programme will be available and disseminated in the coming days.
May 3
#WorldPressFreedomDay2018
As we celebrate #WorldPressFreedomDay2018, ProtectDefenders.eu reiterates its sustained commitment to the protection and safety of journalists working in the most difficult environments around the world. However, as shown by the recently launched Reporters Without Borders 2018 Index, press freedom is far from reality in many countries, and the situation for journalists remains extremely dire.
Thanks to ProtectDefenders.eu and its partners, emergency assistance, temporary relocation, core support, and training are within reach for journalists under threat.
Since its launch in October 2015, ProtectDefenders.eu's support to journalists at risk has become a reality through 282 emergency grants, 15 grants to media outlets, 61 relocation programmes, 10 training actions, 17 field monitoring & fact-finding missions and 2 outreach missions to journalists in remote areas, as well as the ongoing advocacy work carried out by ProtectDefenders.eu's partners.
April 13
Launch of the Costa Rica Shelter City programme
With the strong commitment and financial support of ProtectDefenders.eu, Costa Rica was officially launched as a shelter hub for human rights defenders at risk from the Central America region. Human rights defenders from countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Colombia will have the opportunity to temporarily relocate, and access essential tools and training to improve their security. Costa Rica long-standing commitment to the protection of human rights makes it an ideal location for this initiative, in a region which is particularly dangerous for human rights defenders' activities, especially for those individuals working for environmental and indigenous rights.
Click on the image to watch the full presentation.
Belarus, Niger and Morocco are the countries of concern in the ProtectDefenders.eu's monthly digest of alerts
The crackdown on civil society in Belarus, the judicial harassment of human rights defenders in Morocco and the repression of peacfeul demonstrations in Niger are raising the alarm about the deteriorating environment for human rights defenders in these countries, where numerous alerts have been reported this monthly digest of alerts.
Moreover, only during March 2018, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has already reported 54 new violations against HRDs.
Click here to read the monthly digest, and share it widely.
March 23
Turkey, at the centre of ProtectDefenders.eu's concerns in the March 2018 digest of alerts
The ever-growing crackdown on civil society, the political repression and the judicial and administrative persecution against defenders and organizations in Turkey get worse every day. Numerous alerts have been reported this month, which add to the continuous crackdown on civil society in the country since the failed coup in July 2016. Moreover, the March 2018 Digest of alerts features the situation in Algeria, as ProtectDefenders.eu's partners have received with great concern recent information on the precarious environment for the exercise of the defence of human rights in the country. Finally, the continuing pattern of violence, harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders in DRC, where recent killings have been reported, is also in the spotlight.
Moreover, only during February 2018, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has already reported 52 new violations against HRDs.
Long-term relocation of South Sudanese defender Charles Bangbe
ProtectDefenders.eu's temporary relocation program for human rights defenders in danger is one of the hallmarks of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism. Since its launch more than two years ago, the program has been expanded and consolidated and, to date, more than more than 800 individuals have accessed financial and logistic support to find refuge away from risk, while developing productive and empowering activities during their relocation, which improves their abilities to continue their work as defenders.
That has been the case of Charles Bangbe, a South Sudanese human rights defender currently in exile in Uganda. He used to work for the South Sudan Employees Chamber, a civil society organization that protects the rights of workers. Being a new State, South Sudanese Public Services were ran by former combatants who liberated the country from the old Sudan. In 2015, the County was given authority to handle land disputes. Because of Charles' legal background, he was appointed to represent civil society on the panel charged with sorting out land matters. His firm position against unfair treatment of the victims in the cases handled made his organization and himself a target of land grabbers. The grabbed land was discovered as the commission continued its work but Charles Bangbe was looked at as a thorn to the commission members as he was blocking any unfair resolution upon the matters. As a result of his work, Charles Bangbe started receiving threats, which increased progressively to the point of being shot by an unidentified armed man who then left knowing that his target had died. He was taken urgently to a hospital in Juba, then transferred to Kampala where he has been living with his family since then.
Once in Kampala, he received DefendDefenders multifaceted emergency protection support in form of a relocation/settlement grant, medical assistance as well as support on initiating the process of asylum seeking with the Office of the Prime Minister and UNHCR. The defender and his family also received counselling given the traumatic experience they underwent following the incident. In addition, they received security tips to help keep them safe while in exile. Charles Bangbe was advised to apply to the ProtectDefenders.eu Temporary Relocation Programme for more sustainable assistance and, with the support of DefendDefenders, he was provided assistance to sustain his family for a period of one year.
Since his temporary relocation began, Charles Bangbe started a small income generating activity for the family as a way of longer sustainability after the funding ends, which is run by the wife in Kampala. He has also been able to fully register all his family members with the Office of the Prime Minister Directorate of Refugees through direct technical advice from DD and began plans to construct a small family house after purchasing land on the outskirts of Kampala so that he could solve the challenge of paying rent after the grant has run out. Moreover, he has reportedly continued his human rights back at home after an assurance that the family is taken care of and out of harm’s way.
Morocco: victims of increasing attacks, human rights associations progressively muzzled
Paris-Geneva, January 25, 2018 - The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a FIDH-OMCT partnership) is publishing a report describing the shrinking workspace for independent civil society in Morocco, which affects a growing number of human rights organizations. Constraints and administrative harassment undermine the constitutional gains of 2011, achieved in the wake of the "February 20" Movement and the "Arab Spring".
In 2011, Morocco adopted a new constitution by referendum which guarantees more freedoms and human rights. It includes the freedoms of opinion and expression; association; gatherings and peaceful demonstrations. The Kingdom is also bound by the legal obligations contained in the many international conventions it has ratified.
However, because of the subjects they defend, some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the defence of human rights operate in an ever more unfavorable context, the rights enshrined in the Constitution being less and less respected by the administrative and police authorities. This deterioration accelerated in 2014, following the speech of the Minister of the Interior in Parliament. He accused human rights groups of receiving funds from abroad to carry out actions that undermine the security and image of Morocco.
The report details how three processes are used by the Moroccan authorities to hinder their activities. Barriers in registration procedures (refusal of filing, time limits), including for emblematic human rights organizations in Morocco, prevent them from existing legally, to open a bank account to obtain a place and to sue. In addition, activities (events, public meetings) organized by NGOs are regularly prohibited. Finally, their access to finance is hindered by the lack of registration or final receipt, preventing NGOs from opening a bank account and limiting their access to funding. This access has become even more problematic with the new obligation for international donors to contact the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs before any funding is given to Moroccan associations. While this new mechanism of March 2017 officially aims to fight the financing of terrorist groups, it is feared that it can be used to control the funding of independent NGOs critical of the human rights situation in Morocco.
This gradual smothering of independent associations is taking place as the country faces new social movements since the end of 2016.
" While protests and demonstrations in the Rif are likely to degenerate into further violence, it is essential that the country respect its own Constitution and its international commitments on freedom of expression, association, and assembly. Morocco must also guarantee the safety of members and local human rights NGOs, " said Hafidha Chekhir, vice president of FIDH.
Finally, despite favorable jurisprudence for human rights NGOs, the Moroccan authorities almost systematically prohibit the activities of foreign NGOs or their Moroccan branches. For example, Transparency Morocco, an anti-corruption organization, has seen its activities banned several times since 2013. Several legal experts and international observers have been expelled. For example, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are no longer allowed to conduct their investigations in the country.
" Government rhetoric voluntarily conflates the work of human rights NGOs with terrorism and religious extremism. The hostility against them, which sometimes takes the form of judicial harassment, must stop immediately " denounced Gerald Staberock, Secretary General of OMCT.
The Observatory calls on the Moroccan authorities to put an end to the obstacles to freedom of association and to respect all the rights guaranteed by the international and regional human rights instruments ratified by Morocco, in particular with regard to freedom of association, assembly, assembly, peaceful protest, and expression.
Directors of the publication: Dimitris Christopoulos, Gerald Staberock
Authors of the report: Marie-Aure Perreaut, Hugo Gabbero
Editing and coordination: Marie-Aure Perreaut, Hugo Gabbero, Juliette Cheanne
"Thanks to you, tonight I will sleep peacefully close to my baby"
Within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, OMCT provided a grant In February 2018 to a Bolivian woman human rights defender, in order to support her temporary relocation within the country. This WHRD, a lawyer and NGO member, committed her life to the defence of women’s rights and in particular of women deprived of their liberty, offering pro bono representation to victims of negligence, mistreatment and corruption.
As a result of her work, two strongly influential local Public Prosecutors were found guilty of mistreatment against women deprived of liberty and subsequently dismissed. Since then, her life drastically changed as she began receiving threats against her own life and her three-year-old son. The threats have been intensifying since the end of 2017, when she started receiving threatening calls daily, was subjected to stalking, and endured an attempt to kidnap her and her son. Her situation became unbearable and she finally decided to resort to temporary relocation in order to protect her son’s life and to be able to continue her work free from threats.
Thanks to the financial support of OMCT in the framework of ProtectDefenders.EU, the WHRD is now living safely in another region of Bolivia with her son, with the hope to be able to resume her human rights activities shortly.
February 28
Four months of intensive training for Papuan human rights defenders
ProtectDefenders.eu has allocated comprehensive grants through PBI Indonesia, for 10 grassroots organizations from West Kalimantan, East Nusa Tengara, Papua, West Papua and Central Sulawesi. This set of grants allows sending human rights defenders to Jakarta, in order to participate in a four-month intensive training on how to improve safety and quality standards in human rights field research. As recently reported, in the first six months of training a wide variety of topics have already been covered, including sessions on digital security, dealing with aggression, nonviolent communication and negotiation, basic human rights theory and law, social analysis, interviewing techniques, writing for human rights reporting, and risk analysis and mitigation. The trainees will also conduct a short field visit with a Javanese farmers' union to sharpen some of these skills before beginning to plan their own research projects,
February 28
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent appeals February 2018
The February 2018 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest warns about the killings and intimidation against human rights defenders in Mexico; the judicial harassment and criminalisation of defenders in Cambodia and attacks against activists in Russia. The EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism's partners are actively raising their voices to alert on the dire situation of defenders in those countries.
Moreover, only during January 2018, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has already reported 82 new violations against HRDs.
The Colombian Commission of Jurists (CCJ), a non-governmental organization with consultative status with the United Nations, participates in a training on self-protection and digital security thanks to the support of ProtectDefenders.eu
Due to the defence work for the economic, social and cultural rights, the organizations dedicated to the investigation and to the litigation, and in particular the CCJ, have been subjected to attacks promoted by violators of human rights in the press, in the Senate and by any other means. It has been recently discovered that, between 2003 and 2005, human rights organisations were subjected to illegal persecution by the intelligence agency of the Presidency of the Republic - the Administrative Department of Security (DAS) - which constituted a group to harass human rights defenders, magistrates, journalists and political opponents, all of which is subject to investigation by Colombian criminal justice.
Within the situation of violence in the country, such attacks represent clear threats to the integrity of its members as they are often the target of threats and various security incidents related to the monitoring and surveillance of their activities in the field, in zones of control by illegal actors; to the theft of information of the different cases of human rights violations that they represent, and even more in a post-agreement context where many of these cases in which they have worked historically will be presented to the newly formed Truth Commission.
In this context, PBI received the request to start a cycle of self-protection workshops, digital security and self-care spaces to preventively and reactively address the protection and security of the organization. During February 20, the first working day was held, holding workshops on self-protection and digital security. On the 22nd of this same month, the people in charge of the area of reconstruction of the social fabric in charge of them organized a follow-up meeting with the Board of Directors of the organization.
The result that these workshops can have in the management of the security of the CCJ will be of greater relevance if the impact on the country and the Colombian justice is taken into account, the presentation before the truth commission and the eventual resolution of their cases.
RSF publishes report on media freedom under attack in Cambodia
Three months to the day after the arbitrary arrest of two journalists in Phnom Penh, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is publishing a report about the tragic decline in the freedom to inform in Cambodia, where the independent media are now in ruins as a result of constant depredation by Prime Minister Hun Sen's regime.
Imprisoned since 14 November on espionage charges, former Radio Free Asia reporters Oun Chhin and Yeang Sothearin are above all the collateral victims of the offensive that Hun Sen has waged against the independent media for the past six months in order to pave the way for general elections in July.
The aim of the report published today is to detail this tragic reversal for the media in Cambodia. It is based on research carried out by Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk, during a visit to Cambodia in October 2017 (see attached versions in English, Khmer and French).
Cambodia Daily, the country’s oldest English-language newspaper, suddenly learned on 4 August that the tax department was demanding 6.3 million US dollars (5.3 million euros) in supposed back taxes. If the newspaper couldn’t pay, it would just have to “pack up and go,” Hun Sen said. No audit had been carried out and no document was produced to support the government’s claim. In the absence of any possibility of appeal, Cambodia Daily published its last issue on 4 September.
Harassing independent media
The Cambodian authorities brazenly tried to play innocent by repeatedly insisting that Cambodia Daily’s closure was the result of nothing more than a tax problem. However, it emerged a few days ago that they told Internet service providers on 28 September to block access to Cambodia Daily’s still functioning website and to its Facebook and Twitter pages although they are based outside the country.
This clearly shows, if any proof were needed, that Hun Sen’s government persecutes independent media. A total of 32 radio stations, including Radio Free Asia’s Phnom Penh bureau, were shut down at the end of August. Their common feature was a lack of subservience towards the government. The closures have been accompanied by persecution of journalists. In fact, anything goes in order intimidate the media. This is why RSF has joined other international and Cambodian NGOs in issuing a statement (see attached) demanding the immediate release of Oun Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, who are facing up to 15 years in prison.
Mass media control
The war against independent media has left the field free for media outlets that take their orders from the ruling party. This is clear from the Cambodian Media Ownership Monitor (MOM) carried out jointly by RSF and the Cambodian Centre for Independent Media (CCIM), an updated version of which is published today. It shows that media ownership is largely concentrated in the hands of a small number of leading businessmen linked to the ruling party. This is particularly so with the broadcast media. The four main TV channels, which have 80% of Cambodia’s viewers, are all run by government members or associates.
An independent regulator should be in charge of issuing licences to broadcast media and press cards to journalists but the information ministry is responsible for these functions in Cambodia, executing them in a completely opaque manner.
New information vehicles
When the traditional media are so closely controlled, the only hope lies with the Internet and citizen-journalists. Internet and social media use is exploding within Cambodia’s young and connected population. In 2017, 40% of Cambodians got their news primarily from Facebook. However, Facebook included Cambodia in the six countries where it began trialling a new set-up in October in which the independent news content is hived off to a secondary location called the Explore feed. The effect has been drastic. In a matter of days, the Phnom Penh Post’s Khmer-language Facebook page lost 45% of its readers and traffic fell 35%.
Meanwhile, a survey showed that the prime minister’s Facebook page received 58 million clicks in 2017, putting him third in the click ranking of the world’s politicians, just behind Donald Trump and India’s Narendra Modi. But many are sceptical, to the point that a former opposition leader recently filed a legal suit against Facebook in a US federal court in San Francisco, demanding that it hand over any information indicating that Hun Sen bought millions of “likes” from foreign “click farms” in order to boost the appearance of invincibility ahead of July’s parliamentary elections.
Pursuing the fight
There can be no democracy without independent media but media independence is in greater danger now in Cambodia than at any other time in its recent history, which still bears the deep scars of the Khmer Rouge era. The fight for the freedom to inform in Cambodia must, therefore, be pursued at all costs.
Ranked 132nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index, Cambodia is likely to fall in the 2018 index.
Meeting and training on advocacy for RSF partners in Paris
On 7, 8 and 9 February 2018, Reporters Without Borders held in Paris a three-day meeting with its 12 partner organizations, from Syria, Morocco, DRC, Turkey, Cambodia, Pakistan, Mexico, Thailand, China, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, all in common sharing the same commitment to freedom of the press and protection of journalists. The objective of this meeting was to train them on advocacy and to define with RSF an action plan for 2018.
The opportunity was also seized to allow them to meet to confront the challenges they can face in their respective and to share ideas and good practices. The meeting started with each of the partners exposing the situation and the global strategy of their organizations vis-à-vis the freedom of the press in their countries. Around the table, questions were jostling and synergies already beginning to emerge. At the coffee break, the Pakistani representative approached the Mexican participant: "If your pilot project works in Mexico, I think that can be replicated in Pakistan." Throughout the session, ideas were coming together and common projects were flourishing.
The participants then followed a training on advocacy, the UN Human rights mechanism (Human Rights Council and UPR) and reaching diplomatic community and how to address national governments and authorities. It emerged that many of these organizations already do advocacy but not in a formal way and without being aware that what they do constitutes advocacy. A part of the training was also dedicated to improve technical and writing skills.
Then, the practical session, all organizations started to work on an action plan, highlighting activities to be carried out and objective to achieve in 2018. The aim is to align the four cross-cutting strategic axes of RSF (1. Defend and protect journalists investigating major subjects of public matter; 2. Provide tools for the independence of journalism; 3. Digital censorship – Accountability; 4. Resist counter models of information control) with the reality on the ground and needs of each country. Common activities with proven effectiveness, such as joint advocacy campaigns and the organization of physical and digital security training for journalists, were elements that were repeated in most strategies.
Those documents will serve as a basis to follow up RSF’s partners work, and monitor the progress made. Beyond drafting such a strategic document, this meeting, first of its kind of also a great chance for organizations that could have never met to meet, exchange, share, create a sense of belonging to wider network and to feel less isolated when it comes to fight human rights violations. "I came here a few days to discover Paris," said the member of the Thai organization. But, during this meeting, I discovered the world. "
ILGA meets... Safir Soeparna, human rights defender
The Senior Campaigns Coordinator of APCOM is one of the 25 LGBTI human rights defenders who joined a training around digital security conducted by ILGA in Bangkok in July 2017 with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu. Our partner ILGA met him to learn more about his work.
ProtectDefenders.eu presents a report on funding available for Human Rights Defenders
Brussels, 26 February 2018- With human rights, democracy and the rule of law around the world increasingly under attack, those who stand up to defend them have an ever-more central role to play in sustainable development and conflict resolution. As civil society space closes around them, and governments use repressive tactics to impede their work, human rights defenders (HRDs) often put their lives, liberty, and safety at risk, and require support and protection in order to go on.
In a context where the level of need and demand from HRDs has significantly risen, increased support will be required in the coming years to meet the demands of HRDs operating in the context of a global backlash. The level of funding and support provided by international donor community no longer matches the magnitude of the needs of Human Rights Defenders, as observed in the ProtectDefenders.eu report on funding on support for HRDs, launched last January at a public seminar held in the European Parliament. Human Rights Defenders, in fact, are receiving declining support.
In its conclusion, this report shows the high volatility of the level of funding available for HRDs at risk, as well as worrying indications that public funding for HRDs may be set to decrease in coming years due to loss of support from traditional allies.
OBS report - Condemned to silence: the situation of women human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia
(Geneva, Paris) The report being released by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an FIDH-OMCT partnership) - with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu - is a far cry from the media frenzy that was caused by the announcement of symbolic reforms, such as that set out in the September 2017 Royal Decree (at last) giving Saudi women permission to drive. This report casts a harsh light on the scandalous situation of Saudi women human rights defenders who still have to cope with major restrictions on their rights. As women, they are subjected to a patriarchal regime that is steeped in gender inequality, and they must cope with a context that severely represses all voices of dissent. Women who report domestic violence or stand up as activists are confronted with unrelenting repression. Since they are not allowed to form movements or associations, they take refuge in social networks.
Check out the special webpage created for the report:
Saudi Arabia is well known for the severe limits it imposes on women’s rights – the legal status of the woman being inferior to that of the man – in all fields, even in the simplest acts of daily life. Nonetheless, because of the economic necessity to end total dependence on oil, and because of the aspirations of young people who are taking over much of the social media, the authorities have announced that they would gradually make some concessions.
Yet, since 2016, the country has been experiencing unprecedented mobilisation by women standing up for their most basic rights, especially since they can now do it through social networks. There are now thousands of cyber-activists on the networks, most of them using accounts anonymously out of fear of reprisal.
Although in recent years the government has given indications of more openness, especially since the arrival of a ‘new generation’ of leaders, represented by the Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, women are still exposed to a double vulnerability.
One is their status. The maintenance of the ‘male guardian’ status perpetuates gender inequality and condemns women to a minority status for their whole life. The Royal Circular of April 18, 2017 reforming this status raised great hope among women defenders, but little has changed. Women still must have the authorisation from a male guardian to travel abroad or to obtain a passport. And some women fear that nothing will ever change. Going beyond the texts, which are often unclear, the police and legal authorities can be especially brutal and discriminating, especially in the case of domestic violence.
The other area concerns the promises of the Saudi authorities to introduce reforms, which is still countered by the reality of the situation of human rights in a country that continues to repress all dissenting views, especially those of human rights defenders who are calling for far-reaching societal reforms.
The law still does not guarantee respect for basic rights such as freedoms of association, expression and peaceful assembly. Any attempt to set up a movement or an association is brutally crushed. Saudi law is not only rife with vague concepts that leave great leeway for the judges, but the laws meant to fight criminality and terrorism are deflected to criminalise the legal expression of any dissenting opinion. Dozens of defenders, bloggers, lawyers, and activists have been accused of ‘apostasy’, ‘atheism’, ‘insulting religion’, ‘terrorism’, ‘destabilising the State’, ‘attempting to influence public opinion’, or even ‘creating an illegal organisation’, and are now spending long years in prison.
The report published by the Observatory today speaks of the fight for the emancipation of women in Saudi Arabia in a tightly circumscribed human rights environment.
It traces the symbolic path of some of them. Most of them are cyber-activists who use social networks anonymously in order to denounce all the arbitrary treatment they must deal with. There are also activists who publicly announce their position as human rights defenders and become involved with emblematic causes like putting an end to male guardianship, or with the possibility of setting up an association for the defense of women’s rights or, more broadly, human rights, or running in the municipal elections. All of them are taking risks and are very vulnerable.
In November 2017, blogger Naimah Al-Matrod was sentenced to six years in prison for participating in a peaceful protest movement in the eastern coastal part of the country about economic, social and political claims, and for having called for the release of political prisoners and for democratic reforms.
All these women are already subjected to pressure from their families and are now forced into a silence imposed by the government. They may be threatened with prosecution, arbitrarily arrested, put in prison, banned from travel and forbidden to speak in public. Following the opening of legal proceedings, most of them see the sword of Damocles hanging over their head for several years in order to keep them silent.
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent appeals January 2018
The January 2018 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest warns about the incessant killings and attacks against human rights defenders in the Philippines; the killings and intimidation against social leaders in South Africa and the pattern of ongoing reprisals against human rights defenders in Bahrain.
Moreover, only during December 2017, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has reported 35 new violations against HRDs.
The report, completed with the Human Rights Law Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, documents the devastating effects of new restrictions on civil society and their disproportionate impact on women human rights defenders. Yet, the tenacity of defenders remains, as one defender from Russia states "when they shut the door, we come in the window." The perspectives of defenders from Bangladesh, Bahrain, Honduras, Turkey, and Kenya are included among others, including those supported via ProtectDefenders.eu. Among the key findings of this report, four dynamics have been identified:
Registration and funding restrictions are layered onto more direct targeting and harassment of defenders, and together create a “rights-deprived” climate in which women and LGBTQI+ activists work;
The funding restrictions of closing space additionally burden those groups already facing resource challenges;
In order to reduce their exposure to attacks and reprisals by State and non-State actors, activists strategically adapt their work and self-censor, abandon, reduce, or otherwise modify their activities;
Activists are adapting to closing space, but face the social stigma that impacts their work more severely than it does main-stream human rights defenders.
The full version of the report is available at ProtectDefenders.eu website.
January 12
Invitation - "Funding Human Rights, Investing in human rights defenders" - 23/Jan - European Parliament (Brussels)
ProtectDefenders.eu is pleased to invite you to the event "Funding Human Rights, Investing in human rights defenders", at the European Parliament, room ASP 3H1, next Tuesday, 23 January from 11:00-13:00, co-hosted by MEPs Soraya Post, Hilde Vautmans, Barbara Lochbihler. Speakers will include human rights defenders from around the world, and a light lunch will be provided.
To register to attend from outside the Parliament, please email euoffice@frontlinedefenders.org with the title “Registration for HRD Funding event”. Please include your full name, nationality, ID type and number, and date of birth by Wednesday 17 January.
• Gustavo Castro – Director of Otros Mundos, an environmental organisation in Chi-apas (Mexico), and the sole witness to the murder of Honduran activist Berta Cáceres
• Anastasia Bondarenko – Ukrainian disability activist from Crimea
Questions and Answers session
Closing remarks: Soraya Post MEP and Barbara Lochbihler MEP
With human rights, democracy and the rule of law around the world increasingly under attack, those who stand up to defend them have an ever-more central role to play in sustainable development and conflict resolution.As civil society space closes around them, and governments use repressive tactics to impede their work, human rights defenders (HRDs) often put their lives, liberty, and safety at risk, and require support and protection in order to go on.
However, HRDs, in fact, are receiving declining support.At a time of increasing backlash, the level of funding and support provided by the EU and its Member States no longer matches the magnitude of the needs of HRDs, as seen in the upcoming ProtectDefenders.eu report on funding on support for HRDs.
It is clear that if the EU is to tackle to tackle the instability in the region and advance the Sustainable Development Goals, it must address the root causes of forced migration, conflict, and radicalisation, and environmental destruction.
Investing more in support for human rights, and human rights defenders must be a key strategic priority for the EU and its Member States in the coming years, as the only way of truly rising up to these challenges. This increase in funding must be reflected in the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights programming 2018, as well as the upcoming Multi-annual Financial Framework, and in the long-term future of human rights funding.
Seminar "Funding Human Rights, Investing in human rights defenders" - 23 January 2018, European Parliament (Brussels)
With human rights, democracy and the rule of law around the world increasingly under attack, those who stand up to defend them have an ever-more central role to play in sustainable development and conflict resolution.As civil society space closes around them, and governments use repressive tactics to impede their work, human rights defenders (HRDs) often put their lives, liberty, and safety at risk, and require support and protection in order to go on.
However, HRDs, in fact, are receiving declining support.At a time of increasing backlash, the level of funding and support provided by the EU and its Member States no longer matches the magnitude of the needs of HRDs, as seen in the upcoming ProtectDefenders.eu report on funding on support for HRDs.
It is clear that if the EU is to tackle to tackle the instability in the region and advance the Sustainable Development Goals, it must address the root causes of forced migration, conflict, and radicalisation, and environmental destruction.
Investing more in support for human rights, and human rights defenders must be a key strategic priority for the EU and its Member States in the coming years, as the only way of truly rising up to these challenges. This increase in funding must be reflected in the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights programming 2018, as well as the upcoming Multi-annual Financial Framework, and in the long-term future of human rights funding.
ProtectDefenders.eu is pleased to invite you to an event we are organising in the European Parliament, entitled "Funding Human Rights, Investing in human rights defenders", at ASP 3H1 on Tuesday, 23 January from11:00-13:00 co-hosted by MEPs Soraya Post, Hilde Vautmans, Barbara Lochbihler. Speakers will include human rights defenders from around the world, and a light lunch will be provided.
To register to attend from outside the Parliament, please email euoffice@frontlinedefenders.org with the title “Registration for HRD Funding event”. Please include your full name nationality, ID type and number, and date of birth by Wednesday 17 January.
December 22
ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Grants Officer
Grants Officer: EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism:
ProtectDefenders.eu is the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism, established to protect Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) at high risk and facing the most difficult situations worldwide. The mechanism is implemented by a Consortium of 12 international NGOs with the support of the European Commission. The EU HRD mechanism began its operations on 1st October 2015 for a duration of 36 months.
ProtectDefenders.eu is seeking to recruit a grants officer for the last year of the programme, to ensure coordination grants given out by Consortium partners and to support the allocation of grants for temporary relocation for HRDs. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with some experience in Human Rights and or Grants, with strong communication skills who will play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the project.
The mission of ProtectDefenders.eu is to:
operate a permanent and rapid response mechanism to provide emergency support and material assistance to human rights defenders in danger;
manage a support programme of temporary relocation for human rights defenders at risk to relocate inside their country, within their region or abroad in case of urgent threat;
support and coordinate an exchange platform for organisations and stakeholders working on temporary relocation for human rights defenders including through the EU Temporary Relocation Platform;
provide training, support and capacity-building to human rights defenders and local organizations;
monitor the situation of human rights defenders and advocate for a protection agenda for Human Rights Defenders at local, regional and international level;
promote coordination between organizations dedicated to support for human rights defenders, EU institutions and other relevant actors.
The members of the Consortium are: Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network (ESCR-Net), International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA), Urgent Action Fund for Women Human Rights Defenders (UAF), Protection International, Peace Brigades International (PBI), Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF), Forum Asia and East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP). Front Line Defenders, RSF, OMCT and FIDH form the Board of the Consortium. In order to implement the EU HRD mechanism, the Board has formed an independent Secretariat for the project which is managed by the Head of Secretariat and counts with four other staff members.
ProtectDefenders.eu operates 3 grants for Human Rights Defenders and Human Rights Organisations; an emergency grant for human rights defenders, a grant to support human rights organisations and a grant for temporary relocation of human rights defenders. The temporary relocation grant is fully run by the Brussels secretariat. The two other grants are coordinated by the Brussels secretariat, but administrated and run by the consortium members of ProtectDefenders.eu.
The grants officer will work in close cooperation with the Grants Coordinator and the Head of Secretariat.
Tasks & General Responsibilities of the Grants officer
Manages the single-entry points for the emergency grant for human rights defenders, and the grant to support human rights organisations.
Keeps a general overview of grants allocated directly by partners as emergency support to HRDs or as support to local HRDs organizations, ensures sharing of good practises and lessons learnt with the partners;
Carry out the first assessment of grants applications received, before submitting Consortium partners of ProtectDefenders.eu
Follow up on the grants awarded, monitoring the status of progress of grants and liaising with stakeholders to receive intermediate and final narrative and financial reports;
Maintain up-to-date information within related folders and database.
Support the Grants Coordinator in the administration of the Temporary relocation grants; and prepares them for decision making of the HRD mechanism board, manages the documentation and reporting on the beneficiaries of temporary relocation grants as well as related follow-up at the end of their temporary relocation;
Reports issues faced in the grant allocation system to the Grants Coordinator and the Head of Secretariat and suggests pro-actively solutions;
Ensures that all grant information is reflected adequately in the database;
Ensures that all grants available within the project are advertised and promoted by all partners and on the mechanism website;
Is responsible for the reporting related to grant allocation within the project.
Experience:
Experience in managing grant programs
Deep understanding of the needs of human rights defenders at risk
Experience in working with people from diverse backgrounds
Skills:
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Excellent English, (French, Spanish, Russian or Arabic is an asset)
Skills in the use of software applications.
Database management skills.
The HRD Grants Officer will be based in the HRD Mechanism's secretariat in Brussels. The post-holder will receive a gross annual salary of €38 380.
Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter should be sent by email to recruit@ProtectDefenders.eu before January 14th. The successful candidate will be expected to start work by February 2018 if possible. Given the project period of the Programme, the initial contract will be until October 2018 (8 months). However, the consortium aims to extend the project after 2018 for another 3 years, in that case, an extension of the contract would be possible.
ESCR-Net: Support Ogoni people attacked for defending their territory against oil
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) is calling for international solidarity in the face of recent attacks against its members, as a result of their mobilization to defend the human rights of Ogoni communities in Nigeria.
On 26 October, members of MOSOP carried out a peaceful demonstration against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over moves by the company to establish pipelines across Ogoni communities of the Niger Delta. The company, which is the Nigerian subsidiary of the international oil giant, Royal Dutch Shell, suspended the laying of pipelines in August of this year following protests led by MOSOP. The protest was carried out at the Nonwa pipeline site in Ogoni territory, located in Rivers State, Nigeria, after Shell proceeded to install oil pipelines in the area without conducting an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and obtaining the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of the Ogoni people.
Reportedly, early in the morning of October 26, as Ogoni people sang and danced to protest the pipelines, heavily armed soldiers and police officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) arrived in many military trucks and proceeded to shoot at, and beat, the demonstrators.
Bari-ara Kpalap, MOSOP spokesperson, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to non-violent resistance in the face of threats to their human rights and environment. MOSOP claims that the conflict with Shell over oil production in their territory has claimed over 2,000 lives and continues to generate substantial hardship for their communities. According to Ogoni leadership, Shell remains persona non grata in their territory, following the company’s expulsion in 1993. Meanwhile, MOSOP has condemned in strong terms the violence unleashed on the people by the security force, on behalf of Shell’s interests.
Calling for Shell and the Nigerian government to leave the Ogoni territory alone, in their petition, MOSOP demands an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the brutal beating of its members, for Shell and its contractors to suspend all pipeline operations until a proper environmental and social impact assessment (EIA) takes place, for medical attention for those injured during the protests and an immediate cessation of all further attacks, harassment and disruption of meetings of the indigenous organization.
Sign MOSOP’s petition to support their demands, here.
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent appeals December 2017
The December 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest warns about the high risk for freedom of expression advocates in Vietnam, the incommunicado detentions and judicial harassment against human rights lawyers in China and the criminalisation of human rights activists in Niger.
Moreover, only during November 2017, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has reported 29 new violations against HRDs.
Click to read the ProtectDefenders.eu digest and share it on Twitter.
