Administration pénitentiaire – The Observatory For Defenders https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:45:51 +0000 fr-FR hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cropped-OB-eye-orange-32x32.png Administration pénitentiaire – The Observatory For Defenders https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/ 32 32 China: Released Tibetan environmental defender Anya Sengdra subjected to ongoing harassment https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/alert/china-released-tibetan-environmental-defender-anya-sengdra-subjected-to-ongoing-harassment/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:45:51 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=24469 Paris-Geneva, 25 February 2026. Anya Sengdra, Tibetan nomad and prominent community leader from Gade County in the Tibetan region of Golog (Qinghai Province) was originally due for release on 3 September 2025. However, Chinese authorities failed to free him on that date and instead imposed a one-year extension of his sentence reportedly on the grounds of alleged “prison rule violations” for theft, without any official announcement or transparent judicial procedure. This unlawful extension constituted an arbitrary detention in total violation of international human rights, including the fundamental right to liberty and the right to a fair trial. On 6 December 2019, the Gade County Court sentenced Anya Sengdra to seven years’ imprisonment on charges of “provoking troubles, forming a mob to disturb public order, and other malicious acts” under Article 293 of China’s Criminal Law for his peaceful environmental and anti-corruption activities. Through the grassroots initiative “Mangdon Ling” (“Public Affairs Forum”), he campaigned against illegal mining, poaching of endangered species, and the misappropriation of public funds by local officials for relocated Tibetan nomads. In the early stages of his detention, Anya Sengdra was beaten by officers of the Gade County Public Security Bureau and denied access to legal counsel for 48 days. He was also subjected to years of restricted family visits. Deprived of adequate medical care, his health severely deteriorated in prison, leading to vision loss, kidney disease, and high blood pressure. Although he has now returned to his home in Gade County’s Kyangche Township, he remains prohibited from speaking publicly about his case, sharing images or information online, and seeking necessary medical treatment. The Observatory recalls that in August 2023, three United Nations Special Rapporteurs raised Anya Sengdra’s case in a press release, urging the Chinese government to clarify his whereabouts, the legal basis for his detention, and his health condition. They further urged Chinese authorities to provide him with adequate medical care and to allow visits from his family. The Observatory expresses serious concern over the ongoing restrictions on Anya Sengdra’s freedom of expression and access to healthcare, which amount to continued judicial harassment. The Observatory urges the Chinese authorities to immediately lift all restrictions imposed on Anya Sengdra, ensure his fundamental right to liberty, and guarantee prompt and unhindered access to adequate medical care. It further calls on the authorities to put an end to the criminalisation and harassment of Tibetan environmental rights defenders and ensure that they can carry out their legitimate and peaceful human rights activities without fear of reprisals. The Observatory expresses its full and unequivocal support for Tibetan human rights defenders.]]> Paris-Geneva, 25 February 2026. Anya Sengdra, Tibetan nomad and prominent community leader from Gade County in the Tibetan region of Golog (Qinghai Province) was originally due for release on 3 September 2025. However, Chinese authorities failed to free him on that date and instead imposed a one-year extension of his sentence reportedly on the grounds of alleged “prison rule violations” for theft, without any official announcement or transparent judicial procedure. This unlawful extension constituted an arbitrary detention in total violation of international human rights, including the fundamental right to liberty and the right to a fair trial. On 6 December 2019, the Gade County Court sentenced Anya Sengdra to seven years’ imprisonment on charges of “provoking troubles, forming a mob to disturb public order, and other malicious acts” under Article 293 of China’s Criminal Law for his peaceful environmental and anti-corruption activities. Through the grassroots initiative “Mangdon Ling” (“Public Affairs Forum”), he campaigned against illegal mining, poaching of endangered species, and the misappropriation of public funds by local officials for relocated Tibetan nomads. In the early stages of his detention, Anya Sengdra was beaten by