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March - April  2014
Issue: 89



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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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Fair Trial Manual Second Edition
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BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: Human Rights Special Procedures: Determinants of Influence
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CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Closing Space: Democracy and Human Rights Support Under Fire
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GLOBAL WITNESS: Deadly Environment: The dramatic rise in the killing of environmental and land rights defenders
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PROTECTION INTERNATIONAL: Guide for facilitators for the New Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders
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UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR: Freedom of Assembly and Association Briefing April 2014
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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



BRAZIL: Landmark internet bill of rights passed
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BURKINA FASO: Restrictive associations bill rejected by Parliament
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CHILE: Government rejects use of anti-terror law on protestors
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Highlights

CIVICUS interventions during the 25th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
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Oral Statement by CIVICUS to the 55th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
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CIVICUS examines restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly in Bolivia, Egypt, Iran and The Gambia
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CIVICUS and HURISA urge South Africa and SADC to protect Swazi activists
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CIVICUS and Pakistan Development Alliance decry restrictive Foreign Contributions Bill
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CIVICUS joins partners in raising concern about repression of civil society in Sri Lanka
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Analysis piece by CIVICUS Secretary General Danny Sriskandarajah on ‘why restricting foreign funding is wrong-headed’
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Analysis piece by CIVICUS Policy and Advocacy Officer, Tor Hodenfield on the ‘hypocrisy of foreign funding laws in Ethiopia’
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Analysis piece by CIVICUS Head of Policy and Research on India and South Africa’s moves to weaken civil society rights at the UNHRC
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ALGERIA: Authorities using bureaucratic ploys to harass CSOs
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AZERBAIJAN: Civil society leader harassed and prevented from leaving country
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UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declares imprisonment of human rights defender arbitrary
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BANGLADESH: Persecuted human rights defender receives global recognition
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BRAZIL: Draft anti-terror law ahead of World Cup could affect freedoms of expression and assembly
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CAMBODIA: UN Special Rapporteur urges lifting of ban on public assemblies
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Minority and land rights NGO Ponlok Khmer threatened with closure
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CHINA: Four more members of the ‘New Citizens Movement’ advocating for transparency in public life convicted
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EGYPT: Mass death sentences imposed on dissenters after grossly unfair trial
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ETHIOPIA: Call for release of arrested Zone 9 bloggers and journalists
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HONDURAS: Attempted murder of indigenous people’s rights and environmental activist
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JORDAN: Civil society leader detained and prevented from entering country
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RUSSIA: Appeals court upholds order to human rights group, ‘Memorial’ to register as a foreign agent
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RWANDA: Wave of intimidation against the media as journalists are arrested
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SAUDI ARABIA: Worries about the torture and incommunicado detention of Saudi human rights defenders
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Human rights defender and blogger sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for “incitement and participation in protests, writing articles against state security and communicating with foreign media”  
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SUDAN: Increased censorship of newsprint by security services
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SWAZILAND: Prominent human rights lawyer and newspaper editor subjected to judicial persecution
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SYRIA: Prosecutor presents charges of “promoting terrorist activities” in trial of detained human rights defenders
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UGANDA: Anti-homosexuality law being challenged before the East African Court of Justice
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UNITED STATES: Whistle-blower Edward Snowden reveals that government spied on human rights organisations
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VIETNAM: Call to drop charges against persecuted political blogger
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Civil Society Behind Bars

Call for the release of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja on the third anniversary of his arrest
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Book by Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialiatski banned
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Interview  with Civil Society Activists

Feliciano Reyna from CIVILS, a non-profit organisation promoting and defending human rights in Venezuela speaks to CIVICUS about the ongoing protests and the fragile political situation 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

COPY EDITOR
Lerato Pagiwa
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