News

Standing in solidarity with Venezuelan human rights defenders

The recent, ongoing and unwarranted detention of five members of the Venezuelan NGO ‘Azul Positivo’ is one more event in a series of threats, harassment, attacks, restrictions, reprisals and criminal proceedings against Venezuelan civil society organizations and human rights defenders, which has been intensifying since November 2020.
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Deportation of academic increases the chilling effect on freedom of expression in Fiji

The recent deportation of academic Professor Pal Ahluwalia is alarming and highlights the restrictive environment for freedom of expression in Fiji, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today.
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Myanmar: Release all activists and politicians detained and restore democracy

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS is alarmed that the military’s takeover of control of Myanmar from the civilian government represents a sharp reversal of the partial yet significant progress toward democracy made in recent years following five decades of military rule and international isolation.

Cambodia: Drop charges against union leader Rong Chhun and other activists

On Wednesday, prominent trade unionist and labour activist Rong Chhun will again appear before the trial court in Cambodia in one of a series of high-profile trials being carried out in Cambodia in an ongoing crackdown on activists which escalated significantly over the past year.
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Russia: Stop violence against peaceful protesters

Read the statement in Russian The arrest of more than five thousand protesters in Russia calling for the release of anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny is a gross violation of the constitutional rights of all Russians to assemble peacefully, as Russia continues to openly deny its international human rights obligations, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today.
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Bahrain: Open letter to Danish Prime Minister to take immediate action to free Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja

Arabic It's been 10 years since human rights defender, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja has been arrested for his human rights activities.
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Uganda: Egregious measures threaten free and fair elections

🇺🇬🗳️President @KagutaMuseveni has ruled #Uganda for 35 years.
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Hong Kong: Crackdown on democratic freedoms continues with mass arrests

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS condemns the mass arbitrary arrests in Hong Kong this week in an unprecedented crackdown on democratic freedoms and calls for the immediate release of all those detained.
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Poland: concerns over intimidation, violence and detentions of peaceful protesters

Joint letter to: Clement Voule, UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Assembly and Association Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Physical and Mental Health Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Palais Wilson, 52 Rue des Pâquis 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
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Cuba: release detained protesters and stop harassment of rights activists and their organisations

Hoy, en el #DiaDeLosDerechosHumanos hacemos un llamamiento a las autoridades cubanas para detener la represión de los artivistas que reclaman sus derechos civiles y liberar a quienes se encuentran actualmente detenidos o bajo arresto domiciliario.
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Algeria: European Parliament calls for action on human rights and expresses solidarity with demonstrators

Arabic The European Parliament’s second urgency resolution on Algeria in a year is an important step and should be followed by stronger public action from the international community
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India: Human rights body must raise concerns over crackdown

To: Hon’ble Justice (Retd.

16 Rights Groups Raise Bahrain Human Rights Concerns with Formula One

Rights watchdogs tell F1 leaders to use their leverage to compensate victims of abuse & ensure right to protest ahead of two Grand Prix races in Bahrain

Thailand: Government must respect and protect the rights of demonstrators

We, the undersigned organizations, condemn the Thai police’s unnecessary and excessive use of force against peaceful protesters marching to the national parliament in Bangkok on November 17, 2020.
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Morocco: End intimidation and harassment campaign against rights defender Maati Monjib

The undersigned civil society organisations call on the Moroccan authorities to immediately end their intimidation and harassment campaign against academic and human rights defender Maati Monjib and drop all baseless charges leveled against him.
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Sri Lanka: A year after Presidential elections, civic freedoms under increasing assault

A year on from the election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President of Sri Lanka, global civil society alliance CIVICUS is extremely concerned about the country’s regression in civic freedoms.
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Algeria: Free Amazigh and Hirak activist in prison for exercising his freedom of opinion

بالعربية On 11 November, the court of Khenchela (eastern Algeria) is expected to hear activist Yacine Mebarki's appeal, following his sentencing on 8 October to 10 years in prison and a heavy fine of 10 million dinars (about 77,611.
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Cambodia’s Government should stop silencing journalists, media outlets

