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Open Letter to Drivers, Teams and Performers at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix 2018

Dear friends, As you ready yourselves to hold the limelight on the stages and tracks of the final Formula One race of the season, we the undersigned NGOs, wish to draw your attention to the reality of the human rights situation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is a far cry from the glitz and glamour the country intends to project to the world.
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Austria’s civic space rating downgraded

The downgrade is based on an assessment of conditions for the exercise of the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression on the CIVICUS Monitor.
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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 marks 20 years since global leaders adopted the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
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Dear African Commission on Human Rights: Don’t provide cover for repressive Egyptian government

Joint letter to Chair of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights: Don’t provide political cover for brutal repression of Egyptian government (below letter sent to Chair Soyota Maiga, while ACHPHR meets in Banjul, Gambia) Dear Chair Soyota Maiga, We are writing to urge you to reject the bid to hold the upcoming African Commission on Human Rights and People's Rights (ACPHR) 64th ordinary session in Egypt.
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New Head of UN Human Rights needs to visit Bangladesh

Joint letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet, on the deterorating human rights situation in Bangladesh Your Excellency: Congratulations on your new role as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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Joint Statement on Cambodia: End impunity for crimes against journalists and activists

Phnom Penh, 1 November 2018 – On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, we, the undersigned civil society groups and communities, condemn the ongoing impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of crimes against journalists and human rights defenders in Cambodia, and urge the authorities to take immediate action to ensure the effective, independent, and transparent investigations of all crimes.
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Saudi Arabia: Over 160 groups call for accountability following murder of journalist and widespread arrest of women’s rights defenders

Francais | Espanol | العربية Saudi Arabia: Kingdom must be held to account for suppression of dissent, following murder of journalist and widespread arrest of women’s rights defenders Recognising the fundamental right to express our views, free from repression, we the undersigned civil society organisations call on the international community, including the United Nations, multilateral and regional institutions as well as democratic governments committed to the freedom of expression, to take immediate steps to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for grave human rights violations.
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Pakistan: Government orders closure of 18 civil society organisations

Global civil society calls on the Government of Pakistan to reverse its order to close 18 human rights and development organisations 25 national, regional and international civil society organisations (CSOs) express their deep concern over the suspension and expulsion of 18 international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) in Pakistan.
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Myanmar: Drop Charges Against Three Kachin Activists 

Joint Statement by CIVICUS and Amnesty International Myanmar authorities must immediately drop defamation charges against three Kachin activists who led a peaceful rally in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State.
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Letter from Jail: Nicaraguan Farm Leader, Medardo Mairena

Incarcerated farm leader Medardo Mairena writes a letter to media from jail Medardo Mairena Sequeira,  is the Coordinator of the National Council in Defense of Land, Lake and Sovereignty and member of the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy.
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Joint Statement: Civil society condemns the wrongful conviction of Cambodian human rights defenders

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS, Freedom House, and Front Line Defenders condemn yesterday’s conviction of four human rights defenders from the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and a National Election Committee (NEC) official, in what we see as a clear attack against their legitimate human rights work.
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Apply: Goalkeepers Youth Action Accelerator

New programme to support youth tackling major social issues through data collection Initiative will amplify activists’ work and hold leaders accountable Selected activists will receive funding, technical assistance and networking support 2019 is kicking off with an exciting, innovative, youth-led and multi-partner programme called the Goalkeepers Youth Action Accelerator! The launch of the Accelerator is a direct response to the challenges young people face in accessing sufficient and appropriate resources to meaningfully engage in development decisions and activities that affect their communities.
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New digital security law a further blow to media freedom and free expression in Bangladesh

The Digital Security Act was passed despite protests from civil society and journalists DSA  incorporates other legislation that has been systematically used to silence dissent New law comes amid a growing, brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and dissent  
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Global rights group condemns violent repression of peaceful protests in eSwatini (formerly Swaziland)

Global civil society alliance condemns ongoing violations of freedom of assembly At least two protesters shot, several injured in police attacks on marches Hundreds of thousands of workers staged three days of protests Violent police action against peaceful protests comes on eve of controversial elections Global human rights groups have condemned the violent repression of peaceful protests in eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) as part of a long-running pattern of fundamental rights violations in the southern African kingdom.
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Attacks on opposition and media continue as elections approach in Maldives

Attacks on opposition and media continue as elections approach in #Maldiveshttps://t.
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Lysa John Announced as new CIVICUS SG

The CIVICUS Board of Directors is pleased to announce that following an extensive international search and selection process, Lysa John will be joining CIVICUS as the new Secretary General (SG) of the alliance.
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Colombia: Rise for Climate marchers unlawfully obstructed

Peaceful activists and campesinos of the “Movimiento Rios Vivos” were unlawfully obstructed by police in Ituango, Colombia on 8 September 2018 as they participated in the global “Rise for Climate” mobilisation.
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Time to Sign: Stand with students & activists in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Release and drop all charges against all those arbitrarily arrested and investigate police abuse Global civil society alliance CIVICUS is calling for your support and solidarity to demand the release of students and protesters who were arrested and charged over the last month in Bangladesh.
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Malaysia: Senate’s rejection of bill abolishing fake news law a step backwards for the Pakatan Harapan government