December 15
The impact of a ProtectDefenders.eu - Urgent Action fund grant in Tajikistan
A ProtectDefenders.eu emergency grant was provided by Urgent Action Fund to TajRupt, a human rights group in Tajikistan led by women human rights defenders. TajRupt’s cornerstone program works with young women and men on a curriculum based on the UN’s Voices Against Violence program. Tajrupt also runs HerStory, a program that introduces participants to concepts such as feminism, reproductive health, and rights, female entrepreneurship and employment, the impact of early and forced marriages, preventing violence and harassment against women, and engaging communities in discussions about gender roles and gender equality.
Tajrupt began to receive threats in January 2017 from the associates of the father of one of the young women who had participated in the program. The father was radicalized and estranged from the daughter, but heard about her participation in the program and threatened retaliation. The father and his associates began to show up outside the organization’s office and shout threats at the young people participating in the programs. The group reported the threats to police and asked for assistance, but received no protection from the police. In July, the office was broken into, vandalized, and more serious threats were received. A C1 grant from Urgent Action Fund was requested and immediately enabled the group to add an alarm system and security cameras to its classrooms and offices and to hire a guard. The group also developed a security plan and provided security training to 18 staff and 102 students in its programs.
Three months later, Urgent Action Fund checked in with Tajrupt. Tajrupt reported that taking clear steps to ensure the security of its premises put students and staff at ease. Without the ability to take these steps, it is likely that families would have pulled their daughters from the program, and Tajrupt might have had to close its doors. In this case, a small and swift security investment kept a promising organization up and running and enabled continuous access to its services for over 100 young women, their families, and communities, in Tajikistan.
The second year of ProtectDefenders.eu: A story of success in support for human rights defenders at risk
ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism implemented by international civil society, has been consolidated as a solid, successful and indispensable tool for at-risk human rights defenders and a referenced instrument within the international human rights defenders community. In its second year of implementation, ProtectDefenders.eu has stepped up the practical support to HRDs at risk and local human rights NGOs, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in a timely and comprehensive manner, in a context marked by the increasing demand for support and an ever-growing visibility of and referrals to ProtectDefenders.eu among human rights defenders, donors, policymakers and other.
Over this period, the complementarity and the comprehensiveness of the mechanism have made a remarkable difference by linking individual support to defenders at risk, to building resilience among local communities, while successfully addressing emergency situations and broadening the space for civil society through intensive advocacy. ProtectDefenders.eu has also successfully reinforced the network of support available for human rights defenders at risk by intensifying the collaboration with multiple stakeholders engaged in the defence of human rights defenders, such as local organisations, international NGOs, members of the EUTRP and European institutions such as the European Parliament, and the European External Action Service.
What has ProtectDefenders.eu done over the past year? Read more to find out.
ProtectDefenders.eu:
- has provided 346 emergency grants to Human Rights Defenders facing high risk. The main needs covered were emergency relocation, legal support and individual security. 76% of the grants were allocated in the most difficult countries.
- has successfully managed the Temporary Relocation Grants Programme -with 188 relocation initiatives approved benefiting almost 667 individuals-
- has maintained and broadened the EUTRP (from 50 members to 54 members, with 5 prospective members), supported the creation of new host organisations and been consolidated as an increasingly referenced and essential counterpart for human rights defenders in need for relocation; and for host organisations involved in relocation schemes, by co-funding and supporting relocation programmes worldwide and providing solid and reliable support to key relocation organisations.
- has allocated 55 grants to human rights local NGOs and groups of defenders in the field to support, consolidate and expand their operational capacities, develop sensitive initiatives and to prevent and respond to increasing infringements faced by human rights defenders and their organisations in the most difficult countries
- has delivered 98 training and capacity-building initiatives for around 2,050 defenders aiming at empowering HRDs in better managing their security and training them in advocacy strategies to help them advance the Human Rights agenda. At least 860 HRDs could be provided with information and supported thanks to direct access to the hotline, the ProtectDefenders.eu single entry points and the direct contact with the Secretariat.
- has developed its monitoring and advocacy dimension through 9 trial observations, 13 advocacy and fact-finding missions and 66 field-monitoring initiatives reportedly benefiting at least 930 human rights defenders, and mobilised the public and media attention through at least 1,009 actions, including appeals, letters, and petitions, reportedly benefiting 2,478 defenders.
- has conducted 7 outreach missions to remote areas in the most difficult countries, and published targeted communication material to reach at least the less connected and most at-risk defenders in order to provide them with information and support.
Throughout all its programmes. ProtectDefenders.eu has committed to provide gender-sensitive assistance, and WHRDs represent 40% of the overall number of beneficiaries. The European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism has also successfully reached out to the less connected and particularly targeted defenders and these categories (WHRDs, LGBTIQ HRDs, environmental and land rights defenders, indigenous rights defenders, defenders from remote areas) represent around 66% of the beneficiaries of the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism. Again this year, ProtectDefenders.eu has consistently gathered an extremely positive evaluation by direct beneficiaries and related stakeholders.
Material assistance and advocacy support in favour of 7 environmental rights defenders in Thailand
In September 2017, OMCT allocated a grant to seven women members of the Khon Rak Ban Kerd Group (KRBKG), a community-based group committed to the defence of the local environment from the negative impacts of an open-pit copper-gold mine, operated by the Tungkum company in Thailand’s Loei Province. This grant is supporting the legal expenses of the seven women human rights defenders - namely Ms. Pornthip Hongchai, Ms. Viron Rujichaiyavat, Ms. Ranong Kongsaen, Ms. Mon Khunna, Ms. Suphat Khunna, Ms. Boonraeng Srithong, and Ms. Lumplearn Ruengrith -, who are currently facing trial under the Public Assembly Act and the Criminal Code in relation to a peaceful demonstration they attended in 2016. The seven WHRDs are each facing up to five years in prison and a 100,000 THB (about 2,586 EUR) fine, or both, and have to report themselves to Loei Provincial Court any time when ordered by the court until the trial is completed.
The grant followed advocacy efforts carried out by OMCT in the framework of the Observatory in order to raise the awareness of and call upon action from relevant stakeholders, including EU and UN institutions, to address the judicial harassment faced by the seven environmental rights defenders as a result of their legitimate human rights activities.
Picture: The seven KRBKG members as they attended the pre-arraignment hearing at Loei Provincial Court, on September 25, 2017.
Reaching out to LGBTI human rights defenders in Europe and Asia
As 2017 got ready to wave goodbye, The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) introduced ProtectDefenders.eu to almost a thousand LGBTI human rights defenders and allies, as they gathered together in Poland and Cambodia for the conferences of our European and Asian regions. Defenders from all over Europe met in Warsaw for four days in November around the theme ‘CHANGE! Communities Mobilising, Movements Rising’: it was an occasion to reflect on the challenges we all face in advancing human rights in a world that is growing more and more complex, and on how to do that while leaving no one behind in our ever-diverse community.
In the early days of December, then, more than 300 LGBTI human rights defenders from more than 30 countries – from Lebanon to Japan, from Pakistan to Singapore – came together in Phnom Penh under the banner “United for love”, looking back at the struggles faced by our communities in Asia in the past years and strategizing on ways forward.
Such gatherings offered us a perfect occasion to explain how ProtectDefenders.eu can provide the means to break the isolation of people working to defend the rights of LGBTI communities – exposed as they are to even higher level of stigmatization and human rights violations.
Hundreds of leaflets in English, Chinese and Russian were made available to conference participants, detailing how ProtectDefenders.eu can provide specific support to LGBTI human rights defenders at risk – including a 24/7 emergency helpline. Our staff was also available to answer every question about the mechanism, pointing out that help really is at hand.
Front Line Defenders report: Attacks on LGBT rights defenders escalating in Indonesia
Human rights defenders (HRDs) working on issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) have long operated in a threatening environment in Indonesia. Today they are facing more risks than they have in decades, according to 25 HRDs interviewed by Front Line Defenders in July 2017.
The report, “Attacks on LGBT Rights Defenders Escalating in Indonesia”, includes testimonies from dozens of human rights defenders who report that following a crackdown on LGBT rights in 2016 and amidst ongoing violent raids of LGBT gatherings, threats against community leaders are increasingly frequent, personal, and violent.
“Our investigation illustrates that the government’s own crackdown on LGBT rights in 2016 emboldened those who want to terrorize human rights defenders into silence,” said Front Line Defenders Executive Director Andrew Anderson in Dublin. “Ongoing police raids and a failure to respond to attacks against HRDs send the message that violence against peaceful activists is acceptable in Indonesia.”
Front Line Defenders conducted an investigative mission in July 2017 and met at-risk human rights defenders in four provinces: Aceh, Makassar, Yogyakarta and Jakarta.1 Front Line Defenders interviewed more than a dozen LGBT activists in Aceh, the only province in Indonesia governed by Islamic Sharia law; all reported violent raids and weekly sweeps conducted on Fridays by government-sanctioned religious police.
Key Report Findings
23 out of 25 HRDs interviewed received multiple death threats since the start of 2016. These included threats received online (sometimes by the hundreds on blog posts, Facebook, etc) but also included extremist groups attacking LGBT events and verbally threatening to hang them.
Social media accounts known to be affiliated with Islamic extremist groups increasingly post photos or videos of activists with public calls to attack them.
HRDs noted a marked increase in the use of religious terminology during threatening phone calls or online attacks, such as “your blood is halal,” meaning that to kill them is religiously sanctioned in Islam.
At least 3 rights groups were forced to move their offices in the previous two years following a raid or physical intimidation. The raids and threats were perpetrated by extremist groups, local religious police, and state police. In several cases, state police ignored activists’ requests for protection when an extremist group announced in advance its intention to attack an event.
Defamation in the media and violent rhetoric from high-level government officials (such as the Minister of Defence, Minister of Higher Education and Chief of Police of West Java) is a key cause of decreased activism, who report complaints from family and friends about endangering them.
For transgender sex workers who also work to develop protection strategies for their community, food and housing insecurity is reported as the foremost risk. Pervasive homelessness, poverty and food insecurity mean that the need to make money at night limits the number of hours they can devote to protection work during the same hours.
Sex worker rights defenders in Yogyakarta cited increased targeting by police “at night” (while working as sex workers) due to their visibility as activists “during the day.”
Fatemeh Ekhtesari, human rights defender relocated with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu
"For me, as an Iranian artist and human rights activist, the experience of relocation is somehow a kind of escape, rather than trying to have better situation and facilities. Escape from prison, torture and daily threats. Although relocation has many difficulties and bitterness that are irrefutable, I can be free, continue writing and try for freedom and peace, at least. The very freedom I have, certainly, is a great blessing which has been achieved through relocation."
"ProtectDefenders.eu has allowed me to get acquainted with the persons who are active in the field of human rights and the at-risk artists, and make them aware of the problems of people like myself. Surely, recounting these issues can provide a basis for more accurate planning for the future. Besides, some other activists who, like me, had relocated, participated in the event. Although listening to their memories was sometimes bitter, it was a reminder of the pain that made us closer together.
If relocation is accompanied by the support and guidance of specialist persons, it can be an opportunity, instead of only escape from prison and torture; an opportunity that is not limited to being free for writing, but an experience of new cultures and humans which can be a beginning of new ideas and a more complete understanding of the world around you."
With the support of ICORN and the municipality of Lillehammer, ProtectDefenders.eu supported the relocation of Fatemeh Ekhtesari and her husband from Iran to Norway. Both defenders had to leave Iran illegally, as their passports had been confiscated, and were facing long-term imprisonment, lashing and execution sentences. ICORN was able to provide legal travel for the couple (without their passports) and ProtectDefenders.eu provided financial support for the first 3 months. In Norway, they are taking part in a national two-year introduction scheme for refugees, which includes intensive lessons in the Norwegian language, and other training to prepare and include them in the local labour market. Funding support was also dedicated to money for literary and cultural activities, including translations, participation in festivals and other relevant events, focusing on both literature and human rights. According to the testimony of Fatemeh, “the most important point of being in Norway is the feeling of freedom and safety. Here I can write without thinking about censorship. I can publish my works without stress and out of the consequences.”
PBI: Worrying situation for the defence of human rights after elections in Honduras
Civil society organizations and international organizations have observed with extreme concern the situation of violence generated in Honduras after the general elections on November 26. At least 14 people have been killed, as well as dozens of people injured and more than 840 detainees. Likewise, human rights defenders have also reported attacks against them in the electoral context.
The delay in the dissemination of definitive results and the apparent lack of transparency on the part of the TSE led to demonstrations in various parts of the country. Subsequently, on December 1st, the Honduran government decreed a curfew and the suspension of certain constitutional guarantees for 10 days. The Organization of American States (OAS) considered such measure disproportionate and requested its immediate lifting.
The population was harshly repressed by the Honduran security forces. Amnesty International denounced that "the security forces have operated with the highest levels of impunity" after the curfew. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras also expressed deep concern about the reported acts of violence and urged the Honduran government to comply with its international obligations to guarantee human rights.
In this context, PBI has observed with concern the governmental measures, the action of the security forces and the post-electoral violence, in particular, with regard to the defense of human rights. Defenders, defenders, and organizations are carrying out tasks such as case documentation, legal representation or observation. The state of exception has restricted their right to seek and disseminate information, closing a fundamental part of their workspace.
PBI urges the international community to urge the State of Honduras to comply with its obligation to guarantee the protection, promotion, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In particular, on the importance of complying with the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on human rights defenders, in order to explicitly recognize and facilitate the monitoring, systematization, and reporting work of human rights defenders in the current context.
Bahrain: Fearing for his life, FIDH demands the immediate release of its Deputy Secretary General Nabeel Rajab
The Ambassador of Bahrain to France received on November 24th a delegation of the FIDH International Board, who handed him a letter asking his government to immediately release FIDH Deputy Secretary General, Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. A Bahraini citizen, on 22 November 2017, this iconic human rights defender saw his prison sentence confirmed on appeal. His crime? Stating publicly that journalists and human rights activists were denied entry to the country. As his health rapidly deteriorates, he is facing further judicial proceedings and judicial harassment. Coupled with the degrading treatment he is subjected to in prison, Nabeel Rajab’s life is now at risk.
In a letter given to His Excellency Mr Mohammed Abdulghaffar Abdullah, Ambassador of Bahrain to France, in fear for Nabeel’s life, FIDH calls on the Bahraini government to end all judicial harassment against Nabeel Rajab and to release him immediately.
In tweets, interviews, and op-eds published in Le Monde and The New York Times, Nabeel has denounced the lack of freedom of expression in Bahrain, where human rights activists are regularly persecuted, subjected to travel bans and imprisoned. Having spent 4 of the past 6 years behind bars, Nabeel’s two-year prison sentence was just confirmed on appeal after an unfair trial for having dared... to give media interviews.
For excercising his right to freedom of speech, Nabeel is also being prosecuted on other charges and risks 15 years in jail for tweeting about the cruel treatment inflicted on prisoners in Jaw prison and Saudi coalition bombings in Yemen.
Today Bahrain is under a total black-out, preventing human rights activists from expressing themselves or traveling and forbidding journalists and human rights defenders from investigating. In October, an FIDH delegation mandated to investigate Nabeel’s situation, as well as that of other imprisoned human rights defenders, was denied entry to the country.
Meanwhile, Nabeel’s health has deteriorated significantly. After being hospitalised, his return to prison has been marked by new persecutions and dangerous, humiliating and degrading detention conditions. Beaten on his arrival, and woken up and searched in the middle of the night, his clothes and toiletries were confiscated and his head was shaved. Today Nabeel’s life is in danger.
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent appeals November 2017
The November 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest warns about the administrative harassment against human rights organisations in Uganda, the recent killing of journalists in Latin America and the judicial harassment against environmental rights activists in Madagascar.
Moreover, only during October 2017, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has reported 17 new violations against HRDs.
In response to an increase in armed attacks by the Taliban and Islamic State and a decline in the security situation, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) made a training and advocacy visit to Afghanistan from 11 to 22 November that was aimed at improving the safety of Afghan journalists, with a special emphasis on women journalists. For the first time, RSF held seminars in Mazar-i-Sharif (in the northern province of Balkh), Herat (in the western province of Herat) and Charikar (in the central province of Parwan). RSF conducted a seminar in Kabul specifically for women reporters in conflict zones at the request of the Centre for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists (CPAWJ).
In all, 65 journalists (including 26 women) from 60 independent Afghan media outlets attended the seminars, which were based on the new Pashto and Persian-language versions of the Safety Guide for Journalists, published by RSF. At these seminars, RSF met journalists who are not only threatened by armed non-state groups but are also harassed by local politicians including provincial governors. "Self-censorship is the rule in order to survive," said a journalist from Balkh province who asked not to be identified. "You can talk about a lot of things but not corruption. For example, it's forbidden to talk about the seizure of state land or property by governors or their associates or allies. And 'forbidden' means there's a danger of being killed!" The governors of Balkh and Herat provinces did not respond to requests from the RSF delegation for meetings to discuss journalists' safety.
Fewer and fewer women journalists
RSF and its local partner, the Centre for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists, held a press conference in Kabul on 20 November on the situation of women journalists. The CPAWJ presented the findings of a survey of women journalists at 74 leading national and local media outlets (29 TV channels, 35 radio stations, four news agencies and six newspapers) in 22 provinces, and at four NGOs that defend media freedom and journalists. The survey found that altogether these media outlets employ a total of 1,037 women, including 474 women professional journalists, and it confirmed that the security situation in Afghanistan is having a direct impact on the presence of women in the media.
The security challenge and the importance of women in the media were central themes of the opening addresses that Sima Samar, the head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, and Mohammad Rasool Bawari, the acting information and culture minister, delivered at the press conference. CPWAJ director Farida Nekzad and Reza Moini, the head of RSF's Iran/Afghanistan desk, emphasized the danger that women could disappear altogether from the media sector. To prevent this, they urged the government and parliament to provide women journalists with more protection, especially in the remoter provinces.
The CPWAJ and RSF also called for amendments to the law banning violence against women, so that it gives them better protection against psychological and sexual harassment in the workplace, and for a newsroom code that protects women journalists.
Violence, chief foe of women journalists
Many women journalists have abandoned their jobs because of growing threats and the climate of violence against women. Six women media workers have been killed since the start of 2016. The situation of women journalists in the provinces of Kunduz and Nangarhar – which have seen violent clashes between the Taliban, Islamic State and the Afghan armed forces for the past two years – is indicative. Kunduz had at least 100 women journalists and media workers in 2016 but, after the Taliban attacks there, the number has plummeted. The situation is similar in Nangarhar. "Forty women journalists used to work in the Nangarhar region but now there are just a handful and they only work in the newsrooms," local journalist Rahmatullah Ziarmal said. "As well as the war, the violence, the Taliban and Islamic State, local politicians and organized crime are to blame for this." The CPAWJ survey also establishes a link between the number woman journalists and coverage of women: the fewer the women working for newspapers, the fewer the articles about women.
Afghanistan is ranked 120th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Champions of Change - ProtectDefenders.eu Annual Meetings 2017
On the 8th of November, ProtectDefenders.eu held its second annual meeting, under the motto "Champions of change - Human rights defenders at the forefront of development and democracy". More than 30 human rights defenders at risk from all regions of the world who have benefited from the project gathered in Brussels with representatives of international NGOs and European institutions. This unique meeting has successfully brought together grassroots activists working on the frontlines for change and leading experts on the protection of human rights defenders, universal and regional protection mechanisms, and representatives of various EU institutions implicated in the protection of human rights defenders and current development agenda.
Setting a progressive development and protection agenda
The meeting highlighted the crucial role and impact of human rights defenders around the world as promoters of a sustainable development and engaged development actors in how to integrate the protection of human rights defenders as part of an effective development and protection agenda. The widespread attempts to de-legitimise human rights' discourse and human rights defenders' work worldwide were addressed, by promoting a positive narrative grounded on the universality and indivisibility of human rights and its contribution to more advanced and developed societies. Human rights defenders and high-level speakers shared strategies to enhance the protection of those who strive to defend human rights, and to develop a positive narrative on the human rights' work, legitimising their work at the local level and taking back the human rights discourse to the centre of the international agenda.
To conclude the meeting, the twelve partner organisations of ProtectDefenders.eu have issued a public statement urging all national authorities to "publicly recognise the crucial role played by human rights defenders and protect them in all circumstances from any form of judicial harassment". As stressed by Antoine Madelin, FIDH Director for International Advocacy and Chair of the Board of ProtectDefenders.eu, "Human Rights Defenders are the pillars of democracy and of the rule of law but are too often subjected to unfair criminal prosecution, in an effort to undermine their work in the defence of human rights."
See the gallery of pictures of the 2nd Annual Meeting here.
ACHPR 61 - Written intervention submitted by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Commissioners and State Delegates,
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, thank the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) for this opportunity to raise some of the key issues with respect to the situation of human rights defenders in Africa.
While States have the duty to protect human rights defenders and to ensure that they operate in a safe and enabling environment, attacks, threats, judicial harassment, criminalisation, legislative and administrative restrictions, as well as smear campaigns against them continue to perpetuate an environment of hostility towards their activities.
1. Pursuit of criminalisation threats and violence to silence human rights defenders
In several countries, we are concerned that human rights defenders are criminalised in retaliation of their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities recognised and protected under regional and international human rights instruments. Furthermore, their human rights are often violated while they are arbitrarily detained or subjected to arbitrary legal proceedings.
In Cameroon , the endless judicial harassment since 2013 of Mr. Célestin Yandal, President of the Collectif des jeunes de Touboro, a youth human rights organisation in the Adamaoua region of Cameroon, continues as he being prosecuted in two different cases under trumped up charges, for denouncing human rights violations committed by Rey-Bouba’s traditional leader (Lamido) against Touboro’s youths. Hearings in his case are continuously postponed since the opening of the trial. The Observatory denounces a flagrant violation of his right to a fair trial which includes the right to be tried within a reasonable delay.
Recently, Egyptian authorities have targeted human rights organisations and individuals providing legal support to Giulio Regeni’s family members in the investigation of Italian graduate who was abducted and tortured to death in Egypt in 2016. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) is amongst them. Likewise, Mr. Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy, human rights lawyer, Co-founder and Coordinator of the Association of the Families of the Disappeared in Egypt, who has provided legal support to Giulio Regeni’s family, was forcibly disappeared on September 10, 2017, at Cairo International Airport before boarding a flight to Geneva, where he was traveling in response to an invitation by the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances to attend the proceedings of its 113th Session at the UN Human Rights Council. The whereabouts of Mr. Metwally Hegazy remained unknown from that date until September 12, when he was reported to be located in State Security Prosecution custody, in Al-Tagammo’ al-Khamis on the outskirts of Cairo, where he had been interrogated by the State Security Prosecution (SSP). During his interrogation, he reported being tortured and his home was searched by security forces. On September 20, 2017, Egypt’s High State Security Prosecution renewed the preventive detention of Mr. Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy for 15 days pending investigation. Mr. Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy is being suspected of “founding and leading an organisation that was created illegally” (i.e. the Association of Families of the Disappeared), “spreading false news” and “communicating with foreign entities in order to undermine national security”. He is currently detained at the ‘Scorpion’ (Al-Aqrab) high security wing of Tora prison complex, in solitary confinement, in a cell with refuse and no electricity. He is being denied access to his lawyers and family.
Human rights lawyer at Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR), Mr. Tarek Hussein (aka Tito), was arbitrarily arrested on June 17, 2017, under accusations of “joining an illegal organisation” and “calling for a protest”. Mr. Tarek Hussein was held incommunicado until July 27, 2017, preventing his family and lawyers to visit him. Following his enforced disappearance while in detention, Mr. Tarek Hussein’s family and lawyers filed three successive complaints regarding the various violations suffered by Mr. Tarek Hussein. In an attempt to justify his detention, authorities claimed that at least 13 verdicts had been issued all over the country against an individual named "Tarek Hussein", and in one of the cases, police claimed he was sentenced for “stealing electricity in 1993”, his birth year. During the nearly 40 days of his illegal detention, his lawyers submitted documentation and evidence to the authorities to prove that he was not the "Tarek Hussein" in question. One such case is still pending and will be heard on November 9, 2017. In addition, Mr. Tarek Hussein is being investigated under charges of “inciting protest” by the general prosecution. Mr. Tarek Hussein’s arrest and arbitrary detention occurred amidst protest over Tiran and Sanafir islands’ transfer to Saudi Arabia, which he had been vocally opposing.
Furthermore, on June 14, 2017, Ms. Esraa Fehead, Founder and Executive Director of Horeya for Human Rights Organisation in Port Said and member of the Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in the Middle East and North Africa, was arrested in front of the Governorate Administration Building in Port Said, at the same time as Mr. Mahmoud Naguib, former member of the April 6 Youth Movement. Their arrests coincide with the June 14, 2017, peaceful protests opposing the transfer of Tiran and Sanafir Islands to Saudi Arabia, that have resulted in the arrest of 60 activists throughout the country. Many of those arrested were forcibly removed from the street or their homes, while security forces used excessive force to disperse demonstrators. Mr. Mahmoud Naguib and Ms. Esraa Fehead were both held in detention and Ms. Fehead was interrogated by the Port Said Prosecution from June 15 to June 18, 2017. She was subsequently charged with numerous offenses including: “inciting demonstrations”, “disrupting public and general security”, “disrupting production and citizens’ welfare”, “affecting public governmental facilities”, “blocking roads and transportation”, “disrupting traffic”, “attacking people and private and public possessions, and subjecting them to danger”. On June 18, 2017, Ms. Fehead and Mr. Naguib were released on a bail of EGP 10000. (approx. 495 EUR).
In Morocco , the Observatory reiterates its concerns about the ongoing judicial harassment under charges of “threat to State security” of Messrs. Maâti Monjib, historian, journalist and President of the association “Freedom Now” for freedom of expression in Morocco, Hisham Almiraat, President of the Association des droits numériques (ADN), Hicham Mansouri, Project Officer at the Association marocaine pour le journalisme d’investigation (AMJI), Mohamed Essabr, President of the Association marocaine d’éducation de la jeunesse (AMEJ), Abdessamad Ait Aicha, former training project Coordinator of the Centre Ibn Rochd, journalist and member of the AMJI. Furthermore, Mr. Rachid Tarik and Ms. Maria Moukrim, respectively President and former President of the AMJI are accused of receiving foreign funding without notifying the authorities. On October 11, 2017, the court decided to postpone their hearing for the eight time, rescheduling it on December 27, 2017.
On May 20, 2017, authorities in Niger arrested Mr. Ali Idrissa from his house outside of Niamey. As the national coordinator of the Réseau des Organisations pour la Transparence et l’Analyse Budgétaire (ROTAB) and of Publiez ce que vous payez-Niger (PCQVP), Mr. Ali Idrissa has been documenting transparency issues within the country’s uranium industry. He was arrested following the ban of a protest planned on May 20, calling for the respect of human rights and individual freedoms in Niger as well as denouncing President Issouou Mahamadou’s poor governance record. Mr. Ali Idrissa was arrested on allegations that he gave interviews to media after the protest ban. He was released later this day and further interrogated on May 22, 2017. On that day, he was notified that an investigation for “inciting rebellion” against him was still pending.
In Uganda , on June 23, 2017, Mr. Erasmus Irumba, Coordinator of the Twerwaneho Listeners Club (TLC), was set to meet with Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) senior officials in the province of Ntoroko, at Butungama trading center. Although Mr. Irumba was summoned to “discuss matters of public importance” he was told not to be suspicious as he had no criminal record and since no criminal charges were pending against him. During the meeting, Mr. Erasmus Irumba and another member of the community, Mr. Siet Kanyoro who was accompanying him, were both shot in the leg. Whilst still alive, they were both put in the boot of a private car, driven to a rural area and shot dead at a close range. Both lifeless bodies were taken to Buhinga Regional Referral Hospital in Fort Portal, on the wee hours of June 24, 2017. The Observatory condemns in the strongest terms the murder of Mr. Irumba and urges authorities in Uganda to adopt effective measures to ensure the protection of human rights defenders in the country.
In addition, since 2016, the Observatory has documented a pattern of harassment against TLC members who have been threatened, assaulted and judicially harassed by Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited, a Uganda-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company accused of land grabbing in the Rwenzori region of Uganda. On September 12, 2017, TLC member, Mr. James Rukanpana was shot in both legs by armed guards hired by Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited in Kasenda, Western Uganda. Mr. James Rukanpana had been advocating for the rights of local communities, and opposing the takeover of over 20 crater lakes by Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited. He has actively participated in radio talk shows and mobilized communities on the issue. TLC and local communities filed a civil court case against the company to secure the rights of local communities to access crater lakes for water and domestic fishing. On June 7, 2017, the court found that the exclusive use of crater lakes by Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited following the lease by Kabarole District was an abuse of the rights of local communities, and ruled in favour of local communities. Mr. James Rukanpana had been intrsumental in the success of the court case.
Parallel to the civil case filed by TLC against Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited and Kabarole District Local Government, a criminal case filed by Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited has been targeting Messrs. Suleiman Trader, Jackson Magezi, Fred Kyaligonza and Prosper Businge, four TLC members who had challenged the legality of Ferdsult Engineering Services Ltd’s acquisition of 20 crater lakes and eviction of communities in Kabarole District. After being briefly detained on April 28, 2017, Messrs. Suleiman Trader and Jackson Magezi were released on April 29, 2017, on court bail pending trial. On May 3, 2017, the four human rights defenders have been charged under criminal offenses related to the use of explosives, electronic gadgets and the poisoning of fish under Chapter 197 of the 1970 Fish Act following allegations by Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited. The case is pending before Fort Portal Magistrates Court and if convicted they would face up to seven years in jail.
In Tanzania , the Observatory is extremely concerned by the wider campaign targeting human rights defenders working on HIV/AIDS on allegations of “promoting homosexuality”. On September 17, 2017, 20 people were arrested in hotel in the Stone Town area of Zanzibar City (Unguja island) as they were attending a training about HIV/AIDS education programmes.
On October 17, 2017, Tanzanian police raided a legal consultation convened by Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) and Community Health Services and Advocacy (CHESA) at Dar es Salaam’s Peacock Hotel. Thirteen people, including ISLA Executive Director Ms. Sibongile Ndashe and CHESA Director Mr. John Kashiha were detained and subsequently granted bail on the same day without being charged. However, on October 20, 2017, the bail was revoked without any reason provided by the authorities. This followed a statement by the Police Regional Commissioner Mr. Lazaro Mambosasa, on October 18, 2017, referring to the “arrests of twelve people who were promoting homosexuality”. All twelve human rights defenders were arrested, taken into custody to Dar es Salaam Central Police Station and released on bail on October 26, 2017. However, their passports were confiscated upon release.
In addition, on June 3, 2017, Tanzania Students Networking Programme (TSNP), known for advocating and supporting the role of human rights defenders in public life and civil society at large, was denied access to the Blue Pearl Hotel, in Dar es Salaam, where they were about to organise the launch of the book Sauti ya Watetezi wa Haki Vyuoni (The Voice of Human Rights Defenders in Universities), which illustrates the harassment tactics used to remove human rights defenders from positions in higher education institutions in Tanzania, authored by Mr. Alphonce Lusako, TSNP Secretary General. The Hotel informed TNSP that they could not enter without a permission letter from the police. Three police vehicles then arrived at the hotel while event organisers were negotiating with hotel management out-front and arrested Mr. John Baraka, TSNP Coordinator. When Mr. Ole Ngurumwa Onesmo, National Coordinator of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), objected his arrest, he was then immediately arrested too. Both were transported to Magomeni Police Station without being notified of any charges pending against them. When THRDC lawyer Mr. Jones Sendodo asked the police about the nature of the charges, they were unable to confirm any charges and informed him they were awaiting orders from superior authorities. On the same day, Messrs. Onesmo and Baraka were later charged with criminal trespass, after Blue Pearl Hotel filed a complaint stating the men had forced the hotel to host the launch event for their colleague Mr. Alphonce Lusako. Messrs. Onesmo and Baraka were released on bail that same day, with instructions to report to the police on June 5, 2017. Reporting to the station on June 5, the men were informed that the Blue Pearl Hotel had not yet filed the documentation required to formalize its complaint. They were ordered to return on June 7, 2017. Besides, when contacted by Mr. Onesmo on June 6, the Blue Pearl Hotel had claimed to be unaware of any criminal complaint against Messrs. Baraka, and Onesmo, on June 7, Blue Pearl representatives confirmed that they had filed a complaint at the direction of an “unknown authority”. The incident described above is not the first attempt to hinder the book launch event, that was initially planned to be held at the Commission of Science Technology (COSTECH), an institution affiliated with the government of Tanzania, which, in violation of a contractual agreement, cancelled, forcing the organisers to move the event to Blue Pearl Hotel, where THRDC had already organised several events without any issue.
2. Constant reprisals against human rights defenders and civil society organisations promoting democracy and electoral rights, particularly within electoral contexts
The Observatory has documented a concerning number of cases of harassment and criminalisation targeting human rights defenders and civil society organisations promoting democracy or electoral rights, including within electoral contexts.
In Burundi , since April 2015, following President Pierre Nkurunziza’s third term bid, human rights defenders continue to face increased intimidation, harassment, physical attacks and in the most worrying cases, enforced disappearance. Many have had to flee the country and continue to face intimidation in their country of relocation.