officers of the Gade County Public Security Bureau and denied access to legal counsel for 48 days. He was also subjected to years of restricted family visits. Deprived of adequate medical care, his health severely deteriorated in prison, leading to vision loss, kidney disease, and high blood pressure. Although he has now returned to his home in Gade County’s Kyangche Township, he remains prohibited from speaking publicly about his case, sharing images or information online, and seeking necessary medical treatment. The Observatory recalls that in August 2023, three United Nations Special Rapporteurs raised Anya Sengdra’s case in a press release, urging the Chinese government to clarify his whereabouts, the legal basis for his detention, and his health condition. They further urged Chinese authorities to provide him with adequate medical care and to allow visits from his family. The Observatory expresses serious concern over the ongoing restrictions on Anya Sengdra’s freedom of expression and access to healthcare, which amount to continued judicial harassment. The Observatory urges the Chinese authorities to immediately lift all restrictions imposed on Anya Sengdra, ensure his fundamental right to liberty, and guarantee prompt and unhindered access to adequate medical care. It further calls on the authorities to put an end to the criminalisation and harassment of Tibetan environmental rights defenders and ensure that they can carry out their legitimate and peaceful human rights activities without fear of reprisals. The Observatory expresses its full and unequivocal support for Tibetan human rights defenders.]]> Mauritanie : arrestations, détentions et poursuites judiciaires arbitraires contre huit défenseur·es des droits humains anti-esclavagistes https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/alert/mauritanie-arrestations-detentions-et-poursuites-judiciaires-arbitraires-contre-huit-defenseur%c2%b7es-des-droits-humains-anti-esclavagistes/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:01:08 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=24504 Paris, Genève, Nouakchott, le 6 mars 2026. Au cours du mois de février, à la suite de la révélation d’un cas présumé d’esclavage impliquant une jeune enfant de 11 ans à Nouakchott et d’un rassemblement devant le commissariat de Police de Dar Naïm 2 de Nouakchott, six membres de l’IRA, dont une journaliste, ainsi que deux lanceuses d’alerte ont été arrêté·es et poursuivi·es par les autorités mauritaniennes. Iels sont accusé·es de « diffusion de fausses informations » et « association de malfaiteurs ». Le 4 février 2026, des membres de l’IRA ont rendu publiques des allégations relatives à l’asservissement de Nouha Mohamed, une jeune fille de la communauté haratine âgée de 11 ans, qui aurait été maintenue en situation de servitude domestique par un couple dans la capitale, Nouakchott. Faisant suite à cette dénonciation, les autorités ont ouvert une enquête et les personnes soupçonnées ont été brièvement placées en garde à vue avant d’être relâchées. Le 6 février 2026, durant l’interrogatoire des personnes soupçonnées dans l’affaire d’esclavage présumé, des militant·es de l’IRA se sont rassemblé·es devant le commissariat de Police de Dar Naïm 2 à Nouakchott afin d’exiger que les investigations soient menées de manière diligente et que la victime présumée et sa famille soient protégées. Les forces de police auraient alors dispersé violemment les militant·es présent·es devant le commissariat, blessant plusieurs d’entre elles et eux. Dans ce contexte, la journaliste et membre de la commission de communication de l’IRA, Warda Souleymane, a publié sur les réseaux sociaux, le 6 février, une déclaration dénonçant les violences subies par les manifestant·es ainsi que les conditions de détention de certain·es militant·es. Suite à une plainte de la Haute Autorité de la Presse et de l’Audiovisuel (HAPA) le 10 février 2026, elle a été convoquée puis arrêtée par la police à Nouakchott et placée en détention à la prison des femmes de Nouakchott, où elle demeure détenue pour diffusion présumée de fausses informations. Le 13 février 2026, Lemrabet Mahmoud, chef de la section de l’IRA à Nouadhibou, a, à son tour, été arrêté par les autorités et placé en détention dans la prison de Nouadhibou, après avoir dénoncé sur les réseaux sociaux l’arrestation de Warda Souleymane. Inculpé pour « incitation à la haine et à la discrimination » et pour « utilisation de moyens électroniques pour diffuser des discours haineux », M. Mahmoud a comparu le 5 mars devant le tribunal de Nouadhibou, qui l’a condamné à un an de prison avec sursis. Le 16 février 2026, les lanceuses d’alerte Lalla Vatma et Rachida Saleck ainsi que les membres de l’IRA Abdallahi Abou Diop, chargé de la protection des droits humains, Elhaj Elid, coordinateur national des