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Iraq: Freedom of speech and assembly under attack as over 100 killed & hundreds arrested

ARABIC The undersigned international, regional and Iraqi human rights organisations demand that the authorities in Iraq immediately uphold promises to put an end to violent reprisals against the popular protest movement taking place across the country, which has left over 100 people dead, with thousands more injured and hundreds detained.
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Civil Society Organisations condemn the continued investigation of ex-RFA journalists Yeang Sothearin and Uon Chhin

Phnom Penh, 07 October 2019 - We, the undersigned civil society organisations strongly condemn the decision by the Municipal Court judge to continue the investigation into unsubstantiated espionage charges against Yeang Sothearin and Uon Chhin.
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India: End communication blockade in Jammu and Kashmir without further delay

Kathmandu/Bangkok/Paris/Geneva, 4 October 2019: Today completes two months of the unprecedented communication blockade in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
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A year on, NGOs amplify calls for justice and accountability for Jamal Khashoggi's murder

On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain official documents in order to get married, but he did not make it out alive.
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UN: Address Egypt’s Assault on Rights

ARABIC (Geneva, September 17, 2019) – The United Nations Human Rights Council should use the upcoming review of Egypt’s human rights records to address unprecedented levels of repression, 17 organizations including Human Rights Watch said today in an open letter to the council’s member countries.

Stop Restrictions on Freedom of Assembly and Association in Iran

Arabic    President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Address: Pasteur St.
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New data analysis shows that Latin American civil society has poor access to development resources

CIVICUS, and the Colombian social impact startup, Innpactia, released the report, Access to Resources for Civil Society Organisations in Latin America: Facts and Challenges, which presents a challenging funding landscape for CSOs in Latin America.
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Open letter: Pope Francis' visit to Mozambique presents an opportunity to address human rights violations

Read it in Portuguese | Italian JOINT OPEN LETTER Your Holiness, Pope Francis Apostolic Palace 00120 Vatican City Re: Open letter on human rights to Pope Francis from Civil Society groups on his visit to Mozambique Your Holiness, Pope Francis We, the undersigned, are writing as a group of non-governmental organisations working to promote and defend human rights in many countries around the world, including Mozambique.
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Sudan: Ensuring a credible response by the UN Human Rights Council at its 42nd session

To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland Excellencies, Ahead of the 42nd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (“HRC” or “the Council”), we, the undersigned civil society organisations, urge you to ensure the Council takes action to address serious human rights violations and abuses that have been and continue to be committed in Sudan, and to support systemic reforms in the country.
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UN resolution needed to help address human rights crisis in Cambodia

To Members and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council Dear Excellency, The undersigned civil society organizations, representing groups working within and outside Cambodia to advance human rights, rule of law, and democracy, are writing to alert your government to an ongoing human rights crisis in Cambodia and to request your support for a resolution ensuring strengthened scrutiny of the human rights situation in the country at the upcoming 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (the “Council”).
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Yemen: Over 75 organisations call for mandate of Group of Eminent Experts to be renewed

Over 75 organisations call for mandate of Group of Eminent Experts to be renewed, emphasising violations against human rights defenders Arabic We, the undersigned more than 75 international, regional and Yemeni CSOs, call for the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) to extend and broaden the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen (GEE), including a thorough investigation into specific violations against human rights defenders, journalists and bloggers, and the closure of civic space.
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Hong Kong: De-escalate violence and respect freedom of peaceful assembly

Bangkok, 16 August 2019 – We, the undersigned civil society organisations, express our deep concerns on the escalating violence in Hong Kong and urge the authorities to ensure conditions for peaceful assembly and association are present, and the protestors to exercise their rights to protest peacefully.
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Burundi: Continued investigation needed into grave human rights violations

FRENCH To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland Excellencies, Ahead of the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (“HRC” or “the Coun­cil”), we, the undersigned national, regional, and international civil society organisations, write to call on your delegation to support a resolution extending the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Burundi for a further year, until September 2020.
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Government’s closure of Human Rights NGO another blow for fundamental freedoms in Equatorial Guinea

Global #humanrights organisations condemn the Equatorial Guinea government’s closure of a prominent rights NGO, part of its long-running attack on fundamental freedoms there https://t.
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Sudan: Peace deal welcome but all parties must commit for transition to be effective

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, has welcomed the announcement of a peace deal that has been reached in Sudan, between the Transitional Military Council and opposition leaders but has warned that all parties need to commit to the agreement’s terms for the transition to be effective.
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Malaysia: Positive step but further revisions needed of protest law

Pusat KOMAS and global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, welcome the Malaysian government’s efforts to make amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Act, which regulates public assemblies and protests.
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Indian Government should withdraw criminal charges against NGO ‘Lawyers Collective’ and its representatives