Mr. Germain Rukiki, Association des juristes catholiques du Burundi (AJCB) staff member, President of « Njabutsa Tujane », a community-based organisation fighting against poverty and hunger, and former Action des chrétiens pour l’abolition de la torture (ACAT-Burundi) staff member, has been arbitrarily detained since July 13, 2017. The Observatory has documented several infringements to his right to a fair trial since his arrest. Initially detained within the National intelligence services (SNR) premises, where he did not have access to his lawyers and family members, Mr. Rukiki was transferred after 14 days of detention to Ngozi prison where he remains detained to date. His detention was confirmed by the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Ntahangwa on August 14, 2017. Mr. Rukiki appealed the decision and on October 27, 2017. On October 31, 2017, Bujumbura’s Court of appeal upheld the decision and ordered Mr. Rukiki’s remand in custody. Mr. Rukiki is accused of “undermining State security” and “rebellion” for his cooperation with ACAT-Burundi in organising protests against President Nkurunziza’s third term bid and publishing reports on the human rights situation in Burundi.
In addition, the Observatory remains particularly concerned by the fate of Ms. Marie-Claudette Kwizera, Treasurer of the Ligue Burundaise des Droits de l’Homme « ITEKA », who was forcibly disappeared on December 10, 2015. To date, Burundian authorities have refused to provide any information about her fate or whereabouts.
In Cameroon, Ms. Maximilienne Ngo Mbe, Réseau des défenseurs des droits humains en Afrique centrale (REDHAC)’s Executive Director, has received on several occasions, including on May 30, and June 10, 2017, death threats via text messages. These threats occur in a context where REDHAC, through Ms. Ngo Mbe, has publicly spoken about the repression of the independence movement in Anglophone Cameroon since November 2016.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Congolese government’s widespread crackdown on human rights and pro-democracy activists opposing President Joseph Kabila’s effort to remain in power beyond his constitutionally mandated two-term limit, continues as polices forces regularly arrest members of pro-democracy and youth movements ahead of or during protests and sit-ins.
On July 14 and 15, 2017, ahead of a country-wide peaceful protest denouncing the national electoral commission’s failure to publish an electoral calendar, what many considered to be a critical step to ensuring that elections will be held by the end of 2017 scheduled on July 31, 2017, the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) arrested LUCHA members Messrs. Nicolas Mbiya Kabeya, Josué Cibuabua Kalonda, Kabongo Kadima, and Ms. Mamie Ndaya in Mbuji-Mayi. The four LUCHA members were freed on September 29, 2017, after two and a half months in arbitrary detention.
On July 31, 2017, authorities arrested at least 128 people in nine cities during protests across the country, including 11 journalists and several human rights defenders. Amongst them Mr. Timothée Mbuya, lawyer, Justicia Asbl President and member of the NGO Coalition for the respect of the Constitution, Jean-Pierre Tshibitshabu, Congolese Civil Society (SOCICO) member and journalist on Kasumbalesa radio-television, Jean Mulenda, LUCHA member, Eric Omari Omba and Patrick Mbuya Kwecha, members of the Bomoko Foundation were arrested in Lubumbashi and to date remain in arbitrary detention at Kasapa Lubumbashi’ central prison. The five human rights defenders are being accused of “inciting civil disobedience”. On August 29, 2017, Jean-Pierre Tshibitshabu, Jean Mulenda, Eric Omba Omari and Patrick Mbuya Kwecha were sentenced to eight months in prison. The first appeal hearing in their case took place on October 27, 2017 and was postponed to November 3, 2017. Mr. Timothée Mbuya will appear before court on November 10, 2017.
As pressure was mounting ahead of the August 8, 2017 Presidential elections in Kenya , human rights defenders involved in monitoring, documenting and observing the electoral campaign and primaries were attacked, harassed, threatened and even arbitrarily arrested. Journalists and human rights defenders were also barred from documenting, entering or forced to leave campaign meetings. Furthermore, during these political rallies, intimidating statements and negative rhetoric against human rights defenders have been used by politicians, government, and party officials, accusing them of influencing the outcome of the elections.
In the elections’ aftermath, Kenya’s Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Coordination Board de-registered the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG) and instructed authorities to restrain their work, on grounds of tax evasion, illegal bank accounts and illegal hiring of expatriates. The NGO Coordination Board also requested the Central Bank of Kenya to freeze KHRC’s assets and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to recover accrued taxes. Both organisations were at the frontline of elections monitoring and had been vocal in highlighting several concerns about the electoral process and the violence in the aftermath of the electoral results. KHRC is regularly harassed by the NGO Coordination Board which has been leading a smear campaign against the organisation on similar baseless grounds since 2015. These same allegations were successfully challenged by KHRC before the High Court in 2015. Yet, the NGO Coordination Board revived these matters in late 2016 and now against the backdrop of the disputed elections.
Furthermore, after the official announcements of the disputed results and the Kenyan Supreme Court ruling to cancel the elections results and order new elections, human rights defenders who have witnessed or attempted to document the excessive and disproportionate use of force by Kenyan security forces - including the indiscriminate use of teargas and live bullets, and extra-judicial killings - have subsequently been targeted by police, harassed and received threats.
In Morocco , amidst a growing social unrest in the Rif region, which rapidly spread to other regions of the country, several human rights defenders have been targeted by the authorities. Mr. Hamid El Mahdaoui, director of news website Baldil.info, and Mr. Rabie Al-Albak, journalist with Baldil.info in Al Hoceima, have respectively been arbitrarily detained since May 28 and July 20, 2017, for covering the protests. On September 20, 2017, Mr. Hamid El Mahdaoui was sentenced by Al Hoceima Court of Appeal to one year in prison and a 20,000 Dirhams fine (approx. 1 798 Euros) under charges of “incitement to commit a serious offence through public speech”. Mr. Hamid El Mahdaoui is also being prosecuted under charges of “failure to report attempts to undermine State security”. The trial is ongoing. Mr. Rabie Al-Albak, is being accused of receiving foreign funding to carry out propaganda activities and undermining State security. The Observatory is particularly concerned by the psychological and physical integrity of the two human rights defenders who have reportedly started long-lasting hunger strikes to protest their detention and judicial harassment.
As the Parliament of Uganda discusses the constitutional amendment to lift presidential age limit to allow President Yoweri Museveni, 73, to run for another term in 2021, authorities have attempted to silence several human rights organisations. On September 20, 2017, police raided the premises of ActionAid Uganda (AAU) and Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies (GLISS) in Kampala, as well as the house of GLISS Executive Director, Mr. Godbar Tumushabe. Search warrants included allegations of “illicit transfer of funds for funding unlawful activities”. Following the search, on October 4, 2017, Mr. Arthur Larok, Country Director, and Mr. Bruno Ssemaganda, Head of Finance of AAU, were summoned to appear before the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) on October 6, 2017. They were both further interrogated by the CID on October 10, 2017, although no charges have been levelled against them yet. On October 13, 2017, the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Uganda ordered the freezing of the five accounts held by AAU, because of the investigation the CID is conducting against the organisation under allegations of “conspiracy to commit a felony” and “money laundering”. In addition, on October 11, 2017, the Ministry of Internal Affairs requested 27 NGOs to submit specific ‘financial information’ to the NGO Bureau within a week. The information requested include bank statements of the organisations over the past three years, annual reports clearly stating activities and sources of funds from 2014 to 2016, all bank account numbers and lists of directors and executive directors’ names. The list of organisations includes AAU, GLISS and several organisations working on human rights, development, humanitarian aid and democracy. Following the publication of the list, on October 14, 2017, State Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr. Obiga Kania, told the press that “in fact they (the NGOs listed) should be closed until they submit their financial information”.
In Zimbabwe , on September 24, 2017, Pastor Evan Mawarire, prominent anti-corruption activist who led last year’s #ThisFlag protests which encouraged Zimbabweans to hold protests against President Robert Mugabe accusing him of corruption, was arbitrarily arrested and subsequently detained at Harare central police station. Pastor Mawarire had initially been charged with “subverting a constitutional government” under Section 22 (2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23. Pastor Mawarire was taken to the Prosecutor General’s office on September 26, 2017. On the same day Harare Magistrates Court, ordered his release on the ground that under the Constitution of Zimbabwe, no one can be detained more than 48 hours without appearing before a court of law. Charges related to his arrest were consequently dropped. Similar charges levelled against him in February 2017 were dropped on September 29, 2017.
3. Legislative and administrative restrictions to freedom of association and assembly, and access to funding for NGOs
The worldwide trend undertaken by some States to restrict freedom of association and hinder the work of human rights defenders by enacting an arsenal of restrictive laws has been particularly spreading across Africa, where authorities increasingly aim to control, paralyse or even eradicate independent civil society, in blatant breach of basic human rights standards.
Civil society in Egypt is on the brink of collapse as authorities continue to intensify their wave of attacks against human rights organisations. On May 30, 2017, Egypt’s draconian NGO law was published in the Official Gazette after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi officially ratified the repressive NGO law that Egyptian Parliament approved in November 2016. The law handcuffs NGOs with regulations and strangles their funding mechanisms, essentially eliminating civil society in Egypt under the guise of national security.
NGOs will now have one year to register with the, yet to be formed, National Authority for the Regulation of Non-Governmental Foreign Organisations, created by Law 70 of 2017 for Regulating the Work of Associations and Other Institutions Working in the Field of Civil Work. This authority includes representatives of Egypt’s top national security bodies. No representatives from civil society will serve on it, instead it will be composed of representatives from the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the General Intelligence Directorate, the Administrative Control Authority, the International Cooperation Ministry, and the Money Laundering Unit. Under Law 70 of 2017 for Regulating the Work of Associations and Other Institutions Working in the Field of Civil Work, all NGOs are prohibited from conducting activities that “harm national security, public order, public morality, or public health,” vague terms that can be abused to constrain any legitimate activity. The National Authority will oversee the work of NGOs, including any funding or cooperation between Egyptian associations and any foreign entity. The law prohibits any Egyptian government body from making agreements with NGOs without the authority’s approval.
The law also strictly controls the funding of NGOs. It states that associations must obtain permission from the authority 30 days in advance to receive donations from Egyptian entities or individuals inside Egypt and must inform the Social Solidarity Ministry upon the receipt of such funds. The law further states that associations may receive funding or grants from foreign entities inside Egypt or Egyptian or foreign entities outside Egypt as long as the Authority is notified within 30 days of receipt. The Authority then has the right to reject the funding within a 60-day period following its notification. Associations may not use these funds within the 60-day review period.
Additionally, the law gives the government the authority to monitor and challenge NGOs’ day-to-day activities, from choices in leadership to the schedule of internal meetings, creating a blanket and ambiguous provision authorizing the Egyptian government to cancel a foreign NGO’s license at any time if its work is deemed to be harming national security, public safety or disturbing public order, or per the principle of reciprocity. The Observatory denounces a legislation contravening Egypt’s commitment to international and regional human rights law and undermining the essence of the right to freedom of association itself.
Egyptian authorities also continue their relentless judicial harassment of civil society organisations and human rights defenders as part of the case known as the “foreign funding case No. 173”, a five-year-old investigation into the funding and registration of independent human rights groups.
Mr. Mohamed Zaree, Egypt Director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), and winner of 2017 Martin Ennals Award, was summoned to appear on May 15, and 24, 2017, before the investigative judge within the framework of the “foreign funding case No. 173”. During the interrogation session, Mr. Zaree was accused of harming Egypt’s reputation by contributing to the country’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report, undermining the country’s reputation including before the European Parliament and drafting false reports about the human rights situation in Egypt through his work at CIHRS. Mr. Zaree is charged — jointly with others human rights defenders — with receiving foreign funds for an unregistered entity (CIHRS) and using them for unlawful activities, with the intent of harming national security and interests. The Observatory recalls that CIHRS was amongst the 37 NGOs listed in the 2011 Government Fact-Finding Committee report that could be targeted under the “foreign funding case No. 173”. On September 17, 2016, the Cairo Criminal Court in Zeinhom ordered the freezing of CIHRS’ assets and those of its Director, Mr. Bahey el din Hassan, as well as those of several other defenders and NGOs. Several CIHRS members have also experienced various acts of harassment and threats.
Further infringements to the right to freedom of association were reported as on September 20, 2017, a committee from the Investment Authority, accompanied by National Security officers and a police van, entered ECRF’s headquarters office in Cairo, claiming to hold a warrant to close down the organisation and attempted to put a wax seal on the office’s door on grounds that remain unknown. No warrant was effectively presented. Lawyers present at the office rejected these claims and prevented the closure arguing that it would be illegal since ECRF is a law firm operating in accordance with national legislation. Nonetheless, the committee threatened to come again. This unannounced raid and closing attempt occurs several days after the Egyptian government blocked ECRF’s website on September 5, 2017, and one month after the publication of ECRF’s report on enforced disappearances in Egypt. The report documented 378 cases of enforced disappearances between August 2016 and August 2017, and labelled the Egyptian security apparatuses as the main actor to be held accountable for these grave human rights violations.
The Observatory expresses its concerns over the on-going attempt by the Nigerian National Assembly to pass a NGO regulatory bill to control the operations of NGOs in violation of Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees of freedom of association and assembly. The bill seeks to establish an NGO Regulatory Commission competent to register civil society organisations. According to the bill, the Commission may refuse the registration of an organisation, which would be mandatory every two years, if it deems its activities to not be in the national interests. As drafted, the NGO Bill would enlarge governmental powers to regulate, monitor the funding and operation of civil society organisations. Accordingly, civil society organisations are under the obligation to disclose sources of funding ahead of any project implementation. Furthermore, the use of funds without the commission’s permission would amount to a crime punishable by a prison term of up to 18 months.
In Tanzania , the implementation of repressive laws has allowed the ban of eight media houses and the arrest of more than twenty-seven journalists and human rights defenders. Since 2010, the government of Tanzania has enacted several laws putting additional barriers to online freedom of expression and to the work of human rights defenders. Among these new laws, the Cybercrimes Act, which came into force in September 2015, has been used as a tool to censor dissent voices and journalists and to further restrict the right to freedom of expression. The judicial harassment of JamiiMedia Managing Director Mr. Maxence Melo and shareholder Mr. Mike William illustrates this worrying pattern. On December 15, 2016, the police searched both JamiiMedia premises and Mr. Maxence Melo’s home without any warrant. Furthermore, the police interrogated some Jamii Media staff members at their office premises in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, and later at the Central Police Station. The police kept Mr. Melo in custody for more than 48 hours without interrogation and in absence of charges against him, in violation of Tanzanian legislation which sets a four-hour limit for police interrogation without charges. However, on December 16, 2016, that the Resident Magistrate Court of Dar-es-Salaam at Kisutu indicted Mr. Maxence Melo under three sets of charges: “obstruction of a police investigation” under the 2015 Cyber Crimes Act; “not complying with an order of disclosure of data”; as well as “managing a domain not registered in Tanzania” in contravention of the requirements of the Electronics and Postal Communications (2010) Act, Mr. Maxence Melo was eventually granted bail on December 19, 2016 pending trial. The three cases are currently being heard before Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court.
5. Recommendations:
1) In view of the above-mentioned elements, the Observatory reminds States Parties of their obligation to comply with all the provisions of the African Charter, in particular those relating to the protection of human rights defenders. In that regard, States should immediately and unconditionally:
- Implement all the provisions of the 1998 United Nations (UN) Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, especially by guaranteeing in all circumstances their physical and psychological integrity and their capacity to operate in a safe and enabling environment;
- Release all defenders who are arbitrarily detained for their activities of promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association;
- Develop differentiated measures for the protection of the most vulnerable groups of human rights defenders such as land and environmental rights defenders, defenders working in rural areas, woman human rights defenders or defenders working on LGBTI issues;
- Put an end to all acts of harassment - including at the judicial level - against human rights defenders;
- Order immediate, thorough, transparent investigations into allegations of violations of the rights of human rights defenders, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them before an independent tribunal, and apply them the sanctions provided by the law;
- Refrain from adopting any provisions that do not comply with international and African standards with respect to the exercise of the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and abrogate or revise any such provisions that may be in force;
- Send a standing invitation to the UN and ACHPR’s Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights Defenders and facilitate their country visits.
2) More generally, the Observatory also calls upon the ACHPR to:
- Highlight the importance of the legitimate work carried out by human rights defenders, and the need for their protection from harassment and attacks, including through public speech by States Presidents and high government officials;
- Systematically raise the question of the situation of human rights defenders as well as denounce and condemn all human rights violations they face during the examination of the periodic reports of States parties to the ACHPR, and on the occasion of all visits conducted in a State party;
- Denounce the impunity that prevails with regard to these violations, and urge States to hold all those responsible to account;
- Increase its capacities to respond to urgent situations faced by human rights defenders;
- Ensure the effective implementation of ACHPR’s resolutions, concluding observations and decisions on communications in order that everyone, including human rights defenders, be able to effectively enjoy all the rights and freedoms recognised by the ACHPR, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders;
- Continue to strengthen the collaboration with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, as well as with the other regional mechanisms dedicated to the protection of human rights defenders.
JOINT STATEMENT - Champions of change. Human rights defenders, at the forefront of development and democracy
Read here the joint statement issued on the occasion of the ProtectDefenders.eu Annual Meetings 2017 - Champions of Change.
Brussels, November 9th, 2017 - In the past year, the situation of democracy and human rights around the world continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate. Political and civil space is increasingly shrinking in numerous countries, and economic, social and cultural development often is uneven and does not include vulnerable groups. In a growing number of countries, the pressure on human rights defenders has continuously increased, and the international community has failed to bring stability and peace to regions of conflict, in sharp contrast with the efforts undertaken in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Human rights defenders, including women and LGBTI defenders, are grassroots champions of change, and crucial pivotal actors in the drive to tackle the crises faced by the international community. In order to address the root causes of crises such as the spread of conflict - which result in forced displacement and refugee movements - radicalisation and environmental breakdown, we must provide support to those who are active on the ground fighting for positive change and inclusive development.
Human rights defenders across the world often put their lives and well-being on the line to push for democratic governance, sustainable development, gender equality and poverty reduction. According to alerts issued by four international human rights organizations,1 in 2017, more than 650 defenders have faced severe attacks and threats, and at least 400 have been subject to judicial harassment. Democracy and human rights are only possible when courageous individuals and communities are willing to stand up for them. This is what makes defenders a central keystone to development, peace-building, democratisation, and resilience.
Authoritarian and repressive regimes around the world, have become better organised, more sophisticated, and more effective at impeding the work of human rights defenders through surveillance, defamation, restrictive legislation including on access to funding, intimidation, and harassment, as well as arrests, disappearances, torture, and murder. Multinational corporations and private interests are also often implicated in repression and violation of human rights for economic gain.
As defenders face ever-increasing threats, they require protection in order to continue to do their work: Since its launch in October 2015, ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society, has worked to provide support for human rights defenders under increasing threat, while recognising and legitimising their role as central promoters of development. In the past two years, ProtectDefenders.eu has provided emergency support to nearly 600 human rights defenders at risk, and granted financial assistance to more than 65 human rights organisations working in the most difficult environments. More than 250 human rights defenders facing severe threats, and their family members, have been temporarily relocated. Moreover, ProtectDefenders.eu has provided training and capacity-building to more than 3,500 human rights defenders around the world and conducted fact-finding, advocacy and outreach missions to difficult countries. Its members have developed ongoing work of monitoring and accompaniment in the field and regularly monitored attacks and threats against defenders worldwide.
Working together with defenders and international human rights organisations, the European Union and its Member States must pursue even more vigorously a progressive agenda for protection of human rights defense in the context of development and make support for independent civil society and human rights defenders a key strategic priority.
A fundamental change is needed from states, companies and all actors involved to recognize human rights defenders not as threats, but as vital assets and key partners in development. The international community, the European Union, and its Member States must meet this challenge as a matter of priority, and step up their efforts to provide protection to human rights defenders at risk.
ProtectDefenders.eu calls upon the EU and its Member States to:
1) Increase investment in support of the work of human rights defenders, ensuring the existence of long-term protection mechanisms available to support them, as well as guaranteeing that they meet existing funding commitments to human rights defenders at risk.
2) Develop specific actions to ensure the effective implementation of SDG 16 on promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, in particular, by ensuring a safe and conducive environment for human rights defenders, ensuring that the practice of killing human rights defenders is stopped, and that the perpetrators are prosecuted and held accountable.
3) Guarantee that all development cooperation grants and loans implement a mandatory human rights impact assessment and ensure policies for the protections of HRDs working in the context of development projects.
4) Engage constructively in the development of binding legal instruments on business and human rights
ProtectDefenders.eu is the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism, established to protect defenders at high risk and facing the most difficult situations worldwide.
ProtectDefenders.eu is implemented by a Consortium of twelve international organisations with a proven track record in the field of protection, campaigning and advocacy in favor of Human Rights Defenders.
Would you like to support the organisation of the ProtectDefenders.eu Annual meetings, next 7, 8 and 9 of November in Brussels, and get in contact with a remarkable representation of human rights defenders, Human RIghts international institutions and EU representative from all over the world?
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent appeals October 2017
The October 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest warns about the ongoing pattern of repression against human rights defenders in Egypt, the recent killing of a prominent journalist in India and the harassment against civil rights activists in Singapore.
Moreover, only during September 2017, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has reported 59 new violations against HRDs.
Register now - ProtectDefenders.eu Annual Meeting 2017:
ProtectDefenders.eu is holding its Annual Meeting next 8 November 2017 in Brussels, under the motto:
“Champions of change - Human Rights Defenders at the forefront of Development and Democracy ”
This annual meeting will allow taking stock of the most pressing protection challenges for human rights defenders at risk and operating as leaders of today's human rights and development agenda.
Join us at thie unique EU gathering of defenders working on the frontlines for change and setting a progressive development and protection agenda.
Read more for more information and register now.
Unique and prime EU gathering of defenders working on the frontlines for change
It will allow to identify best practices from protecting human rights defenders, based on the achievements of the first two years of ProtectDefenders.eu, and draw relevant conclusions on how to counter some of the most difficult protection challenges, while setting a positive narrative for human rights defenders as champions of change for human rights, social justice and development.
The meeting will provide a remarkable opportunity to engage and share experiences directly with a cross section of Human Rights Defenders working across the globe in particularly difficult environments and often under great risk, and who have benefited from the support of the EU’s Human Rights Defenders mechanism, ProtectDefenders.eu, over the last two years. The meeting will be joined by leading experts and personalities on and in the protection of human rights defenders, universal and regional protection mechanisms, and representatives of various EU institutions implicated in the protection of human rights defenders and current development agenda.
In a distinctive feature, the meeting will also include members of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform, providing a growing vital lifeline and rest and respite support to defenders under threat with the support of Protectdefenders.eu
Setting a progressive development and protection agenda:
The meeting will highlight the crucial role and impact of human rights defenders around the world as promoters of a sustainable development, and will engage development actors in how to integrate the protection of human rights defenders as part of an effective development and protection agenda. It is those actors on the ground who will be the key protagonist of the meeting.
This meeting will also address the widespread attempts to de-legitimise human rights' discourse and human rights defenders' work worldwide, by promoting a positive narrative grounded on the universality and indivisibility of human rights and its contribution to more advanced and developed societies. Human rights defenders and high level speakers will share strategies to enhance the protection of those who strive to defend human rights, and to develop a positive narrative on the human rights' work, legitimising their work at the local level and taking back the human rights discourse to the centre of the international agenda.
This unique occasion will contribute to provide the necessary tools for reflection from the field in order to shape the international and EU agenda for the protection of human rights defenders, by bringing together the key stakeholders involved in the international human rights scene and addressing the most challenging issues faced by the human rights defenders' community.
The working agenda of this event is available here.
Interpretation will be provided into English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
The event will be closed with a dinner for which a limited number of places is available. Kindly fill out the registration form before October 30th. If you have any questions, please contact Javier Roura at contact@protectdefenders.eu
We are very much looking forward to welcoming you.
Chile: Proceso con irregularidades graves debe impedir condena de Defensora Machi Francisca Linconao y comuneros mapuches
París-Ginebra-Temuco, 18 de octubre de 2017 – El Observatorio para la protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos, programa conjunto de la FIDH y la OMCT, concluye que las graves irregularidades observadas en el proceso Lucksinger-Mackay en contra de la defensora de derechos humanos la Machi Francisca Linconao y de los diez comuneros mapuches, debe impedir su condena. El Observatorio publica una nota con las principales constataciones realizadas luego de la Misión de Observación Judicial, que realizó del 2 al 6 de octubre 2017 en el marco de ProtectDefenders.eu, en la que se concluye que hay una indebida aplicación de la Ley Antiterrorista contra las 11 personas, así como graves irregularidades a lo largo del Proceso penal. Destaca por ejemplo el hecho de que la acusación contra los comuneros mapuches no contiene una descripción clara, detallada y circunstanciada sobre las condiciones de tiempo y lugar de los hechos y las conductas atribuidas a cada uno de ellos. Igualmente, resulta preocupante que la acusación se realizó casi exclusivamente a través de un único testimonio, que, según manifestaciones realizadas en el proceso judicial, habría sido obtenido bajo coacción por parte de miembros de fuerzas de seguridad a una persona, al parecer con algún grado de discapacidad cognitiva. Finalmente, destaca el hecho de que la acusación se dirigió en contra de un grupo de personas que a la fecha de los hechos no se conocían entre sí.
Las fallas en el sistema, las prácticas del Ministerio Público y de la Policía de Investigaciones y la demora legislativa y ejecutiva para tomar cartas en el asunto, producen múltiples víctimas de estos procedimientos. En primer lugar, se victimiza al pueblo mapuche bajo la etiqueta de terrorista, debilitando sus estructuras y reforzando un contexto general de impunidad. En segundo lugar, las víctimas de los delitos investigados y sus familiares no acceden a la garantía de justicia, pues se investiga y juzga a quienes no son autores de las infracciones penales. En tercer lugar, a la sociedad en su conjunto no encuentra salvaguarda en los organismos de investigación judicial. Finalmente, el conjunto del Estado se ve afectado al involucrarse ingentes recursos en acciones judiciales desgastantes y fallidas.
El documento contiene recomendaciones para asegurar plenas garantías para las actividades de las personas defensoras de derechos humanos del pueblo mapuche y garantizar los derechos del pueblo mapuche, así como de las personas sometidas a procesos penales bajo la Ley Antiterrorista.
La Misión durante su estancia en Temuco se entrevistó con la defensora de derechos humanos, la Machi Francisca Linconao y los comuneros mapuches acusados en este y otros casos, con sus abogados, con el Instituto Nacional de Derechos Humanos, la Defensoría Penal Pública, la Intendencia Regional que representa al Poder Ejecutivo Nacional como querellante en el juicio y con el jefe de los Fiscales de la Región de la Araucania.
Contexto
El juicio se origina por hechos ocurridos el día 4 de enero del año 2013 en los que Werner Luchsinger y Vivianne Mackay fallecieron como consecuencia del ataque incendiario de su vivienda ubicada en el Fundo Granja Lumahue, predio que se encuentra dentro del territorio de ocupación tradicional indígena. Los once mapuches fueron acusados por el hecho en un proceso judicial en el que se invocó la Ley Antiterrorista utilizando como argumento la supuesta finalidad de “compeler a los agricultores de la región a hacer abandono de sus predios”.
Working meeting of Temporary Relocation experts in Tbilisi
On Thursday 12th and Friday 13th of October, ProtectDefenders.eu participated at the working meeting of experts organised by Tbilisi Shelter City programme, in Mtshketa, Georgia.
The meeting was attended by organisations providing temporary relocation programmes for HRDs (including Truth Hounds, Front Line Defenders, FIDH, PIN, Freedom House, among others) to share experiences and discuss challenges and opportunities for further cooperation. During the two-days event, several topics were discussed, such as ethic issues, rehabilitation, security issues, communication between the relocation programmes for endangered HRD, monitoring of Human Rights abuses, and fund-raising opportunities.
October 1
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent appeals September 2017
The September 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest warns the recent killings of human rights defenders, and the pattern of intimidation against them in the Philippines, the many media freedom violations registered in Morocco and the plight of human rights defenders in DRC.
Moreover, only during August 2017, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has reported 113 new violations against HRDs.
Click to read the ProtectDefenders.eu digest and share it on Twitter.
September 26
20 eurodéputés parrainent 20 défenseurs congolais
Bruxelles - Une conférence de presse s’est tenue aujourd‘hui au Parlement européen pour lancer une initiative originale : 20 eurodéputés ont accepté de parrainer 20 défenseurs des droits humains congolais en danger afin de leur apporter une meilleure protection dans leur combat pour les droits humains et la démocratie.
Alors que la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) est en proie à de nombreuses tensions dans la perspective de la tenue des élections présidentielle et générale, les activistes de la société civile sont inquiétés pour leur combat en faveur de la démocratie, de l’alternance politique et la défense des droits humains.
Nos organisations soutiennent - ou ont élaboré avec des parlementaires européens engagés et de tous bords politiques - un mécanisme de parrainages des défenseurs des droits humains en danger par des eurodéputés. Issus de 20 organisations de défense des droits humains et de mouvement citoyens, les activistes menacés pourront compter sur la mobilisation de leur parrains eurodéputés pour informer, alerter et mobiliser la communauté internationale sur leur sort et agir en leur faveur.
Ce mécanisme a vocation à mobiliser plus d’eurodéputés pour protéger plus de militants de la société civile en RDC. Il pourra également se mobiliser sur d’autres crises dans le monde.
Listes des députés européens parrains et des organisations parrainées :
Liste de députés européens / Sponsoring MEPs
M. Gianni PITTELLA
Mme Maria ARENA
M. Pier Antonio PANZERI
Mme Elena VALENCIANO
Mme Soraya POST
M. Norbert NEUSER
M. Philippe LAMBERTS
Mme Heidi HAUTALA
Mme Barbara LOCHBIHLER
M. Claude ROLIN
M. Louis MICHEL
M. Javier NART
Mme Marie-Christine VERGIAT
M. Helmut SCHOLZ
Mme Lola SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY
M. Charles GOERENS
Mme Patricia LALONDE
Liste d’organisations parrainées / Sponsored organisations
FILIMBI-Kinshasa
ASADHO-National
JUSTICIA-Lubumbashi
PROTECTION ENFANTS/SIDA-Kinshasa
LUCHA-Goma
COMPTE A REBOURS-Kinshasa
IL EST TEMPS-Kinshasa
PARLEMENT DEBOUT DE FURU-Butembo
Agir pour les Élections Transparentes et Apaisées (AETA)- Kinshasa
Nouvelle Société Civile Congolaise (NSCC)-Kinshasa
Congolese international Congres (CIC)-Kinshasa
Institut pour la Démocratie, la Gouvernance, la Paix et le développement en Afrique/(IDGPA) – Kinshasa
Journal/Tempête des tropiques
Radio KASAI horizon
FILIMBI ITURI
Journal/Les Points saillants Plus – Kinshasa
Journaliste CC News
Journal indépendant – Toko Mi Wapi
Journaliste indépendante
Association congolaise pour l’accès à la justice (ACAJ)
Fighting the criminalisation of defenders in southern Honduras
On September 20 and 21, PBI Honduras facilitated a security and protection workshop for organizations and human rights defenders in southern Honduras. The workshop focused on the exchange of ideas and good practices for the development of protection strategies against the context of criminalization of defenders of land, territory and the environment. The 25 participants have defended the rights of peasant communities against the lack of prior, free and informed consultation on the implementation of economic projects - such as mining, hydroelectric dams, photovoltaic energy fields or large-scale monocultures - in their territories. During the workshop, a mapping of the criminalization context in the area was made. Participants debated the concept of criminalization, the ways in which it occurs - criminal proceedings, arbitrary detentions, stigmatization, police surveillance - and its effects on the work and security of defenders. Then, they identified protection tools to counteract this reality: documentation, networking, physical and digital security measures, visibility of cases, among others.
The vindication of the right to consultation, guaranteed by Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization, has led to organizations and defenders of this region of the country have suffered threats, harassment, attacks, defamation, and prosecution. The workshop was a space to share the challenges faced by the defenders and discuss strategies for their safety and protection.
An important part of the workshop was the debate on how international political advocacy can help improve the protection of criminalized defenders. The importance of preparing reports for thematic hearings of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and of communications for relevant UN rapporteurs, as well as contact with other relevant actors, was addressed.
The participants valued the workshop in a very positive way to generate a regional space where experiences of criminalization and protection tools were shared, as well as the realization of a practical case documentation exercise. The discussion on experiences was very positive because it allowed identifying successful actions and the importance of working in a network. In addition, the workshop allowed the participants to talk about their fears and frustrations, something important for their mental health and the creation of spaces of solidarity.
PBI Honduras will continue working with defenders of the land, territory, and environment in the development of protection strategies to reduce their risk and face the criminalization they suffer.
Human rights defenders know all too well what it means to be targets of hate and state harassment. And sometimes, something as simple as a photograph can kickstart a number of unfortunate events.
This is what happened to Olya P., an LGBTI and women human rights defender from Russia. After staging a street protest, her face and name were suddenly everywhere, after a picture of hers – shoulders wrapped in a rainbow flag – spread from one media outlet to the next. As the picture became a symbol of the protest against the country’s repressive laws against LGBTI communities, this sudden exposure made her a target of online hate.
It was when online abuse added to an already repressive environment that Olya reached out for support. She found it in ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism: thanks to a grant, she managed to join a self-care training, which also helped her strengthen capacities for her activism.
How did you become involved in the defence of human rights?
I used to live in a small town in the Moscow region, but we didn’t have any activity of this kind there. I was interested in politics, but I didn’t allow myself to read news because… I felt something rising inside of me, but I didn’t know what it was, nor what to do with it.
For almost two years, I stopped reading news. This means that I had not exactly known what had happened to Pussy Riot, or about the 2012 arrests after the Bolotnaya square protests in Moscow, until I moved to Saint Petersburg in 2012 and became an activist.