sections, Bounass Hmeida, coordonnateur national adjoint, et Med Vadel Aleyatt, chef de section dans la commune de Koumbi Saleh, ont été arrêté·es après avoir été convoqué·es par la police de Dar Naïm. Après leur garde à vue au commissariat de Dar Naim 2, iels ont comparu devant un juge d’instruction du tribunal de Nouakchott Nord (cabinet n°2) le 23 février, qui les a inculpé·es pour « diffusion de fausses informations » et d’« association de malfaiteurs » et placé·es sous mandat de dépôt. Les hommes ont été transférés à la prison centrale de Nouakchott, communément appelée « prison des Salafistes », tandis que les deux lanceuses d’alerte ont été incarcérées à la prison des femmes de Nouakchott. Ces 6 détenu•es ont comparu le 4 mars devant le juge d’instruction pour l’interrogatoire sur le fond, lors duquel iels ont soulevé son incompétence. Les avocat·es de la défense contestent la base juridique de ces poursuites, estimant qu’elles visent à criminaliser les personnes ayant dénoncé un cas d’esclavage. L’Observatoire relève que la procédure aurait été marquée par plusieurs irrégularités, notamment des transferts de compétence entre juridictions, les requalifications successives susmentionnées et des restrictions dans l’accès à l’assistance juridique et aux soins médicaux pour certain·es détenu·es, alors même que plusieurs auraient été blessé·es lors de leur arrestation et subi des sévices corporels et psychologiques en détention. Or, la Mauritanie a ratifié la Convention contre la torture (CAT) en 2004 et son Protocole facultatif (OPCAT) en 2012, et a mis en place en 2015 un Mécanisme National de Prévention de la Torture (MNP), en vertu desquels elle s’est engagée à prévenir et punir ces pratiques. Ces événements s’inscrivent dans un contexte plus large de pressions récurrentes contre les défenseur·es des droits humains engagé·es dans la lutte contre l’esclavage en Mauritanie et en particulier contre les membres de l’IRA. Bien que l’esclavage ait été aboli en 1981 et qualifié de crime contre l’humanité par la loi de 2015, des organisations internationales et de la société civile continuent de documenter des pratiques esclavagistes affectant principalement la communauté haratine. A cet égard, les victimes, militant·es anti-esclavagistes et lanceur·ses d’alerte qui dénoncent ces faits sont régulièrement exposé·es à des représailles et à des poursuites judiciaires. Entre 2010 et 2018, le président de l’IRA et député Biram Dah Abeid a été arrêté à plusieurs reprises, notamment en août 2018, sur la base d’accusations liées à l’incitation à la violence et au discours de haine. De même, illustration d’un harcèlement judiciaire acharné, Warda Souleymane avait été arrêtée par les autorités mauritaniennes le 31 octobre 2025, à son retour de Banjul (Gambie), pour avoir dénoncé publiquement la discrimination raciale à l’encontre des populations noires mauritaniennes lors de la 85ᵉ session de la Commission africaine des droits de l’Homme et des peuples (CADHP), avant d’être libérée sous contrôle judiciaire le 6 novembre 2025. Le 28 novembre 2025, neuf personnes, dont Dieynaba Ndiom, défenseure des droits des femmes, responsable des subventions pour l’Initiative Pananetugri pour le Bien-Être de la Femme (IPBF), avaient été arbitrairement arrêté·es avant d’être libéré·es sous caution et contrôle judiciaire le 5 décembre 2025. Ces arrestations répétées suscitent de vives préoccupations quant à l’utilisation du système judiciaire pour restreindre l’action légitime de défense des droits humains en Mauritanie. L’Observatoire note que l’arrestation et la poursuite de défenseur·es pour avoir dénoncé des faits présumés d’esclavage et participé à un rassemblement pacifique constituent des restrictions aux droits reconnus par le Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques (PIDCP) et à la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples, ratifiés par la Mauritanie. L’invocation d’infractions telles que la « diffusion de fausses informations » ou l’« association de malfaiteurs » afin de sanctionner la dénonciation de violations graves des droits humains soulève de sérieuses inquiétudes quant à la possibilité des défenseur·es de poursuivre leurs activités sans représailles, et contrevient à ce titre aux dispositions contenues dans la Déclaration des Nations unies sur les défenseur·es des droits humains. L’Observatoire condamne ainsi fermement l’arrestation, la détention et le harcèlement judiciaire visant les membres de l’IRA, dont la journaliste Warda Souleymane, ainsi que les deux lanceuses d’alerte, qui semblent directement liés à leurs activités légitimes et pacifiques de défense des droits humains. L’Observatoire appelle les autorités mauritaniennes à procéder à leur libération immédiate, à abandonner les charges à leur encontre et à garantir que l’ensemble des défenseur·es des droits humains puisse exercer leurs activités sans entrave ni représailles.]]