excessive force
Tuesday 17.5.2022 Colombia - Latest Developments -
Colombia: attacks on HRDs and journalists amid increasing violence
According to data from the Observatory of Human Rights, Conflict and Peace of the Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz (Institute for Development and Peace Studies - INDEPAZ), 59 social leaders and human rights defenders were killed between the beginning of 2022 and 19th April 2022. Read more
Tuesday 10.5.2022 Kenya - Latest Developments -
CSOs condemn murder of LGBTIQ+ member, protesters beaten
Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) banned an Indian film for promoting same sex marriage, LGBTIQ+ member Sheila Adhiambo Lumumba found dead after brutal attack; striking inmates at the Kamiti Maximum Prison in Nairobi County were badly beaten by officers; Magistrates’ Court in Mombasa findsd six activists guilty of gathering illegally and failing to maintain physical distances in a public place during a demonstration; police officers arrest and beat human rights defender Julius Kamau, for protesting the high cost of living outside the Treasury building; Mombasa citizens held the “NjaaRevolution” (translated to ‘hunger revolution’), protesting the high cost of living; Read more
Friday 6.5.2022 Democratic Republic of the Congo - Latest Developments -
15 activists sentenced to prison for peacefully protesting under State of Siege in Eastern DRC
Human rights organisations have highlighted civic space violations committed under the State of Siege, which imposed martial law in the conflict-ridden provinces of Ituri and North Kivu in May 2021. Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented a dozens of cases where police and the military have suppressed peaceful critics, used lethal force to stop peaceful protests, arbitrary arrested and prosecuted HRDs, journalists and members of the political opposition. Some of the civic space violations documented are included in this Monitor update. Read more | Read in French
Thursday 28.4.2022 Kazakhstan - Latest Developments -
Kazakhstan: Civic space limited by continued fallout from January 2022 events
During the reporting period, the situation in Kazakhstan continued to be affected by the fallout from the January 2022 events, when mass protests for social and political change were met with excessive force by the authorities and parts of the crowd resorted to violence. Representatives of the international community have repeatedly expressed concerns about the human rights impact of these events and called for an effective and impartial investigation into them. Read more
Thursday 21.4.2022 Bolivia - Latest Developments -
Bolivia: teachers protest; harassment of human rights defenders continues
On 29th March 2022, Amnesty International published their annual report 2021/22 underscoring the continued stigmatisation and harassment faced by human rights defenders in Bolivia. Read more
Wednesday 20.4.2022 New Zealand - Latest Developments -
Police disrupt anti-vaccine protests at NZ parliament while journalists face threats
On 8th February 2022, anti-vaccine protesters occupied parliament grounds in the capital, Wellington. The protests continued for the next three weeks until police moved in again to disrupt and end the protests on 2nd March 2022. They dismantled an encampment outside parliament, towed away vehicles and arrested dozens. Retreating protesters set fire to tents, mattresses and chairs as dozens of protesters remained in nearby streets, some hurling objects at police. Read more
Friday 15.4.2022 Lebanon - Latest Developments -
Harassment against journalists continues
During March 2022, 93 collective actions took place in Lebanon: 57 sit-ins and demonstrations, 19 roadblocks, 13 strikes, 11 marches, five building blockades and occupation, and one online campaign. Of these, four collective actions were faced with repression. Meanwhile journalists continue to face judical harassment. Read more
Tuesday 12.4.2022 Peru - Latest Developments -
Peru: protests over price rises and violence against human rights defenders
On 3rd December 2021, Indigenous Asháninka leader Lucio Pascual Yumanga was found dead with gunshot wounds in the Puerto Bermúdez district, Pasco department. Rising fuel, fertilizer and food costs led transport workers to call for a strike in late March 2022, in protests that soon spread throughout Peru. Read more | Read in Spanish
Monday 4.4.2022 Haiti - Latest Developments -
Protests over labour rights, insecurity and political crisis in Haiti
In early 2022, Haiti experienced extreme violence and the continued deterioration of security conditions, with rival criminal groups battling one another or the police for control of the streets. Read more | Read in French
Wednesday 30.3.2022 Ecuador - Latest Developments -
Ecuador: Amnesty granted to 268 rights defenders and protesters
On 11th March 2022, the National Assembly approved a bill granting amnesty to 268 people who faced prosecution for their defence of land, Indigenous and environmental rights, and for their involvement in 2019 protests. The bill was approved by the plenary of the National Assembly with 99 favourable votes out of the 125 parliamentarians in attendance. Read more | Read in Spanish