Free Arbitrarily Detained Media Workers, Restore Media Licenses
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Upcoming UN review critical moment for Maldives to address civic freedom gaps

CIVICUS and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) call on UN member states to urge the Government of the Maldives to protect civic freedoms as its human rights record is examined by the UN on 4 November 2020 as part of the 36th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
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Appointment of UAE Ministry of Interior Official to the Presidency of INTERPOL

العربية Dear Secretary General, We, the undersigned, are writing to express our deep concern over recent reports announcing the candidacy of Major General Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, the General Inspector of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Ministry of Interior, for the presidency of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).
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Judicial harassment of human rights defender Muhammad Ismail

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Front Line Defenders, FIDH, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT), and the International Service for Human Rights strongly condemn the deliberate targeting of human rights defender Muhammed Ismail and his wife Uzlifat Ismail, the parents of woman human rights defender Gulalai Ismail.
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Honduras: killings and harassment of environmental defenders must stop

Honduran authorities must act to protect environmental defenders in the community of Guapinol and investigate threats and harassment against them, according to global civil society alliance CIVICUS.
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Open letter: The Covid-19 ‘recovery’ must supercharge the fight against inequality

The Covid-19 ‘recovery’ must supercharge the fight against inequality
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Algeria: Critically-ill activist Abdallah Benaoum must be immediately released

بالعربية The Algerian authorities have accelerated the arbitrary detention and prosecution of activists and journalists amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, most recently refusing requests to provisionally release and provide adequate medical care for Algerian activist Abdallah Benaoum, imprisoned solely for his critical views of the authorities' crackdown on Hirak protests, ten national, regional and international groups said today, ahead of his trial scheduled on 27 October.
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85 CSOs concerned as Cuba is granted a new seat on UN Human Rights Council

In response to Cuba’s election to a fifth term on the Human Rights Council, 85 Cuban and international human rights and freedom-of-expression organizations, in conjunction with independent media outlets, released the following statement:  We are deeply concerned about the decision to grant Cuba a new opportunity to have a seat on the Human Rights Council.
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Saudi Arabia: C20 attendees must call on government to free jailed activists

In January 2020, over 220 Civil Society Organisations endorsed a statement issued by Amnesty International, CIVICUS and Transparency International announcing that they will not be participating in the sham Civil20 process hosted by Saudi Arabia, due to the Kingdom’s horrific human rights record.
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Singapore: Drop police report against independent media outlet New Naratif

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, urge the government of Singapore to order the Elections Department (ELD) to immediately withdraw its police report against New Naratif, and to cease abusing the law to harass critical voices and independent journalists.
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India: Amnesty International Forced to Halt Work

Government Increasingly Targeting Rights Groups Today, CIVICUS joined fourteen other human rights organizations in condemning the Indian government’s actions against Amnesty India and pledged to continue support for local human rights defenders and organizations against the recent crackdown.
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CIVICUS calls on Nicaraguan authorities to withdraw new bill threatening freedom of association

A new bill introduced in Congress by lawmakers from Nicaragua’s governing party would severely restrict freedoms of association and expression if passed into law, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today.
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Indonesia: Academic at risk of imprisonment for online criticism of university hiring procedures

Joint NGO Statement by CIVICUS, Article 19, KontraS Aceh, LBH Banda Aceh, KontraS and YLBHI
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Civil Society Organisations Call for the Draft Law on Public Order to be Immediately Discarded

Phnom Penh, 13 August 2020 – We, the undersigned national and international organisations and communities, call on the Royal Government of Cambodia (“RGC”) to immediately discard the repressive draft Law on Public Order and uphold its obligations under international human rights law.
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Young leaders breaking down the Agenda 2030 to the National level

Virtual Global Exchange on Zoom: Young Sustainable Development advocates will break down the 2030 Agenda from Global to Local accountability mechanisms for civil society.
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Urgent Appeal: Civil Society Call for Moroccan Authorities to Cease Intimidation of Journalist Omar Radi