> Paris, Genève, Nouakchott, le 6 mars 2026. Au cours du mois de février, à la suite de la révélation d’un cas présumé d’esclavage impliquant une jeune enfant de 11 ans à Nouakchott et d’un rassemblement devant le commissariat de Police de Dar Naïm 2 de Nouakchott, six membres de l’IRA, dont une journaliste, ainsi que deux lanceuses d’alerte ont été arrêté·es et poursuivi·es par les autorités mauritaniennes. Iels sont accusé·es de « diffusion de fausses informations » et « association de malfaiteurs ». Le 4 février 2026, des membres de l’IRA ont rendu publiques des allégations relatives à l’asservissement de Nouha Mohamed, une jeune fille de la communauté haratine âgée de 11 ans, qui aurait été maintenue en situation de servitude domestique par un couple dans la capitale, Nouakchott. Faisant suite à cette dénonciation, les autorités ont ouvert une enquête et les personnes soupçonnées ont été brièvement placées en garde à vue avant d’être relâchées. Le 6 février 2026, durant l’interrogatoire des personnes soupçonnées dans l’affaire d’esclavage présumé, des militant·es de l’IRA se sont rassemblé·es devant le commissariat de Police de Dar Naïm 2 à Nouakchott afin d’exiger que les investigations soient menées de manière diligente et que la victime présumée et sa famille soient protégées. Les forces de police auraient alors dispersé violemment les militant·es présent·es devant le commissariat, blessant plusieurs d’entre elles et eux. Dans ce contexte, la journaliste et membre de la commission de communication de l’IRA, Warda Souleymane, a publié sur les réseaux sociaux, le 6 février, une déclaration dénonçant les violences subies par les manifestant·es ainsi que les conditions de détention de certain·es militant·es. Suite à une plainte de la Haute Autorité de la Presse et de l’Audiovisuel (HAPA) le 10 février 2026, elle a été convoquée puis arrêtée par la police à Nouakchott et placée en détention à la prison des femmes de Nouakchott, où elle demeure détenue pour diffusion présumée de fausses informations. Le 13 février 2026, Lemrabet Mahmoud, chef de la section de l’IRA à Nouadhibou, a, à son tour, été arrêté par les autorités et placé en détention dans la prison de Nouadhibou, après avoir dénoncé sur les réseaux sociaux l’arrestation de Warda Souleymane. Inculpé pour « incitation à la haine et à la discrimination » et pour « utilisation de moyens électroniques pour diffuser des discours haineux », M. Mahmoud a comparu le 5 mars devant le tribunal de Nouadhibou, qui l’a condamné à un an de prison avec sursis. Le 16 février 2026, les lanceuses d’alerte Lalla Vatma et Rachida Saleck ainsi que les membres de l’IRA Abdallahi Abou Diop, chargé de la protection des droits humains, Elhaj Elid, coordinateur national des sections, Bounass Hmeida, coordonnateur national adjoint, et Med Vadel Aleyatt, chef de section dans la commune de Koumbi Saleh, ont été arrêté·es après avoir été convoqué·es par la police de Dar Naïm. Après leur garde à vue au commissariat de Dar Naim 2, iels ont comparu devant un juge d’instruction du tribunal de Nouakchott Nord (cabinet n°2) le 23 février, qui les a inculpé·es pour « diffusion de fausses informations » et d’« association de malfaiteurs » et placé·es sous mandat de dépôt. Les hommes ont été transférés à la prison centrale de Nouakchott, communément appelée « prison des Salafistes », tandis que les deux lanceuses d’alerte ont été incarcérées à la prison des femmes de Nouakchott. Ces 6 détenu•es ont comparu le 4 mars devant le juge d’instruction pour l’interrogatoire sur le fond, lors duquel iels ont soulevé son incompétence. Les avocat·es de la défense contestent la base juridique de ces poursuites, estimant qu’elles visent à criminaliser les personnes ayant dénoncé un cas d’esclavage. L’Observatoire relève que la procédure aurait été marquée par plusieurs irrégularités, notamment des transferts de compétence entre juridictions, les requalifications successives susmentionnées et des restrictions dans l’accès à l’assistance juridique et aux soins médicaux pour certain·es détenu·es, alors même que plusieurs auraient été blessé·es lors de leur arrestation et subi des sévices corporels et psychologiques en détention. Or, la Mauritanie a ratifié la Convention contre la torture (CAT) en 2004 et son Protocole facultatif (OPCAT) en 2012, et a mis en place en 2015 un Mécanisme National de Prévention de la Torture (MNP), en vertu desquels elle s’est engagée à prévenir et punir ces pratiques. Ces événements s’inscrivent dans un contexte plus large de pressions récurrentes contre les défenseur·es des droits humains engagé·es dans la lutte contre l’esclavage en Mauritanie et en particulier contre les membres de l’IRA. Bien que l’esclavage ait été aboli en 1981 et qualifié de crime contre