March - April 2014
Issue: 89
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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 Click here to download
BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: Human Rights Special Procedures: Determinants of Influence Click here to download
CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Closing Space: Democracy and Human Rights Support Under Fire Click here to download
GLOBAL WITNESS: Deadly Environment: The dramatic rise in the killing of environmental and land rights defenders Click here to download
PROTECTION INTERNATIONAL: Guide for facilitators for the New Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders Click here to download
UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR: Freedom of Assembly and Association Briefing April 2014 Click here to download
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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
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BRAZIL: Landmark internet bill of rights passed Read more
BURKINA FASO: Restrictive associations bill rejected by Parliament Read moreCHILE: Government rejects use of anti-terror law on protestors Read more
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Highlights
CIVICUS interventions during the 25th Session of the UN Human Rights Council Read moreOral Statement by CIVICUS to the 55th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Read more
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CIVICUS examines restrictions on
the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly in
Bolivia, Egypt, Iran and The Gambia Read more
CIVICUS and HURISA urge South Africa and SADC to protect Swazi activists Read more
CIVICUS and Pakistan Development Alliance decry restrictive Foreign Contributions Bill Read more
CIVICUS joins partners in raising concern about repression of civil society in Sri Lanka Read more
Analysis piece by CIVICUS Secretary General Danny Sriskandarajah on ‘why restricting foreign funding is wrong-headed’ Read more
Analysis piece by CIVICUS Policy and Advocacy Officer, Tor Hodenfield on the ‘hypocrisy of foreign funding laws in Ethiopia’ Read more
Analysis
piece by CIVICUS Head of Policy and Research on India and South
Africa’s moves to weaken civil society rights at the UNHRC Read more
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ALGERIA: Authorities using bureaucratic ploys to harass CSOs Read more
AZERBAIJAN: Civil society leader harassed and prevented from leaving country Read more
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declares imprisonment of human rights defender arbitrary Read more BANGLADESH: Persecuted human rights defender receives global recognition Read more
BRAZIL: Draft anti-terror law ahead of World Cup could affect freedoms of expression and assembly Read more
CAMBODIA: UN Special Rapporteur urges lifting of ban on public assemblies Read more
Minority and land rights NGO Ponlok Khmer threatened with closure Read more
CHINA: Four more members of the ‘New Citizens Movement’ advocating for transparency in public life convicted Read more
EGYPT: Mass death sentences imposed on dissenters after grossly unfair trial Read more
ETHIOPIA: Call for release of arrested Zone 9 bloggers and journalists Read more
HONDURAS: Attempted murder of indigenous people’s rights and environmental activist Read more
JORDAN: Civil society leader detained and prevented from entering country Read more
RUSSIA: Appeals court upholds order to human rights group, ‘Memorial’ to register as a foreign agent Read more
RWANDA: Wave of intimidation against the media as journalists are arrested Read more
SAUDI ARABIA: Worries about the torture and incommunicado detention of Saudi human rights defenders Read more
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” Read more
SUDAN: Increased censorship of newsprint by security services Read more
SWAZILAND: Prominent human rights lawyer and newspaper editor subjected to judicial persecution Read more
SYRIA: Prosecutor presents charges of “promoting terrorist activities” in trial of detained human rights defenders Read more
UGANDA: Anti-homosexuality law being challenged before the East African Court of Justice Read more
UNITED STATES: Whistle-blower Edward Snowden reveals that government spied on human rights organisations Read more
VIETNAM: Call to drop charges against persecuted political blogger Read more
Civil
Society Behind Bars
Call for the release of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja on the third anniversary of his arrest Read more
Book by Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialiatski banned Read more
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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.
Read more
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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.
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