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Vietnam: Stop the arbitrary arrest and detention of environmental human rights defenders

We, the undersigned organisations, express grave concern over the recent arbitrary arrest, detention, and silencing of several environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) speaking out against harmful business operations supported by the government.
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Bahrain: Chronology of the persecution of human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja

Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is a prominent member of Bahraini civil society and well known human rights activist in the gulf.
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India: UN body demands immediate release of Khurram Parvez

Indian authorities should immediately release Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, a group of United Nations (UN) human rights experts has said.
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Thailand/Laos: investigate the killing of Lao refugee and put an end to transnational repression of human rights defenders

In response to news on 17 May 2023 of the fatal shooting of Bounsuan Kitiyano, a 56-year-old Lao human rights defender and a refugee recognized the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in a border town in northeastern Thailand, we, the ten undersigned organizations, urge the government of Thailand to independently, effectively and promptly investigate this incident and ensure effective remedy to the victim’s family and loved ones.
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Human rights croups call for the urgent release of Vietnamese climate leader, Dang Dinh Bach

CIVICUS joins calls for the release of Vietnamese climate leader, Dang Dinh Bach and stand in solidarity with civil society in the frontlines of Vietnam’s just energy transition   We, the undersigned climate justice and human rights advocates worldwide, call for the immediate release of prominent environmental lawyer, Dang Dinh Bach, who is serving a five year prison sentence in Vietnam on trumped-up tax evasion charges after advocating for the country’s movement away from coal.
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Bangladesh: Stop targeting Odhikar and its leadership

Respect the Fundamental Rights to Freedom of Association and Expression Bangladeshi authorities must end reprisals against Odhikar and its leadership and respect the fundamental rights to freedom of association and expression.
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Cambodia: Disqualification of opposition party reveals government’s zero commitment to free and fair elections

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation strongly condemn Cambodia’s National Election Committee (NEC)’s decision to bar the Candlelight Party (CP) - the country’s main opposition party–from contesting in the upcoming general election in July 2023.
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India: Oxfam targeted again with accusations of foreign funding and influencing

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, is extremely concerned about the Indian authorities’ latest investigation against Oxfam India for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
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Sudan: Protect civilians as armed conflict escalates

The international community including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union, Arab League  and the United Nations should act in a timely manner to prevent a civil war in Sudan, global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, said  today.
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Egypt: Solidarity statement with poet Galal El Behairy on the 5th anniversary of his arbitrary arrest and his announcement of a hunger strike

The undersigned organisations express their full solidarity with poet Galal El Behairy on the fifth anniversary of his arbitrary arrest and detention solely on the basis of his peaceful expression, an anniversary on which he has announced a hunger strike.
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Cambodia: Media and civil society groups disturbed by revocation of media outlet’s license

We, the undersigned media and civil society organizations, are deeply disturbed by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s order to revoke the license of Voice of Democracy (VOD), one of the last remaining independent media outlets in Cambodia.

Civil society groups demand Indonesia to implement cohesive policy and approach to not legitimise Myanmar junta in ASEAN

On the 2nd anniversary of Myanmar's attempted coup, we, the undersigned, call on Indonesia as the Chair of ASEAN to not legitimise the Myanmar junta at any cost.

Resist Myanmar’s digital coup: International community must dismantle military dictatorship — or reap repercussions

Today marks two years since the Myanmar military initiated a deadly coup, ripping the country out of democratic transition.
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Maldives: Police should scrap plan to use taser guns

We, the undersigned organisations, call on the government of the Maldives to immediately halt preparations for the Maldives Police Service (MPS) to be issued Taser guns or any other form of conductive energy devices (CEDs).
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Laos: After 10 years, civil society worldwide is still asking: “Where is Sombath?”

**Photo: Prachatai Ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Lao civil society leader Sombath Somphone, we, the undersigned civil society organizations and individuals, renew calls on the Lao government to determine his fate and whereabouts and deliver justice, truth, and reparation to his family.
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Hong Kong: Chronology of harassment against human rights defender Chow Hang-tung

Chow Hang-Tung is a human rights lawyer, pro-democracy activist and was one of the four vice-chairs of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement of China (HKA).
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India: UN body petitioned over ongoing detention of prominent Kashmiri human rights defender

On the first-year anniversary of prominent Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez’s arrest and detention, four human rights organisations have submitted a complaint to the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
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Malaysia: Civic spaces shrinking at an alarming rate for LGBTQ persons in Malaysia

Together with over 66 organisations, we express concern over the recent raid of a social gathering in Kuala Lumpur and the shrinking civic spaces for LGBTIQ person in Malaysia.
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Alaa Abdel-Fattah’s life at serious risk: demand Egypt to immediately release him now!