l’humanité par la loi de 2015, des organisations internationales et de la société civile continuent de documenter des pratiques esclavagistes affectant principalement la communauté haratine. A cet égard, les victimes, militant·es anti-esclavagistes et lanceur·ses d’alerte qui dénoncent ces faits sont régulièrement exposé·es à des représailles et à des poursuites judiciaires. Entre 2010 et 2018, le président de l’IRA et député Biram Dah Abeid a été arrêté à plusieurs reprises, notamment en août 2018, sur la base d’accusations liées à l’incitation à la violence et au discours de haine. De même, illustration d’un harcèlement judiciaire acharné, Warda Souleymane avait été arrêtée par les autorités mauritaniennes le 31 octobre 2025, à son retour de Banjul (Gambie), pour avoir dénoncé publiquement la discrimination raciale à l’encontre des populations noires mauritaniennes lors de la 85ᵉ session de la Commission africaine des droits de l’Homme et des peuples (CADHP), avant d’être libérée sous contrôle judiciaire le 6 novembre 2025. Le 28 novembre 2025, neuf personnes, dont Dieynaba Ndiom, défenseure des droits des femmes, responsable des subventions pour l’Initiative Pananetugri pour le Bien-Être de la Femme (IPBF), avaient été arbitrairement arrêté·es avant d’être libéré·es sous caution et contrôle judiciaire le 5 décembre 2025. Ces arrestations répétées suscitent de vives préoccupations quant à l’utilisation du système judiciaire pour restreindre l’action légitime de défense des droits humains en Mauritanie. L’Observatoire note que l’arrestation et la poursuite de défenseur·es pour avoir dénoncé des faits présumés d’esclavage et participé à un rassemblement pacifique constituent des restrictions aux droits reconnus par le Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques (PIDCP) et à la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples, ratifiés par la Mauritanie. L’invocation d’infractions telles que la « diffusion de fausses informations » ou l’« association de malfaiteurs » afin de sanctionner la dénonciation de violations graves des droits humains soulève de sérieuses inquiétudes quant à la possibilité des défenseur·es de poursuivre leurs activités sans représailles, et contrevient à ce titre aux dispositions contenues dans la Déclaration des Nations unies sur les défenseur·es des droits humains. L’Observatoire condamne ainsi fermement l’arrestation, la détention et le harcèlement judiciaire visant les membres de l’IRA, dont la journaliste Warda Souleymane, ainsi que les deux lanceuses d’alerte, qui semblent directement liés à leurs activités légitimes et pacifiques de défense des droits humains. L’Observatoire appelle les autorités mauritaniennes à procéder à leur libération immédiate, à abandonner les charges à leur encontre et à garantir que l’ensemble des défenseur·es des droits humains puisse exercer leurs activités sans entrave ni représailles.]]> Iran: Free Narges Coalition and partners urge UN Human Rights Council to intervene for Narges Mohammadi’s urgent medical release https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/alert/iran-free-narges-coalition-and-partners-urge-un-human-rights-council-to-intervene-for-narges-mohammadis-urgent-medical-release/ Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:58:05 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=22555 In a joint letter addressed to the UN Human Rights Council, the Free Narges Coalition and other human rights groups, including the Observatory (FIDH-OMCT), urge for the immediate medical release of the journalist and woman human rights defender Narges Mohammadi. To the United Nations Human Rights Council, We, the undersigned free expression and human rights organisations, write to you in response to the recent news that jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi is in urgent need of medical care. Ahead of Iran’s review under the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, which takes place over the next two months in Geneva, we urge you to call on the Iranian authorities to grant Mohammadi a medical furlough on humanitarian grounds so that she is able to receive comprehensive and essential care for a range of serious medical conditions. Mohammadi, a woman human rights defender, journalist, author, and former deputy director and spokesperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC) in Iran, has spent more than 10 years of her life in prison, with her current period of detention starting in November 2021. She is currently serving sentences totalling 13 years and nine months in prison, on charges including committing “propaganda activity against the state” and “collusion against state security.” An internationally renowned writer and activist, she is the recipient of numerous international awards for her tireless struggle for human rights, including