Arabic The undersigned civil society organisations call for an immediate and unconditional end to the intimidation and harassment of independent Moroccan journalist, Omar Radi, who has been summoned by police to appear for interrogation seven times over the past several weeks.
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Sri Lanka: Human Rights Under Attack

Lawyers, Human Rights Defenders and Journalists Arrested, Threatened, Intimidated

An Urgent Call to Release Human Rights Defenders in Honour of Nelson Mandela Day

Dear World Leaders, On Nelson Mandela Day, civil society organisations across the globe call on you to release imprisoned human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience.
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Serbia: CIVICUS calls on Serbian authorities to stop attacks against peaceful protesters

CIVICUS urges Serbian authorities to stop using force to disperse protesters demonstrating against the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Malaysia: End harassment and intimidation of media workers and critics

Joint Statement with Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists The Malaysian authorities must immediately put an end to their increasing attacks on freedom of expression, especially the media, international non-governmental organisations Amnesty International, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said today.
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Joint letter on Colombia: COVID-19 cannot be a smokescreen to target social leaders

🇨🇴📝Joint letter on #Colombia: #COVID19 cannot be used as a smokescreen to target social leaders.
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Increased targeting of members of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission

Front Line Defenders, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the International Service for Human Rights, condemn the killing of two employees of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), Fatima Khalil and Ahmad Jawed Folad, on 27 June 2020.
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Singapore: Open letter to parliamentary candidates and political party leaders to prioritise fundamental freedoms

🇸🇬Singapore: Three civil society organisations call on parliamentary candidates and political party leaders to commit to respecting and protecting human rights, particularly fundamental freedoms, during and after the #SGElection https://t.
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Rebuilding for Good

Arabic | بالعربيةFrench | FrançaisSpanish | Español   Full article Actions needed from governments to support & sustain civil society The COVID-19 pandemic has had extraordinary economic, social and political impacts.
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Malaysia: Drop contempt proceedings against online news outlet Malaysiakini

Joint statement by Article 19 and CIVICUS
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Fiji: Stop harassing peaceful protesters at the University of the South Pacific

Joint Statement by Amnesty International and CIVICUS The Fiji authorities must respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly for university staff and students and immediately cease intimidation tactics.

International support for petition to declare Cuba’s Decree-Law 370 unconstitutional

The undersigned organizations and media outlets support the petition presented on June 8 in Cuba before the National Assembly, the State Council, the Supreme Court, the Office of the Attorney General, and the President of the Republic declaring 2019’s Decree-Law 370 unconstitutional (1).
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India: Two more women activists arrested as crackdown on protesters continue

Human Rights Defenders Alert – India and global civil society alliance CIVICUS call for the immediate release of two women activists who were arrested last week for their involvement in mass protests against the discriminatory citizenship law.
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Judicial harassment of human rights defender Muhammed Ismail persists amid pandemic

The Pakistan authorities must halt their judicial harassment of human rights defender Muhammed Ismail and his wife Uzlifat Ismail and drop all charges against them, said CIVICUS, FIDH, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and Front Line Defenders.
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Bangladesh: Stifling expression using Digital Security Act must not be the norm to address COVID-19 pandemic

    A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission and CIVICUS The Bangladesh government has resorted once again to its notorious Digital Security Act-2018 to muzzle freedom of expression, arresting 11 individuals following criticism of the governments’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Cuba: Statement against the application of Decree Law 370 and Limits On Freedom of Expression

A total of 47 human rights organisations and independent press media denounce the violation of fundamental human rights caused by the application in Cuba of Decree Law 370.

Anti-corruption and the role of civil society in monitoring IMF emergency funding

99 civil society organizations have urged the IMF to consistently and formally include anti-corruption measures in its COVID-19 pandemic-related emergency funding and take concrete steps to help protect and empower civil society groups to monitor these funds.
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Yemen: Over 150 NGOs appeal for death sentences of four journalists to be overturned

Arabic Organisations which support human rights, press freedom and journalists are calling on United Nations mechanisms and member states to help save the lives of four Yemeni journalists who were sentenced to death in April 2020 in the capital Sana’a on charges of “spying” and “spreading false news.

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