#Malaysia: Senate’s rejection of bill abolishing fake news law a step backwards for the new government says @CIVICUSalliance & @article19org https://t.
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Deportation of human rights defender highlights repressive environment in Vietnam

Vietnam arbitrarily detains and deports global human rights leader attending regional summit Senior Amnesty International official also denied entry to attend World Economic Forum meeting Barred entry of activists comes amid widespread repression of human rights in Vietnam CIVICUS condemns actions, calls for end to harassment, intimidation, imprisonment of activists Global human rights groups have condemned Vietnam’s arbitrary detention and deportation of a Malaysian human rights leader who had arrived in the country to attend a regional World Economic Forum (WEF) summit.
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Egypt: “Cyber crime” law another massive blow for freedom of expression

The passing of the so called “cybercrime law” is another worrisome development for citizens in Egypt, adding another layer to the already repressive freedom of expression situation in the county.
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Persecution of rural protest movement leaders continue as crisis deepens in Nicaragua

Three campesino environmental activists mistreated in detention, awaiting trial UN report confirms continued targeting of campesino leaders by government UN staff expelled from Nicaragua after UN report on protesters’ rights abuses More than 320 people killed since violent crackdown on protests began in April Global rights groups urge authorities to drop all charges, release campesino leaders
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Treaty could protect environment and human rights in Latin America

Over 200 civil society groups have issued a joint letter calling on governments in Latin America and the Caribbean to sign the Escazu Agreement & commit to respect people’s right to participate in environmental decisions! https://t.
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CIVICUS condemns conviction of Reuters journalists on trial in Myanmar

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, believes the conviction of two journalists employed by global news agency, Reuters, who have been on trial in Myanmar is a dark day for press freedom in Myanmar.
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127 Rights groups call for immediate release of Nabeel Rajab after UN group calls his detention arbitrary and discriminatory

Paris-Geneva-Manama- For the second time since 2013, the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has issued an Opinion regarding the legality of the detention of Mr.
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Six countries added to watchlist of countries where civic freedoms are under serious threat

New #civicspace watchlist - Six countries to keep an eye on: https://t.
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Cambodia: Drop Fabricated Charges against ‘ADHOC 5’

Cambodian authorities should immediately drop politically motivated bribery charges against five human rights defenders known as the ADHOC 5 (“FreeThe5KH” in social media campaigns), five international organizations said today.
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Uganda: shocking violence against protesters requires urgent attention

JOHANNESBURG: Shocking scenes have emerged from Uganda where police and the military have used live ammunition and extreme violence to disperse protestors demanding the release of detained members of parliament and activists following days of political unrest in further signs of growing political intolerance against dissenting voices.
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JOINT STATEMENT: Civil Society Groups Call for the Release of Tep Vanny

Land activist and human rights defender Tep Vanny has been unjustly detained for two years, for defending the rights of the Boeung Kak Lake community and her fellow Cambodians.
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Liberian musician, Indian student and Angolan author named as global creative arts contest winners!

What do a Liberian rapper, an Indian journalism graduate and a young Angolan author have in common?  They are all winners of a global contest that encourages young creatives to imagine the kind of democracy they would like to live in.
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Bangladesh: Release all those arbitrarily arrested and investigate police abuse

To the President of Bangladesh, H.
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Perpetrators of violence against protesters and journalists in Bangladesh must be held accountable

A global human rights group has called for police and ruling party supporters to be held accountable for their violent responses to peaceful student protests in Bangladesh.
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SADC should urge respect of the rule of law in Zimbabwe’s post-elections crisis

JOHANNESBURG: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) should urge Zimbabwean authorities to show restraint and respect of the rule of law in the wake of a violent crackdown on post-election protests.
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Maldives: Still no justice for abducted Maldives journalist

Four years after the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan, the criminal court has acquitted two suspects on trial for abducting him.
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Malaysia: Acquittal of individuals charged for sedition a positive move for free speech

A Malaysian court has acquitted three government critics charged under the draconian Sedition Act A renown political cartoonist, a human rights lawyer and a parliamentarian were on trial for criticism of the government and judiciary’s political-motivated prosecution of former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim CIVICUS calls for sedition charges against others for their activism, to be dropped The government must also repeal the Sedition Act ahead of the UN human rights review in November
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Joint Statement: End judicial harassment of Singaporean activist Jolovan Wham

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance and its partners Asia Democracy Network (ADN), Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Forum Asia, Instituto de Comunicación y Desarrollo (ICD), West African Human Rights Defenders Network, Experts for Security and Global Affairs Association, Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN),  European Civic Forum (ECF) and International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) call on the Singapore government to drop contempt charges against human rights activist, Jolovan Wham for his comments on social media criticising the judiciary.
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Government repression undermines legitimacy of Cambodian elections