26 June 2019, Bangkok/Colombo/Dublin/Geneva/Johannesburg/London/New Delhi/New York/Paris We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the filing of criminal charges against Indian NGO ‘Lawyers Collective’, its Senior Advocate Anand Grover, and other representatives.
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Honduras government must stop violent clampdown on peaceful protests

📢 Desde @CIVICUSespanol condenamos y exigimos el fin de la brutal represión ejercida contra las protestas pacíficas en #Honduras por parte de las fuerzas de seguridad de @JuanOrlandoH.
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Urgent appeal for the release of Malak Al-Kashif

FRENCH We, the undersigned human rights organisations, call on UN Special Rapporteurs, Members of the European Parliament, and representatives in national Parliaments of the European Union to urgently intervene and communicate with the Egyptian authorities to immediately release jailed activist Malak Al-Kashif, who was arrested for expressing her views on Facebook.
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Sri Lanka: Release poet and drop spurious charges against him

Joint Statement from CIVICUS and Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) The arrest and ongoing detention of award-winning author and poet Shakthika Sathkumara on spurious charges are a clear violation of his right to freedom of expression, CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance and the Asian Human Right Commission (AHRC), said today ahead of his next court hearing on 18 June.
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Pakistan: Human Rights Defender Gulalai Ismail at risk

Pakistani authorities must end their judicial persecution of human rights defender Gulalai Ismail, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today.
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CSOs express concern over judicial harassment of former Cambodia National Rescue Party members

Arrests & detentions for being a member of the political opposition in #Cambodia.
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BANGLADESH: HRD tortured while in arbitrary detention must be released and charges be dropped

            Bangladesh authorities must immediately release human rights defender Mohammad Abdul Kaium, who has been allegedly tortured in custody during his arbitrary detention.
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Pakistan: Joint letter on civic space violations against Pashtuns

Dr Shireen M MazariFederal Minister for Human RightsMinistry of Human Rights9th Floor, New Pak Secretariat (Kohsar Block)Sector F-5, Islamabad, Pakistan Concerns regarding civic space violations against the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) CIVICUS: the World Alliance for Citizen Participation is a global alliance of civil society organisations (CSOs) and activists dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world.
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Philippines: Stop the Attacks against Human Rights Defenders and Protect Civic Space

  Joint Statement: We, the undersigned organisations, strongly denounce the recent death threats addressed to Karapatan Secretary General, Cristina Palabay in the Philippines.
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The Belgrade Call to Action

French A Civil Society Call to Stand Together to Defend Peoples’ Voices for a Just and Sustainable World Reverse the Closing and Shrinking Space for Civil Society Stop the Increasing Attacks on Human Rights Defenders and the Undermining of Democratic Participation Renew the Prospects for an Inclusive Agenda 2030 and the Full Realization of the SDGs Launched in Belgrade, April 8, 2019 We, leaders from Global Civil Society, coming from civil society organizations, activists and campaigners from all parts of the World, on this day in Belgrade call on international and national civil society to stand together and declare aloud: Enough is enough! Stop the relentless attacks on civil society, social leaders and human rights defenders! The global community is currently moving down a path that will leave hundreds of millions of people behind; real and transformative progress towards achieving the systemic changes for people and planet promised by Agenda 2030 will not be possible without a fully engaged civil society and people’s genuine participation through their organizations and communities.
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UAE: Ahmed Mansoor remains on hunger strike in poor conditions as eyesight deteriorates

Imprisoned human rights defender and blogger Ahmed Mansoor has been on hunger strike since 17 March 2019 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is in very poor condition.

Five CIVICUS members join the Youth Action Team

This April, five new members joined the CIVICUS Youth Action Team (YAT).
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Singapore: Anti-fake news bill another tool to suppress criticism and dissent

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, are extremely concerned by a new bill that has been proposed by the Singaporean authorities to counter false news.
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CIVICUS alliance new board members

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS was pleased to announce the new elected CIVICUS board during the International Civil Society Week - ICSW in Serbia, 8 -12 April 2019.
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CSOs call for action for inclusive Sustainable Development process at Civil Society Summit in Belgrade

Belgrade, Serbia – Civil society organisation (CSO) representatives, development workers, activists, and campaigners from all over the world are gathering in Belgrade, Serbia on April 8, 2019 for the Civil Society Summit as part of International Civil Society Week.
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Global civil society condemns the criminalisation of human rights defenders in Guatemala

  Joint letter condemns the criminalisation of human rights defenders Claudia Samayoa and José Martínez in Guatemala We the undersigned organizations are gravelly alarmed by the ongoing, targeted criminalization of human rights defenders in Guatemala including the recent judicial harassment of defenders Mrs.
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Emirati Women continue to face Systemic Oppression by Authorities

Women in the United Arab Emirates continue to face incredible barriers to their rights to civic freedoms by state and non-state actors.
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Five countries added to watchlist of countries where civic freedoms are under serious threat

  Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sudan, and Venezuela join global watchlist Escalating rights violations include killings, attacks on protesters, media restrictions and arbitrary detentions of human rights defenders International community must pressure governments to end repression Five countries from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Latin America have been added to a watchlist of countries which have seen a rapid decline in fundamental freedoms in recent weeks and months.
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Attacks on women’s day march in Malaysia inconsistent with the government’s commitment to fundamental freedoms

Amnesty International, Article 19 and CIVICUS strongly condemn the government backlash against the International Women’s Day march held in Malaysia on 9 March 2019.
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Demanding gender equality is not terrorism! Saudi Arabia must drop all charges against detained WHRDs

Last week 36 member states condemned the human rights violations of Saudi Arabia, calling for the release of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs), including Loujain Al Houthal.
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Singapore: Joint Statement on the Sentencing of Human Rights Defender Jolovan Wham

We, the undersigned human rights organisations, strongly condemn the politically-motivated prosecution of Singaporean human rights defender Jolovan Wham.
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CIVICUS calls for urgent investigation into death of woman human rights defender in Kenya

ALERT: CIVICUS calls for urgent investigation into death of woman human rights defender in #Kenya #JusticeForCarolineMwatha https://t.
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Global civil society condemns violent repression of anti-government protests in Venezuela

40 people killed and more than 800 detained since public protests began on January 23 Journalists covering demonstrations have been attacked The UN has called for an independent investigation into the state’s alleged used of force against protesters The government of President Nicolás Maduro has often used violence against protesters since coming to power in 2013.
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Global Statement on the 20th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders

French l Portuguese l Spanish The 9th of December 2018 marked 20 years since global leaders adopted the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
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Thousands of Bangladesh garment workers fired for demanding better wages

Almost 5,000 workers producing clothes for international brands were sacked for participating in protests and strikes for improved pay At least one person was killed, and hundreds injured after police used excessive force against protesters Almost 100 have reportedly been arrested and charged for participating in labour actions The firing of almost 5,000 low-paid garment workers in Bangladesh in reprisal for participating in protests and strikes for higher wages is a clear violation of fundamental freedoms, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today.
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Global youth-led data initiative launched for UN's Sustainable Development Goals

  New youth-led global data initiative for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals kicks-off in Tanzania Selected from over 2,000 applicants, 26 young data innovators from around the world are meeting in Arusha, Tanzania from 21-25 January to launch the Goalkeepers Youth Action Accelerator, a one-year initiative focused on sourcing and using data to drive progress towards the UN’s Global Goals.
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NICARAGUA: Observatory established to monitor human rights crisis

International Organisations Establish International Observatory of the Human Rights Situation in Nicaragua April 18, 2018 marked a watershed moment in the recent history of Nicaragua, with the outbreak of a political and social crisis that has seriously impacted the respect for and guarantee of human rights of the Nicaraguan people.
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Human rights groups demand Zimbabwe stop violent repression of protesters and respect fundamental freedoms

Security forces violently repress protests, killing at least eight and injuring more than a dozen after using live ammunition against demonstrators Hundreds of protesters arrested during a three-day national shutdown called to protest massive fuel price hikes, with reports of security forces assaulting citizens in their homes Leading human rights defender Evan Mawarire among those arrested and charged with public violence Authorities shut down social media sites and the internet, only partially restoring online access after the end of the strike action Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and Civil Society alliance, CIVICUS call on South Africa and the African Union to act to prevent more violence Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, have called on the authorities in Zimbabwe to exercise restraint and desist from using violence against peaceful protesters who have been demonstrating against a massive increase in fuel prices.
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Government shuts down civil society organisations as part of ongoing campaign of repression in Nicaragua

 Parliament has cancelled the legal registration of nine civil society organisations (CSOs) The move comes after some of the CSOs participated in hearings into human rights violations at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights The shutdown of CSOs comes at a time of serious attacks on fundamental freedoms in Nicaragua Global civil society groups express concern that more Nicaraguan CSOs may be targeted Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, has condemned the cancellation of the legal registration status of nine civil society organisations in Nicaragua as an affront to the right to freedom of association.
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Syria: We remember Razan, Samira, Nazem and Wa’el five years after their kidnapping

On 09 December, people around the world remember Razan Zaitouneh, Samira Khalil, Nazem Hamadi and Wa’el Hamada, kidnapped in Douma, Syria on this day five years ago.
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Ethiopia: Dear Prime Minister, act to protect the rights of civil society organisations

Joint civil society letter to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia on the need to revise a draft law that would restrict freedom of association in the country.
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New Report: 6 in 10 countries now seriously repressing civic freedoms

Espanol | Francais Findings based on data released today by the CIVICUS Monitor a global research collaboration which rates and tracks the respect for fundamental freedoms in 196 countries.

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