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January 2016
Issue: 102



Welcome to Civil Society Watch Bulletin, an e-newsletter of updates and analyses concerning civil society's rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression around the world. The Bulletin is compiled by the staff at Civil Society Watch, a programme of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Please feel free to forward the Bulletin to friends and colleagues. We welcome your comments and contributions!
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HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: World Report 2016
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FREEDOM HOUSE: Freedom in the World 2016
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UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai – 2015: The Year in Assembly & Association Rights
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Critical Crackdown: Freedom of expression under attack in Malaysia
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PROTECTION INTERNATIONAL: Criminalisation of human rights defenders
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CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is an international movement of civil society with members and partners in over a hundred countries. CIVICUS nurtures the foundation, growth and protection of citizen action throughout the world especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened. The Civil Society Watch Project of CIVICUS seeks to mobilise quick, principled and effective responses to events that threaten civil society fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly



Algerian activist held since October 2015 set free from jail
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Bahrain court overturns sentence, acquits human rights defender
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Iran releases journalist after 544 days in jail
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United Kingdom appeals court rules that the Terrorism Act is not compatible with the right to press freedom
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Guatemala acquits and releases human rights activists after two years in detention
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After five year ban, Venezuela national assembly reopens its doors to the press
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Highlights

CIVICUS calls on Ethiopia to stop the killings of Oromia protestors
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CIVICUS joins other CSOs lobbying the Financial Action Task Force to revise its recommendation on the vulnerability of non-profits to terrorism financing
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CIVICUS joins a new alliance to fight inequality
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CIVICUS urges Nigeria legislators to reject the proposed Social Media Bill
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CIVICUS condemns the sentencing of two South Korean protest leaders
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ARGENTINA: Social movement leader arrested for leading protest
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AFGHANISTAN: Seven broadcasting station employees killed in Taliban attack
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BAHRAIN: Human rights defender/journalist missing after house raid
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BRAZIL: Police violently disperse protestors
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BURUNDI: Case of missing activist reported to the UN
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Global CSOs lobby UN Security Council ahead of its visit to Burundi
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Journalists detained, equipment confiscated
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CHINA: Journalist denied accreditation after criticising state
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Global CSOs Call for China to release 36 illegally detained activists
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Activists jailed for publishing books on democracy
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Activists sentenced for up to five years for “inciting subversion of state power”
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COLOMBIA: Human rights defender shot dead
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CUBA: 150 pro-democracy protestors arrested
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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Human rights activists denied bail
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EGYPT: Writer barred from receiving freedom of expression award
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Court upholds sentences against human rights defenders
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Cartoonist arrested for comics making fun of the government
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FRANCE: UN agencies warn emergency laws could restrict freedoms
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HONDURAS: LGBTI activist assassinated by shooting
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KENYA: Rise in harassment of bloggers
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KUWAIT: A new law that requires all web media to be licenced and criminalises criticising the state was passed
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KAZAKHSTAN: Jail time for activists over Facebook posts
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MOROCCO: Seven journalists tried in court for training citizen journalists
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Human rights defender charged for making comments on Western Sahara occupation
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PAKISTAN: Grenade attack on Pakistan TV station
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Human rights activist arrested for calling for release of arrested fellow activist
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POLAND: Police unit accused of monitoring journalists in tapes scandal
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SOUTH KOREA: UN Special Rapporteur raises concerns on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
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TANZANIA: newspaper banned for articles that “incite violence”
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THAILAND: Judicial harassment of arrested activists persists
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TURKEY: Academics under investigation for issuing declaration
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UNITED KINGDOM: UN representatives express privacy and freedom of expression concerns on draft investigatory powers bill
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UGANDA: Intimidation of media and civic groups rises ahead of elections
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Radio station closed ahead of election
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Two human rights defenders denied bail
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VENEZUELA: Human rights lawyer assassinated
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VIETNAM: CIVICUS joins other CSOs calling for the release of Vietnamese arrested activists.
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Interview with Civil Society Activist

CIVICUS spoke to Yared Hailemariam, the director of Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia, concerning the recent killing of protesters in the country.
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DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this bulletin are a reflection of those contained in the original reports to which they are linked here, and are not necessarily those of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

CONTACT US

EDITORS
Mandeep Tiwana
Teldah Mawarire


COPY EDITOR
Lerato Pagiwa
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Lerato Pagiwa


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