Human Rights Defenders

Russia: Activists’ Detention Unjustified

Human Rights Watch — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:15:44 -0800

(Moscow) - The Russian authorities should investigate the arbitrary detention of three human rights advocates in Chechnya and hold those responsible accountable, Amnesty International, Civil Rights Defenders, Front Line, and Human Rights Watch said today.

Colombia: Stop Abuses by Paramilitaries’ Successor Groups

Human Rights Watch — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:54:00 -0800

(Bogotá) - Colombia needs to respond effectively to the violent groups committing human rights abuses that have emerged around the country in the aftermath of the flawed demobilization of paramilitary groups, Human Rights Watch says in a report released today.

France: Press Turkmen Leader to End Rights Abuses

Human Rights Watch — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:30:00 -0800

(Paris) - President Nicolas Sarkozy should use the upcoming state visit by his Turkmen counterpart to speak out about Turkmenistan's abysmal human rights record and to press for concrete improvements, the French League for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights, and Reporters Without Borders said today.

Egypt and Libya: A Year of Serious Abuses

Human Rights Watch — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:00:00 -0800

(Cairo, Egypt) - Egypt should revoke its draconian Emergency Law and revamp its abusive security forces as top priorities in 2010, Human Rights Watch said today in its comprehensive World Report 2010. Libya should free unjustly detrained prisoners and reform laws that criminalize free speech and association, Human Rights Watch said.

Egypt: Free Activists Detained on Solidarity Visit

Human Rights Watch — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:40:35 -0800

Egyptian authorities should immediately release at least 29 young activists who were arrested yesterday in Nag’ Hammadai while on their way to pay their condolences to the families of six Coptic Christians shot and killed on the Coptic Christmas Eve, Human Rights Watch said today.

Tunisia: President, Emboldened by Vote, Cracks Down on Critics

Human Rights Watch — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:23:22 -0800

(New York) - Tunisian authorities should quash the convictions on the journalists Taoufik Ben Brik and Zouhair Makhlouf after unfair trials and immediately set them free, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should also investigate an attack on another journalist, Slim Boukhdir, and halt the harassment of journalists, Human Rights Watch said.

Lebanon: Government Misses UN Deadline on Torture Prevention

Human Rights Watch — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:57:30 -0800

(Beirut) - Lebanon has missed a December 22, 2009, deadline for setting up a national institution to prevent torture, a group of Lebanese and international human rights organizations said today. The government should move quickly to consider a proposal commissioned by the Justice Ministry that would address the issue, the groups said.

Colombia: Protect Witnesses in Paramilitary Cases

Human Rights Watch — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:13:03 -0800

(Washington, DC) - The Colombian government should act swiftly to protect witnesses in criminal cases against members of groups that are successors to demobilized paramilitaries in the city of Medellín, Human Rights Watch said today.

Memorial, International Human Rights Groups Return to Chechnya

Human Rights Watch — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:16:40 -0800

Five months ago the human rights community in Russia and beyond lost a friend and colleague, Natalya Estemirova, Memorial's lead researcher in the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation. After her murder on July 15, 2009, Memorial suspended its work in the republic.

Imprisoned Human Rights Defenders in Uzbekistan

Human Rights Watch — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:54:49 -0800

The following is a non-exhaustive list of imprisoned human rights defenders in Uzbekistan whose cases Human Rights Watch follows closely.