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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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Thailand: Government must immediately and unconditionally drop royal defamation charges against youth activists

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Asia Democracy Network are alarmed by the ongoing judicial harassment against youth pro-democracy activists in Thailand for exercising their rights to expression and peaceful assembly.
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Malaysia: Two years on, still no protection & accountability for Rohingya HRD Zafar Ahmad from harassment and threats

We, the undersigned organisations, are deeply concerned about the situation of stateless Rohingya refugee and human rights defender Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani, President of Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization (MERHROM), who has been vilified and has received death threats since April 2020 after he was falsely accused of demanding Malaysian citizenship and equal rights for the Rohingya in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Hong Kong: Chow Hang Tung remains in detention for one year since her arrest

Today, we mark a year since the arrest of human rights defender and lawyer Chow Hang Tung.
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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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Ethiopia: Civil society calls for the immediate release of detained journalists

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS calls on the Ethiopian authorities to immediately release 11 journalists and media workers arrested and detained since May 19 in Amhara state and the capital Addis Ababa for doing their work.
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Guinea: Civil society calls for the lifting of a ban on assemblies

The decision made by Guinea's transitional authorities to ban public demonstrations in public spaces for the duration of the transitional period seeks to undermine further the right to protest and prevent Guineans from expressing their views about issues affecting them.
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Madagascar: Drop all charges against environmental rights defender Jeannot Randriamanana

Ahead of the next appeals hearing in the case involving Malagasy environmental human rights defender Jeannot Randriamanana scheduled for 14 June 2022, the global civil society alliance CIVICUS calls on the authorities to drop all charges against him and stop persecuting human rights defenders.
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The DRC: CIVICUS calls for the immediate release of journalists Patrick Lola and Christian Bofaya

CIVICUS calls on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) authorities to immediately release journalists and activists Patrick Lola and Christian Bofaya, arrested for doing their job.
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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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Algeria: Global Campaign urges authorities to lift restrictions on civic space

CIVICUS joins 37 other organisations today in announcing a 10-day campaign against the increasing government repression of individuals and groups defending human rights in Algeria.
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Cambodia Should Scrap Rights-Abusing National Internet Gateway

We, the following 32 human rights organisations, call on the Cambodian authorities to revoke the Sub-Decree on the Establishment of the National Internet Gateway (NIG).
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Sri Lanka: Security forces must exercise restraint and protect the right to protest

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, calls on Sri Lankan security forces to refrain from using excessive force and prevent further deaths and injuries amid increasing violence around protests and guarantee a safe and enabling space for peaceful protesters to voice their concerns.
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ASEAN: Decision on humanitarian assistance on Myanmar must include all related parties

Decision on humanitarian assistance on Myanmar must include all related parties to avoid aid weaponisation by the junta We, the 765 undersigned Myanmar regional and international organisations, are gravely concerned by the outcome of the Consultative Meeting on ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance to Myanmar that puts the military junta in control of humanitarian aid distribution in Myanmar.
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Myanmar: Regional bloc must move beyond the failed consensus

One year on, since adopting the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its member states have not achieved any progress in addressing the human rights and humanitarian crisis perpetrated by the military junta.
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India: Human rights defender Khurram Parvez marks 150 days arbitrarily detained on baseless charges

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Amnesty International condemn the way in which the authorities have targeted and harassed human rights defender Khurram Parvez through the misuse of the justice system, 150 days on, from his arbitrary detention.
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Human rights situation in Africa: a special focus on shrinking of civic space

CIVICUS statement at the 71st Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
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Spotlight on Cameroon: Reverse the suspension of journalists

CIVICUS condemns the decision by Cameroon's National Communications Council to suspend journalists Séverin Tchounkeu (CEO) and Cédrick Noufele (Editor-in-chief and presenter), who are working with the privately-owned broadcaster Equinoxe TV for one month.
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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.
Photo Courtesy: Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ)
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Malawi: CIVICUS calls for the immediate release of activist and journalist Vitus-Gregory Gondwe

CIVICUS calls on the Malawian authorities to immediately release Vitus-Gregory Gondwe, a journalist and activist based in Malawi, for his work that exposes government corruption and urges  Malawian authorities to act against individuals involved in corruption.
Photo courtesy: Eric Chiyuka
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Zambia: Immediate drop-off trumped-up charges on Journalist Eric Chiyuka

CIVICUS calls on the Zambian authorities to immediately drop all the charges against journalist and activist Eric Chiyuka.
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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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Sri Lanka: Lift restrictions on fundamental freedoms and investigate violations

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, is alarmed by the declaration of a state of emergency in Sri Lanka, the excessive use of force by the Sri Lankan security forces against protesters and restrictions on internet access following widespread demonstrations in the country.
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Civil society expresses solidarity with the Ukrainian people and condemn Putin’s War

We civil society organisations, including national umbrella bodies from across the world, stand united in our condemnation of Russia’s military aggression toward Ukraine in gross violation of international law.
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Indonesia: Intimidation against human rights activists exemplify narrowing civic and democratic space