CIVICUS stands in solidarity with movements and civil society organisations calling on Egypt to immediately release human rights activist, Alaa Abdel-Fattah.
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Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS urges a peaceful transfer of power in Brazil

Brazil’s presidential election results have been declared by the country’s election authority with Luiz Inacio Lula De Silva securing 50.
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Sudan: woman at risk of death by stoning

Mariam Tirab, 20 years old woman from Sudan was sentenced to death by stoning on June 27th, 2022.
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FIJI: Contempt proceedings over highlighting spelling mistake inject climate of fear

Amnesty International and CIVICUS call on the Fiji government to drop contempt charges against a lawyer in Fiji for the exercise of his right to freedom of expression.
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Uganda: Reverse the suspension of LGBT organisation

CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organisations and activists dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world is seriously concerned about a recent decision by the Ugandan authorities to suspend the operations of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an organisation that has for years championed the rights of LGBT people in Uganda.
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Sri Lanka: Brutal attack against peaceful protesters by security forces

Joint Statement Five human rights organizations strongly condemned the brutal attack against unarmed peaceful protesters by Sri Lankan forces in Colombo in the early hours of 22 July 2022 .
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Sri Lanka: State of emergency must not be used to curtail fundamental freedoms

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, is concerned with the declaration of a state of emergency by the prime minister’s office in Sri Lanka on 13 July and again by the Acting President on 18 July.
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Indonesia: Draft law of criminal code negatively impacts fundamental freedoms

Statement in Indonesian Joint statement: Hold public consultations on the revised draft of the Criminal Code and repeal restrictive provisions We, the undersigned organizations, are alarmed by provisions in the draft amendments of the Indonesian Criminal Code, recently made public, that will negatively impact civic space and fundamental freedoms in the country.
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Singapore: Drop investigations and cease harassment against human rights defenders

Seven (7) human rights organisations urgently call on the Singaporean authorities to drop their criminal investigations of human rights defenders Kirsten Han and Rocky Howe and cease harassing them through legal processes for their work.
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Egypt: Mohamed El-Baqer: 1000 days of arbitrary detention

Arabic Human rights defender Mohamed El-Baqer must be released immediately and unconditionally, stated 19 human rights organisations.
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Kazakhstan downgraded as civic freedoms deteriorate

Russian / Русский Failure of authorities to independently and impartially investigate the Bloody January' 2022 protests, when 200 people were killed and thousands injured Widespread allegations of arbitrary detentions of peaceful protesters, torture and ill-treatment and due process violations in connection with the January events The January events used as a pretext by authorities to target civil society activists, opposition supporters, and journalists Kazakhstan has been downgraded from Obstructed to Repressed  by the CIVICUS Monitor.
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Bangladesh: Arbitrary de-registration of prominent human rights group Odhikar another blow to civil society

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) are extremely alarmed by the decision of the government to arbitrarily revoke the registration of Odhikar, a leading human rights organisation in Bangladesh.
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UAE: Release all prisoners of conscience now

Joint letter calling on the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to intervene immediately in favour of the release of prisoners of conscience.
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India: Chronology of harassment against human rights defender Khurram Parvez

Human rights defender Khurram Parvez, 44, is the Programme Coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) which is a coalition of various campaign, research and advocacy organisations based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir which monitor and investigate human right abuses.
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Zoom sur la suspension du droit d’exercer de journalistes au Cameroun : appel à l’annulation de cette décision

CIVICUS condamne la décision du Conseil national de la communication du Cameroun de suspendre pour un mois les journalistes Séverin Tchounkeu (PDG) et Cédrick Noufele (rédacteur en chef et présentateur), qui travaillent pour la chaîne de télévision privée Équinoxe TV.
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Hungary: Orbán and Fidesz party election victory spells further concerns for civic freedoms 

‘Biased and unbalanced news coverage’ during election favouring the ruling party Civil society face orchestrated smear campaigns  Government passes decree which bans independent journalists from accessing hospitals Global alliance CIVICUS and the Civil Liberties Union for Europe are concerned about civic freedoms in Hungary following Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz Party’s landslide victory in April’s parliamentary elections, which were declared free but not fair.
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Bangladesh: Stop Reprisals Against Victims, Activists