The first people I met there were LGBT activists: I discovered the city’s organisations quickly, and decided that I wanted to take part in every activity. As quickly as I found them, I also understood that I had no resources to join what they did. I dropped everything I was doing, and started volunteering for Coming Out – I have done so for four years.
In June 2013, I also started joining street actions. At first I didn’t want to, because I was afraid of violence – not against me, but I was afraid that homophobes could beat my friends and I would try and stop them. We had a lot of street actions that summer: the “gay propaganda” law was about to be adopted on a federal level in Russia, and we tried to protest.
After the 2013 Saint Petersburg Pride, all the world learnt about being LGBT in Russia, because there was a lot of violence: homophobes were throwing stones and eggs at us, and police ended up taking us to police stations, while homophobes could walk away free. It was horrible. This was my first time at the police station.
About 70 people were detained, and some activists had to go to the hospital following their release because they had been attacked during the action, and police didn’t want to call an ambulance.
The fact is that I was never scared for myself, but for others taking part in the actions. A person walking by me got attacked in the street right after a street action against the propaganda law, only for wearing a t-shirt with a pink triangle, and when something like this happens I can’t stay silent.
At a certain point, you started receiving hateful messages on social media on the grounds of your activism. How did that start?
It happened in 2015, after I staged a street protest in Saint Petersburg, holding a rainbow flag. After that, some media people found my social media handles and posted my photo with news about the action, using my name and surname. This is why people could find me in social networks, and began sending me messages that were… not very pleasant.
I had been involved in activism for more than three years at that stage, and I was experienced in how to handle these situations: I banned them immediately, but it didn’t work. People managed to find me and write whatever they wanted, especially people I didn’t know.
I have also always felt a threat from the State, too, because we have a law saying that street actions need to be approved in advance by a special committee. Without such an agreement, you can be taken to a police station and receive a fine for joining a street protest. And if you are taken to the police station for more than three times, you can end up in prison.
This is when I really felt threatened, because I constantly take part in these actions – not only advocating rights for rainbow communities, but also for other issues. I was taken to a police station twice in six months, and I was afraid that it could have happened again, even for no reason. I really felt in danger, and I was afraid to take part in other actions.
When I was a teenager, and until I was 25 and moved to Saint Petersburg, I always considered prison as a very distant reality, something that can’t touch me. But now, the reality is that I am interested in what happen in the prison system, and in finding ways to change it.
In Russia, whoever goes to prison receives a punishment, but people running the system can think that prisoners deserve more punishment. This system doesn’t correct behaviours, but just punishes them.
Was there a specific moment in your experience as a human rights defender that prompted you to look for support?
It was in 2015, in autumn, after the street action I was telling you about. The video with me covered in a rainbow flag was everywhere, even on Euronews. People wrote me nasty comments on social networks, and soon after that Ildar Dadin was sentenced to prison – I felt very depressed. It was too hard. I decided to see a psychotherapeutic group.
I had attended similar trainings earlier, and I knew the person who organised them. I asked whether I could join it, but they told me I needed money to apply. Then I began looking for support from an organisation which helps human rights defenders, and I ran into ProtectDefenders.eu. I applied for their support immediately: it was really urgent, because the group would have started its activity in just two weeks.
For me it was like a miracle, because I received a positive answer the next day. Thanks to their support, I could afford paying to attend the activities of a support group in Ukraine. It was very important for me to go there at that time because, among other reasons, I also wanted to let people in Ukraine know that not everyone in Russia supported the war, and approved of what is going on in Crimea.
Did taking part in this session help you?
Yes! I don’t know what happened when I was there, but when I returned to Saint Petersburg the feeling was like I had been depressed for the past ten years, and I had finally woken up. It was amazing.
It was a support group for human rights defenders, and we stayed for ten days around Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It helped me very much to understand what I wanted, and the importance of non-violent activism, and to learn how to communicate with people who are important to me.
I still think it was a miracle that I managed to join this group.
Aren’t you scared that the wave of hate on social media against you may start again?
I am scared, but I know that I will be OK: this is the point. Now I know that I will find ways to support myself and to manage. It’s not pleasant to receive threats on the Internet, even if you are a very spiritually developed person: it is just creepy, and if you are facing a situation of psychological crisis this may be the last drop for you. But now I know that it will not happen to me again: it can’t make me depressed anymore.
I am scared when I think of threats that may come from the State, though. Russia is such a country that gives you less and less space to move and organise activities to defend something you believe in.
Do you see the situation of our communities evolving in your country?
It doesn’t look like that, to be honest. In 2016, we could not organise even a single street action with the permission of authorities. I tried to organise an LGBT feminist bloc on the demonstration on the 1st of May: not only we were not granted permission, but our pages on VKontakte were blocked. And this happened to every LGBT initiative that year.
This is why people joined some ecologist or anarchist organisations to take part in the demonstration. For the second time, we could not organise a rainbow flash mob on the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and we had to do something without having received a permit first – and the same happened with Saint Petersburg Pride. But if you join unauthorized street actions, there is always the risk to get arrested.
The “promotion” law created a system where people are not allowed to speak about our communities, making it so that, for the public opinion, we simply do not exist. And if we do not exist, we do not have problems and issues that need to be addressed. How to come out of such a situation?
If you join a public protest or a street action, you know that you may be assaulted. But I never hoped that someone holding political power would have seen me, or my photos on the Internet, and decided to change something.
To me, it is about simple people seeing me standing there with my placards: maybe they don’t know what I am talking about, but maybe they will go home, google it and find something about our issues for themselves, create their point of view. This is what has always been important to me.
Do you think that occasions like this ILGA World Conference can be useful for human rights defenders to come together and share their experiences?
This conference is an amazing opportunity. Most of the time, it is always the same circle of people who take part in street actions, and it can get tiring and frustrating from time to time, because the situation around you hardly changes. These events – but also visiting other countries which are more respectful of our rights, or taking part in Pride marches – can be so useful for activists in Russia! It is really inspiring to see that you are not alone, and that in other countries people like yourself are accepted and feel more or less safe.
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent appeals August 2017
The August 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest warns about the ongoing criminalisation of human rights defenders in Turkey, as well as the aggravated situation of defenders in Honduras and the judicial harassment reported in Bahrain.
Moreover, only during July 2017, the ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has reported 71 new violations against HRDs.
Annual Meeting 2017 - Champions of change: Human Rights Defenders at the forefront of development and democracy
ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism implemented by International Civil Society, is organising its Annual Meeting 2017, under the motto "Champions of change - Human Rights Defenders at the forefront of Development and Democracy", on November 8th, 2017.
Save the date and join us at this event, which will bring together Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights NGOs, Representatives of international and regional Protection Mechanisms, Members of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform, as well as other Representatives of EU Institutions, providing therefore valuable networking opportunities for all participants.
In addition to highlighting the main achievements and challenges of ProtectDefenders.eu, this annual meeting will celebrate the work done by human rights defenders as a cornerstone of development, progress and justice, responding to widespread attempts to criminalise and delegitimise human rights' work and human rights defenders worldwide, by promoting a positive narrative grounded on the universality and indivisibility of human rights.
Olga Silvia, Colombian human rights defender on advocacy mission in Europe thanks to the support from ProtectDefenders.eu
Due to the persistence of the aggressions against women human rights defenders and the importance of their recognition as peace builders in Colombia, form 17th June to 1st July, PBI organised an advocacy mission in Europe for the Colombian human rights defender Olga Silva, director of Humanidad Vigente – human rights organisation that works in the fight against impunity, with emphasis on the rights of children, women and the defense of territory.
The advocacy mission took place in Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Holland, centered around the current situation in Colombia in terms of human rights, the vulnerability of human rights defenders, particularly women and indigenous communities (particularly those affected by the extractive industry such as in the case of Cerrejón in La Guajira), the challenges of the implementation of the Peace Agreements, the importance of the support from the EU for the ELN peace process (particularly the quick advance of humanitarian agreements and measures such as a bilateral cease fire). In Brussels Olga had meetings with European ministers and with the EEAS. She also participated in a panel at an event at the European Parliament, for the projection of the documentary “Women at the Front” by Lúla Gomez. During this event the human rights defender was able to explain the current situation in Colombia and particularly how it is affecting children, women and indigenous communities.
Emergency support to WHRD working on domestic violence issues in Russia
Over the past year, Russia has twice moved to roll back legislation that criminalizes domestic violence, including child abuse. Urgent Action Fund has been alarmed not only by the legislative retrenchment, which represents a failure to protect the right to freedom from violence but by the attacks on civil society leaders and human rights defenders who work on issues of domestic violence that have accompanied the legislative changes.
According to UAF, the Russian governments' tacit endorsement of family violence is emboldening ultra-nationalist groups to threaten, harass, and in some cases, commit violence against defenders who work on these issues. Because of ProtectDefenders.eu, Urgent Action Fund has been able to assist defenders impacted by these hate crimes, which are aimed at deterring them from their work, including in the following cases:
An emergency grant was immediately made available to a center that provides free legal aid to domestic violence survivors in the city of Soch, to hire a temporary guard and provide secure transportation to the center for clients or staff members. The request for emergency support was submitted after staff members and clients were assaulted and the office vandalized by members of an ultra-nationalist group dressed in military garb. Critically, these measures enabled it to stay open after the attack.
Besides, in August 2017, two emergency grants were provided for immediate temporary relocation of women human rights defenders under threat in Russia. Both work with local NGOs that have programs for domestic violence survivors. The first instance assisted a lawyer in the Belgorod region of Russia who provides legal representation to survivors of domestic violence. The second assisted the Program Coordinator for a community organization in Ingushetia that provides assistance to domestic violence survivors along with other empowerment programs for women and girls. In the latter case, the defender was targeted and harassed by the Russian security services after she attended a session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Comprehensive training for Human Rights Defenders in Indonesia
A cohort of nine grassroots human rights defenders from six different provinces across Indonesia attended a four month training, from mid-February to mid-June 2017, in Jakarta, where they developed skills in safety and protection mechanisms, human rights law, and techniques to monitor and investigate human rights cases in the field. The training, supported by ProtectDefenders.eu, covered the full spectrum of human rights, and developed research projects to look at topics including support for women victims of human rights abuses, environmental and social impacts of large-scale agribusiness, access to education and healthcare in rural areas, and violence against women and children. A highlight of the training was a briefing hosted by the German Embassy, with representatives of 13 different embassies engaging with the HRDs to learn of the threats and challenges they face in their work.
Digital security training for LGBTI human rights defenders in Asia
In July 2017, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) conducted a training around digital security for LGBTI human rights defenders, supported by ProtectDefenders.eu. For three days, 25 participants from nine countries across Asia gathered together in Bangkok to improve their digital security practices, learn how to make informed decisions when communicating online, and safely exercise their rights without falling prey to preventable digital threats.
Digital space has a crucial role to play in the LGBTI movement: not only it can bring isolated LGBTI individuals together, but it also offers accessible means to help change public awareness on issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics. Unfortunately, there is also another side to the coin: a dramatic growth in the use of online spaces to further activism efforts and for personal use has resulted in more visibility, leaving members of rainbow communities more vulnerable and exposed to threats.
After an assessment of their level of knowledge, human rights defenders took part in an interactive role-play activity: a simple game that helped everybody understand how the internet works, and why making a conscious effort to develop safe practices is necessary, especially in their specific area of work.
A threat analysis exercise was then conducted to help participants to the training realise who they could possibly be under threat from, and what assets of theirs are under threat: this was an essential step to help human rights defenders start developing their organisations’ digital security policies. During the training, participants also received an intensive introduction to encryption for emails, messages and file sharing services, and learnt how to protect themselves against internet surveillance.
In essence, it was an important occasion for capacity building. At the end of the training, human rights defenders noted how their knowledge of secure communication and safe internet browsing had increased: they are now ready to use this knowledge in their activism, and to transfer their new skills to colleagues and partners they are in contact with through digital and online media.
The July 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest warns about the illegal surveillance, criminalisation and killings of human rights defenders in Mexico, as well as physical attacks against defenders in Pakistan and judicial and administrative harrasment reported in Russia.
From July 11 to 19, 2017, OMCT, in the framework of the Observatory and ProtectDefenders.eu, carried out an international fact-finding mission in different areas of Colombia (Bogotá, Norte de Santander, Antioquia and Valle del Cauca). The work of human rights defenders continues to be a high-risk activity in Colombia, marked by a climate of constant threats and a sharp rise in killings of human rights defenders. The persistence of paramilitary structures, impunity and limitations in the State response are among the main reasons for this reality. Moreover, human rights defenders who are local leaders, particularly those who defend rights related to the land and environment in rural areas, are the group most vulnerable to constant threats.
More information on the preliminary findings of the mission can be found here: http://www.omct.org/human-rights-defenders/urgent-interventions/colombia/2017/07/d24455/
Colombia: Preliminary findings of an international fact-finding mission - No peace for human rights defenders
Geneva-Paris-Bogotá, July 19, 2017 - The lowest murder rate in Colombia for 40 years in the context of the peace process masks a climate of constant threats and a sharp rise in killings of human rights defenders. The persistence of paramilitary structures, impunity and limitations in the State response are among the main reasons for this reality, as reported by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an OMCT-FIDH partnership) at the close of its mission to the country, carried out in the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism.
The work of human rights defenders continues to be a high-risk activity in Colombia. Depending on the source[1], figures for the number of killings of defenders in 2016 range between 59 and 134. Despite these inconsistencies, the figures are scandalous at either end of the scale, and it is important to highlight that the different national State institutions, international bodies and Colombian civil society organisations which have gathered these statistics all coincide in reporting a significant increase in the number of killings of human rights defenders in comparison with previous years. Moreover, according to the information gathered by the mission, human rights defenders who are local leaders, particularly those who defend rights related to the land and environment in rural areas, are the group most vulnerable to constant threats.
The Observatory has identified four structural causes that explain the current situation.
In the first place, the main attacks against defenders take place amid the persistence of paramilitary structures in the country, identified as the main perpetrators of these crimes. The mission was able to document various cases of collusion and/or connivance between State officials and paramilitary groups in different parts of the country including Norte de Santander and Antioquia in a context in which the authorities continue to deny the existence of this phenomenon.
“In the words of a Colombian defender: ‘If something does not exist, it cannot be confronted’. That is why the Government must publicly recognise the persistence of paramilitary structures in Colombia and confront this phenomenon by effectively and decidedly applying the relevant measures included in the peace agreement”, declared Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui, Director of the OMCT Office in Brussels and delegate of the Observatory mission in Colombia.
In second place, according to the Observatory findings, there is now a tendency among public authorities to recognise the legitimacy of human rights defenders’ work. However, there continue to be examples of smears and stigmatisation against defenders. For example, in Sur de Bolívar, Bucaramanga and Barrancabermeja, in a case where five defenders were arrested, one was linked by the Prosecutor to the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional - ELN) as a result of his leadership in the organisation of demonstrations.
The criminalisation of social protest continues to cause concern. The mission received a number of reports describing the use of repression by the authorities during peaceful protests in Colombia, including numerous examples of excessive use of force against protestors. The mission heard about a number of cases involving defenders in the department of Cauca and during the civic strike in the city of Buenaventura.
In third place, the Observatory notes the persistence of high levels of impunity, which reinforce the vulnerability of all human rights defenders in the country. According to the information received, there have only been convictions in five cases of murders of defenders over the past year. What is more, in May 2017 the first conviction in the history of Colombia was made in a case related to threats against a human rights defender. A bodyguard was convicted of threats to the person he was responsible for protecting; however, there has been no investigation into who may have planned the crime.
“We are particularly concerned about the low priority given to cases of threats by the Public Prosecutor’s office. There is also a tendency, in all investigations into attacks against defenders and in the few cases that lead to a conviction, that these investigations are limited to those who carried out the crimes, while those who planned the crimes are not investigated”, stated Vincent Vallies, international expert and mission delegate.
Finally, in the fourth place, the Observatory notes that despite the considerable institutional framework dedicated to protecting human rights defenders in Colombia, the institutional response continues to be weak for the following reasons: the inadequacy of measures to tackle the structural causes that place defenders at risk, the lack of local implementation of national guidelines and plans, insufficient guarantees to carry out work to defend human rights, and a lack of measures with a differential focus according to age, ethnicity, gender and socio-economic situation.
Context:
The Observatory carried out an international fact-finding mission in different areas of Colombia (Bogotá, Norte de Santander, Antioquia and Valle del Cauca) from July 11 to 19, 2017. The delegation was composed of Vincent Vallies (international expert, French nationality) and Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui (Director of the OMCT Office in Brussels and Human Rights Advisor for the Observatory at OMCT, Spanish nationality), and was accompanied by Jahel Quiroga (Director of the Reiniciar Corporation - Corporación Reiniciar and member of the OMCT Executive Board), and Ana María Rodríguez (Representative before the United Nations, Colombian Commission of Jurists - Comisión Colombiana de Juristas - CCJ).
In the coming months the Observatory will publish a report on its specific findings, conclusions and recommendations regarding the situation of human rights defenders in Colombia. In addition, as part of a strategy to strengthen the Observatory’s work on Colombia, a report will also be published over the following months documenting various cases of attacks against human rights defenders who defend land and environmental rights in the context of large-scale development projects.
Material assistance to a Honduran Human Rights Defender
In July 2017, OMCT allocated a grant to Honduran human rights defender David Valle, to allow him to receive medical and psychological treatment after suffering an attempted killing on July 10, 2017, as reprisals to his LGBTI rights activities in Honduras, where LGBTI rights defenders are facing a climate of extreme violence.
The grant enabled David Valle to receive an adequate, specialized and emergency treatment to safeguard his psychological and physical integrity, as well as to keep on continuing its human rights activities as the Project Coordinator of Centro para la Cooperación y Desarollo LGBTI SOMOS CDC (Centre for LGBTI Cooperation and Development), a civil society organisation based in Honduras which aims at improving the quality of life of the LGBTI population, by developing programs that support their access to education, employment, health services, human rights and security.
ProtectDefenders.eu participates in the OIAD's assembly
ProtectDefenders.eu participated in a roundtable on protection of threatened lawyers, organised in Madrid by the Observatoire international des avocats en danger (OIAD), gathering individuals and organisations involved in the promotion of human rights.
During the session, the practical operation of the EU HRD mechanism and its application to lawyers at risk was discussed, as well as other relevant initiatives, such as the presentation of the Index of attacks and alerts, seeking synergies that lead to greater coordination and interrelation between actors involved in the defense of groups of individuals facing threats for defending human rights and / or ensuring access to justice as a fundamental right.
July 3
Integrating a psychosocial perspective in human rights works
Maik Müller 27 June 2017 - Through my work with Peace Brigades International (PBI), I’ve been in contact with diverse members of local and international NGOs working on human rights, but few—if any—of these organisations have integrated a clear approach to counteracting the negative psychosocial impacts of human rights work in repressive contexts.
As an independent consultant, I recently worked with PBI to document and systemize the work done by PBI Mexico over the last 10 years, and our case study indicates that the inclusion of a psychosocial perspective can be an important mechanism to strengthen human rights organisations and their members. In our surveys and interviews, past and current members of the organization gave a variety of examples of how integration of the psychosocial perspective—in addition to specific tools and procedures—led to increased resilience, decreased internal conflicts, and improvements in protection and security work.
Flickr/Jonathan McIntosh (Some rights reserved)
"Paseo de Humanidad" (Parade of Humanity), a painted metal mural, is attached to the Mexican side of the US border wall in the city of Heroica Nogales.
Our interviews and surveys found that sensitisation and awareness raising about the psychosocial impacts of political violence (and human rights work in such contexts) were key—people who are aware of the psychosocial impacts of repression are more willing to prioritise adequate self-care.
To increase this awareness, PBI offered regular mental health workshops facilitated by an external expert, which addressed the impacts of violence and the problems that members of the organization deal with in their daily work. PBI also facilitated self-organized workshops, which are set up and managed by the teams in order to work on any issues related to mental health. These workshops—utilizing existing tools, knowledge, capacities and previous experiences of each member—helped staff and volunteers to recognise negative impacts and to develop strategies to prevent, cope with or counteract these effects.
Another important tool that the organization introduced was “check-ins”: these were spaces at the beginning of meetings (in person or virtual) where each person can comment on how they are doing and about aspects that influence their well-being (work-related or personal) and in which members can hear from others about how they are doing, express needs, concerns. The excessive workload and the dynamics of human rights work in the field can lead to situations in which team members do not know how their teammates are doing, and this lack of exchange can lead to misunderstandings, friction and conflicts. Proper use of check-ins can be a useful tool for preventing conflict and to promote mutual support. The tool helped to get staff and volunteers used to including expression of emotions and (the lack of) “well-being” into certain spaces, and in many occasions team members noted an increase in their empathy for each other.
In addition, PBI Mexico created “mental health minimums”, which are individual commitments by all team members to practice self-care and maintain a good state of mental health during the year in the field. These minimum commitments are different for each team member and involve simple things such as doing sports at least once a week, writing daily, and going to dance classes.
They are the result of an individual reflection process (sometimes promoted and/or guided in a workshop) and are shared with the other members of the team so that everyone is aware of each other’s needs. The implementation of these minimums is done individually but if stress dynamics linked to a lack of implementation arise, the team uses the workshops and/or the “check-ins” to follow-up as a collective. As such, the minimums help with conflicts about different perspectives on work management and self-care.
The organization also decided to rotate certain tasks considering the mental health of the team members. One example is the person who is on-call. This person is responsible for checking the phone and e-mail in order to respond to emergency situations, and PBI has taken care to avoid exposing the same people to the most difficult testimonies, such as victims of torture and forced disappearances. “During my year, the hardest moments for me emotionally were listening to testimonies of mothers of disappeared people”, stated one of the volunteers. During the workshops, the external expert provided tools to better deal with such situations and at the same time the rotation system avoided constant exposure to these testimonies.
Finally, PBI offered individual support programs with therapists through Skype. This is an external service to support employees and volunteers so that they can prevent and/or cope with situations or periods of stress and/or emotional charge. PBI has a working agreement with the European Gestalt Therapy Association where members can request individual pro-bono counselling at any time throughout their service (before, during and after the volunteer year, and also for paid staff) in order to prevent burnout and secondary trauma. At the beginning of the collaboration volunteers and staff did not used this specific service much. PBI Mexico started to promote this opportunity for support and integrated further information about this service in training and orientation of staff and volunteers alike. Now there is a regular use of the service and in the questionnaires and interviews several people stressed the importance of this tool.
PBI Mexico made extensive use of an external professional expert to support field teams to address the negative psychosocial impacts of the dynamics inherent to frontline human rights work. Before this collaboration (ten years ago) there was little work on mental health and the accompaniment work of PBI Mexico did not consider well (if at all) psychosocial aspects of the security and protection work for human rights defenders. While there was initially resistance from some members, people were rapidly convinced once they experienced the support. Over time the collaboration with the external expert led to the integration of a psychosocial approach in the internal and external work of the organization. One public example of this integration is PBI Mexico’s facilitator’s guide for security and protection workshops, which explicitly integrates a psychosocial perspective in each training module.
Although we found that workshops with the external expert were especially important, it was the combination of the different tools and procedures that led to a proper integration of the psychosocial perspective. The ongoing support via the regular workshops helped to develop or adjust these tools and procedures to make them more effective. We found that participative processes were important, as commitment and implementation depends on buy-in from all team members—coping mechanisms should not be imposed from the outside, in order to avoid resistance and/or dependence on intervention. Our study also illustrates the need to create an organizational culture that not only allows and promotes the use of time and resources for well-being and mental health, but actually integrates it as important part of the human rights work that is obligatory, reflected in work plans and job descriptions. Unless this incorporation happens, we observed that self-care gets lost or de-prioritized in the frequently overloaded agendas of HRDs and their organisations.
The horizontal and participatory working approach of PBI has certainly facilitated progress, but most of the tools and procedures described can be integrated and adapted by other local and international NGOs alike. In addition, a similar type of case study to what we completed could also help organizations identify their specific needs.
Of course, a cultural shift and strong effort to raise awareness are still required in order to foster well-being and counter negative impacts of repression within the sector. But profound changes in the staff and organisation are possible with proper investment in and implementation of psychosocial support.
Maik Müller is an external consultant and works for PBI, partner in the implementation of ProtectDefenders.eu.
Internship at the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu
ProtectDefenders.eu - The EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism is looking for a 'Programmes and Communication' intern.
Based at the Secretariat's office in Brussels, the intern will work in support to the different file-holders and under the overall supervision of the Head of Secretariat.
He/She will carry out a variety of tasks related to the purposes of the EU HRD Mechanism coordination and implementation, what will provide an opportunity for learning and achieving relevant work experience in the field of human rights at global and EU levels.
Tasks & General Responsibilities:
Allocation of grants: Temporary Relocation of Human Rights Defenders & Emergency Grants for Human Rights Defenders
Carry out the first assessment of grants applications received, preparing summaries to be submitted to the Grants Coordinator;
Contact references that endorse the grants application, in order to gather relevant information that validate the applications' credibility (background analysis, security analysis, need of immediate support);
Participate in meetings with the Grants Coordinator, preparing summary and briefing notes;
Follow up on the grants awarded, monitoring the status of progress of grants and liaising with stakeholders to receive intermediate and final narrative and financial reports;
Maintain up-to-date information within related folders and database.
Communication and Advocacy
Support the overall communication, advocacy and monitoring programmes and initiatives developed by the secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu, in collaboration with the Communication and Reporting Officer;
Support the coordination of actions and campaigns of visibility concerning the situation of HRDs worldwide.
Support the coordination and preparation of the Annual Meetings of ProtectDefenders.eu, to be held in early November 2017.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
Ongoing studies (master's degree) in law, international relations, social sciences or related field. Experience in human rights would be an asset.
Knowledge of EU institutions, UN procedures and regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights would be an asset.
Good drafting and editing skills.
Ability to adapt to multidisciplinary work in the environment of a multicultural team.
Good interpersonal and communication skills.
Fluency in English and French, oral and written.
Fluency in Spanish, Arabic or Russian would be an asset.
STARTING DATE & CONDITIONS
Preferrable starting date: 1st of August 2017.
Duration: 3 months minimum.
Conditions : Internship agreement with University is required. Alternatively, a voluntary agreement may be signed. Please note that this is an unpaid position. However, ProtectDefenders.eu shall provide reimbursement of transportation expenses and meals.
HOW TO APPLY?
Please send your CV and cover letter (please include information about your availability) before July 10th by email to: Joan Audierne, Head of Secretariat, contact@protectdefenders.eu with the subject : 'Internship'.
Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Interviews will be held in our office in Brussels or via Skype
INFORMATION ABOUT PROTECTDEFENDERS.EU
ProtectDefenders.eu is the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism, established to protect defenders at high risk and facing the most difficult situations worldwide.
ProtectDefenders.eu:
• Operates a permanent and rapid response mechanism to provide emergency support and material assistance to Human Rights Defenders in danger, their families and their work.
• Manages a support programme of temporary relocation for Human Rights Defenders at risk to relocate inside their country, within their region or abroad in case of urgent threat.
• Supports and coordinates an exchange platform for organisations and stakeholders working on temporary relocation for Human Rights Defenders, including through the EU temporary relocation platform.
• Provides training, support and capacity building to Human Rights Defenders and local organisations.
• Monitors the situation of human rights defenders and advocates for a protection agenda for Human Rights Defenders at local, regional and international level.
• Promotes coordination between organisations dedicated to support for Human Rights Defenders, EU institutions and other relevant actors.
The implementation of ProtectDefenders.eu is led by a Consortium of 12 NGOs active in the field of Human Rights, namely Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network (ESCR-Net), International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA), Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights (UAF), Protection International (PI), Peace Brigades International (PBI), Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF), Forum Asia and East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP).
ProtectDefenders.eu is coordinated by an independent Secretariat based in Brussels.
The June 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest warns about the crackdonw on civil society in Egypt, as well judicial harassment and repression against human rights defenders in Venezuela and Malaysia.
Moreover, only during May 2017, the new ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders has reported 38 new violations against HRDs.
Consultation with defenders working on business and human rights hosted by UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of HRD
ProtectDefenders.eu supported in Brussels a consultation with Human Rights Defenders for the draft of the next report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of HRDs, Michel Forst, on defenders working on business and human rights.
This meeting with representatives of grassroot movements worldwide favored an open discussion on their specific challenges and needs and how to address them. ProtectDefenders reaches out to the most particularly targeted defenders around the world, with immediate protection measures, training, monitoring and advocacy.
June 21
Collective guidance for security and protection for human rights defenders
On 16-17 June 2017, the Advisory Group to ESCR-Net’s System of Solidarity (SOS) held its first, full in-person meeting in Brussels, Belgium. Representatives from Consejo de Pueblos Wuxhtaj, Defend Job Philippines, Forum-ASIA, Front Line Defenders, Green Advocates, Just Associates, Proyecto de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales (ProDESC) and the World Organization Against Torture came together to define ESCR-Net’s particular approach to bolstering security and protection of human rights defenders and to generate guidance for the implementation of that system over the coming five years.
In the meeting, participants reflected on global and regional trends affecting human rights defenders working to advance and promote ESCR; including discrimination against women and gender stereotypes and the policies and practices influencing business actors and development financing. Participants also addressed specific challenges facing certain groups of activists and advocates working to defend economic, social and cultural rights, including trade union organizers, corporate accountability advocates and indigenous peoples.
Several members of the Advisory Group have, themselves, received support from the SOS in response to serious threats and attacks, and they shared their experiences with rapid response measures coordinated by ESCR-Net in the form of collective letters, petitions, referrals (link is external) for material security support and temporary relocations, among other measures.
Throughout the meeting, the Advisory Group stressed the need for ESCR-Net’s System of Solidarity to strike a balance between reactive measures, which are undertaken after human rights defenders are threatened or attacked, and proactive actions. More proactive approaches would ideally build capacities to prevent threats and attacks and challenge their root causes, including the underlying economic and political forces that both perpetuate — and are sustained by — violence against human rights defenders working to advance economic, social and environmental justice.
The Advisory Group also recommended that the SOS coordinate support for human rights defenders at risk before attacks occur, as well as during and following incidents, and that new tools and strategies should be developed in order to address the role of non-state actors, including corporations, organized crime, the communications media and others play in perpetuating threats against human rights activists.
In June 2017, OMCT pursued its efforts in order to raise the awareness of and call upon action from relevant stakeholders, including United Nations (UN) institutions, to address the situation of human rights defenders in Kenya. In that framework, OMCT invited Ms. Teresa Mutua, representative of the International Commission of Jurists - Kenya (ICJ-Kenya), to Geneva, Switzerland, to carry out an international advocacy mission in the margin of the 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
During the mission, the main conclusions and recommendations of the Observatory mission report on the situation of human rights defenders in Kenya were discussed with key stakeholders, including representative of diplomatic missions as well as of various UN Special Procedures. OMCT also organised a side event during the 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council on June 9, 2017, with the participation of Ms. Mutua, Mr. Maina Kiai, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Ms Manon Yard, PBI Switzerland Advocacy Coordinator, and Mr. Peter Zangl, OMCT Representative to the EU.
Through this advocacy mission, OMCT was able to give visibility and enhanced recognition to the situation of HRDs in Kenya, as well as to empower Ms. Mutua through building her capacity to better work with the UN.
ProtectDefenders.eu at the Venice School of Human Rights
On 11 June, ProtectDefenders.eu participated in the opening session of the cluster on Human Rights Defenders of the Venice School of Human Rights, sharing information on practical support for defenders at risk and discussing about the challenges and risks faced by human rights defenders throughout the world.
Human rights defenders play an essential role in the realisation of rights. Not only do they fight for human rights in situations of oppression and abuse; they also act as monitors, drawing attention of the international community to otherwise neglected violations and threats; they assist victims in claiming their rights; and they contribute to holding those in power accountable..
EIUC Venice School of Human Rights was born in 2010 with the goal of studying today’s challenges in the field of human rights. It allows its participants coming from all over the world to list these challenges and examine their reasons and possible solutions they can deploy. The EIUC Venice School at the same time, combines theory and practice and its faculty involves both academics and practitioners. The Venice School intends to highlight that the respect for human rights is the responsibility of all, that "Human Rights are our responsibility".
European Development Days 2017 - Protecting defenders as a development strategy
On June 8, ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism, organised a panel session at the European Development Days 2017. Under the title 'Protecting human rights defenders as a development strategy', the session highlighted best cases and success stories of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism for local NGOs promoting human rights in a difficult environment, making sure that promotion of Human Rights was represented at the EDD 2017 as an integral part of the discussions and debates around development.
Moderated by Antoine Madelin, International Advocacy director at FIDH, this panel included the participation of Sarah Rinaldi, Acting Head of Unit Human Rights, Gender, Democratic Governance at DG DEVCO, Liliana De Marco, Executive Director at Protection International, Anne-Sophie Schaeffer, Programme Director at the Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders and Sandra Lorena Neira, representative of CPDH Colombia and coordinator of a protection project in rural communities, funded by ProtectDefenders.eu.
Under the title 'Protecting human rights defenders as a development strategy', the session will highlight best cases and success stories of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism for local NGOs promoting human rights in a difficult environment, making sure that promotion of Human Rights is represented at the EDD 2017 as an integral part of the discussions and debates around development.
