HRD prosecuted
Wednesday 20.12.2017 El Salvador - Latest Developments -
Supreme Court ruling strikes a blow to the right to access public information
Despite having access to information legislation, the Supreme Court issued a recent decision that civil society claims will undermine the right to access to information. Read more
Monday 18.12.2017 Kuwait - Latest Developments -
Kuwait authorities sentence 67 people to prison
A Court in Kuwait delivered a sentence to imprison 67 citizens for storming Parliament in 2011. Read more
Monday 4.12.2017 Turkey - Latest Developments -
Arrests, detentions and murders: Crackdown on media continues
As previously featured on the CIVICUS Monitor, Turkey's unrelenting clampdown on civil society throughout 2017 has been widely condemned. In keeping with this trend of repression, on 17th October 2017 the Turkish Parliament extended emergency powers for the fifth time since July 2016. Read more
Tuesday 28.11.2017 Saudi Arabia - Latest Developments -
New anti-terror law used to restrict activities of HRDs, academics and journalists
Despite public statements by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on modernising Saudi Arabia, the authorities have cracked down on human rights defenders in recent months and introduced a new anti-terror law that will further target human rights defenders, academics, journalists and bloggers. Read more
Friday 17.11.2017 Zimbabwe - Latest Developments -
Military takeover: civil society calls for peaceful, inclusive political transition
Several national and international civil society groups have called for a peaceful and constitutional resolution of the crisis and a return to a constitutional order. Read more
Wednesday 8.11.2017 Cuba - Latest Developments -
Cubans protest slow state response to Hurricane Irma damage and destruction
Activists detained after protesting due to the damages caused by hurricane Irma Read more
Tuesday 7.11.2017 Uganda - Latest Developments -
Opposing voices and views on presidential age limit removal not tolerated
In the early morning of 3rd October, unidentified individuals attacked the homes of two opposition members of parliament (MP) with suspected grenades just days after another opposition member, Moses Kasibante, experienced a similar incident on 27th September. Allan Ssewanya (MP for Makindye West), says one grenade was thrown into his home, while Robert Kyagulanyi (MP for Kyaddondo West), popularly known as Bobi Wine, said three grenades had exploded and smashed the window of his son’s bedroom. The MPs were among a group of 25 MPs suspended from Parliament on 27th September following chaos and a brawl during a motion over the controversial removal of the presidential age limit from the Constitution. In a Facebook post, Bobi Wine stated that no one had been hurt in the blast at his home, but that he had been receiving "death threats on an almost daily basis. In late October, Ugandan MPs were each given 29 million Ugandan shillings (US $8,000) as a payout for consultations with their constituencies on the constitutional amendment, in a move decried by critics as a bribe. A similar payment was offered to legislators in 2005 when President Museveni sought to remove a constitutional two-term cap for presidents Read more
Monday 6.11.2017 Albania - Latest Developments -
New law protects minority languages and expands their spheres of use
In a welcome step, Albania's first law to boost the status and rights of minorities in Albania, is the culmination of a long running campaign to bring minority rights inline with international standards. In addition to allocating extra funding for recognised ethnic minority communities, media outlets and affiliated civic groups, the law also officiates the use of minority languages for communications with Albanian authorities Read more
Tuesday 31.10.2017 Thailand - Latest Developments -
Lèse-majesté laws used to silence dissidents
As previously covered in the CIVICUS Monitor, unwarranted restrictions on freedom of expression can be used to silence dissidents in Thailand. In a recent example, Sulak Sivaraksa, an outspoken critic of Thai authorities was indicted on the 10th October 2017. Read more
Wednesday 18.10.2017 Democratic Republic of the Congo - Latest Developments -
4 LUCHA activists released, while 4 HRDs sentenced to prison
On 3rd October, the authorities released four activists from the citizen movement Lutte pour le changement (LUCHA), after they had spent more than 75 days in detention. Nicolas Mbiya, Josué Cibuabua, Mamie Ndaya and Josué Kabongo were arrested in Mbuji Mayi in July. As reported previously, Mbiya was arrested on 14th July 2017. Read more
