release of HRDs
Monday 6.6.2022 United States of America - Latest Developments -
USA: Massive protests erupt over leaked Supreme Court opinion affecting legal abortion rights
Sparked by a leaked Supreme Court opinion that indicated the court would end access to legal and safe abortions, thousands demonstrated in several cities in May 2022 to demand that their right to access healthcare not be infringed. Outside the Supreme Court in D.C. and in other cities, people took to the streets on 3rd May 2022 to protest the potential decision by the country’s highest court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Read more
Monday 6.6.2022 Chad - Latest Developments -
Six members and supporters of Wakit Tama arrested, charged following protest
Between 14th and 17th May 2022, six Wakit Tama members and supporters, including protest organisers, were arrested: secretary-general of the Trade Unions of Chad, Gounoung Vaima Ganfare; lawyer at the Chadian Bar Association Koudé Mbaïnaïssem; President of the Group of Civil Society Executives Hissène Massar Hissène, former ambassador Allamine Adoudou, secretary-general of the Union of Chadian Supplier Traders Youssouf Korom and spokesperson for Wakit Tama Max Loalngar, the former head of human rights organisation Chadian Human Rights League (Ligue Tchadienne de droits de l’homme). The six were charged with gathering to cause public disturbance, harm to property, and physical assault. The trial of the six is set to start on 6th June 2022. Read more
Wednesday 18.5.2022 Benin - Latest Developments -
Opposition members sentenced to prison; concerns about violations against LGBTQI+ people
In its annual report, issued in December 2021, the National Human Rights Commission noted its concern about "physical and sexual assaults, arbitrary detention, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment observed recently in Benin against Lesbians, Gays, Bi-sexuals, Transgenders, Queers, Intersex and others (LGBTQI+)". Read more | Read in French
Tuesday 17.5.2022 Tanzania - Latest Developments -
President Suluhu acts on promise to expand media freedoms, arbitrary arrests of journalists continue
President Suluhu meets exiled opposition leader; Opposition party chairman released from detention; Planned eviction of Maasai community sparks protests in Tanzania and UK; Legislative amendments approved to expand media freedom; New licences issued to newspapers banned during Maghufuli era; Arbitrary arrests of journalists a remaining concern Read more
Friday 13.5.2022 Somalia - Latest Developments -
Ahead of the elections, journalists and media outlets face brutal repression
Suicide bomber assassinates Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled, the director of the government-owned Radio Mogadishu; Hirshabelle police in Beledweyne raid local independent radio station Hiiraan Weyn and arrest seven journalists; police officers in the town of Abudwak, in the Galmudug regional state, raid privately owned Sooyal TV and Radio offices; Haramcad police officers (Special Operations Command Battalion) attack a group of journalists reporting a car bombing and gunfire attacks; Read more
Tuesday 10.5.2022 Saudi Arabia - Latest Developments -
Two activists released despite authorities' complete intolerance of online activism and dissent
Saudi blogger and human rights defender Raif Badawi was released from prison after completing his ten-year sentence; internet activist Naimah Al-Matrod was released from Al-Dammam prison in poor health, after being subjected to ill-treatment for six years; The SCC in Riyadh decided to postpone the trial of ten Egyptian Nubian citizens for a period of two months; the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) called on the Saudi authorities to reveal the whereabouts and conditions in which Internet activist and aid worker Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan is being held. Read more
Thursday 28.4.2022 Iran - Latest Developments -
WHRD Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe returns home after years of prolonged arbitrary detention
British-Iranian citizens Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori finally returned home to the United Kingdom after serving lengthy and entirely arbitrary detentions in Iran; woman human rights defender Atena Daemi was freed from prison in Iran; crisis related to the state’s severe mismanagement of water resources sparks prolonged mass protests in the city of Isfahan since November 2021. Read more
Thursday 31.3.2022 South Sudan - Latest Developments -
South Sudan journalists remain at risk
National Security Service (NSS) arrest eight journalists on the national Parliament’s premises while they were covering a press conference; unknown assailants abduct an editor and news anchor with the independent broadcaster Eye Radio, Woja Emmanuel, Read more
Wednesday 23.3.2022 Honduras - Latest Developments -
Honduras: Guapinol water defenders released after trial annulled by Supreme Court
On 27th January 2022, Xiomara Castro of the Libre party was sworn in as Honduras’ president. She took office amid a dispute with dissidents in her own party, who rebelled against her preferred choice for Congress leadership. Read more | Read in Spanish