Moderated by Antoine Madelin, International Advocacy director at FIDH, this panel includes the participation of Sarah Rinaldi, Acting Head of Unit Human Rights, Gender, Democratic Governance at DG DEVCO, Liliana De Marco, Executive Director at Protection International, Anne-Sophie Schaeffer, Programme Director at the Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders and Sandra Lorena Neira, representative of CPDH Colombia and coordinator of a protection project in rural communities, funded by ProtectDefenders.eu.
Join us at the EDD 2017 to learn more about what the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism is doing to support human rights defenders as actors of change throughout the world.
June 1
Trial observation in Bursa (Turkey), on the occasion of the first substantial hearing against human rights lawyer Levent Piskin
In May 2017, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), conducted a trial observation mission on the case of Mr. Levent Pi?kin, a human rights lawyer belonging to the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (Ozgurlukcu Hukukcular Dernegi – OHD), a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersexed (LGBTI) rights activist, and a member of the Justice Commission of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
According to the information received, during the May-18 hearing which was monitored by an Observatory trial observation mission, the Heavy Penal Court in Bursa heard the case against Mr. Levent Pi?kin on charges of “undermining the image of Turkey” and “support to a terrorist group” (Article 7 of the Anti-Terror Law – ATL and Article 314 of the Turkish Penal Code). The defendant is criminalised for fulfilling his duties as an attorney, in particular for being part of the lawyers team of HDP co-chair Mr.Selahattin Demirta?.
During the May-18 hearing, the accusation upheld the argument of the investigators, who had considered during the pre-trial stage that a meeting between Mr. Demirta?’ lawyers, where they had decided to share the costs of their dinner, was amounting to “financial support to terrorism”.
The accusation went on alleging that interviews given by Mr. Pi?kin to international media, notably Der Spiegel, had contributed to “undermining the image of Turkey”.
In turn, Mr. Levent Pi?kin’s lawyers demonstrated that the investigations against the defendant violated the principles of the due process and rule of law, in particular in terms of fairness and impartiality, relying on provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and on relevant case-law from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Several activists were present in the courtroom in a sign of support to Mr. Pi?kin.
The next hearing was set for November 30, 2017. Mr. Pi?kin remains free but under judicial supervision.
The Observatory deplores the continuing judicial harassment against Mr. Levent Pi?kin, which seems to merely aim at sanctioning his human rights activities as an attorney. The Observatory urges the Turkish authorities to drop all the charges against Mr. Levent Pi?kin and to put an end to any kind of harassment against him.
The Observatory - Bahrain: Harassment of various human rights defenders, including excessive use of force, ill-treatment and torture in custody
Throughout May 2017, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) supported by ProtectDefenders.eu, has raised the voice to warn about several acts of harassment targeting various human rights defenders, including excessive use of force, ill-treatment and torture in custody and other acts of intimidation by Bahraini security forces.
Concurrently to the repression of peaceful protesters, a number of human rights defenders, journalists and online activists have been summoned for interrogation, reportedly ill-treated, threatened and forced to publicly announce their resignation from their human rights activities during interrogation by the Bahraini National Security Agency (NSA).
According to the information received, on May 23, 2017, Mr. Mohammed Kadhem Mohsen, Deputy President of a local chapter of the Environment Friends Society [1] in the village of Duraz, died from injuries to his head caused by birdshot during a police raid on the same day against a peaceful sit-in organised to protest the harassment of religious leader Sheikh Issa Qassem [2]. During the raid, 286 persons were arrested and at least four other peaceful protesters were killed, including Messrs. Mohammed Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, Ahmad Jamil Ahmed Mohammed Al-Asfour and Mohammed Ahmed Hassan Mohammed Hamdan [3]. Throughout May 2017, peaceful protesters have been violently cracked down by authorities in Duraz, which access is restricted to since this is the city where Sheikh Issa Qassem resides.On May 23, 2017, Mr. Adel Al-Marzoog, member of the Bahrain Human Rights Observatory of the Al-Wehdawi Society, a political group, was summoned by the NSA in Muharraq and kept in custody until the following day. Following his release on May 24, 2017, Mr. Al-Marzoog announced his resignation and said that he will stop all his human rights activities. It has been reported that he was ill-treated during his detention and forced to remain standing for 18 hours.
On May 24, 2017, the Third Grand Criminal Court reduced Dr. Taha Al-Derazi’s sentence from six to three months in detention under charges of “illegal gathering”. Dr. Al-Derazi was immediately taken into custody to begin serving his sentence. Charges against him stem from his arrest, interrogation and subsequent release on August 14, 2016, after taking part in a peaceful assembly on July 19, 2016 in the village of Duraz protesting the arbitrary revocation of Sheik Issa Qassem’s citizenship.
On May 25, 2017, the Second Lower Criminal Court handed down a 1,000 Bahraini dinars (approx. 2,365 Euros) fine against journalist Ms. Nazeeha Saeed, France 24 and Radio Monte Carlo Doualiya’s correspondent in Bahrain, for “working without a license” [4]. The Court of Appeals will review her case on July 18, 2017. Ms. Saeed, whose application to renew her license has been rejected without any basis at the end of March 2016, was summoned for interrogation and charged with “unlawfully working for an international media” under Article 88 of Law 47/2002 on July 17, 2016.
Besides, on May 27, 2017, Mrs. Ebtisam Al-Saegh, Monitoring and Documentation Officer at the NGO Salam for Democracy and Human Rights, was summoned by the NSA to Muharraq police station. She was released seven hours later and was immediately taken to the hospital in a very concerning psychological state, following a “severe nervous breakdown”. Upon her release, Mrs. Al-Saegh reported having suffered acts of torture, including severe beatings on the head, sexual abuse and was insulted threatened to be raped if she continued her human rights work. NSA agents also threatened to target her family members. According to reliable reports, she was also forced to repeat the royal anthem and beaten and insulted when failed to do so properly. During her interrogation, she was asked about the work of activists inside and outside Bahrain, including in Geneva during sessions of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC).
Mrs. Ebtisam Al-Saegh, who together with 22 other human rights defenders in April 2017 was subjected to a travel ban and falsely accused of participating in “illegal gatherings” in the city of Duraz [5], is also the target of a defamation campaign conducted by the pro-government newspaper Al-Ayam, which accused her of fabricating reports on human rights violations in Bahrain. On May 15, 2017, Mrs. Al-Saegh’s car was burnt.
Summoned by the NSA in Muharraq on May 28, 2017, blogger Mr. Hassan Al-Sharqi, who had been tweeting about the Duraz protests, the rights of peaceful assemblers and calling authorities to allow families of killed protesters to see the bodies, declared on the same day that he would stop tweeting. Reports confirmed that during his interrogation he was insulted, beaten and ordered by a security officer to stop his online activities.
On the same day, the head of the monitoring and documentation team at the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS), Mr. Abduljalil Yousif, was summoned to the headquarters of NSA in Muharraq. He was interrogated for four hours about his human rights activities with BHRS and about his private life. Upon his release, he reported that he had been subjected to insults and psychological torture and was threatened that if he does not stop his human rights activities, he would be exposed and his family will be targeted.
The Observatory condemns the killing of Mr. Mohammed Kadhem and urges Bahraini authorities to adopt effective measures to ensure the protection of human rights defenders in the country. The Observatory also calls for an immediate, thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation into Mr. Mohammed Kadhem’s death and for those responsible to be held accountable.
The Observatory is appalled by the above-mentioned reports of torture and ill-treatment and expresses its outmost concerns over these new acts of harassment and intimidation against human rights defenders in Bahrain, which only aim at sanctioning their legitimate human rights activities, and urges authorities to fully investigate the allegations of mistreatment by the authorities.
Latin American Meeting on strategies of protection for the defence of the territory
On May 30, 31 and June 1, in Mexico City, the Latin American Meeting "Strategies of protection for the defence of territory" was held. With the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, this event was organised by a group of international and regional organisations that support processes for the protection of human rights defenders, especially those who work in the defence of land and territory, including ProtectDefenders.eu partners PBI, Front Line Defenders and Protection Intrenational.
With the purpose of incorporating local and community perspectives, as well as taking advantage of their knowledge, local organisations from several countries also participated as conveners of this meeting, with the aim of opening a space for exchange and learning about experiences and protection strategies existing in the region that would strengthen the ongoing processes, as well as to foster a space of solidarity and articulation between different movements, organizations and territories.
May 31
Egypt: Mohamed Zaree, Egypt Director of CIHRS, interrogated and charged within the NGO Foreign Funding case
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, has mobilised the public and media attention on the continued judicial harassment and the restrictions to freedom of association faced by several Egyptian human rights organisations, as well as their staff and members, in the framework of the so-called case No. 173/2011, also known as the “NGO foreign funding case”.
According to the information received, on May 24, 2017, Mr. Mohamed Zaree, Egypt Director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) was interrogated by the investigative judge within the framework of the “NGO Foreign Funding case”. At the end of the interrogation session, the investigative judge ordered the release of Mr. Zaree on a LE 30,000 bail (approx. 1,482 Euros).
May 28
ProtectDefenders.eu: A safety network to save lives
Article by Noor Ali, pen name of a WHRD benefiting from the ProtectDefenders.eu temporary relocation programme - For security reasons, information allowing her identification is not disclosed.
As a woman human rights defender, I have been living in constant state of danger for the last six years. A new war erupted in my home country of Sudan following five years of fragile peace. Alarming signs of potential genocide became hard to avoid, so I found myself doing what I can to report about these signs for international human rights organizations. Within few months my house was under surveillance, my phone was tapped and then was cut off by security, because I was making calls into the war zones...
Within 8 months I was arrested and detained several times, and finally my house was raided by 14 armed men with machine guns. I was accused of espionage among other serious charges, and threatened to be prosecuted. With the help of some friends, I managed to flee the country to escape prosecution of charges that could lead to execution.
My story didn't end there, although that could be the end of the journey for so many human rights defenders, especially women. When I arrived in exile, I found help from colleague human rights defenders, who guided me to apply for support from regional human rights defenders network EHAHRDP. Through their help I managed to start again and reorganize my life and resume my work. But most importantly I had confidence that, whatever troubles I might find myself in, I will find a safety network that can protect me and help me restart again. My own experience led me to start thinking about other women and colleagues in my home country who are at the same situation, but they did not have access to direct connection with human rights defenders protection mechanisms, either because of the language barriers or the lack of internet or safe communications in remote areas. So I started helping other women defenders at risk through coordination with human rights defenders safety networks such as Urgent Action Fund for Women/Africa. What I understood from helping those colleagues; that saving one life of human rights defender means saving the lives of so many other people.
Working from exile in helping other defenders at risk was not safe enough in the hosting country. Within couple of years I found myself once again at danger, when the country I fled to became more hostile against civil society organizations, and decided that my work and other NGOs or HRDs in general was not legal anymore. This time ProtectDefenders.eu came at my rescue. When I applied to them I was surprised by the fast response and close follow up, especially that such mechanism is covering applications from all over the world. In my case that fast processing of my application was timely needed, because I was at serious danger and I needed fast relocation. What made me more comfortable throughout the process with ProtectDefenders.eu, is the flexibility in the period of support provided and the wide covering of HRDs needs which is not always covered by most of other mechanisms. Within few weeks I was able to engage again in my work, but through secured communication channels, while I felt safer in my new location.
Working as human rights defender could be seen by some people as not quite a serious work, or more of a volunteering job. The spirit of volunteering is at the core of every human rights defender, but we must remember that; HRDs do not just volunteer or give up some of their time or money. They give up their security, their family safety and unfortunately in too many cases, they also give up their lives. When I say "they give up their lives", I literally mean it. In our days HRDs lose their lives while doing their work, either tortured in detentions or assassinated or executed. But they also lose their lives in other ways, although they remain physically alive. Human rights defenders who are forced to flee their countries, they are also forced to leave behind their families and their old lives, usually for indefinite periods of time; they are basically forced to start a new life in exile. Other HRDs are enforced to stay in prisons for years or live in hiding for months and sometimes longer. Therefore, a safety network like ProtectDefenders.eu, not only insure the security of the defenders at risk, but it also give them opportunity to reclaim their lives back or to start a new one.
Equally important to saving human rights defenders lives is helping HRDs to resume their work, which enable them to save the lives of so many other people. When HRDs defenders feel safe and have access to protection networks, they are also feel empowered to do better work and provide help to those most at need. HRDs who work in war areas providing aid or documenting violations are at risk of detention and sometime death during their work. One of the WHRDs from the war area of Nuba mountains who used to help displaced families inside Nuba mountains and in Khartoum, she was detained and sexually abused by the Sudanese security. We managed to help her and she had been supported to relocate her family and have access to medical and psychological treatment. After her relocation to safe place, and within few months, she started her work again. She campaigned to collect food, clothes and education materials for displaced children and sent them back to Sudan. Investing in supporting and protecting HRDs is an investment that empowers vulnerable communities; it's an investment that strengthens peoples' access to justice and builds foundation for sustainable development and peace. When human rights defenders have reliable and strong safety networks, they become able to create different safety nets for other people and make our world more humane.
Seven-day seminar on digital security for 7 Libyan journalists
As part of its support for media and journalists, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, conducted a seven-day seminar on digital security for 7 Libyan journalists and activists with the aim of training them to be able to train others on digital security in Libya.
The seminar was held in two stages, seven weeks apart. The chosen approach was Training of trainers, in order to train them as well to later train their fellow peers in digital security, hence improving the impact of this training.
The first stage, that lasted 3 days and was organised in March, had two components: awareness raising and then a technical introduction to various digital security tools and strategies. In the second stage, a 4 day session hold in May, the participants were trained in the various techniques for training others in digital security, so that they would be able to use appropriate methods to pass on their technical knowledge.
As well as showing the participants how to hold their own digital security seminars, the second stage also developed and consolidated the links between the different modules and showed them how to develop complete digital security strategies.
The participants formed a very good group according to the trainer, one that should be encouraged to dedicate more time and effort to the field of digital security. Some of the candidates expressed a desire and determination to organize digital security training in their work or civil society environment. The trainer will follow-up on these future trainers by providing them with the necessary teaching tools, aids, technical assistance with improving when necessary and/or coordinate with the best students to invite them to participate as assistant trainers in the next digital security seminars.
The May 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest reports judicial harassment and repression against human rights defenders in Bahrain and Uganda, and recent killings of journalists in Mexico.
ProtectDefenders.eu joins the roundtable 'Madrid for those who defend human rights'
ProtectDefenders.eu participated in the roundtable 'Madrid for those who defend human rights', co-organised by Mundubat Foundation and Peace Brigades International (PBI), in collaboration with the Madrid City Council. The round table addressed the situation of human rights defenders, communities and organizations, as well as their protection needs and disseminated information about the protection programmes put in place to support defenders at risk, with the purpose of providing the municipal government with contents for the implementation of a municipal program for the protection of human rights organizations and individuals.
May 16
WHRD Nazik Awad: 'We cannot afford to be traumatized: the reality for grassroots advocates'
Nazik Awad - 16 May 2017 Local human rights defenders—who are fighting to stop global companies from destroying their people's lands, or documenting horrific war crimes against their own communities, or providing aid for displaced families—are not just advocates, they are victims too. For local advocates, the passion to defend their communities' rights is far more personal and very emotional, but most of the time, their commitment to the struggles of their people exceed their limited capacities. They often make the choice to ignore their personal needs in order to ensure the survival of their communities—but this choice can come at a significant cost.
Flickr/UNAMID (Some rights reserved)
Local defenders’ persistence against various threats and obstacles is not just coming from compassion; it is coming from sharing experiences and conditions with the victims. Being an advocate in many local communities also means being a leader for change and a voice for the voiceless. These different roles are accompanied by high risks of persecution for the activists defying powerful states and non-state actors. Despite these serious threats and stressors, grassroots advocates do not have the luxuries of quitting the job, taking a break or going on vacation. If they did any of that, they would likely feel more anxious than relieved; burned out or traumatized local advocates always suffer from inner conflicts, because they do not want to abandon their people—otherwise they would see themselves as traitors and cowards. So they stick with it, and continue the work until they fall sick or die. Even those who have been detained or prosecuted and forced to leave their countries continue to feel that guilt, as they keep asking themselves: why I am here and not there? Consequently, either inside or outside their country, local activists struggle to establish professional boundaries that could help them maintain their mental and emotional wellbeing.
I know all of this because I am one of them. Five years ago, I had to leave my country, escaping from espionage charges as a result of my documentation of the ongoing war crimes in Sudan. But I also know these things because I interviewed and documented dozens of experiences of grassroots activists inside Sudan, who are working in one of the most hostile environments for human rights defenders in the world. These women and men working in conflict areas or with displaced people were deeply involved and committed. They had never considered their own wellbeing neither as a priority nor as a right. One of the most courageous anti-genocide activists I have ever known used to wear dirty clothes and ride a donkey for weeks into remote areas of Darfur. He wanted to reach those women who had been mass raped by militias, while also taking pictures of the burned villages and the mass graves of his own people. I often asked him why he did not stop after ten years of doing this, as it clearly was taking a toll on his health, but he simply said to me, "I can't." I did not understand why at the time. When he died a year ago, I had been disconnected with him for a while so I asked about the reasons of his death. His family told me that, "For more than a year he turned to the bottle; he drank himself to death." My friend and colleague died of depression, because he just could not stop his advocacy work, or did not know how to.
Sudan has been plagued by civil wars for half a century now. The Darfur conflict, which started in 2002, has continued, while new wars have started in another two regions of the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile. The ethnic conflicts in the country escalated to genocide under the current Islamic militarized regime, and the Sudanese president was accused of war crimes and genocide by the International Criminal Court in 2009-2010. However, without the efforts of local and grassroots activists, the evidence and stories of thousands of victims would have been buried by the government forces. But those brave women and men paid high prices in terms of their own safety, wellbeing and health.
One such example was a young female activist from Darfur, who had been documenting war crimes since she was a teenager. Because her family still lived in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, she told me: "I had to study psychology, I needed to help myself to survive all that I have been through, and to process what I have heard from others." Another 45-year-old woman activist from Nuba Mountains said:" I have chronic headaches, and I became hypertensive. I just cannot see my people die this way, it's too much and I feel helpless." For women defenders in particular, stress and trauma has a strong effect on the whole family. One of my female colleagues, for example, had ongoing fertility problems that her doctors attributed to too much stress.
The commitment and passion of grassroots advocates is admirable, but the main problem is that they do not know how to stop when they need to. Most of us feel that we should not stop, that we cannot leave our people’s fight. On top of this, the lack of holistic security trainings and resources at the local levels has increased defenders’ risks to develop different types of health and mental problems. And access to psychological support at the grassroots level is very limited, especially for those at risk of PSTD. Occasionally, local advocates have to relocate, sometimes even outside their country, to find psychological treatment.
For grassroots activists, solidarity remains at the core of their coping strategies. One of the female activists who was a victim of rape in security detentions, as a result of her work, decided to share her relocation fund to help another colleague to relocate as well. We managed to find help for the raped activist to relocate and receive medical and psychological support, but she said: “My other colleague is at risk too, I will not leave her behind." She made this decision because her colleague was living in a remote area inside Nuba Mountains; she did not have access to internet to apply for her own relocation or to communicate with protection networks. With a lack of resources to seek professional help, peer support has been the most effective—and often the only—safety and mental health network for grassroots advocates.
ProtectDefenders.eu is a unique mechanism to fill the coordination gap between the local and the international HRDs support networks. The wide range of collaboration with regional and international partners made the fund operations more effective in providing urgent help for those at immense risk. HRDs from Sudan who were previously helped by the fund, managed to remain safe while resuming their work in secured environment. Yet we know that this is simply not enough. The international donors and human rights defenders support networks need to take measures that consider the complicated challenges encountered by local defenders. More importantly, NGOs, either local or international, that recruit community-based activists must recognize their unique status and develop strategies that understand their vulnerabilities. Only when organizations approach this issue proactively will they be able to ensure the safety, wellbeing and work stability of advocates who are also victims.
About the author - Nazik Awad is a Sudanese Women Human Rights activist who fled to Egypt in 2011 after detention in Sudan. She has worked in youth and peacebuilding organisations for the past decade, and is documenting and monitoring the human rights situation in Sudan focusing on women, youth and marginalized peoples.
Call for digital security training for organisations working with sexual minorities
ILGA is organising a digital security training within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu. Asian organisations serving and led by LGBTI people can apply for this training opportunity, that will take place in Bangkok, Thailand from July 11-14, 2017.
Digital space has a crucial role to play in the LGBTI movement by bringing together isolated LGBTI individuals and changing public awareness on diverse sexual and gender identities. At the same time, it leaves the LGBTI community vulnerable to threats of violence as they become more visible.
The aim of the training on digital security for LGBTI activists is to equip selected organizations serving and led by LGBTI people across the Asian region with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions when communicating online, anticipate and counter digital threats, and safely exercise their rights without falling prey to preventable digital threats.
Participants of the training are expected to transfer the skills and knowledges from this workshop to their colleagues and partners they are in contact with through digital and online media.
Selected organizations will nominate up to 3 staff members/volunteers each, who will be able to attend the 3-day training in Bangkok, Thailand from July 11-14, 2017, thanks to scholarships provided by ILGA. The deadline for applications is June 5, 2017.
Who can apply?
Asian organisations serving and led by LGBTI people. Applying organisations can nominate up to three staff members / volunteers to be sent to the training.
The staff members / volunteers indicated by the selected organisations will be provided with flight, accommodation, meals, transportation and per diem to attend the training.
The training is an initiative by ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, as a member of the consortium of 12 NGOs leading ProtectDefenders.eu, i.e. the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism established to protect defenders at high risk and facing the most difficult situations worldwide.
Consultancy Vacancy - Research on International Funding Available for Human Rights NGOs and Human Rights Defenders
Terms of Reference for a research on international funding available for Human Rights NGOs and Human Rights Defenders
1) Rationale and context of the assignment
Human Rights Defenders and organisations carry out their work in a difficult and challenging context worldwide. Their physical integrity, as well as their legal ability to work is being increasingly threatened. At the same time, funding to support sensitive human rights work (such as protection of human rights defenders in difficult contexts, documentation of human rights violations, advancing human rights policies etc.) available at the international level has been perceived as shrinking in the past few years. This lack of support is having an adverse affect on Human Rights Defenders and is resulting in the forced closure of local human rights organisations. Overall, such a situation puts the peaceful defense of human rights in danger. The launch of ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism operated by a Consortium of 12 international NGOs, has been seen as a very positive commitment by the European Union to allocate more funds to the needs of Human Rights Defenders at risk worldwide.
ProtectDefenders.eu carries out its work of supporting defenders and organisations, including through financial assistance, training and advocacy activities. However, members of the Consortium can only report about the increasingly scarce financial resources available at the global level from traditional donors for this specific group of beneficiaries. If part of the needs can be answered thanks to the resources of the EU mechanism and those of other organisations active in the field of Human Rights, there remains a large proportion of requests for which Human Rights Defenders do not manage to find appropriate support.
ProtectDefenders.eu intends to mobilise international attention on this phenomenon and urge relevant stakeholders to develop concrete actions to tackle this worrying trend, thus ensuring availability of stable and sufficient resources for individuals and organisations defending human rights. To initiate such an action, ProtectDefenders.eu needs a solid study of these trends based on a thorough analysis of all available information, that would be used as a basis for further advocacy.
2) Scope of the work:
Under the supervision of ProtectDefenders.eu, the consultant will produce a thorough research on funding available for human rights defenders and organisations, taking into account all relevant donors, both public and private, at the regional, national and international levels. This research should illustrate and explain the recent trends (5 last years) of funding availability for Human Rights Defenders and NGOs in need of support for their activities or to answer security threats. To the possible extent, it should also provide a forecast of funding availability for the upcoming 3 to 5 years. This research should balance its findings with the trends in the demand from Human Rights Defenders and local NGOs. The research should have a suitable approach to be used as a basis for future advocacy work and as a funding manual for civil society organisations, among other purposes.
3) Responsibilities:
The consultant shall:
Conduct a comprehensive research on the subject and with strong legal and academic supporting resources;
Comprehensively map the current funding landscape available for Human Rights defenders and organisations, describing how to access the funds and considering all kinds of suitable donors and interlocutors;
Identify useful indicators for monitoring the funding environment, providing key data and information on, inter alia, evolutions, trends (including in funding needs), accessibility to funds and recent changes;
Analyse the international and national contexts, including media and reality in the field, and identify legal, political, economic and social trends directly affecting the subject of the research;
After the research, draw concrete and applicable conclusions and provide guidance on the practical use of the research to underpin and broaden the funding environment available to human rights defenders and organisations;
Brief the Consortium of ProtectDefenders.eu about the results of the research, as well as share evolutions, findings and contacts generated in relation with the study.
4) Deliverables and timeline:
It is expected that the consultant will deliver the following outputs during the assignment:
A) A comprehensive evaluation report (40-60 Pages excluding annexes) including:
Introduction
Methodology
A mapping of current resources available for Human Rights defenders and organisations and how to access them
Data analysis and indicators used to monitor the funding environment, highlighting trends identified in terms of availability and accessibility of funds
Conclusions and recommendations
Annexes
B) A briefing document including key findings and conclusions, as well as concrete recommendations
C) A presentation to be delivered summarizing methodology and findings
The timeline for the consultancy is tentatively as follows:
Start of the research – Ideally 29 May 2017
Submission of a finalised workplan for the consultancy period – 02 June 2017
Submission of a first full draft of report – 14 July 2017
Submission of final report and Presentation – August 1, 2017 (to be adjusted if necessary)
5) Duty station:
The consultant will work home-based. Visits related to the research can be considered, as well as visits to the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu.
6) Qualifications and experience required
Advanced University degree in Human Rights, International Relations, Law, Political Science or related field.
Demonstrated ability to research and analyse information to a high quality standard.
Five to seven years of work or academic experience in a professional capacity in Human Rights, International Relations, Law, Political Science or related field.
Deep understanding of non-governmental organisations, human rights organisations, call for proposals procedures, legal and practical aspects of funding frameworks and project management.
Experience liaising with different stakeholders, including individuals, corporations, governmental and international entities and civil society.
Strong ability to write and edit. Ability to express clearly and concisely ideas in written materials and presentations.
Advanced critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis skills required to draw conclusions from several sources of information and data.
Proven skills in interpersonal communication and networking.
Good understanding of the EU system, including European Commission, the EIDHR and EIDHR-funded projects, as well as world affairs, events and human rights issues.
7) Duration
2 months starting 29 May 2017, for a maximum of 40 working days.
8) How to apply:
Applicants are requested to send their submissions to Joan Audierne at jaudierne@protectdefenders.eu, with the subject line "Research consultant" by 21 May 2017.
Applications must include:
Cover letter
CV
1-2 examples of research work relevant to this TOR
a maximum 3-page document proposing a research approach and a plan of action, including a suggested time-frame and a methodology, as well as a budget detailing the daily rate and other eligible expenses for the research. Applications submitted without a budget will not be considered.
The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Head of Secretariat
ProtectDefenders.eu is seeking to recruit an experienced manager to run the Secretariat of the mechanism in Brussels and to ensure coordination of the project implementation and all related financial and narrative reporting. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced manager with strong communication skills who will play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the project.
The HoS reports directly to the Chair of the Board of ProtectDefenders.eu. She/He works under the supervision and management of the Board with the assistance of other Secretariat staff members: he/she coordinates effectively all elements of the mechanism so as to help deliver the commitments of the Consortium in an efficient and effective manner; provides overall representation of, and coordination between, Consortium members; ensures liaison with the EU Commission, EEAS, EP and other external actors; manages the Secretariat and its staff.
Programme and financial management
Oversee effective coordination and implementation of the programme and ensure compliance of all Consortium Members with EC rules and regulations;
Ensure the overall coordination of the HRD mechanism, regularly updating plans for each sector of activity, based on the input from relevant Consortium members;
Prepare plans, guidelines and strategies in close coordination with the Board, so as to ensure their smooth approval by the Board and ensure they are communicated to all members;
Make proposals to the Board to maximise the value, impact, organisation, scope of the Consortium and of the programme;
Is responsible for the financial oversight and implementation of the Consortium budget in close coordination with the Finance Officer to ensure appropriate control and compliance of the overall financial reporting.
Monitoring and reporting
Oversee the technical, administrative and financial reporting; ensure that the programme is fully designed and implemented according to the approved project proposal and in accordance with the requirements of the EC;
Coordinate the monitoring, review, evaluation and sharing of lessons learnt from the activities of Consortium members to support the achievement of outcomes and impact;
Report to the Consortium members on activities, especially the fulfilment of project objectives, and the early warning of areas and activities needing strengthening;
Monitor and review performance of partners and staff, holding partners accountable for meeting the success criteria and delivering any improvement goals which have been identified;
Upon mandate of the Board, conduct any activity necessary to ensure the success of the programme, including visits to monitor Consortium Members' activities on all aspects of the programme.
Coordination
Provide secretariat support to the Board for its monthly meetings; makes recommendations to the Board (and, following Board approval) to Consortium members for changes to mechanism and Consortium procedures, systems and processes;
Support the virtual convening of the steering groups by 'sector', under the respective chairs' leadership;
Facilitate twice-yearly Consortium meetings and enable an effective cooperation culture across partners;
Identify strategic opportunities for sharing the workload among Consortium members; facilitates strategic coordination and reflection among members;
Explore the scope for further possible partnerships between the Consortium and other stakeholders as appropriate for the effective implementation of the project.
Institutional representation and visibility
Represent and communicate about mechanism activities to the EU Commission in particular through coordination meetings with DG DEVCO, reporting back on the outcomes;
Develop and maintain relationships with key actors (DEVCO, EU institutions, Member States as appropriate, other NGOs, participants in the Shelter Programme and other relevant stakeholders...);
Identify and participate in relevant events to ensure the visibility of the project;
Organise in close coordination with the Communication officer an annual series of meetings with partners and beneficiaries in Brussels together with other relevant actors supporting HRDs (National Human Rights Institutions, regional mechanisms, etc.)..
Management of the Secretariat
Manage all staff employed in the Secretariat, supervise and support them to ensure that the team fulfil their responsibilities;
Is responsible for the Secretariat's human resources: conduct recruitment and appraisal processes as necessary;
Answer for the internal organisation and overall structure of the Secretariat which is a legal entity under Belgian Law; in close coordination with the Finance Officer, provide any necessary logistic or administrative support to allow the structure to operate smoothly.
Experience/knowledge
Masters Degree in International Relations, Human Rights, Law or other related field;
Minimum of five years of successfully managing the implementation of complex projects, ideally EU funded projects, preferably with an international NGO;
Demonstrated experience in developing and managing large budgets, with preference for previous experience with a Consortium or a network;
Experience in working on projects funded by major international donors, with preference for previous experience with EU;
Strong coordination/negotiation skills with the ability to effectively coordinate among partner organisations and with diverse partners and stakeholders;
Understanding of the security and protection of human rights defenders around the world.
Skills
Excellent oral and written English language skills, French or Spanish requested;
Strong management skills;
Strong analytical skills;
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
The successful candidate will be expected to take the position in July 2017. The initial contract is a fix-term contract up to September 2018.
The Head of Secretariat will be based in ProtectDefenders.eu Secretariat in Brussels. The Head of Secretariat should have the necessary permit to work in the EU. The gross monthly salary for the position is €4,100 with lunch vouchers, transportation costs, health insurance coverage and retirement plan.
Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter should be sent by email to recruit@protectdefenders.eu by May 28, 2017.
The Observatory - Kenya 2017 elections: broken promises put human rights defenders at risk
The abduction, torture and killing of renowned Kenyan human rights lawyer Willie Kimani in June 2016 shocked the entire world, provoking a wave of outrage at national and international level. This is only the tip of the iceberg of a widespread pattern of violence and harassment aimed at silencing dissenting voices and perpetuating impunity, as concluded by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OMCT-FIDH partnership) after a fact-finding mission to the country, conducted within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu
Kenya, a country that in 2010 voted a very progressive Constitution strengthening the country’s human rights framework in compliance with international standards, has in recent years chosen a different path. Unfortunately, so far the freedoms enshrined in the constitutional Bill of Rights have not been fully incorporated into domestic legislation, and, most importantly, are not upheld or implemented in practice.
“To date, the effective implementation of this progressive framework unfortunately remains a mirage and still needs substantial improvement”, declared OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock. “With all the right instruments put in place to bring about change, lack of implementation and political will appear to be the main reasons for such disillusionment”.
On the contrary, a report published today by the Observatory accounts for high levels of police and security forces’ violence, especially against human rights defenders involved in the fight against impunity for human rights violations. The mission report compiles several testimonies of incidents of violence, including cases of harassment, threats, torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
Moreover, human rights defenders are often criminalised on the basis of trumped-up charges, which aim at intimidating them through episodes of frequent arrests, detentions in police stations, long trials and punitive bail and bond terms. This inevitably prevents them from pursuing their legitimate human rights activities.
Adding to this, the lack of a clear legal framework regulating the civil society sector due to the failure to commence implementation of the Public Benefit Organisations (PBO) Act 2013 creates a legal limbo which obliges NGOs to operate in a hostile environment, characterised by the threat of arbitrary de-registration and asset freezes, continuous attacks and smearing campaigns.
“In such a context, and ahead of the upcoming general elections, it is urgent that Kenyan authorities publicly recognise the crucial role of human rights defenders as pillars of democracy and watchdogs of the rule of law. They must improve their safety, truly implement the police and security sector reforms, hold perpetrators accountable, acknowledge the misuse of criminal law to harass defenders, and finally commence the PBO Act of 2013”, concluded FIDH President Dimitris Christopoulos.