the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, the 2023 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, the 2023 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, and the 2022 Reporters Without Borders Prize for Courage. Mohammadi’s health has deteriorated drastically during her long incarceration, most notably in 2022, when she suffered multiple heart attacks before ultimately being transferred to hospital for emergency heart surgery. In early October 2024, Mohammadi’s family expressed serious concerns regarding repeated refusals by Evin prison officials to transfer her to a hospital for appointments to carry out an angiography, an intervention that was prescribed by her cardiologist in March; she was finally allowed to attend an appointment on October 27, 2024. On November 3, her lawyer announced that during her recent medical visit, doctors discovered a bone lesion in her right leg suspected of being cancerous. Although Mohammadi underwent surgery to remove part of the bone in her lower leg, including a bone graft, on November 14, she was transferred back to prison after only two days, against her doctor’s advice and another request from her legal team that she be granted a medical furlough and sentence suspension. Years of imprisonment and months of solitary confinement have severely compromised Mohammadi’s health, leaving her with multiple serious conditions that cannot be addressed through a short, incomplete hospital visit. Prison authorities’ withholding of essential urgent medical treatment from Mohammadi displays a callous disregard for her health and well-being under detention. Worryingly, her case is not unique, but is part of a systematic pattern of arbitrary medical neglect of prisoners, including human rights defenders, journalists, and writers. In a particularly egregious example, poet and filmmaker Baktash Abtin died in state custody in January 2022 after delays in being provided with timely medical care. The news of Mohammadi’s deteriorating medical condition comes amid a current wave of denying medical care to multiple prisoners of conscience in Iran, particularly less well-known detainees. We echo the recent call from 22 prisoners in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, in which they hold the Iranian government and judiciary responsible for creating the conditions whereby the lives of prisoners are put at grave risk, and appeal to international human rights stakeholders in joining them to push for change.   As Mohammadi marks the third anniversary of her unjust detention on November 16, we, the undersigned organisations, are making an urgent call for her full and unconditional release as she should not be in prison in the first place, and in the interim, to be granted an immediate medical furlough on humanitarian grounds, given the precarious state of her health and her need for comprehensive care. In addition, we urge that Iranian authorities stop the criminalisation of human rights, and refrain from summoning human rights defenders, journalists, and writers to serve their prison sentences while their health situation is precarious. We urge the UN Human Rights Council to ensure that the Iranian government commits to implementing without delay a recommendation that it accepted during the last UPR cycle five years ago, namely to ensure that “all individuals in custody receive adequate health care and treatment, including preventive measures, such as screening for medical conditions, free of charge and without discrimination.” Finally, we reiterate our broader call that all those unjustly detained for their human rights work, including expression, be immediately and unconditionally released, and urge the UN Human Rights Council and national and international stakeholders to join us in pressing the Iranian authorities to uphold the basic human rights of all Iranians, especially those who are being prosecuted for their human rights work.]]> In a joint letter addressed to the UN Human Rights Council, the Free Narges Coalition and other human rights groups, including the Observatory (FIDH-OMCT), urge for the immediate medical release of the journalist and woman human rights defender Narges Mohammadi. To the United Nations Human Rights Council, We, the undersigned free expression and human rights organisations, write to you in response to the recent news that jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi is in urgent need of medical care. Ahead of Iran’s review under the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, which takes place over the next two months in Geneva, we urge you to call on the Iranian authorities to grant Mohammadi a medical furlough on humanitarian grounds so that she is able to receive comprehensive and essential care for a range of serious medical conditions. Mohammadi, a woman