Bangladesh authorities have responded to US Treasury Department sanctions on the notoriously abusive Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) by retaliating against victims’ relatives, human rights defenders and their families, and human rights organizations, twelve organizations said today.
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Slovenia: New research on the state of civic freedoms ahead of elections

SLOVENIAN New research on the state of civic freedoms ahead of Slovenia's parliamentary elections - journalists & civil society facing restrictions The ruling SDS party has interfered & undermined the work of the Slovenian Press Agency and the largest public broadcaster, RTVSLO Budget cuts have targeted organisations and media critical of the Prime Minister’ Janez Janša’s government COVID-19 used as a pretext to restrict protest rights & the work of civil society Global civil society alliance CIVICUS and the European Civic Forum are concerned about the ongoing decline of civic freedoms in Slovenia under Prime Minister Janez Janša’s government.
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Turkey: CIVICUS joins call for the release journalist Sedef Kabaş

We join the Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) and other press freedom organisations and journalists in calling on Turkey to release senior journalist Sedef Kabaş.
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India: Ongoing targeting of activists under anti-terror laws for their protests against citizenship law

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are deeply concerned about the ongoing harassment of 18 human rights defenders under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in reprisal for their advocacy work against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019.
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Philippines: Human rights defender Teresita Naul released after courts dismiss trumped-up charges

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, welcomes the release of human rights defender Teresita Naul.
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ASEAN must step up its efforts to address deteriorating human rights and civic space situation in Southeast Asia

Under the Chairmanship of Cambodia in 2022, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must meaningfully address the regressive human rights crisis in the region, including the rapidly deteriorating situation in Myanmar, said rights groups at a webinar today.
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Poland debates prison terms for abortion in new blow to women’s rights

🇵🇱#Poland: Today the Polish Sejm will discuss a bill which proposes a total #AbortionBan, jail time for having an abortion & criminalises those who provide assistance.
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Winners of the 2021 Innovation Awards!

Winners of the 2021 Nelson Mandela-Graça Machel Innovation Awards reflect the power of collective action.
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Sri Lanka: Two years on, escalating assault on freedoms by the Rajapaksa administration

Two years on from the election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President of Sri Lanka, the state of civic freedoms in the country continues to regress.
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ASEAN: Cambodia Chairmanship Should Thoroughly Address Crisis in Myanmar

We, the undersigned organisations, call on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) to increase its effort to address the ongoing human rights crisis in Myanmar, which was triggered by the attempted coup in February 2021.
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A decline in civic freedoms is anything but ‘silly’  

UK Member of Parliament, Jacob Rees-Mogg’s belittling of the CIVICUS Monitor's Watchlist is further evidence of the disregard for civil society and citizen activism in the country.
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The International Community Must Support and Protect Palestinian Civil Society

بالعربية As a group of 242 regional and international organisations, we express our full solidarity with Palestinian civil society and human rights defenders as Israel continues to escalate its attacks to shut down critical human rights work and silence opposition to its occupation of Palestinian territory and apartheid over the Palestinian people as a whole.
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Hongkong: Civic space deteriorates as another civil society group plans closure

#HongKong: The closure of @amnesty & other civil society groups highlights the devastating impact of the draconian #NationalSecurityLaw on #civicspace.
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Malaysia: IPCC bill is a step backwards for police accountability

Today, we—Amnesty International Malaysia, ARTICLE 19, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Human Rights Watch—call on Members of Parliament in Malaysia to reject the deeply flawed Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) bill and move quickly to table a bill to establish a police accountability mechanism that is truly independent and capable of ensuring adequate police oversight.
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Vietnam: Immediately release journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang

  Ahead of her upcoming trial on 4 November, the undersigned 28 human rights and freedom of expression organizations today condemn the ongoing arbitrary detention of independent journalist and woman human rights defender Pham Doan Trang.
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Poland: A Year On, Abortion Ruling Harms Women

Anniversary Marks Ongoing Assault on Women’s Rights, Rule of Law Women, girls, and all pregnant people have faced extreme barriers to accessing legal abortions in the year since a Constitutional Tribunal ruling virtually banned legal abortion in Poland, 14 human rights organizations said today.

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