Risk assessment and protection planning for Human Rights Defenders in Latin America
In late April 2017, Front Line Defenders conducted a four-days training of trainers for Spanish-speaking defenders, supported by ProtectDefenders.eu. The training was aimed at increasing the capacities of participants, while developing local champions on risk assessment, who can work with others to enchance protection planning. The training took place in Costa Rica, in a relatively safe environment for HRDs to access in a manner which does not prove problematic on their return, and benefited 12 Human Rights Defenders, 6 of them WHRD, from Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.
April 26
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent appeals April 2017
The April 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest reports alarming cases of repression, criminalisation and judicial harassment against human rights defenders in Belarus, Cameroon and Peru.
Moreover, only during March 2017, the digest reports at least 18 defenders killed in relation to their work of defence of human rights within their communities in the Philippines, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala or Mexico, among other countries.
Watch the video of the ProtectDefenders.eu 2016 Annual Meeting - #DefendersNotCriminals
The video of the ProtectDefenders.eu 2016 Annual Beneficiaries' Meeting, held in Brussels on the 29 November 2016 under the motto "Defending Human Rights is not a crime - #DefendersNotCriminals", is now available.
The event gathered human rights defenders, NGO representatives, international and regional protection mechanisms and European insitutions to reflect on the first year of support of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism and raise the awareness about the pressing threat of criminalisation against human rights defenders around the world.
Reporters Wthout Borders (RSF), within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, has provided financial support to FalaRN.com, a Brazilian news website launched in December 2014, by two journalists Francisco Costa and Josi Gonçalves, aiming to offer journalistic information, analysis, opinion with credibility and transparency guided by editorial independence.
Fala RN has published a series of stories about embezzlement of public funds, nepotism and election fraud involving local politicians. Since, the two journalists have been victims of judicial harassment, and those local officials have brought a total of 11 defamation suits against the couple – seeking a total of more than 200,000 reais (57,000 euros) in damages –. In addition to judicial harassment, Costa and Gonçalves have feared for their safety. They have been victims of persecutions, as well as threats and suspicions of abduction. Increasing legal fees have put the media into a difficult financial position. This case has been denounced by RSF and, combined with public condemnation of this persecution, financial assistance was allocated to help them purchase equipment such as cameras, computer, microphone in order to be able to continue their high quality investigative journalistic work and develop their own production of content.
April 20
ProtectDefenders.eu will participate in the European Development Days 2017 - Protecting human rights defenders as a development strategy
Respect for human rights and the promotion of fundamental values are at the core of an equitable and sustainable development. After a year of intense activity, ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU mechanism for Human Rights Defenders, has provided material and financial support to dozens of local organizations and human rights groups working to advance the human rights agenda within their communities, including vulnerable groups of individuals. The projects funded and the training provided have reportedly contributed to the development of social cohesion, equality and the promotion of the rule of law worldwide. Through relevant examples, participants are encouraged to debate about how to overcome the challenges of the promotion of human rights as a development tool in difficult contexts.
Nodjigoto Charbonnel - 'Defenders in Chad are threatened, harassed and brutalized'
Nodjigoto Charbonnel is a Chadian human rights defender supported within the ProtectDefenders.eu Temporary Relocation Programme.
"I am the founder and Executive Director of the Association jeunesse pour la Paix et la Non-violence (AJPNV), in Chad. The organisation works against torture and supports the victims of torture and ill-treatment, as well as victims of sexual violence against women in the community. We also carry out activities to educate Chadian citizens in the field of human rights.
We provide free of charge medical, psychosocial, legal support to refugees, IDPs, women victims of sexual violence, abandoned children, as well as empower women to fight against inequality, discrimination, poverty and harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM). However, Human rights defenders Chad in general face threats, intimidation, harassment and are always brutalized.
This fellowship at the York University, supported by ProtectDefenders.eu within its Temporary Relocation Programme, is the opportunity to step back and look to what I am doing and make analysis to improve it. It is a kind of rest. It is also an opportunity to meet with others Human Rights defenders to share experiences, knowledge and learn new skills, which can help me to improve my way of work. Overall the fellowship is very beneficial for me and thanks for those who make it possible."
March 30
Guatemala - Meeting of defenders of the territorio cuerpo-tierra
On March 29 and 30, PBI Guatemala invited 25 women human rights defenders of the territorio cuerpo-tierra, from 15 organizations and groups, from 15 organizations and groups and 9 departments to a meeting to exchange experiences about their realities and the challenges they face in their struggle.
The precarious situation of security and lack of protection of the defenders in rural areas was made evident during the discussion, since in many cases defenders do not have access to those State institutions in charge of protecting the women at risk. This gathering included a meeting with representatives of the embassies of Germany, Canada, Spain, the United States, United Kingdom and Sweden, as well as the EU Delegation and the OHCHR, where defenders shared their concerns on varied issues, such as the freedom of expression of community communicators and the lack of recognition of their work, the work of women's organizations that accompany women survivors of violence, who are highly exposed and vulnerable, and the lack of adequate responses by state institutions.
March 30
ProtectDefenders.eu launches its Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders
This Index does not intend to be exhaustive, as many alerts and attacks go unreported and real figures are much higher. Still, with more than 1000 documented alerts reported by ProtectDefenders.eu partners, it aims at becoming a source of updated information that should allow the identification of worrying trends and encourage the coordination of adequate responses by decision-makers and authorities to counter the violations faced by defenders.
Since January 2016 up to today, ProtectDefenders.eu has compiled more than 1000 documented alerts, provided by ProtectDefenders.eu partners: Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders and FIDH and OMCT within the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. Alerts are based on verified information concerning violations affecting Human Rights Defenders. As part of its advocacy mission to raise awareness about the plight of Human Rights Defenders, ProtectDefenders.eu has created this new platform to provide the necessary information for relevant actors to engage and take action to alleviate the situation of Human Rights Defenders at risk. It is ProtectDefenders.eu's belief that an adequate warning helps to break the isolation in which actors of repression attempt to place Human Rights Defenders.
Only in 2017, more than 200 violations have already been committed against defenders, with at least 17 murders and 51 defenders imprisoned around the world. Judicial abuses, including arbitrary detention, judicial harassment, criminalisation or sentencing, are the most frequent types of alerts concerning defenders, with more than 130 cases documented in 2017 alone.
Among the areas of action of threatened defenders, the Index of Alerts confirms the particular plight faced by defenders of land and environmental rights, pro-democracy activists and defenders of freedom of expression, as the most targeted categories of defenders around the world.
All of the alerts of the ProtectDefenders.eu Index can be searched and refined by country, field of action of the Human Rights Defender, gender, profile or specific type of violation faced. The Index features interactive graphs and listings and aims at ensuring optimal accessibility to the information available.
Explore the new ProtectDefenders.eu Index of attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders
The March 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest reports alarming cases of torture, arbitrary detentions and repression against human rights defenders in Sudan, DRC and Macedonia.
Moreover, only during February 2017, at least 12 defenders were killed in relation to their work of defence of human rights within their communities in the Philippines, Colombia, Pakistan or Mexico, among other countries.
ProtectDefenders.eu is looking for a Finance Officer
The Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu is recruiting a Finance Officer to join their team, based in Brussels.
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
Under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat and with the assistance of the other Secretariat staff, the Finance Officer maintains an effective and accurate financial reporting system or all the HRD mechanism activities. This includes ensuring that all expenditures are in conformity with the relevant EU guidelines, that records of receipts and other relevant documentation of expenditure are maintained and that the financial reporting to the EU and the relevant audit reports are delivered on time and to the highest professional standards.
He/she develops and adapts the necessary tools to successfully administer a consortium budget and provides financial analysis of the project's performance to inform decision-making processes. He/she oversees the coordination of accurate reporting by all organisations participating in the mechanism. Together with the Head of Secretariat, he/she ensures the development and implementation of work and expenditure plans and ensures that programmes are implemented within agreed and approved budgets through undertaking regular budget monitoring of expenditure against budget. He/she ensures that the Head of Secretariat and the Board are provided with accurate financial reports in an ongoing manner. He/she coordinates audit of the project and ensures that continuous monitoring and risk mitigation measures are in place. He/she ensures compliance with relevant legal frameworks in all contractual, financial, labor and taxation matters. He/she provides support on all other administrative and logistical aspects within the Secretariat whenever necessary.
Tasks & General Responsibilities
The Finance Officer will:
Financial Control:
- Coordinate the financial aspects of the multi-state, multi-year, multi-partner program in line with EU requirements and the grant contract.
- Process the disbursement of funds in accordance with the agreed schedule.
- Ensure that financial management systems and records are effective and robust.
- Consolidate cash flows, reporting templates, financial plans and amendments throughout the project life.
- Maintain an adequate filing system for all financial and accounting deliverables to ensure ease of access during internal/external audit.
- Monitor budget burn rates and cash-flow projections.
- Recommend appropriate action on any significant variances ( +/-10%) and prepare budget amendments where necessary.
- Prepare the financial accounts for external audit and coordinate audit activities.
- Follow up on timely implementation of the recommendations to remedy significant variances.
Financial Reporting:
- Oversee forward planning and preparation for reporting to EU, adherence with consortium requirements and time-lines, and timely submission of reports by the 12 member organisations.
- Produce integrated financial reports on a timely basis and in line with international accounting standards and EU regulations.
- Finalize yearly accounts and provides any ad-hoc financial reports that may be required.
- Ensure that all consortium members submit accurate timesheets.
Financial and administrative management of Secretariat managed activities:
- Ensure the daily accountancy of the Secretariat.
- Follow up the level of expenditures of the Secretariat's budget in close coordination with the Head of Secretariat.
- Ensure that all Human Resources procedures under Belgian Law are observed and carry out payment of salaries to the Secretariat staff.
- Ensure financial management of inter-mechanisms meetings, core group meeting, foundation meetings and consortium meetings.
Capacity Building:
- Be available to partners to clarify EU financial rules and check compliance of reporting.
- Put forward recommendations when appropriate.
- If needed, undertake support visit to consortium members.
- Participate in consortium meetings to foster compliance and to address any financial issues.
- Ensure that internal audit recommendations for grant-funded projects are adhered to.
- Share lessons learned with consortium members throughout the project's implementation.
General administrative and logistic support:
- Support in the logistical and administrative organisation of meetings when necessary.
- Ensure supply of stationery and necessary equipment for the Secretariat in coordination with other staff members.
- Perform other administrative tasks if needed.
- Ensures timely communication with the Head of Secretariat regarding eventual problems and possible solutions.
Experience/knowledge
Masters Degree in Finance or Accounting or professional accounting qualification.
Minimum of five years of experience in a finance/accounting role preferably with an international NGO.
Demonstrated experience in developing and managing large budgets, with preference for previous experience working in a consortium or a network.
Considerable experience of successfully managing the implementation of complex projects.
Experience in working on projects funded by major international donors, with preference for previous experience with EU.
Strong coordination/negotiation skills specifically with the ability to effectively coordinate among partner organisations.
Understanding of the security and protection of human rights defenders around the world.
Skills:
- Excellent oral and written English language skills.
- Strong financial management skills.
- Ability to work towards tight reporting deadlines.
- Strong analytical, interpersonal, communication and organisation skills.
The Finance Officer should have the necessary permit to work in the EU.
The Finance Officer will be based in ProtectDefenders.eu secretariat in Brussels. The gross annual salary for the position is €45 080 (full-time).
Applications comprising a CV with at least two references and a cover letter should be sent by email to jaudierne@protectdefenders.eu. Interview will take place on March 10 (in person or by Skype). The successful candidate will be expected to start working by the end of March if possible. The initial contract will be up to End of September 2018. The position is expected to be full-time, although a contract at 80% can be discussed.
Doaa Mostafa Ahmed Hassan: 'NGO and defenders in Egypt are under severe threat'
Doaa Mostafa Ahmed Hassan is a lawyer and the director of the criminal justice programme in the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms. Due to the situation in the country and the threats and criminalisation she faced because of her work, Doaa left Egypt with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, and is currently participating in a fellowship programme with the accompaniment and collaboration of York University.
"I am working in an increasingly restricted space: NGOs and human rights defenders in Egypt are generally coming under severe threat due to an investigation into their funding sources. A number of key human rights defenders and organisations are under threat of closure, and subject to travels bans, asset freezes and heavy prison sentences. My work as a human rights lawyer researching, documenting and defending those whose rights has been disrupted since the moment of my arrest, and I am regarded as a thorn in the side of the regime.
There have been attempts to silence me on more than one occasion. I have even been detained in the Supreme State Security Prosecution Headquarters, one of the top investigating bodies in the country, where officers took me into a room to pressure me to cease my work and intimidated me to drop the work I am doing in the defence of human rights..."
"I work for an organisation whose directors are targets of the regime. Our director and co-founder, Mohamed Lotfy, was subjected in 2015 to a travel ban due to his human rights activities. He was informed of the ban after trying to fly to Germany, where he was invited to give a speech to parliament about the human rights situation in the country, at the same time that the Egyptian President was meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Our other co-founder, Ahmed Abdallah, was arrested from his home on 25 April 2016 and is facing charges under the counter-terrorism law for his human rights activities..."
As a female lawyer, who comes into contact regularly with security officers, I am regularly sexually harassed by them through verbal insults. But this has not deterred me in my job, and going on a weekly and sometimes daily basis to police stations and prosecution offices to defend my clients. Also my 9-year marriage has recently ended because of the constant fear we live in. My husband could no longer take the fact that our home could be stormed by police at any point to arrest me, or anyone of my family as a means of pressuring me to stop the work I am doing. My husband asked me to switch careers even, and I found myself torn between my heart which loves this man, and my heart and mind that loves the work I do. I experienced the heartbreak of my two children, who I adore, moving in to live with their father for their own safety. But I truly believe that as long as a heavy price has been paid, there will be compensation."
ProtectDefenders.eu and CCBE Workshop - Practical tools for threatened lawyers worldwide
ProtectDefenders.eu, together with the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), is organising the workshop: "How to improve the protection of threatened lawyers worldwide? Practical tools from the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism", on Thursday 30th March.
This workshop will gather together lawyers, representatives of the EU institutions, Human Rights organisations and lawyers' associations to explore the resources and initiatives at EU level to support threatened lawyers worldwide, including the coming ProtectDefenders.eu online monitoring platform on attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders and other practical tools for the protection of HRDs/ Lawyers.
Registration is available at: event@ccbe.eu
WORKSHOP - How to improve the protection of threatened lawyers worldwide? Practical tools from the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism
14.30: Welcome speech by Ruthven Gemmell WS, President of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
14.40: Keynote address by Mercedes García Pérez, Head of Human rights Division, European External Action Service
14.50 : Session I - INITIATIVES AT EU LEVEL TO SUPPORT THREATENED LAWYERS WORLDWIDE
Moderator: Richard Sédillot, CCBE Human Rights committee member/French National Bar Council (CNB) Vice-Chair of International & European affairs committee
Speakers:
- Threatened lawyers worldwide – Patrick Henry, Chair of the CCBE Human Rights committee
- Testimony: the situation of lawyers in Colombia - Jairo Enríquez Céspedes, President of the Executive Committee of the Colombian Bar
- The European Commission’s support of human rights defenders/lawyers - Sarah Rinaldi, acting Head of Unit "Human Rights, Gender, Democratic Governance", Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO)
- The EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism – Joan Audierne, Head of Secretariat ProtectDefenders.eu
Q&A
16.00: Coffee break
16.20 : Session II - NEW ONLINE PLATFORM AND OTHER PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS / LAWYERS
Moderator: Richard Sédillot, CCBE Human Rights committee member/French National Bar Council (CNB) Vice-Chair of
International & European affairs committee
Speakers:
- The new online platform - Javier Roura, Communications Officer ProtectDefenders.eu
- Presentation of the different types of help available - Tommaso Mignani, Grants Coordinator,
ProtectDefenders.eu
- Testimony by a Burundi lawyer relocated in Belgium
- Testimony by an Egyptian lawyer relocated in the United Kingdom (tbc)
- Testimony by a Kenyan lawyer relocated in the Netherlands
Q&A
17.50: Concluding remarks – Patrick Henry, Chair of the CCBE Human Rights committee
Elena Pershakova: A successful example of the Temporary Relocation Programme
Elena Pershakova, a Russian woman human rights defender defending the rights of citizens victims of law enforcement entities' abuses, has recently concluded a successful and fruitful temporary relocation stay in Georgia, funded by ProtectDefenders.eu with the support of the Tbilisi Shelter City programme.
Today, more than 550 human rights defenders at risk and their relatives from all corners of the globe have benefited from a temporary relocation grant from the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism, allowing them to get away from a dangerous context and strengthen their skills and capacities to continue their work.
Click to Read More to learn about Elena's experience
"My expectations towards my participation in Tbilisi Shelter City programme, thanks to the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, were fully met. I got to change the working situation, meet a lot of new people and even got new skills: had started to learn English, began to learn how to drive a car and other things. Despite my frequent working trips, I rarely manage to travel for personal purposes, and this was a great opportunity. I became calmer, less irritable, less nervous. On a 10-point scale, I feel myself at 9!
I think that participation in such programs as Tbilisi Shelter for Russian human rights defenders is needed not only because they are vulnerable and subjected to pressure and threats. First of all, it is important to understand the number of prejudices connected with the relations between Russia and Georgia: one must fight against prejudice. We need to discover the Caucasian traditions for ourselves by the example of the most hospitable Caucasian country - Georgia.
In addition, Georgia has much interesting achievements which we could learn: the success of the police reform; organization of public mass events and legislation on this topic. Now there are activists and NGO staff in Russia, in relation to whom there is a constant persecution from different sides. And the experience of Georgian NGOs that have evolved over the last 4-5 years under completely different conditions, even with regard to supervision and control over non-profit organizations will be very useful for my colleagues.
In Georgia, of course, you start to feel yourself much more secure. For example, my first trip to the metro in Tbilisi: I will never approach a policeman in Russia to ask anything, direction or advice. And in Tbilisi, I overcame myself, asked the way - and received a very friendly, human response. Psychologically, in Georgia, you are relaxing, and friendliness to non-citizens from the locals is helping on it. I was struck by the culture and nature of Georgia, but Georgians are generally a special attraction. To learn how to rest – what is was the most difficult skill for me - this is what you need to do in Georgia. In Moscow it is not common to show strong friendliness on the streets to strangers. In Georgia, you will not just be helped, but will also go where you need, or help you get any kind of service."
In the interactive dialogue with SR Michel Forst, PBI expressed concerns on the worsening situation of human rights defenders in the Latin American region and specifically the murders of the environmental defenders, members of the raramuri community, Isidro Baldenegro and Juan Ontiveros, which happened within two weeks of each other in the Sierra Tarahumara, Mexico.
In the meetings with UN special procedures, Isela González explained the accompaniment which the organization provides to the indigenous raramuri communities in Chihuahua, who are claiming their rights to land and territory against the exploitation of the wood resources in the region.
In the side event “Environmental Human Rights Defenders: Responding to a Global Crisis”, convoked by the Permanent Mission of Spain, UNHCHR, PBI and other human rights organizations and networks, the defender called the attention to the structural impediments that arose, such as the lack of recognition of their ancestral territory and the lack of adequate resources, which are an obstacle to legal and administrative's defence in litigation.
According to data from civil society, Chihuahua is the state with the highest number of killings of human rights defenders in Mexico, and a PBI early alert was published recognizing the gravity of the situation in the state, with the intention of preventing future violations.
Participation in the EHAHRDP General Assembly Meeting in Kampala
ProtectDefenders.eu attended the East And Horn Of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net) General Assembly Meeting, which took place in Kampala, Uganda, on the 21st and 22nd of February 2017.
The General Assembly of the Network meets every five years with the aim of assessing the progress made in the implementation of the plan of action, addressing the challenges met by the secretariat and the network members as well as mapping out a way forward. The Assembly elected the Chairperson of the Network and its focal representatives of countries.
The grants coordinator of the EU HRD mechanism had the opportunity to present ProtectDefenders.eu to the various stakeholders attending the event, met the Protection Team at EHAHRDP, and held bilateral meeting with the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies, one of EHAHRD-Net's partners based in Kampala.
Advocacy, outreach and solidarity mission in Mexico
In February 2017, ProtectDefenders.eu supported an international advocacy, outreach and solidarity mission in Mexico, carried out by OMCT in the framework of the Observatory. The mission was conducted in order to seek the release of human rights defenders Damián Gallardo Martínez, Enrique Guerrero Aviña and Librado Baños Rodríguez, who have been victims of arbitrary detention, criminalization, torture and ill-treatment for three years and a half, despite UN recommendations.
The mission delegation could visit the three defenders in prison, and met with numerous civil society representatives from across the whole State of Oaxaca as well as official representatives in Oaxaca and Mexico City. In addition to addressing the pattern of arbitrary detention of human rights defenders in Mexico, the mission also noted the lack of guarantees for human rights defence in the State of Oaxaca.
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent appeals February 2017
The February 2017 issue of the ProtectDefenders.eu digest reports alarming cases of judicial abuses, repression and harassment against human rights defenders in India, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon.
Moreover, only during the first month of the year, at least 17 defenders were killed in relation to their work of defence of human rights within their communities. Colombia, with 9 killings, has reportedly been the world's deadliest country for human rights defenders.
In February 2017, OMCT, within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu and jointly with the Mexican NGO “Consorcio Oaxaca”, carried out a two-days training to 37 human rights defenders mainly from remote areas in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, focusing on international mechanisms for the protection of human rights defenders and for the advancement of their causes.
During the training participants learnt in a very practical way about the ways to engage with UN mechanisms dedicated to the protection of human rights defenders including Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures, as well as how to engage with diplomatic missions in the country (including through the EU Guidelines). Participants also learnt about the tools available within ProtectDefenders.eu. Finally, they learnt about international and regional standards in the fight against torture and through the example of the right to be free from torture how to engage with international mechanisms to promote their causes (UN Treaty Bodies, UPR, UN Special Procedures, IACHR, etc.).
ProtectDefenders.eu supports a RSF training for Syrian journalists
On the 18th and 19th February, RSF organised in Istanbul a training in Istanbul on the basics of journalism for 5 Syrian journalists, four of them exiled in Turkey and working for Syrian media, the fifth one still in Syria working as freelance reporter covering the war. This training, conducted within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, responded to their needs to be trained on the essential rudiments and principles of journalism, as well as on security, as they all learnt the profession by doing and never had the opportunity to be trained as such.
The training was led by a French journalist, Sophie Nivelle Cardinale, who is working with several French information media, and who has documented the war in Syria on several occasions. The RSF Head of Middle-East desk also followed the training and met with the participants.
One of the participants, Hadi Abdullah, was awarded in November 2016, 2016 RSF-TV5 Monde Press Freedom prize in the journalist category. He is a 29-year-old freelance reporter who has braved many dangers to cover the war in Syria, entering high-risk areas where few colleagues venture in order to film and to enable civil society’s actors to speak to the outside world. By his courage, Hadi Abdullah has become the international community’s eyes, reporting the atrocities committed every day in Syria.
For this reason, he is now a target for both pro-government forces and armed groups. He has had many brushes with death and was briefly kidnapped by the Al-Nusra Front last January. His cameraman, Khaled al-Issa, was killed in June by an explosive device left outside the home they shared, and Abdullah himself was badly injured by the blast.
Trial monitoring mission - Kyrgyzstan's retrial of human rights defender Azimjan Askarov a mockery unworthy of closer EU ties, Observatory reports
Publication of an international judicial observation report, after the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a FIDH-OMCT partnership) mission, carried out in the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu
Paris-Geneva, February 15, 2017 – A Kyrgyz court ruled to uphold human rights defender Azimjan Askarov’s life sentence, after what was a mock retrial falling short of basic fair-trial requirements and running against United Nations recommendations to release him, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an FIDH-OMCT partnership) reported today.
The Chuy Regional Court, which reconsidered Azimjan Askarov’s case in appeal from October 4, 2016 to January 24, 2017, upheld the 2010 verdict which had been issued in a trial marred by a flawed investigation, bias, lack of substantial evidence and allegations of torture and the absence of investigation thereof. In its decision published in April 2016, the UN Human Rights Committee requested the authorities to release Azimjan Askarov and quash his conviction. Neither of the recommendations were brought into effect.
Moreover, the Chuy Regional Court itself, by refusing to hear some defence witnesses, restricting access to the courtroom, failing to investigate credible allegations of torture and ignoring acts of pressure and intimidation targeting defence witnesses and lawyers, failed to guarantee Askarov’s right to a fair trial in accordance with international human rights standards.
“Kyrgyzstan has also made a complete mockery of its international human rights obligations, ”said Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General. “If this country wants to be a European trading partner it has to be clear to it that it has to behave very differently.”
Tomorrow, President Atambayev is scheduled to meet with European Union (EU) leaders in Brussels, including EU Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini, European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, to discuss a new Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation and a Memorandum of Understanding on a 13 million euros worth project aimed at supporting judicial reform in Kyrgyzstan. Shortly after the court’s decision on January 24, 2017, UN bodies and the EU voiced serious concerns over the “ serious shortcomings” in Kyrgyzstan’s judicial system, recalling that “ full compliance with its international human rights obligations, including the opinions of the UNHRC, is essential to maintain the international standing of the Kyrgyz Republic”.
“The arbitrary character of Azimjam Askarov’s detention is unquestionable. EU leaders must take the opportunity of President Atambayev’s visit to remind him of Kyrgyzstan’s human rights commitments and the need to demonstrate at the highest level the will to support a genuine judicial reform. Support to judicial reform is meaningless if the right to a fair trial is not guaranteed and justice remains vulnerable to political interference, ” said Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH Honorary President.
Background information
Azimjan Askarov is a human rights defender from the South of Kyrgyzstan where he had been investigating police brutality from 2002 to 2010. He was arrested on June 15, 2010, in the immediate aftermath of violent inter-ethnic confrontations opposing Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities. He was charged with participating in mass unrest, inciting ethnic strife, illegal weapons possession, complicity in the murder of police officer Myktybek Suleimanov, attempted murder of other police officers and incitement for taking hostage a mayor. Azimjan Askarov argued that he was not present on the bridge where the attack on Mr. Suleimanov occurred. His claim was corroborated by several testimonies.
From the very beginning of the judicial proceedings in 2010, the case against Azimjan Askarov, built on testimonies extracted under torture and on statements from Kyrgyz police officers whose work had been under the scrutiny of Azimjan Askarov, was marked as politically motivated. As reported by the Observatory in “ Kyrgyzstan at a crossroads: shrink or widen the scene for human rights defenders”, Mr. Kubatbek Baybolov, former Prosecutor General at the time of Mr. Askarov’s conviction recounted that Interim President Roza Otunbayeva had instructed the Judiciary to sentence AzimjanAskarov to life imprisonment. He added that the elements in the criminal case failed to demonstrate Mr. Askarov's guilt.
The report is available on FIDH and OMCT websites at the following links (ENG/RU):
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.
Source: The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an FIDH-OMCT partnership)
Nur Nobi Dulal, blogger from Bangladesh, relocated in Hamburg with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu and the Hamburg Foundation for Politically Persecuted People
On February 1st, the Hamburger Stiftung für politisch Verfolgte welcomed their new guest Nur Nobi Dulal (46) from Bangladesh in the safety of Hamburg. Nur Nobi Dulal will be relocated away from danger for the next twelve months, as part of a relocation programme funded by ProtectDefenders.eu and supported by Amnesty International and PEN International.
As a blogger, writer and filmmaker, Dulal has been campaigning for the freedom of speech, women’s rights and against religious oppression as well as terrorism in his home country for years. Just as long, he has been threatened by islamists but also by the Bangladeshi government. Because in his home country the writer is in constant danger of being killed by a radical Islamist movement, the Dulal family has had to relocate again and again since 2015. Moreover, he risks up to 14 years of imprisonment due to his criticism of state and religion on the basis of article 57 of the “Information and Communication Technology Act” of the Bengali penal code.
In 2011, Nur Nobi Dulal was voted Bangladesh’s “Blogger of the Year“. In 2012, he founded the Online Activist Forum, which is advocating the freedom of speech. His blog Itishon, founded in 2013 – in terms of readership the second largest blog of the country – was shut down by the authorities on 25 September 2016. In addition, he runs the online bookstore iKarigor.com, which is renowned for its liberal and religion-critical range of books.
In 2013, the terrorist group Hefazat published the names of 84 "Islamophobic" bloggers, among others Dulal’s name. So far, eight of these bloggers have been murdered. Dulal’s name is also on a death list of the terror organization Ittehadul Mujahedini. According to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the situation has recently become even more serious. Those affected cannot count on protection by the police.
Ginebra, Paris, Oaxaca, 8 de febrero de 2017 – Damián Gallardo Martínez, Enrique Guerrero Aviña y Librado Baños Rodríguez siguen siendo desde hace tres años y medio víctimas de detención arbitraria, criminalización, tortura y malos tratos, a pesar de las recomendaciones emitidas por la ONU. Su único delito es su trabajo como defensores de los derechos humanos, según denunciaron hoy el Observatorio para la Protección de Defensores de Derechos Humanos (OMCT-FIDH) y el Consorcio Oaxaca. Además de abordar el patrón de detención arbitraria de personas defensoras en México, la misión conjunta -apoyada por el mecanismo de la UE para los defensores de Derechos Humanos, ProtectDefenders.eu- pudo constatar la falta de garantías para la labor de defensa de derechos humanos en el Estado de Oaxaca.
Como seguimiento al informe conjunto “Detenciones arbitrarias e ilegales – Criminalización: Una política de Estado para inhibir la defensa de los derechos humanos en México" publicado en diciembre de 2016, el Observatorio y Consorcio Oaxaca han realizado una misión conjunta a México de solidaridad con los defensores detenidos y de incidencia ante las autoridades para alertarlas sobre esta grave situación. La misión ha prestado una particular atención a la situación de las personas defensoras de derechos humanos en el Estado de Oaxaca.
La misión visitó a tres defensores arbitrariamente detenidos, los Sres. Damián Gallardo Martínez y Enrique Guerrero Aviña, ambos encarcelados en el CEFERESO nº 2 de El Salto, Estado de Jalisco, en lo que constituyó la primera visita por parte de organizaciones de la sociedad civil desde hace más de dos años, así como al Sr. Librado Baños Rodríguez, encarcelado en el Penal de Ixcotel, Estado de Oaxaca.
“Durante la visita pudimos constatar que los problemas médicos de los tres defensores son evidentes pero resulta reconfortante comprobar que lejos de afectar a su compromiso con la defensa de derechos humanos los tres se mantienen fuertes y convencidos de que su liberación tiene que producirse antes o después”, declaró Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui, Director de la Oficina de la OMCT en Bruselas y miembro de la misión a México. “Resulta alarmante que, tres años y medio después de su detención y más de dos años después de que la opinión de la ONU reclamase su liberación, los tres procesos sigan en fase de instrucción en medio de un cúmulo de irregularidades y violaciones al debido proceso”, añadió.
Tanto Damián Gallardo como Enrique Guerrero han dado positivo en la aplicación del Protocolo de Estambul para documentación de la tortura que les ha sido realizado. La misión pudo verificar que ambos mantienen problemas de salud en conexión con la tortura que han experimentado, en un contexto de inacción por parte de las autoridades carcelarias y judiciales, así como de la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDH) que tres años y medio después aún no ha emitido ninguna recomendación. El Sr. Enrique Guerrero sufre de un tic nervioso y de daños debido a la dislocación de su dedo pulgar durante el interrogatorio mientras que el Sr. Damián Gallardo sufre de una lesión en un pie y ambos mantienen daños psicológicos como víctimas de tortura y/o malos tratos. En conexión con las condiciones de detención y la denegación de un tratamiento médico adecuado el Sr. Librado Baños ha perdido la vista de uno de sus ojos y mantiene menos del 50% de visibilidad en el otro.
En el caso del Sr. Damián Gallardo, hace más de cinco meses solicitó al juez la autorización para poder recibir rehabilitación psicológica como víctima de tortura así como tratamiento oftalmológico para tratar una carnosidad en su ojo derecho. Pese a la urgencia, la solicitud aún no ha sido procesada, en un claro ejemplo de los constantes retardos y demoras en el proceso judicial al que regularmente se enfrentan los tres defensores de derechos humanos.
Damián Gallardo, Enrique Guerrero y Librado Baños se cuentan entre los beneficiarios de recientes opiniones del Grupo de Trabajo de Naciones Unidas que declaran arbitrarias las detenciones de cinco personas defensoras de derechos humanos. Ninguna de las cinco opiniones ha sido implementada tal y como resaltó recientemente en el informe preliminar de su visita a México el Relator de la ONU sobre la situación de las personas defensoras de derechos Humanos, el Sr. Michel Forst. En los cinco casos se puede verificar un mismo patrón de detención, no existieron ordenes de aprehensión, fueron sometidos a actos de tortura y/o malos tratos , así como a diversas violaciones al debido proceso.
En cuanto a la situación en el Estado de Oaxaca, según datos de la Defensoría Especializada en la Protección de Personas Defensoras y Periodistas de la Defensoría de los Derechos Humanos del Pueblo de Oaxaca, en 2016 se produjeron 197 agravios contra 95 personas defensoras (39 mujeres y 56 hombres) y contra 10 grupos. En al menos 72 de estos agravios se contó con la participación de integrantes de corporaciones policiacas federales, estatales o municipales. Además, según datos de la Red de Mujeres Activistas y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos de Oaxaca, el Estado lidera desde 2010 el ranking de ataques contra defensoras de derechos humanos a nivel nacional con un aumento constante de las cifras.
