HRD acquitted
Thursday 5.12.2019 Togo - Latest Developments
Activist Folly Satchivi released from prison, three activists denied entry to Togo
On 16th October 2019, activist, youth leader and HRD Folly Satchivi of the movement En Aucun Cas was released following a presidential pardon issued by president Fauré Gnassingbé. A week prior to the presidential pardon, on 10th October 2019, the Appeal Court in Lomé partially overturned the judgement by a lower court for the offense of 'aggravated disturbance of public order' in January 2019, but found the activist guilty of 'glorification of crimes and offences', and sentenced him to 28 months in prison, with 6 months suspended. Read more
Friday 29.11.2019 Thailand - Latest Developments
Activists, lawyers and critics continue to face harassment and defamation charges in Thailand
In the last few months, there has been harassment against activists, lawyers and government critics from both the state as well businesses while the bones of a disappeared ethnic Karen activist were found. A new report by Human Rights Watch documented cases of peaceful critics who have been prosecuted by the government for the last five years and concerns have been raised about a new anti-fake news center established by the authorities. A study finds that SLAPP or strategic lawsuits against public participation are on the rise. Read more
Friday 25.10.2019 Uzbekistan - Latest Developments
Uzbekistan: Reforming or Redecorating?
This special issue prepared for the CIVICUS Monitor by the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) and International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), provides an overview reflecting some of the main developments in freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in Uzbekistan from April 2018 to October 2019. Read more
Tuesday 15.10.2019 Kuwait - Latest Developments
Kuwait fails to implement UPR recommendations, HRDs defending Bedoon rights systematically targeted
Kuwait did not implement any of the 13 recommendations in relation to civic space since its last Universal Periodic Review in 2015, Bedoon activists and protesters were arrested, detained and charged for holding demonstrations, The government continues to use the Cyber Crimes Law to arrest journalists and online critics of the authorities. Read more
Wednesday 3.7.2019 Turkey - Latest Developments
Academics arrested, journalists silenced and blanket bans on LGBTI protests
The trend of encroaching on freedom of expression through detentions of activists, journalists, academics and other citizens on charges flimsy accusations of terrorism or insulting the president have continued. Read more
Tuesday 7.5.2019 Guatemala - Latest Developments
Abelino Chub Caal released amid increasing attacks against HRDs
On 26th April 2019, the land rights defender Abelino Chub Caal was found not guilty for charges of 'aggravated land grabbing' (usurpación agravada), 'arson' (incendio), 'coercion' (coacción), 'illicit association' (asociación ilícita) and belonging to 'illicit armed groups' (agrupaciones ilegales de gente armada). He had been held in detention for over 800 days since his initial arrest. Read more
Wednesday 20.3.2019 Sudan - Latest Developments
Women on front line of peaceful protests bear the brunt of violent crackdown amid state of emergency
The Sudanese government stepped up its violent crackdown to suppress peaceful anti-government protests that have been ongoing in Khartoum and Sudan’s provinces almost every day for the past three months, since December 2018. Read more
Tuesday 9.10.2018 Nicaragua - Latest Developments
'They treat us inhumanely', said campesino leader Medardo Mairena from prison
Harassment and attacks against human rights defenders and social leaders in Nicaragua continue. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has granted precautionary measures to protect the rights of more than a hundred people "who are at serious and urgent risk of irreparable harm to their human rights". Read more
Thursday 27.9.2018 Democratic Republic of the Congo - Latest Developments
Kabila not running for another term, but human rights concerns persist
Four of the five Filimbi activists who have been in detention since December 2017 for mobilising citizens for the 31st December 2017 protests, as reported previously on the Monitor, were sentenced to one year in prison on 25 September 2018. Carbonne Beni, Grâce Tshionza, Cédric Kalonji and Mino Momponices were found guilty for the charges of insulting the Head of State, undermining the internal security of the state and publishing and distributing subversive writings. Earlier on 17 August 2018, the Public Prosecutor requested a three year prison sentence for the five activists. Read more