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, is highly alarmed by the Indonesian authorities' decision to name human rights defenders Fatia Maulidiyanti and Haris Azhar as suspects in a defamation case for speaking up about human rights violations connected to corporate crime in Papua allegedly linked to government officials.
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Hong Kong: Police must drop order against human rights group to shut down its website

  CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, is disturbed by a formal letter issued by the Hong police to UK-based human rights group, Hong Kong Watch, to shut down its website for allegedly violating a national security law.
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Egypt: End arbitrary detention, Free them all

Arabic Twelve Egyptian activists have been on hunger strike since early February 2022 in protest of their prolonged pre-trial detention at Tora Prison Complex.
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Indonesia: Release Victor Yeimo and hold perpetrators of human rights violations in Papua accountable

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, and Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) are gravely concerned by the ongoing prosecution of human rights defender Victor Yeimo.
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Singapore: Jolovan Wham’s sentencing highlights repressed civic space

The sentencing of Singaporean activist Jolovan Wham highlights the increasingly repressive space for activists and human rights defenders in Singapore, said the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and Think Centre in a joint statement today.
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Unified and coordinated international response a must in face of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine

Read the statement in Russian Global civil society alliance CIVICUS stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and calls for a swift, unified and targeted international response on Russia.
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Mexico: Investigate the killing of human rights defender Francisco Vazquez

The brutal assassination of human rights defender Francisco Vazquez in Morelos, Mexico, by unidentified armed men should prompt the authorities to hold those responsible accountable and put a stop to these senseless acts of violence against human rights defenders and others, global civil society alliance, CIVICUS said today.
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Sudan: Free women detainees!

CIVICUS joins civil society groups in calling for the immediate release of Sudanese women human rights defenders in detention, and accountability for the crimes committed against them.
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Tanzania: Reversal of Ban on Four Newspapers a step in the right direction

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS welcomes the decision of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan to lift the ban on four newspapers – Mwanahalisi, Mawio, Mseto, and Tanzania Daima – that was imposed by the late President John Magufuli between 2016 and 2020.
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Cambodia: More arrests and increased harassment of striking NagaWorld union activists

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) are gravely concerned about the escalation of harassment against the NagaWorld union members and further arrests this week by the Phnom Penh police under the pretext of violating a pandemic law.
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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.

One Year after the Illegitimate Military Coup in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Joint LGBTIQ+ Civil Society Statement We will never forget.

Myanmar: Hold the junta accountable

Human Rights Defenders call on ASEAN and the international community to hold the junta accountable for grave human rights violations and atrocity crimes in Myanmar.
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Global Call to Join a Diplomatic Boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

Beijing Olympics Begin Amid Atrocity Crimes Global Groups Call for Action on Rights Concerns
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Egypt: Quash Verdicts and Stop Unfair Trials by Emergency Courts

We, the undersigned organisations, call on Egyptian President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi to immediately quash the verdicts against seven arbitrarily detained human rights defenders, activists and politicians.
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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.
Photo by Adam Jones via Wikimedia Commons.
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Amendments on the Media Services Act of 2016 of Tanzania

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS welcomes the commitment by the Tanzanian authorities to review the restrictive Media Services Act of 2016 and create a more enabling environment for media outlets and journalists.
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India: Release human rights defender Khurram Parvez & stop harassment of activists in Jammu & Kashmir

Ahead of his upcoming hearing on 21 January 2022, CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, calls on the government of India to immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Khurram Parvez.
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Rights Groups in Indonesia stand in solidarity with the People of Myanmar

We, the undersigned civil society organisations in Indonesia, and organisations with presence in Indonesia, express solidarity with the people of Myanmar and condemn the ongoing grave violations committed by the military junta.
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India: Halt judicial harassment of rights groups over foreign funding

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, condemns the recent case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the Centre for Promotion of Social Concern (CPSC) and its programme unit called People's Watch on allegations of 'conspiracy' and 'illegal foreign funding withdrawal' under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 1976.
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ASEAN: Refrain from legitimising junta and enhance cooperation to address human rights situation in Myanmar

Civil society organisations urge the regional-bloc under Cambodia Chairship to halt further measures that will bring legitimacy to the junta military of Myanmar.
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Hong Kong: Restrictions on civic space increase as independent media outlets are forced to close

🇭🇰#HongKong🚩Forced closure of independent media outlets🚩Judicial harassment of #journalists🚩Further deterioration of civic freedoms & democracyWe urge the international community to stand with the people of #HongKong & call out these violations: https://t.
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Algeria: Marked regression in human rights underscored by proliferation of baseless terrorism prosecutions

Arabic The undersigned organisations are deeply concerned and alarmed by the sustained repression of fundamental freedoms and legitimate human rights work in Algeria, including the marked proliferation of prosecutions on baseless terrorism charges against human rights defenders, journalists and peaceful activists.
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Egypt: Release human rights defenders Alaa Abdel Fattah, Mohamed El-Baqer and Mohamed Oxygen

Ahead of the Emergency Court verdict on 20 December, we, the undersigned organisations, call upon the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Alaa Abdel Fattah, Mohamed El-Baqer and Mohamed Ibrahim “Oxygen” and to drop all charges and cases against them.

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