“La situación para las personas defensoras en Oaxaca se cuenta entre las más difíciles en todo el territorio mexicano. Sin embargo, el Estado de Oaxaca sigue sin contar con una política pública integral de protección a personas defensoras con un enfoque particular para las mujeres defensoras y con medidas que hagan frente tanto a la impunidad como a la falta de efectividad de las medidas de protección”, declaró Yésica Sánchez, miembro de la Junta Directiva del Consorcio Para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca A.C.
Contexto de la misión:
La misión tuvo lugar entre el 31 de enero y el 8 de febrero y estuvo conformada por Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui, director de la oficina de la OMCT en Bruselas y Yésica Sánchez, integrante del Equipo Directivo del Consorcio Oaxaca.
En el Estado de Oaxaca la misión sostuvo reuniones con numerosas personas defensoras y organizaciones de la sociedad civil oaxaqueña así como con la Defensoría Especializada en la Protección de Personas Defensoras y Periodistas de la Defensoría de los Derechos Humanos del Pueblo de Oaxaca (DDHPO). Lamentablemente, la solicitud de reunión con el gobernador de Oaxaca, Alejandro Murat, no fue atendida.
En la Ciudad de México la misión pudo reunirse con la Delegación de la Unión Europea en México, la Oficina en México del Alto Comisionado de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos, la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDH) y la Subsecretaría para Asuntos Multilaterales y Derechos Humanos de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE). Lamentablemente, la solicitud de reunión con la Subsecretaría de Derechos Humanos de la Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB) no fue atendida.
· Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca A.C.: Yésica Sánchez: Tel: +52 951 132 8996 / Cel: +52 951 17 00 432
El Observatorio para la Protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos (el Observatorio) es un programa creado en 1997 por la Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT) y la FIDH y tiene por objetivo intervenir para prevenir o remediar situaciones concretas de represión contra los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos. OMCT y FIDH son miembros de ProtectDefenders.eu, el Mecanismo de la Unión Europea para Defensores de Derechos Humanos implementado por sociedad civil internacional.
Publication of RSF's report 'Veracruz: journalists and the state of fear'
With the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published a report in Spanish, French and English about the plight of journalists in Mexico’s eastern state of Veracruz, one of Latin America’s most dangerous places for the media.
Entitled “Veracruz: journalists and the state of fear,” the report is the fruit of a visit carried out by RSF to Mexico in June 2016 -within the framework of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism- during which it met with local journalists, representatives of NGOs and representatives of federal and state-level institutions involved in protecting media freedom in Mexico.
The report examines the appalling environment for journalists in Veracruz. Caught between ultra-violent criminal cartels and corrupt politicians, journalists who take too close an interest in sensitive stories or in organized crime are liable to be admonished, threatened and even gunned down in cold blood.
From 2000 to 2016 in Mexico, 99 journalists were the victims of murders that were clearly or probably linked to their work, and 20% of these murders took place in Veracruz alone. Cases of physical attacks and disappearances are also legion, and the shocking level of impunity shows the ineffectiveness of the many mechanisms created for protecting journalists.
The report includes the accounts that RSF received from Veracruz journalists about their problems, the need to censor themselves and the decision that some have had to take to flee the region. The families of victims also describe their mostly unsuccessful battles for justice.
The report concludes with a series of recommendations for Mexico’s federal authorities and for Veracruz’s new governor, Miguel Ángel Yunes, the heir of the appalling record of his predecessor, Javier Duarte, who disappeared into thin air late last year after the federal authorities accused him of illicit enrichment.
The recommendations, to be presented in detail at RSF’s press conference on 2 February, aim to end the vicious circle of violence, improve the existing mechanisms for protecting journalists and effectively combat the chronic impunity that constrains media freedom in Veracruz and the rest of Mexico.
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent Appeals January 2017
ProtectDefenders.eu partners are concerned about recent killings, attempted murders and enforced disappearances in Colombia, the killing of land rights defenders in Myanmar and the ongoing repression against human rights defenders and lawyers in Turkey.
Protecting the security of a LGBTI organisation in Cameroon
In January 2017, OMCT, within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, allocated a grant to the NGO “Avenir Jeunes de l’Ouest”, an NGO defending and protecting human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersexual (LGBTI) people in Cameroon, a country where homosexuality is criminalised.
The grant enabled the NGO to rent a new office after it was expelled without notice from the previous premises it was renting, when the owner discovered that the NGO was defending LGBTI rights.
The grant also covered the employment during six months of a guard for the office. Thanks to OMCT support, “Avenir Jeunes de l’Ouest” has improved the security of its office and staff, which has helped the NGO to continue its critical human rights work.
ProtectDefenders.eu has allocated more than 550 emergency to human rights defenders and organisations. More information is available here.
Landmark UNWGAD decision following intense advocacy work seeking for the release of 5 HRD in Cambodia
In December 2016, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an OMCT-FIDH partnership supported by the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism) jointly with several Cambodian organisations, welcomed the recent Opinion No. 45/2016 adopted by the UNWGAD that recognise the arbitrary nature of the ongoing detention of human rights defenders Ny Chakrya, Ny Sokha, Yi Soksan, Nay Vanda, and Lim Mony in Cambodia.
The decision of the WGAD followed a submission made by OMCT, FIDH, CCHR and LICADHO in June 2016. In a landmark move, the WGAD also referred for the first time ever to human rights defenders as a protected group that is entitled to equal legal protection under Article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The five human rights defenders have been in pre-trial detention on charges of bribery since April 2016.
Building the capacities of Zimbabwean Human Rights Defenders
In December 2016, ProtectDefenders.eu supported a three-days training for 25 human rights defenders from the Midlands Province in Zimbabwe conducted by the OMCT, jointly with the Zimbabwe Organisation for the Youth in Politics (ZOYP). The main objectives were to strengthen the advocacy work of the participants as well as to sensitize them on security issues in their work, especially ahead of the 2018 elections.
The training has enabled the participants to exchange experience and expertise to comprehensively address the repression and criminalisation of human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, as well as to reinforce their digital, physical, and psychological security measures. The training also addressed the local, regional and international legal and policy frameworks that are relevant to the protection of human rights defenders and their work. Finally, participants were also formed on how to conduct trainings and share further to fellow activists the knowledge they acquired during the workshop.
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent Appeals December 2016
ProtectDefenders.eu partners are concerned about recent killings and overall degradation of the situation of Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala, and arbitrary detentions and judicial harassment against defenders in Kenya and Malaysia.
Protection International launches its Protection Support Fund within ProtectDefenders.eu
Protection International, partner in the implementation of ProtectDefenders.eu, has just launched a call for proposals for local human rights organisations.
The call prioritises proposals for consolidating operational capacities of local human rights organisations which are important to the medium to long term prospects for Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), such as:
- Supporting local initiatives, especially the ones in isolated areas or strengthening HRDs’ protection structures, such as networks, response mechanisms or focal points;
- Allowing HRDs to manage risks inherent to their own work and/or work of other HRDs, and thus support continued human rights activism;
- Building capacities of local organisations, by allowing them to obtain and/or conduct specific trainings in areas that would assist in protecting them, such as physical and digital security, legal defence, litigation, etc.;
- Providing a lifeline to local organisations that are endangered by unexpected and/or grave security, financial, legal or administrative situations.
This call for proposal will NOT support individual or emergency grants, nor any relocation request as these needs are covered by other call for proposals under Protectdefenders.eu (see in particular “Emergency grants” and “Relocation grant”).
DEADLINE
Applications can be received anytime during the opening of the call (see dates above).
Proposals will be dealt upon as they arrive. The call will be closed as soon as the available amount has been fully allocated and at the latest on March 15th 2017.
FINANCIAL ALLOCATION
The overall indicative amount made available to Protection International under Component 2 (C2) for this Call for Proposals is EUR 130 000. Only one contract will be awarded per applicant under this call. Protection International reserves the right not to award all available funds.
PRIORITY COUNTRIES:
Africa: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, DRC, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan;
Americas: Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, USA;
Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand.
ELIGIBILITY & CRITERIA
Any grant requested under this Call for Proposals must fall between the minimum amount of EUR 5000 and the maximum amount of EUR 20 000.
Only activities taking place from October 1st 2016 until September 30th 2017 will be considered eligible.
To avoid creating a misbalance and/or dependency towards the Fund, the grant requested cannot be more than 30% of the organisation’s previous annual financial statement (to be provided along the application).
Applicant eligibility:
The call is only open to non-profit organisations and networks that:
- are formally registered;
- are working with the following priority groups:
a) HRD or communities who are particularly vulnerable due to gender, sexual orientation, the issue they work on (e.g. land rights; anti-corruption), or their geographical location (e.g. remote or rural areas, conflict area);
b)HRD or communities with little means to access the required financial resources through other channels.
Fixed list of eligible activities:
- Setting up and maintaining protection systems (including but not limited to office physical and digital security measures);
- Preventive protective accompaniment by third party;
- Organisational capacity building and systems
- Running a protection network or collective protection mechanism;
- Activities related with team supervision, psychosocial support, rest and respite or other well-being measures;
- One-off financial support to ensure the organisation’s operational functioning or a bridge to cover a funding gap.
Other criteria for selection:
PI prioritises projects that aim for sustainable results in order to achieve lasting impact. In particular, applicants are highly encouraged to include in their proposal specific activities aimed at increasing financial, management and organizational capacities to ensure the continuation of their work in the long term (financial, legal, physical, psychological, digital and reputational resilience);
Applicants are not receiving funds already for organisational development from any of the EU ProtectDefenders.eu component;
PI aims for a geographically balanced distribution;
PI expects a gendered approach to protection and security;
Equal treatment and non-discrimination: PI will not discriminate against any applicant because of race, colour, religion, gender, or national origin.
PAYMENT AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Payments shall be made in accordance with the terms described hereafter:
An initial pre-financing payment of 80% of the granted amount will be disbursed upon reception of the signed contract;
The balance of the final amount of the grant will be disbursed after reception and approval of the financial report by PI in the limits of:
– maximum 20% of the amount originally granted;
– AND maximum of the total amount duly reported and accounted for in the financial report. Should that final amount be inferior to the total amount granted, only expenses accounted for will be reimbursed.
The final reports (financial and narrative) must be sent as soon as the whole funds have been spent and no later than October 31st 2017 (one month after the end of the implementation period).
PROCESS
Correspondence related to the call and possible grant-making process is encrypted if opportune or required;
The proposals are presented using the application form provided;
Applications will be examined and evaluated by PI head office and their protection desks with the possible assistance of external assessors. All submitted proposals will be assessed;
If the examination of the application reveals that the proposed action does not meet the eligibility criteria stated above, the application will be rejected on this sole basis;
The applicants will be informed in writing of Protection International’s decision concerning their application and, if rejected, the reasons for the negative decision;
An applicant believing that it has been harmed by an error or irregularity during the award process may lodge a complaint;
Following the decision to award a grant, the Beneficiary(ies) will be requested to sign a Grant Agreement based on the application. By submitting the application form, the applicant agrees, if awarded a grant, to accept the contractual conditions of the Grant Agreement. The Grant Agreement describes the main terms of the grant, identifies the contact person, details the reporting requirements and provides a complaint procedure.
Funding the advocacy tour of Honduran Association of Judges for Democracy
In December 2016, Adan Guillermo López Lone, a member of the Association of Judges for Democracy (AJD, Asociación de Jueces para la Democracia), visited the UK, France, Switzerland and Belgium to meet international actors. The tour was sponsored by PBI Honduras within ProtectDefenders.eu.
The main purpose of the tour was to raise awareness about the Honduras’ government failure to implement the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) sentence on the López Lone and others vs. Honduras case.
During the tour, López Lone met with representatives from the British Foreign Office, The Law Society, the UN OHCHR, the Geneva Bar Association, the offices of three UN Special Rapporteurs (on the situation of human rights defenders, on the independence of judges and lawyers, and on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association), the French Magistrates Union, the French Foreign Ministry, Cáritas and other civil society actors.
In the UK, Guillermo was a key speaker at a meeting organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group, the Law Society and PBI UK about challenges facing the rule of law in Central America.
The tour was very successful and gathering international support for AJD’s struggle to see the sentence implemented. The British Minister for Human Rights, Baroness Anelay, visited Honduras after Guillermo’s tour and raised the issue with the Honduran government. The three UN rapporteurs’ offices with which Guillermo had met issued a joint public statement about the case.
In addition, the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales sent an amicus curiae to the IACHR ahead of a February 2017 audience on the government’s compliance with the sentence. The French Magistrates Union sent a public letter to the Honduran government calling for full compliance with the sentence. A French MP committed to ask a parliamentary question about the case and send a letter to the Honduran authorities.
According to Guillermo, PBI’s accompaniment has been instrumental in raising international awareness about the case and advocating for judicial independence in Honduras. PBI’s advocacy and outreach has helped give visibility to the situation facing justice operators in the country. The European tour was very important in strengthening AJD’s international support network and the legitimacy of its work in Honduras.
Strengthening capacity building for LGBTI human rights defenders
From November 28 to December 2, almost 700 LGBTI human rights defenders and allies from 101 different countries gathered in Bangkok, Thailand to take part in the 28th ILGA World Conference. Thanks to the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, ILGA could meet one of the first LGBTI human rights defenders to receive support from European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism: a video interview will be released in the upcoming weeks.
For five days, advocates from all over the world met to network and engage in dialogue on issues faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex communities both at the local and at the international level, to take stock of the many groundbreaking moments celebrated in the past few years and to strategize about the future of these movements.
With nine Pre-Conferences, 20 Rainbow Talks and 25 workshops on topics ranging from integrated security for activists to the economic cost of social exclusion for LGBTI communities, from fundraising to strategic litigation, the conference offered an important occasion for LGBTI human rights defenders to strengthen their capacities, network and discuss on ways to shape a world in which everyone can live safely, equally and free.
Honduras: Los defensores y defensoras de derechos humanos entre la espada y la pared
Ciudad de Panamá-Ginebra-Paris-Tegucigalpa, 1 de diciembre de 2016 - "Asesinatos, amenazas y criminalización es la realidad cotidiana para las personas defensoras de derechos humanos en Honduras. Las autoridades hondureñas deben mostrar una real voluntad política para hacer frente a esta crisis", según denunciaron hoy el Observatorio para la Protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos (OMCT-FIDH), CEHPRODEC, CIPRODEH, COFADEH y la Plataforma Internacional contra la Impunidad en el informe de la misión de investigación realizada por el Observatorio en el marco de ProtectDefenders.eu. El lanzamiento de este informe se realizó durante la audiencia ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos sobre la situación de los defensores de derechos humanos en Honduras, celebrada en la Ciudad de Panamá.
La difícil situación de los defensores y las defensoras de los derechos humanos en Honduras ha recibido una gran atención internacional durante el año 2016, como consecuencia del asesinato de la emblemática defensora indígena lenca Berta Cáceres. Este crimen es sólo la punta del iceberg en un contexto de altísimos niveles de violencia contra las personas defensoras en el país centroamericano, que se ha convertido en uno de los países más peligrosos del mundo para la defensa de los derechos humanos.
Desde 2001, 17 personas defensoras han sido asesinadas siendo beneficiarias de medidas cautelares de la CIDH, en promedio una por año. Desde mayo del 2015 hasta la actualidad, el observatorio ha podido documentar 16 asesinatos de defensores, prácticamente uno por mes, lo que demuestra el agravamiento de la situación.
Las agresiones en contra de los defensores y defensoras están en la impunidad, en gran parte por la ineficacia de la administración de justicia, entre otros factores estructurales. En contraste, destacan los numerosos casos de criminalización de personas defensoras y el nivel de diligencia que el sistema judicial emplea para que los procesos en su contra avancen. Según datos de la CIDH, desde 2010 se habrían producido en el país 3064 casos de criminalización para amedrentar a defensores y defensoras de derechos humanos.
El informe concluye que urge contar con un marco nacional más claro y protector que reconozca plenamente los derechos humanos de la población campesina, los pueblos indígenas y el colectivo LGTBI. Esto mejoraría el entorno de trabajo de los defensores y defensoras que trabajan por estos derechos y aumentaría su legitimidad y su visibilidad, especialmente en los contextos en los que prevalecen los conflictos en torno a la tierra y los estereotipos hetero-patriarcales respectivamente.
“Hasta que no se solucionen las causas estructurales que generan riesgo para quienes defienden derechos, medidas en la buena dirección como la Ley de Protección no serán eficaces. Las políticas discriminatorias contra la población LGTBI así como la violación de los derechos relacionados con la tierra, incluyendo la obligación de consultar a las comunidades afectadas por proyectos de desarrollo, contribuyen a exacerbar los conflictos y a reforzar estereotipos, dejando a los defensores y defensoras entre la espada y la pared”, denunciaron las organizaciones.
Particularmente, en un contexto en el que se dan 837 proyectos mineros potenciales que implicarían el 35 % del territorio nacional, un marco legislativo claro y respetuoso de los estándares internacionales en materia de derechos humanos relacionados con la tierra contribuiría a canalizar los posibles conflictos a través de canales institucionales de diálogo en lugar de generar violencia y conflictividad social. Es por ello que nuestras organizaciones abogan por la apertura de un proceso participativo de debate sobre el modelo de desarrollo con la participación efectiva de la sociedad civil y, particularmente, de los pueblos indígenas y garífunas.
El informe concluye asimismo que factores estructurales como la militarización del Estado, la falta de independencia de la judicatura, la sistemática estigmatización de los defensores y defensoras y las carencias en la institucionalidad del Estado en materia de derechos humanos son una muestra de la ausencia de voluntad real del Estado para proteger a los defensores de derechos humanos.
Un ejemplo reciente y preocupante son las últimas declaraciones del Presidente Juan Orlando Hernández, en las que criminaliza de forma irresponsable a organizaciones de derechos humanos vinculándolas con grupos pandilleros, lo que contribuye a elevar aún más el riesgo de agresiones en contra de las personas defensoras.
Para ello el informe propone recomendaciones específicas sobre las reformas estructurales necesarias que nuestras organizaciones han identificado a partir de su análisis.
El informe completo está disponible para descarga aquí.
El Observatorio para la Protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos (el Observatorio) es un programa creado en 1997 por la Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT) y la FIDH y tiene por objetivo intervenir para prevenir o remediar situaciones concretas de represión contra los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos. OMCT y FIDH son ambos miembros de ProtectDefenders.eu, el Mecanismo de la Unión Europea para Defensores de Derechos Humanos implementado por sociedad civil internacional.
JOINT STATEMENT - Human Rights Defenders are not criminals
On the occasion of the 1st Beneficiaries' Meeting, the twelve partner organisations of ProtectDefenders.eu have issued a public statement urging all national authorities to "publicly recognise the crucial role played by human rights defenders and protect them in all circumstances from any form of judicial harassment". As stressed by Antoine Madelin, FIDH Director for International Advocacy and Chair of the Board of ProtectDefenders.eu, "Human Rights Defenders are the pillars of democracy and of the rule of law but are too often subjected to unfair criminal prosecution, in an effort to undermine their work in the defence of human rights."
Honduras: Human Rights Defenders between a rock and a hard place
"Everyday in Honduras, human rights defenders face killings, threats and criminalisation. The Honduran authorities must show genuine political willingness to confront this crisis" urged the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an OMCT - FIDH partnership), on the occasion of the publication of the report on the international fact-finding mission carried out in the country within ProtectDefenders.eu, launched on December 1st in Panama City, before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
The predicament of human rights defenders in Honduras has received a great deal of international attention in 2016, following the murder of Berta Cáceres, an emblematic Lenca indigenous defender. This crime is just the tip of the iceberg; the high levels of violence directed against defenders in Honduras have made it one of the most dangerous countries in the world for human rights defence.
Since 2001, 17 defenders have been murdered, although they were beneficiaries of IACHR precautionary measures - an average of one per year. Since May 2015, the Observatory has documented 16 killings of human rights defenders - almost one per month. These figures clearly demonstrate that the situation is becoming more acute.
Attacks against defenders tend to go unpunished, largely due to inefficiencies in the administration of justice as well as a number of other structural factors. Meanwhile, there have been a great many incidences of defenders being criminalised, and the judicial system has shown remarkable diligence in pursuing these cases. According to IACHR, since 2010 there have been 3,064 cases in Honduras where human rights defenders have been criminalised as a means of intimidation.
The report concludes that Honduras needs a clearer and more protective national framework, one which fully recognises the human rights of the rural population, indigenous peoples and the LGBTI community. This would improve the working environment of defenders of these rights, and would allow them to enjoy a greater degree of legitimacy and visibility, especially in situations of conflict over natural resources and hetero-patriarchal stereotypes respectively.
PRESS RELEASE: Human Rights Defenders are not criminals
Brussels, November 29, 2016.- ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism implemented by International Civil Society, has just concluded its first annual meeting of beneficiaries: human rights defenders at risk from all regions of the world who have benefited from the project gathered today in Brussels. The meeting aimed at reflecting on this first year of coordinated work to support defenders worldwide and at highlighting the worrying global phenomenon of criminalisation of human rights defenders.
To conclude the meeting, the twelve partner organisations of ProtectDefenders.eu have issued a public statement urging all national authorities to "publicly recognise the crucial role played by human rights defenders and protect them in all circumstances from any form of judicial harassment". As stressed by Antoine Madelin, FIDH Director for International Advocacy and Chair of the Board of ProtectDefenders.eu, "Human Rights Defenders are the pillars of democracy and of the rule of law but are too often subjected to unfair criminal prosecution, in an effort to undermine their work in the defence of human rights."
Since the launch of the project in October 2015, ProtectDefenders.eu has witnessed an increased criminalisation of defenders worldwide in reprisal to the conduct of legitimate human rights activities.
ProtectDefenders.eu held its meeting in Brussels under the motto "Defenders are not criminals" and brought together dozens of human rights defenders at risk supported by the EU mechanism during its first year of implementation, together with prominent representatives of NGOs, European institutions and Representatives of International and Regional Protection Mechanisms, including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst. Participating defenders, coming from more than 20 countries such as Burundi, Honduras, Egypt, Bangladesh or the Russian Federation, shared their experiences of resilience in often dangerous and challenging situations and debated on the most effective strategies to counter criminalisation and pursue their work.
This meeting has also emphasised the main achievements and highlights of the first year of ProtectDefenders.eu. In the first twelve months, the EU Mechanism has provided more than 330 emergency grants to defenders at high risk, facilitating a rapid response to their legal, medical, security or emergency relocation needs in pressing circumstances. At the same time, ProtectDefenders.eu has successfully started and run a temporary relocation programme, disbursing more than 700,000 € in support of 74 temporary relocations in favour of 150 individuals, with the collaboration of host institutions worldwide and in the framework of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform.
The Project has also provided institutional and operational support to grassroots organisations, allocating more than 300,000 € through 32 grants. 1,300 defenders worldwide were trained to improve their security and protection in difficult contexts.
Finally, ProtectDefenders.eu has expanded its advocacy and outreach dimension, by conducting fact-finding missions and monitoring trials against defenders particularly in difficult countries, as well as carrying out initiatives to assist and connect isolated and vulnerable defenders throughout the world. ProtectDefenders.eu has coordinated more than 430 urgent alerts aimed at mobilizing the attention of concerned authorities, public and media on behalf of defenders at risk.
Human Rights defenders who attended the meeting positively assessed the first year of implementation of ProtectDefenders.eu. The twelve partners praised the EU strong support through the EIDHR of a project as ambitious and comprehensive as ProtectDefenders.eu. As pointed out by Andrew Anderson, Executive Director of Front Line Defenders and member of the Board of ProtectDefenders.eu, in the closing speech, "human rights defenders in danger around the world do benefit from this strong coordination between international civil society organizations and the institutions of the European Union."
On the 29th of November, ProtectDefenders.eu held its first annual meeting of beneficiaries under the motto "Defenders are not criminals". More than 30 human rights defenders at risk from all regions of the world who have benefited from the project gathered in Brussels with representatives of NGOs, European institutions and International and Regional Protection Mechanisms, including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst. The meeting reflected on this first year of coordinated work to support defenders worldwide and highlighted the worrying global phenomenon of criminalisation of human rights defenders.
Participating defenders, coming from more than 20 countries such as Burundi, Honduras, Egypt, Bangladesh or the Russian Federation, shared their experiences of resilience in often dangerous and challenging situations and debated on the most effective strategies to counter criminalisation and pursue their work.
This meeting also emphasised the main achievements of ProtectDefenders.eu for this first year of support: More than 330 emergency grants have been allocated to defenders at high risk, facilitating a rapid response to their legal, medical, security or emergency relocation needs in pressing circumstances. At the same time, ProtectDefenders.eu has successfully started and run a temporary relocation programme, disbursing more than 700,000 € in support of 73 temporary relocations in favour of 150 individuals, with the collaboration of host institutions worldwide and in the framework of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform. The Project has also provided institutional and operational support to grassroots organisations, allocating more than 300,000 € through 37 grants. 1,600 defenders worldwide were trained to improve their security and protection in difficult contexts. Finally, ProtectDefenders.eu has expanded its advocacy and outreach dimension, by conducting fact-finding missions and monitoring trials against defenders particularly in difficult countries, as well as carrying out initiatives to assist and connect isolated and vulnerable defenders throughout the world. ProtectDefenders.eu has coordinated more than 430 urgent alerts aimed at mobilizing the attention of concerned authorities, public and media on behalf of defenders at risk.
See the gallery of pictures of the 1st Beneficiaries' Meeting here.
Human Rights Defenders are not criminals - JOINT STATEMENT
Brussels, November 29, 2016 - "Human rights defenders worldwide are regularly subjected to harassment and trumped-up criminal charges aiming at paralysing, intimidating and delegitimising their human rights activities. They face difficulties carrying out their work in increasingly restrictive legislative and administrative environments denying the right to freedoms of association, expression and peaceful assembly. Licences of human rights NGOs have been steadily cancelled, bank accounts seized and their right to access foreign funds violated. A growing number of States have also developed a systematic pattern of obstacles to human rights defenders' freedom of movement, in particular through the use of travel bans, in a clear attempt to isolate them.
Within the first year of the project, ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society, has perceived this phenomenon as a worldwide growing trend, which undermines the existence of an enabling environment for human rights defenders. Only in 2016, as per ProtectDefenders.eu's findings 1 , more than 425 defenders have faced judicial harassment and at least 193 defenders have been charged or sentenced to prison.
The misuse of domestic criminal justice systems and the development of restrictive legislations and regulations against human rights defenders have a threefold impact on their work. Firstly, it practically interferes with their daily human rights activities. It obliges them, for instance, to present themselves regularly to summons, to serve long periods of pre-trial detention or, when convicted, to serve sentences preventing them from pursuing their human rights activities. Secondly, it contributes to the stigmatisation of human rights defenders and organisations depicting them as criminals, therefore delegitimising their positive role in society. Thirdly, criminalisation and judicial harassment of defenders creates a chilling effect on civil society as a whole, specifically within the communities or groups to which the defenders belong, in many cases leading to social fragmentation and isolation of the defenders themselves.
Some groups of defenders have been more frequently the target of criminalisation by State and non-State actors, due to the issues they work on. In particular, land and environmental rights defenders, defenders working on economic, social and cultural rights, women’s rights (including sexual and reproductive rights), LGBTIQ rights, freedom of expression, rule of law or accountability issues, often face trumped-up criminal charges. Criminalisation is generally accompanied by major violations of the right to a fair trial. Criminal proceedings are often characterized by lack of independence of the judiciary, summary procedures, failure to inform the accused of charges brought against them, obstacles to their right to defence and access to a lawyer, lack of translation and failure to comply with the principle of publicity of the hearings, among other violations.
An increasing number of countries around the world have developed repressive legal environments that undermine the exercise of the right to freedoms of association (including the right to access funding), expression and peaceful assembly. Those restrictions not only violate universally recognised human rights standards, but also seriously impact efforts by civil society to promote and protect human rights and ensure that the voice of victims of violations is heard. These laws and regulations, as well as restrictive official practices and procedures, are very detrimental to the work of NGOs, and result in a limitation of their activities, the criminalisation of their staff and/or even the closure and dissolution of the organisation. In many countries, these new laws and policies threaten the very existence of a human rights civil society.
ProtectDefenders.eu strongly calls upon all national authorities to:
- Publicly recognise the legitimate and crucial role played by human rights defenders in society and condemn systematically all acts of harassment and violence against them.
- Protect them from any kind of harassment, particularly at the judicial level, so that they are able to carry out their human rights activities without any hindrances.
- Remove all legal and administrative obstacles placed on the activities of human rights defenders.
- Immediately and unconditionally release all arbitrarily detained human rights defenders and drop all charges against them, as their detention only aims at sanctioning their human rights activities.
- Guarantee the right to defence of all detained defenders by lifting obstacles undermining access to their lawyers and putting an end to the practice of depriving defenders from the support of their designated
lawyers by calling them as witnesses in the case.
- Investigate in an effective, transparent and independent manner and sanction accordingly all public officials involved in cases of undue use of the criminal system against human rights defenders and guarantee the access to justice and redress to all victims.
ProtectDefenders.eu also calls upon the European Union and its Member States to:
- Publicly recognise the trend of criminalisation of human rights defenders as an urgent issue to address, as one of the biggest threats to the security and the work of defenders, and incorporate this as a priority focus into their human rights advocacy strategy.
- Work on a strategic approach to advance human rights with a global perspective and specially condemn every form of criminalisation of human rights defenders.
- Monitor more closely the trends of criminalisation in countries of concern and systematically observe trials against human rights defenders in countries with presence of EU Delegations.
- Take steps to combat the stigmatisation of human rights defenders by public officials: condemn public statements made by public officials that negatively affect the image and reputation of human rights defenders and reiterate the damaging effect this has; and conduct positive awareness work and encourage governments to do the same.
- Encourage governments and media bodies to take affirmative action to clear human rights defenders’ name, support their work, and restore their reputation and legitimacy.
- Afford special attention to groups marginalised due to their identity -such as women, LGBTIQ, and ethnic or indigenous groups - who are particularly vulnerable to all types of harassment, including criminalisation.
Read the testimony of Zerihun Mulugueta, Ethiopian journalist relocated with the support of PEN American center, Justice and Peace and Protectdefenders.eu
“I have been in Nairobi for 26 months..."
“I have been in Nairobi for 26 months; I changed four places in Nairobi including UNHCR safe house. My life was at risk and full of fears. I was targeted by the government security agents and I was locked for two years. I had nothing to survive. However, ProtectDefenders.eu and its partner organizations was a lot of impact for being safe in US Florida. They provide me financial, emotional and counselling support, without the help of ProtectDefenders.eu and its partners I wouldn’t be in US. The financial assistance helps me to pay my house rent and basic expenses. Currently, I am struggling to begin life from nothing; but thanks to the support I do all my effort to keep on my journalistic activities, I have confidence that the EU and its partners will remain defend the defenders. I express heartfelt thanks for all you did. and for all the support you’ve shown" .
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent Appeals November 2016
ProtectDefenders.eu partners are concerned about recent killings and overall degradation of the situation of Human Rights Defenders in Honduras, and severe threats and judicial abuses against defenders in Kazakhstan and DRC.
Training for HRDs on the occasion of the ESCR-Net Global Strategy Meeting
On November 19, ESCR-Net’s System of Solidarity Advisory Group, through Front Line Defenders and Just Associates and with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, facilitated a security training for 35 human rights defenders, half of whom were women, during the ESCR-Net Global Strategy Meeting in Buenos Aires (Argentina).
During the meeting, more than 140 social movements, civil society organisations and advocates from over 40 countries came together to confront global systems that perpetuate inequality, impoverishment and dispossession and to explore alternatives to these global common conditions. The participants ranged from representatives of social movements and grassroots organisations working in difficult countries as well as representatives from larger NGOs based in the Global North who collaborate with human rights defenders under threat.
Following a dynamic methodology, participants were asked to draw an average day in their lives. They subsequently discussed their drawings in pairs. Then, in plenary, participants explained their drawings and shared observations about their daily routines and what those mean for the security risks and vulnerabilities that they face, as well as general observations about well-being for human rights defenders.
Participants expressed appreciation for the training and informational session, which was made possible thanks to ProtectDefenders.eu, and highlighted interest in further capacity-building opportunities for the coming period.
In addition to highlighting the main achievements and challenges of the first year of implementation of ProtectDefenders.eu, this first beneficiaries' meeting will aim at giving enhanced visibility to the human rights defenders agenda. It will address the issue of criminalisation as a worrying trend, foster sharing of experiences on successful strategies to counter criminalisation and draw relevant conclusions on the support needed by human rights defenders both within and outside ProtectDefenders.eu.
ProtectDefenders.eu chose to highlight the issue of criminalisation of human rights defenders as a topic of concern throughout this event. Indeed, in recent years, state and non-state actors have made numerous attempts to criminalise the work of human rights defenders worldwide in order to silence their voices and undermine the credibility of their actions. Countering criminalisation of the work of human rights defenders is therefore imperative to ensure a safe environment for individuals to defend and exercise their rights.
This event will bring together Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights NGOs, Representatives of international and regional Protection Mechanisms, Members of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform, as well as other Representatives of EU Institutions, providing therefore valuable networking opportunities for all participants.