Legitimacy of upcoming #Cambodia elections questioned as Hun Sen has narrowed democratic space by cracking down on opposition & journalists & attempting to silence #civilsociety https://t.
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Rights Groups: Latest arrests part of government campaign to silence activists

CIVICUS & @karapatan call for immediate & unconditional release of all detained #humanrights defenders & development workers, & for authorities to investigate & prosecute police & military members responsible for this gross abuse of power https://t.
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2018 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY: ‘Through Arts and Imagination’

Re-Imagining Democracy: in search of silenced voices   Call for Submissions Johannesburg, 3 July 2018 – What does democracy mean to you? How are youth in your community putting democracy into action? What do you see as threats to democracy today? What does your ideal democracy look like? ‘Through Arts and Imagination’ is a global contest seeking bold and original creative arts submissions – music, poetry, art, multimedia – that present youth perspectives on Re-imagining Democracy.
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DIA INTERNACIONAL DE LA JUVENTUD 2018: 'A través de las artes y la imaginación'

Re-imaginar la democracia: en busca de voces silenciadas   Convocatoria Johannesburgo, 3 de julio de 2018 - ¿Qué significa para ti la democracia? ¿Cómo están poniendo en práctica la democracia los jóvenes en tu comunidad? ¿Qué consideras que supone una amenaza a la democracia de hoy en día? ¿Cómo es tu democracia ideal?  'Through Arts and Imagination' es un concurso internacional que busca recoger piezas artísticas, originales y creativas, de música, poesía, arte y/o multimedia, en las que se muestre el punto de vista de la juventud en torno al tema Re-imaginar la democracia.
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JOURNÉE INTERNATIONALE DE LA JEUNESSE 2018: 'A travers les arts et l'imagination'

Ré-imaginer la démocratie: à la recherche de voix réduites au silence   Appel Johannesburg, 3 juillet 2018 - Que signifie la démocratie pour vous? Comment les jeunes mettent-ils la démocratie en pratique dans votre communauté? Que considérez-vous comme une menace pour la démocratie aujourd'hui? Comment est votre démocratie idéale?  'Through Arts and Imagination' est un concours international qui vise à collecter des morceaux artistiques, originaux et créatifs de musique, de poésie, d'art et/ou de multimédia, dans lesquels le point de vue de la jeunesse est présenté autour du thème Ré-imaginer la démocratie.
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CIVICUS Announces Leadership transition

It is with a mix of sadness and appreciation that the CIVICUS Board of Directors announces that Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah will be stepping down from his role as Secretary General at the end of 2018.
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Nepal government must halt efforts to curtail civil society organisations

A new proposed policy by the government of Nepal would further curtail the work of international and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the country by tightening the state’s control over them.

Nigerian president Buhari must ensure release of journalist Jones Abiri

President Muhammadu Buhari Aso Villa, Yakubu Gowon Crescent,  The Three Arms Zone, Asokoro,  Abuja, FTC, Nigeria Dear President Muhammadu Buhari, We at the Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-profit organization that champions press freedom internationally, and 18 other organizations, are writing to call for the release of journalist Jones Abiri, who has been held by Nigeria's Department of State Security (DSS) for nearly two years, and to call for DSS to be held accountable for its attacks against journalists in Nigeria.
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Civil Society Responses to US Withdrawal From UN Human Rights Council

Following the announcement of the United States withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), a number of civil society organisations with offices in Geneva, the headquarters of UNHRC, offer their opinions on the resulting impact on the work of the Human Rights Council.
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Civic Space and the World Cup

See who SCORES the highest #civicspace rating amongst the 32 countries competing in the #WorldCup: https://t.
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Palestine: Israel must end impunity and indiscriminate attacks on protestors

One month after a horrific massacre of protesters in the occupied Palestinian territory, global civil society alliance, CIVICUS is urging accountability for the unacceptably high levels of lethal violence employed by Israeli security forces against demonstrations.
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Nicaragua: Cese de la violencia en contra de los manifestantes pacíficos

Inglés CIVICUS y @CoordinadoraCC exigen al presidente de #Nicaragua el cese inmediato de la violencia contra las protestas pacíficas que se están desarrollando en el país desde el pasado mes de abril.
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Joint Letter: Restore democratic rule in Thailand

5 June 2018 Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha Government House Pitsanulok Road, Dusit Bangkok 10300, Thailand   Re: Concerns regarding arrest and prosecution of peaceful protesters Dear Prime Minister, We are writing to you with regards to the recent arrest and charging of pro-democracy activists for their participation in a peaceful protest in Bangkok on 22 May 2018, the fourth anniversary of the military coup in Thailand.
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Eritrea: Extend UN Special Rapporteur mandate, help end generalized impunity

To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland Excellencies, Ahead of the 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council (“HRC” or “the Coun­cil”), we write to you as a cross-re­gional group of non-governmental organizations to share our serious concerns over the sys­te­ma­tic, wide­spread and gross human rights violations that continue to be committed with impu­nity in Eritrea.

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