Accompanying the advocacy tour of a Zimbabwean defender in Brussels
ProtectDefenders.eu has supported the advocacy tour of Nkosilathi Emmanuel Moyo, a Zimbabwean human rights defender and democracy activist, carried out from 7-10 of November, in Brussels. During his stay, Nkosilathi met with MEPs, human rights NGOs, scholars and EU representatives to raise awareness about the hazardous situation of civil society and human rights defenders in Zimbabwe. Nkosilathi Emmanuel Moyo has been particularly threatened after accusing President Robert Mugabe for crimes against humanity, and has been forced to flee to South Africa.
Nkosilathi had previously participated in the Shelter City relocation program in the Netherlands after receiving several threats and being under constant surveillance due to the publication of his book 'Robert Mugabe from freedom fighter to the people’s enemy'.
Nkosilathi is the co-founder of Zimbabwe Organisation for the Youth in Politics (Z.O.Y.P), a community-based organisation working with human rights defenders and youth based in the small mining town of Kwekwe, in Zimbabwe. He has also established the ‘Community Human Rights Defenders Academy’ where he is educating and training human rights defenders based in remote and grassroots areas to help them perform their human rights work.
On 10 and 11 November 2016, Reporters Without Borders organised a training in physical security for 19 Afghan journalists in Kabul with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu. The training gathered journalists, majority of them working as war reporters for local and national media and among them 4 women, from 13 provinces of Afghanistan.
The training focused on four different topics, based on RSF’s guide to security for journalist, translated and edited for this occasion in Pashtun and Dura:- Physical security; How to prepare a report and assure that all security measures are being respected; How to react to a kidnapping, or extreme situation and protection measures: How to deal with post-trauma and psychological impact.
Each session was divided between a theoretical part and workshops with practical exercises. The methodology of the training was based on the ‘training of the trainer’ approach, as the objective was that the trainees could then form their colleagues. So far, two additional trainings have been organised. At the end of the two-days, one journalist confided “you think you already know all the security rules to protect yourself as a journalist, but you don’t, this training was eye-opening and very useful”.
7th Asian Regional Human Rights Defenders Forum in Colombo, Sri Lanka
In November 14-16 2016, ProtectDefenders.eu participated in the 7th Asian Regional Human Rights Defenders Forum, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, presenting the EU Human Rights Defenders. The forum was organised by FORUM-ASIA together with their members in Sri Lanka: Inform Human Rights Documentation Centre (INFORM) and Law and Society Trust (LST).
November 1
Set up of a relocation hub for human rights defenders in Tbilisi
ProtectDefenders.eu, through the European Union Temporary Relocation Platform (EUTRP), has supported the set-up of a new relocation programme 'Tbilisi Shelter City' in Tbilisi, Georgia, together with two local NGOs (Truth Hounds and Analytical Center for Interethnic Cooperation). This new shelter initiative is expected to host up to 20 human rights defenders. The first group of defenders in need of relocation will arrive in December 2016.
This new shelter programme is open to human rights defenders under threat coming from Central Asia, Russia and Turkey. Thanks to the advantageous conditions of the visa free regime in Georgia, the programme will be able to swiftly relocate human rights defenders at risk. Local organisations Truth Hounds and the Analytical Center for Interethnic Cooperation, who are running the Tbilisi Shelter City programme, have developed a comprehensive program to make out the most of the stay of defenders, providing meaningful opportunities for professional development. The relocation programme includes courses in human rights offered by the University, English and driving lessons, as well as trainings in communication, project writing and advocacy.
Monitoring the trial against defenders of freedom of assembly in Kazakhstan
ProtectDefenders.eu is supporting the monitoring of the trial against human rights defenders Max Bokayev and Talgat Ayan in Atyrau (Kazakhstan), carried out by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OMCT-FIDH partnership) and several local and national and international human rights organisations.
According to the Observatory, “the criminal cases against Max Bokayev and Talgat Ayan appear to be aimed at punishing them because of their criticism of the Land Code reform and at sending a chilling message to civil society in the country" Therefore, the Observatory urged the Kazakhstani authorities "to ensure that the proceedings are carried out in full compliance with the right to a fair trial, as guaranteed by international law and to acquit the two defenders”.
The Observatory, particularly concerned by the high levels of police violence against HRDs and the attempts of restricting their space of work, decided to carry out an International Fact-Finding Mission in Kenya with the objective of verifying in situ the situation of human rights defenders in the country, raising international attention on their situation and contributing to their protection and the improvement of an enabling environment for civil society in Kenya. More particularly, the mission focused on the analysis of the high levels of police violence against defenders working on accountability and the rule of law, as well as against peaceful demonstrators, especially during election periods such as the one Kenya is living at the moment. Another important focus was the legal path of the 2013 Public Benefit Organisations Act a new NGO law which, once enacted, will repeal the 1990 NGO Coordination Act, the NGO legislation currently regulating the civil society sector that is clearly out-dated. The Mission touched also upon the recent attempts to shrink the space of civil society through administrative sanctions as well as through criminalization within the anti-terrorism legal framework.
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent Appeals October 2016
ProtectDefenders.eu partners are concerned about reported judicial abuses, harassment and attacks against Human Rights Defenders in Russia, Colombia and Vietnam.
Internship at the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu
ProtectDefenders.eu - The EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism is looking for a 'Programmes and Communication' intern.
INFORMATION ABOUT PROTECTDEFENDERS.EU
ProtectDefenders.eu is the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism, established to protect defenders at high risk and facing the most difficult situations worldwide.
ProtectDefenders.eu:
Operates a permanent and rapid response mechanism to provide emergency support and material assistance to Human Rights Defenders in danger, their families and their work.
Manages a support programme of temporary relocation for Human Rights Defenders at risk to relocate inside their country, within their region or abroad in case of urgent threat.
Supports and coordinates an exchange platform for organisations and stakeholders working on temporary relocation for Human Rights Defenders, including through the EU temporary relocation platform.
Provides training, support and capacity building to Human Rights Defenders and local organisations.
Monitors the situation of human rights defenders and advocates for a protection agenda for Human Rights Defenders at local, regional and international level.
Promotes coordination between organisations dedicated to support for Human Rights Defenders, EU institutions and other relevant actors.
The implementation of ProtectDefenders.eu is led by a Consortium of 12 NGOs active in the field of Human Rights, namely Front Line Defenders, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network (ESCR-Net), International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA), Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights (UAF), Protection International (PI), Peace Brigades International (PBI), Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF), Forum Asia and East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP).
ProtectDefenders.eu is coordinated by an independent Secretariat based in Brussels.
TASKS TO BE PERFORMED BY THE INTERN DURING THE INTERNSHIP
Based at the Secretariat's office in Brussels, the intern will work in support to the different file-holders and under the overall supervision of the Head of Secretariat.
He/She will carry out a variety of tasks related to the purposes of the EU HRD Mechanism coordination and implementation, what will provide an opportunity for learning and achieving relevant work experience in the field of human rights at global and EU levels.
Tasks & General Responsibilities:
Allocation of grants
Carry out the first assessment of grants applications received, preparing summaries to be submitted to the Grants Coordinator;
Contact references that endorse the grants application, in order to gather relevant information that validate the applications' credibility;
Participate in meetings with the Grants Coordinator, preparing summary and briefing notes;
Follow up on the grants awarded, monitoring the status of progress of grants and liaising with stakeholders to receive intermediate and final narrative and financial reports;
Maintain up-to-date information within related folders and database.
Temporary Relocation of Human Rights Defenders
Do ‘on demand’ research on human rights defenders; backgrounds, security analysis, immediate support;
Support human rights defenders in finding ad-hoc solutions for temporary relocation;
Connect human rights defenders with relevant hosting structures in link with the EU Temporary Relocation Platform (www.hrdrelocation.eu);
Support the Coordinator of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform in related tasks.
Communication and Advocacy
Support communication, advocacy and monitoring initiatives regarding the situation of human rights defenders, in collaboration with the Communication and Reporting Officer;
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
Ongoing studies (master's degree) in law, international relations, social sciences or related field. Experience in human rights would be an asset.
Knowledge of EU institutions, UN procedures and regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights would be an asset.
Good drafting and editing skills.
Ability to adapt to multidisciplinary work in the environment of a multicultural team.
Good interpersonal and communication skills.
Fluency in English and French, oral and written.
Fluency in Spanish, Arabic or Russian would be an asset.
STARTING DATE & CONDITIONS
Starting date: To be negotiated (December 2016, January 2017).
Duration: 3 months minimum.
Conditions : Internship agreement is required.
Please note that our internships are unpaid. Schedule can be flexible and would be agreed between the supervisor and the intern. Local transportation costs and meals expenses shall be reimbursed.
HOW TO APPLY?
Please send your CV and cover letter (please include information about your availability) before November 30th by email to: Joan Audierne, Head of Secretariat, contact @protectdefenders.eu with the subject : 'Internship'.
Short-listed candidates will be invited for interviews. Succesfully candidates will be notified shortly after the interview.
Intercambio de defensoras de derechos humanos y territoriales en America Latina
Con el apoyo del Mecanismo de la UE para los Defensores y Defensoras de los Derechos Humanos - ProtectDefenders.eu, Protection International en Guatemala y Colombia ha estado impulsando en America Latina procesos de protección y fortalecimiento de la labor de las mujeres defensoras de los derechos humanos, particularmente los derechos territoriales y ambientales.
Como parte de este trabajo, del 2 al 8 de octubre se celebró el primer intercambio de mujeres defensoras de derechos humanos, en el cual participaron mujeres de las organizaciones sociales y comunidades acompanadas por los equipos de PDGuatemala, ADES-organización socia de PI en El Salvador, y PDColombia en alianza con Pensamiento y Acción Social – PAS.
La actividad tuvo como objetivo generar un espacio de intercambio de experiencias deprotección desarrolladas por las organizaciones y comunidades acompañadas. La metodología desarrollada permitió generar un espacio para profundizar a cerca de los riesgos a los que están expuestas las defensoras, en especial en contextos de explotación minera por parte de empresas extranjeras y conflictos de tierras. Entre los mayores riesgos se destacan los asesinatos de lideresas, la difamación y estigmatización de las mujeres y sus organizaciones, judicializaciones, ataque contra sus medios de vida como cultivos, y alteraciones en el medios ambiente y el uso de la tierra, como la contaminación de fuentes de agua, que terminan desplazando a las comunidades de sus territorios y limitando su espacio de actuación como defensoras.
Frente a las distintas amenazas, las mujeres identifican que los ataques en contra de sus familiares, principalmente los hijos e hijas, así como la difamación, son los hechos que han generado un mayor impacto, con consecuencia psicológicas grabes. Evidentemente todo lo anterior se presenta en un contexto de clara complicidad con las autoridades de los países.
En este intercambio se percibieron los logros, debilidades y fortalezas de las acciones de protección colectiva y autoprotección que se están llevando a cabo en sus comunidades y organizaciones, entre la que resaltan: el trabajo y desplazamientos en grupo, el uso de mecanismo de información comunitarios para la difusión de información y alertas, la denuncia como una práctica permanente y el desarrollo de acciones de incidencia nacional e internacional. Acciones que han permitido salvar vidas, dado que las respuestas institucionales en todos los países continúan siendo muy limitadas.
Al final las mujeres valoran la experiencia como un momento de aprendizaje y a su vez ratifican la importancia de la protección colectiva y de la autoprotección como un ejercicio de solidaridad y cuidado con la vida de cada defensora, apropian que estos factores, deben ser fortalecidos en cada uno de los procesos acompañados, aunque reconocen que es un gran reto, pues la estrategia del opositor en todos los casos es romper los procesos organizativos y acabar con la solidaridad.
Organizaciones y comunidades participantes:
COPINH – Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras.
Comunidad Santa Marta – ADES – El Salvador
Comunidad Nueva Santa Rosa – Guatemala
La PUYA – Guatemala
ASOCAB – Asociación de Campesinos y Campesinas de Buenos Aires – Comunidad Las Pavas – Colombia.
AGROPEGU – Asociación Agropecuaria y Pesquera – Comunidad Guayabo y Bella Unión – Colombia.
ASPROAS – Asociación de Productores Alternativos de Simití – Comunidad El Garzal y Nueva Esperanza – Colombia.
Monitoring the trial against defenders of freedom of assembly in Kazakhstan
ProtectDefenders.eu is supporting the monitoring of the trial against human rights defenders Max Bokayev and Talgat Ayan in Atyrau (Kazakhstan), carried out by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OMCT-FIDH partnership) and several local and national and international human rights organisations.
According to the Observatory, “the criminal cases against Max Bokayev and Talgat Ayan appear to be aimed at punishing them because of their criticism of the Land Code reform and at sending a chilling message to civil society in the country" Therefore, the Observatory urged the Kazakhstani authorities "to ensure that the proceedings are carried out in full compliance with the right to a fair trial, as guaranteed by international law and to acquit the two defenders”.
The Observatory denounced the judicial harassment and the arbitrary detention of Max Bokayev, a prominent civil society activist who heads the NGO “Arlan”, and Talgat Ayan, a lawyer and activist, have been ongoing since 17 May 2016. On that day, they were both arrested in Atyrau in retaliation for their crucial role in the peaceful protests against controversial amendments to Kazakhstan’s Land Code that took place in Kazakhstan in April and May, as well as their critical statements on this issue on social media platforms. In response to the peaceful land reform protests, the Kazakhstani authorities adopted a predominantly repressive approach including by detaining well-known civic activists and civil society leaders, as well as by refusing to grant authorisation for peaceful rallies.
Mutual learning experiences for WHRD and land rights defenders in Latin America
From October 2 to 8, Protection International, with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, organised a sharing experience for women human rights defenders and land rights defenders in Guatemala, the first of a set of initiatives and processes promoted to protect and strengthen the work of women human rights defenders, particularly working in land and environmental rights, through mutual learning.
September 29
Outreach mission to North-West Tunisia
On 26-27 September 2016, the EMHRF Maghreb team conducted a field visit to Tunisia’ most impoverished and remote areas, as an outreach initiative towards less connected human rights defenders and organisations carried out within ProtectDefenders.eu.
During this mission, the team visited the North-West of the country, (El Kef and Jendouba governorates), and met with four civil society organisations, in order to assess local civil society dynamics and needs as well as means to support their work in the future. As a result of this outreach mission, a new local HRDs’ organisation, whose aims are to promote citizenship and defend youth rights as well as developing civil society synergies around youth issues in the Ain Draham delegation and in the North-West of Tunisia, may receive core support from ProtectDefenders.eu to leverage and reinforce its activities.
Threatened Iranian poet Arash Chakeri, relocated in Brussels with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu
Chakeri has been increasingly critical towards his country's government, also calling for freedom and democracy as an activist. During the last years he has been regularly attacked, arrested and threatened. He decided to leave his country and he is currently relocated in Brussels with the accompaniment of Passaporta - International house of Literature as host organisation, with the financial support of ProtectDefenders.eu.
Arash Chakeri joins at least 39 other defenders that have accessed the Temporary Relocation Programme of the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism during the last three months.These threatened defenders, coming from multiple countries (Bangladesh, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan or Uganda, among others) and working on fields such as freedom of expression, land and environmental rights or women's rights are now protected and accompanied by host organisations throughout the world. Since the launch of the Temporary Relocation Programme in February 2016, 68 human rights defenders at risk and their families when needed have been awarded with a temporary relocation grant by ProtectDefenders.eu.
Human Rights Defenders facing threats are eligible to the Temporary Relocation Programme of ProtectDefenders.eu. All information and secure application forms are available at https://www.protectdefenders.eu/supporting-defenders.
Alerting on repression against human rights defenders in Cuba
ProtectDefenders.eu has supported the publication of a briefing on the situation of repression against human rights defenders in Cuba, drafted by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of implementing partners FIDH and OMCT, and released on August 29. In a context of diplomatic and economic opening in the island, legitimate activities in defence of human rights carried out by civil society are still subject to prohibitions and prosecution.
In this briefing, the Observatory warns about the escalation of acts of repression against defenders and members of Cuban civil society, in particular against the movement of 'Las Damas de Blanco' and defenders related to the "#TodosMarchamos" campaign, documenting arbitrary detentions, judicial harassment, attacks, ill-treatment and death threat reported since April 2016.
Conclusions of the judicial observation mission of the Bajo Aguan case
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, has just issued its report on judicial observation mission of the Bajo Aguán case. Four years later, 25 defenders and peasants acquitted but the murder of lawyer Trejo go unpunished.
Material assistance to arbitrarily imprisoned defender Damian Gallardo
The World Organisation against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, has allocated an emergency grant to Damián Gallardo Martínez, defender of indigenous people and education rights from the Mixe region in the state of Oaxaca (Mexico).
Mr. Gallardo has been arbitrarily detained since May 2013, as stated by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (Opinion 23/2014), as a consequence of his work for the release of political prisoners or indigenous rights in the Mixe and Zapotec regions. Mr. Gallardo is accused of criminal charges and has been subjected to repeated cruel and inhuman treatment and denied adequate medical care. The material support provided by ProtectDefenders.eu will allow Mr. Gallardo to cover expenses for adequate medical, psychological and legal attention to alleviate his situation.
In the last three months, ProtectDefenders.eu has allocated 46 emergency support grants to human rights defenders at risk, mostly to individuals working in the field of freedom of expression, indigenous people rights and good governance topics. China, Syria, Mexico, Ecuador, Burundi, Sri Lanka and Uganda rank among the countries of origin for a significant number of grantees, who requested support from ProtectDefenders.eu partners mainly to cover emergency relocation expenses, individual security measures and legal and medical assistance. Since the start of the project, the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism has provided 278 emergency grants.
Threatened defenders facing pressing needs can apply to an urgent support grant at www.protectdefenders.eu. Secured and encrypted application forms are available for defenders and requests for immediate assistance, including to cover legal or medical support, material assistance or relocation measures, can be quickly processed by ProtectDefenders.eu partners.
In June 2016, Reporters Without Borders carried out a 7 days observatory mission in Mexico, in the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu. The objective of this mission was to gather comprehensive information on the insecure situation, constant threats and attacks against the journalists in the region, in order to raise awareness and alert international community and propose recommendations.
The mission visited first the federal district of Mexico and met with institutional actors and journalists from Veracruz who fled into exile in the capital. Then, they travelled to the state of Veracruz (in the capital Xalapa and Puerto de Veracruz), to meet with local journalists, NGOs and representatives from the local mechanism for journalists’ protection. A report with all the conclusions and recommendations after this mission will be published in November.
Advocating for the rights of communities affected by World Bank project in Nepal
On August 10, ProtectDefenders.eu partner ESCR-Net sent a letter to the Government of Nepal to express concern regarding the reported and threatened human rights violations in connection with the World Bank-funded Khimti-Dhalkebar 220 kV Transmission Line Project (Project), in the Sindhuli District, which is operating on the lands of indigenous peoples.
The letter follows concerns expressed for over a decade by Project-affected peoples regarding the Project’s human rights and environmental impacts, including: appropriation of lands without adequate compensation or resettlement; impacts detrimental to local livelihoods including land devaluation, loss of economic opportunity and interference with agricultural activities; environmental impacts; health impacts; and impacts on historical, cultural, religious and sacred sites.
Release of Ildefonso Zamora following 9 months of arbitrary detention in Mexico
On August 12, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, welcomed the release of Mexican defender Ildefonso Zamora, after the intense work done to raise awareness about his case both nationally and internationally. Mr. Ildefonso Zamora was released after 9 months of arbitrary detention in reprisal for his work in defence of the environment, natural resources and the territory of the tlahuica community.
September 18
Workshop on criminalisation of social protest in Guatemala
On 29 and 30 June 2016, PBI Guatemala, in collaboration with various local organisations and with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, conducted a workshop on "Preventing and reacting to practices of defamation and criminalisation of social protest", held in Guatemala City.
46 people (37 women and 9 men) belonging to 24 organizations and social movements from 11 departments of Guatemala participated in this workshop, organised with the aim of increasing organizational and individual capacities of defenders to implement strategies and protective measures to minimize the impacts caused by the criminalization. This training addressed legal strategies for defenders to prevent and counteract criminalization processes. Moreover, the different manifestations of sexism within organizations and social movements and their psychological impacts, especially on women, were also addressed in the workshop.
Training for Trainers on Digital Security in Mexico
Together with four other organisations and with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, PBI Mexico convened and facilitated a Training for Trainers on Digital Security for 10 human rights defenders from four different Mexican states, held from 29 June to 1 july in Mexico City.
Participants were asked after training to replicate tools learned and deliver their own digital security workshops in the regions where they work. The opportunity was also used to create an informal network of organisations that can respond to the growing demands for tools on self protection from cyber threats. This initiative is the second of a series of four workshops where the focus lies precisely on sharing tools to facilitate workshops on security and protection.
In September 2016, Urgent Action Fund participated in the Association for Women's Rights in Development AWID Forum in Bahia (Brazil), meeting with WHRDs from around the world and sharing information about support available for them from ProtectDefenders.eu.
September 15
PROTECT DEFENDERS NOW - Urgent Appeals September 2016
ProtectDefenders.eu partners are concerned about the plight of harassment and criminalisation against Human Rights Defenders in China, Cambodia and Bahrain.
Justice for the killing of Willie Kimani, a Kenyan human rights defender, and his associates, Josephat Mwenda and Joseph Muiruri
ESCR-Net, within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, sent a petition to the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, to express grave concern regarding the recent abduction and killing of human rights defender and lawyer, Willie Kimani, his client, Josphat Mwenda, and driver, Joseph Muiruri and calling for a prompt and effective investigation into and accountability for these acts.
The three individuals were abducted and found dead on June 30. Their bodies were discovered in a river in Machakos County and were reported to show signs of having been tortured. Kimani had dedicated his career to defending human rights, protecting the rights of victims of torture, and transforming the criminal justice system.
Trial observation mission of the process against seven defenders in Guatemala
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, carried out in July a mission of judicial observation of the process against human rights defenders Juan Francisco Pedro, Adalberto Villatoro, Arturo Juan Pablo, Hermit Lopez, Mynor Lopez, Domingo Baltazar and Rigoberto Juarezm held in Guatemala City.
The defenders were arrested due to their role in the defence of the territory and natural resources of their communities in North Huehuetenango. They were accused of crimes as attack, coercion, threats, incitement to crime, obstruction of criminal action and kidnapping or abduction, among others. In a case regarded as emblematic of the pattern of criminalisation of human rights defenders in Guatemala and after 13 days of trial, the authorities unanimously acquitted of all charges five defenders, while two others were found guilty for some charges yet released immediately for having been in custody for over a year.
Supporting a comprehensive protection of human rights defenders and institutional dialogue in Colombia
The Colombian Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CPDH), with the funding and support provided by FIDH and ProtectDefenders.eu, is advocating before the Colombian and international institutions for the effective implementation of protection measures for human rights defenders and organisations in the country.
CPDH, in partnership with the local organisation CAHUCOPAN, has received a grant from the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism in order to strengthen dialogue between institutions and defenders and promote the development of comprehensive and tailored protection plans within local organisations, in a context where human rights defenders are frequently targeted by threats and attacks. Only between January and July 2016, at least 35 human rights defenders were murdered in Colombia, as reported by Somos Defensores.CPDH is one the 12 human rights organisations that have received funding from ProtectDefenders.eu in the last three months.
Among the other groups and organisations supported in the last trimester, a feminist organisation working in the MENA region has received a grant to set up a campaign to address sexual violence and harassment in their community, potentially benefiting 300 women. Thanks to the support of the Project, a youth organisation from Caucasus is working to bring attention to environmental impacts on the health of women employees at a contaminating plant. In Burundi, an other local organisation has been supported to receive a training on how to better secure themselves and their communications, to conduct advocacy activities and to increase their capacity to raise funds for their human rights activities
In the last year, 44 grants have been allocated by the EU Mechanism to groups of defenders and organisations working on human rights topics at a local level. Local human rights organisations and groups of defenders can apply for financial support, including core funding, in order to sustain or expand their activities. Information and one-step application forms are easily accessible and available at www.protectdefenders.eu/strengthening-organisations.
Channelling the Voice of Youths in Moroccan Public Policies
The Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF), one of the twelve partners of ProtectDefenders.eu, is supporting a set of innovative initiatives launched by the Prometheus Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (IPDDH), a local organisation consisting of young defenders working to achieve human rights education and to spread a democratic culture in Morocco.
With the financial collaboration of ProtectDefenders.eu, this NGO - established in June 2013 by a group of young people belonging to the movement of 20 February 2011 -, has been able to rent an office space and to employ a coordinator to develop new programmes aimed at channelling the voices of youths in the drafting of public policies in Morocco.
As a result of this contribution, the Prometheus Institute has set up, among other initiatives, a monitoring programme on respect for human rights in the country to address non-conventional mechanisms of the United Nations and it has published a memorandum on the cultural public policies in Morocco in April 2016, in partnership with a specialised UN agency and an international foundation.
Local organisations of human rights defenders, communities and informal groups working on human rights, also in remote and less connected areas, are eligible for funding and assistance within the ProtectDefenders.eu programme for strengthening organisations.
Through seven of its partners, ProtectDefenders.eu provides up to EUR 60000 for the implementation of projects aimed at advancing a human rights agenda and to counter violations (including emerging local initiatives, protection plans, lifeline funding, advocacy or public campaigns, capacity building and trainings, documentation and printing of materials or development of networks).
Trial monitoring on crimes against humanity and enforced disappearances in Guatemala
Peace Brigades International (PBI), with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, has participated in the monitoring of the CREOMPAZ case, against 14 retired military accused of enforced disappearances and crimes against humanity as the result of their participation in several massacres committed against non-combatant civilians in Guatemala. This key trial shall elucidate the responsibilities for the disappearance of at least 535 people who were taken by the Guatemalan army between 1981 and 1988, then killed and buried in a clandestine cemetery.
PBI has also accompanied the Q'eqch'i Maya Community witnesses involved in this case, both during their journeys to Guatemala City and the trial audiences. In addition, PBI have lent support and accompaniment to the lawyers of the Bufete Jurídico de Derechos Humanos in the reopening of the trial for genocide on March 16.
During this process, as PBI reported, the judge ruled that there is evidence to believe that 8 soldiers, -including the brother of former President Lucas Garcia (1978-1982), who was head of the Presidential junta during that period- were involved in the crimes and sent them to trial.
ProtectDefenders.eu dispatches urgent alerts and coordinates immediate responses, including early warnings, field missions to conduct urgent advocacy, documentation of human rights violations and mobilisation of public and media attention on severe situations. It also monitors the individual situation of defenders in critical situations, whether imprisoned or under trial, and advocates for the end of impunity of perpetrators.
Preventing the extradition of a russian journalist
Reporters without Borders (RSF), within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, has provided financial support and raised the voice to prevent the extradition of a young Russian opposition journalist arrested at Larnaca airport, Cyprus, at Russia’s behest. This journalist, whose identity remains confidential, was facing a possible 15-year jail sentence if extradited to his home country.
The journalist fled to escape imminent imprisonment for his activities as an independent journalist and an outspoken activist. He was known for his investigative coverage of local government corruption and his involvement in local grass-roots campaigns.
At time of his arrest, RSF denounced his imprisonment in a press release, calling for his liberation. Within sight of his trial, in addition to his Cypriot lawyer, he benefited from the support a Bulgarian lawyer, specialised in requests for extradition to Russia. The emergency grant allocated through ProtectDefenders.eu also covered his legal fees. Thanks to these joint initiatives, the court ruled his liberation and he then went to Lithuania, where he was granted asylum.
ProtectDefenders.eu has allocated 188 emergency grants for human rights defenders at risk, journalists and those fighting for the freedom of expression, since the start of the Project. Emergency grants for individuals can reach up to EUR 10000 and are channeled through the existent mechanism of eight ProtectDefenders.eu partners. Applications details, thematic and geographic criteria and contact forms, as well as a hotline working 24/7, are available at www.protectdefenders.eu.
Since the launch of the Temporary Relocation Programme last February 2016, ProtectDefenders.eu has approved and secured funding for 43 human rights defenders at risk -and their families' members when needed- to temporary relocate them away from danger. Thanks to this programme, more than 90 individuals at risk are now receiving shelter, support and permanent accompaniment .
Relocated defenders and their families -whose identities are preserved during the whole relocation process for security reasons-, faced risks, attacks or constant threats because of their work in defence of human rights, ranging from women's rights, civil rights or freedom of information and journalism to environmental rights and even artist and writers.
Defenders and their families, coming from countries as Thailand, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Yemen or Burundi benefit from funding and support granted by ProtectDefenders.eu and the collaboration and accompaniment provided by host organisations throughout the world. All those defenders at risk supported through this programme are safe now, currently or about to be relocated within host structures in The Netherlands, Nepal, Kenya, Guatemala, India, Spain, France, Ireland, Jordan or Uganda.
ProtectDefenders.eu, along with host organisations and the defenders concerned, designs comprehensive and individualised relocation programmes on a case-by- case basis, covering not only the basic needs of the defender but providing empowering tools for them to continue their work or strengthen their capacities. This is done through the assessment of the specific needs of the defenders, as the relocation programme can cover rehabilitation and medical assistance, education, training or capacity-building, as well as initiatives aimed at connecting defenders into networks or enhancing their international visibility.
ProtectDefenders.eu, through its Secretariat, allocates grants for Human Rights Defenders at risk to temporary relocate within their country or abroad, in case of urgent threat and when preventive and protection measures for personal security are not enough. ProtectDefenders.eu also coordinates the EU Human Rights Defenders Relocation Platform (EUTRP), a global platform of national, regional and international organisations involved in programmes for the temporary relocation of Human Rights Defenders.
From April 11 to 15, OMCT, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and with the support of ProtectDefenders.eu, carried out a fact-finding mission in Honduras, aimed at analysing the situation of human rights defenders in the Central American country, with a special emphasis on land rights defenders and defenders of the LGBTI community.
The mission held interviews with officials from a number of public institutions, including the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) in Honduras, embassies of the European Union (EU) and the Kingdom of Spain, as well as human rights defenders and civil society representatives in San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, the Zacate Grande peninsula and the department of Santa Bárbara. A press release was issued by the Observatory shortly after the end of the mission with preliminary conclusions and recommendations. In particular, it highlighted that the murder of Berta Caceres is emblematic of the high levels of violence faced by human rights defenders in Honduras. Moreover, other structural problems such as the misuse of criminal law against human rights defenders, the impunity for attacks against them, the absence of effective protective measures and the increasing militarisation make Honduras one of the most difficult countries in the region for the defence of human rights. The Observatory’s international mission concluded that the Honduran State should urgently take effective and comprehensive measures to tackle this climate of violence and attacks against those who defend human rights.
Legal assistance to counter criminalisation of an Armenian WHRD
ProtectDefenders.eu and Urgent Action Fund are supporting a Woman Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) from Armenia, currently facing false charges created to hinder her work on an anti-corruption campaign. An emergency grant has guaranteed her access to legal aid, reinforced the security of her office and helped her prepare an application to the European Court of Human Rights.
ProtectDefenders.eu provides funding for legal aid and judicial assistance within its emergency support programme, channeled by eight partners of the Consortium. Up to 15 defenders worldwide have requested and received emergency support for this purpose in the first months of the project.
Securing a domestic violence shelter in Montenegro
ProtectDefenders.eu and UAF have assisted a domestic violence shelter in Montenegro to secure its premises after staff members were violently attacked due to their work. With the funds provided, the shelter has increased its protection measures and installed surveillance cameras to reinforce the security at their facilities. To this day, up to 11 grants have been allocated to reinforce office security.
Office security measures, such as installation of alarms, fences or cameras can benefit from the emergency support programme delivered by ProtectDefenders.eu. Local NGOs, communities or informal groups working on human rights can also apply for a more comprehensive assistance and receive security trainings or assistance in the design of protection strategies under the grant-making programme available for organisations.
Denouncing smear campaign against Mexican human rights organisations
The International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net), within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, has denounced the recent smear campaign being waged by the Mexican media against organizations and individuals working to defend human rights in Mexico. In recent months, several Mexican media sources have launched an intense campaign to defame various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and human rights defenders active in Mexico – deriding and devaluing efforts to defend and promote social justice and human rights.
This campaign has also targeted international institutions and mechanisms, including various United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteurs, the UN Human Rights Council and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
ProtectDefenders.eu carries out extensive advocacy initiatives through its partners, by dispatching urgent and mobilising public and media attention on severe situations.
Campaigning for the return of Gustavo Castro to Mexico
ProtectDefenders.eu, through several of its partners, as OMCT, FIDH, ESCR-Net, FLD and PBI, has supported a set of initiatives to facilitate the return of the human rights defender Gustavo Castro Soto, to his home country, Mexico.
Castro Soto was retained in Honduras, as the sole witness to the murder of Berta Cáceres, the leader and co-founder of the Council of Indigenous Peoples of Honduras (COPINH) who worked to defend the rights of Lenca indigenous communities affected by the 'Agua Zarca' hydroelectric project. After an intense campaign, which included public statements and open letters, Castro Soto was allowed to return to his country.
The Head of Secretariat was invited to present ProtectDefenders.eu at a panel during the Defenders' Days organised by Civil Rights Defenders in Stockholm. The presentation was focused on opportunities for temporary relocation for human rights defenders at risk.
June 24
Presentation at the EU Delegation in Tunis
ProtectDefenders.eu was presented at the EU Delegation in Tunis, in a meeting with local human rights defenders, organisations and embassies held in the framework of the 25 th anniversary of EU presence in the country and the campaign #Eu4HumanRights.
June 24
Launch of social media
At the end of May, ProtectDefenders.eu launched its social media accounts in Facebook and Twitter, aimed at contributing to the dissemination of resources for available for human rights defenders and organisations, as well as information about partners' activities within the Project.
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