human rights defender, journalist, author, and former deputy director and spokesperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC) in Iran, has spent more than 10 years of her life in prison, with her current period of detention starting in November 2021. She is currently serving sentences totalling 13 years and nine months in prison, on charges including committing “propaganda activity against the state” and “collusion against state security.” An internationally renowned writer and activist, she is the recipient of numerous international awards for her tireless struggle for human rights, including the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, the 2023 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, the 2023 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, and the 2022 Reporters Without Borders Prize for Courage. Mohammadi’s health has deteriorated drastically during her long incarceration, most notably in 2022, when she suffered multiple heart attacks before ultimately being transferred to hospital for emergency heart surgery. In early October 2024, Mohammadi’s family expressed serious concerns regarding repeated refusals by Evin prison officials to transfer her to a hospital for appointments to carry out an angiography, an intervention that was prescribed by her cardiologist in March; she was finally allowed to attend an appointment on October 27, 2024. On November 3, her lawyer announced that during her recent medical visit, doctors discovered a bone lesion in her right leg suspected of being cancerous. Although Mohammadi underwent surgery to remove part of the bone in her lower leg, including a bone graft, on November 14, she was transferred back to prison after only two days, against her doctor’s advice and another request from her legal team that she be granted a medical furlough and sentence suspension. Years of imprisonment and months of solitary confinement have severely compromised Mohammadi’s health, leaving her with multiple serious conditions that cannot be addressed through a short, incomplete hospital visit. Prison authorities’ withholding of essential urgent medical treatment from Mohammadi displays a callous disregard for her health and well-being under detention. Worryingly, her case is not unique, but is part of a systematic pattern of arbitrary medical neglect of prisoners, including human rights defenders, journalists, and writers. In a particularly egregious example, poet and filmmaker Baktash Abtin died in state custody in January 2022 after delays in being provided with timely medical care. The news of Mohammadi’s deteriorating medical condition comes amid a current wave of denying medical care to multiple prisoners of conscience in Iran, particularly less well-known detainees. We echo the recent call from 22 prisoners in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, in which they hold the Iranian government and judiciary responsible for creating the conditions whereby the lives of prisoners are put at grave risk, and appeal to international human rights stakeholders in joining them to push for change.   As Mohammadi marks the third anniversary of her unjust detention on November 16, we, the undersigned organisations, are making an urgent call for her full and unconditional release as she should not be in prison in the first place, and in the interim, to be granted an immediate medical furlough on humanitarian grounds, given the precarious state of her health and her need for comprehensive care. In addition, we urge that Iranian authorities stop the criminalisation of human rights, and refrain from summoning human rights defenders, journalists, and writers to serve their prison sentences while their health situation is precarious. We urge the UN Human Rights Council to ensure that the Iranian government commits to implementing without delay a recommendation that it accepted during the last UPR cycle five years ago, namely to ensure that “all individuals in custody receive adequate health care and treatment, including preventive measures, such as screening for medical conditions, free of charge and without discrimination.” Finally, we reiterate our broader call that all those unjustly detained for their human rights work, including expression, be immediately and unconditionally released, and urge the UN Human Rights Council and national and international stakeholders to join us in pressing the Iranian authorities to uphold the basic human rights of all Iranians, especially those who are being prosecuted for their human rights work.]]> Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territory: Arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment and abusive administrative detention of WHRD Tahreer Jaber https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/alert/22514/ Fri, 08 Nov 2024 11:21:55 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=22514 Tahreer Jaber. Ms Jaber is a Palestinian human rights defender and feminist activist, member of the General Union of Palestinian Women. At 4 a.m. on September 17, 2024, Israeli occupation army officers presented themselves to Tahreer Jaber’s house in Betunia, Ramallah, and checked both her and her husband's identity documents before a female soldier took Ms Jaber in a room to carry out a search on her, without being provided with any reason or presented with any warrant. Once the search was completed, the occupation officers tied Ms Jaber’s hands behind her back with plastic cuffs and blindfolded her. She was then loaded into a jeep, which drove for a long distance, before being transferred to another vehicle in which there were already some young male detainees. The detainees were all moved to a camp, which Ms Jaber estimated to be Beit El Settlement Compound, located just outside the city limits of Ramallah, and put in a room with six other detainees. An Israeli occupation soldier placed some black adhesive tape over Ms Jaber’s blindfold, extending it to her mouth, and making it very difficult for her to breathe. The detainees stayed there for two hours. The soldiers would enter and bang on the walls, while Ms Jaber was sitting on the ground. Later that same day, Ms Jaber was seen by a doctor for a general examination, and later transferred to Ofer prison. At the Ofer prison, the detainees were deprived of water and only allowed to use the bathroom after repeatedly requesting it. Ms Jaber underwent a 15-minute interrogation, and all the other detainees were also questioned. After the interrogations, they were all transferred to Hasharon prison. They were dragged down the stairs towards the vehicle, with a black bag covering Ms Jaber’s face. Upon arriving at Hasharon prison, the detainees were dragged to the yard and made to sit on the ground. Ms Jaber felt unwell because of the lack of air due to the bag covering her face. Notwithstanding that, she underwent a new search by hand and with a metal detector. All the detainees remained in a dirty waiting room for about ten hours, unable to eat because of the filth in the room. On September 18, 2024, all the detainees were transferred to Damon prison, where they were subjected to a strip search upon arrival. The jailer who handled Ms Jaber behaved aggressively and did not accommodate Ms Jaber’s request to address her in English instead of Hebrew. Ms Jaber was taken for a medical examination, followed by an intelligence interrogation session, and then transferred to the prison section. On September 29, 2024, Ms Jaber was sentenced by judge Shum’oon Ashual to administrative detention from September 24, 2024, until January 16, 2025. The official reason given for this conviction, as in all cases of administrative detention, is that Ms Jaber poses a “threat to the security of the nation of Israel”. The detention conditions at Damon prison are deleterious, with prisoners being allowed only 15 minutes per day in the yard to use the bathroom, and anyone who is late is being punished. In those 15 minutes, 25 prisoners have to shower using only six bathrooms. On September 25, 2024, the prison guards entered the prison section in which Ms Jaber is arbitrarily detained and confiscated everything they could find, including essential items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo and laundry soap. Prison authorities also confiscated blankets, books, food containers, hijab clothing, prayer garments, and jilbabs. The prisoners were left with only the clothes they were wearing. The toothbrushes were eventually returned, while other essentials, such as sanitary pads, are still being rationed. Since September 25, 2024, the amount of food and beverages provided to prisoners has decreased significantly. From two cups of tea per day, prisoners are now only receiving half a cup. At 5 a.m. on October 7, 2024, Ms Jaber and all other detainees woke up to the sound of dogs running and barking, while the guards were shouting loudly. They entered the rooms spraying gas in the air, conducted strip searches, restrained the prisoners with their hands behind their backs, blindfolded them, and took them out to the yard. There, prisoners were subjected to insults in both Arabic and Hebrew. They were made to kneel on the ground while the Israeli national anthem was played, accompanied by filming, shouting and cursing. Afterwards, they were returned to their rooms, not allowed outside for yard time and were given only a small amount of food for the day. Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation authorities and the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) have suspended family visits to detainees and imposed severe restrictions on lawyers’ access to their clients. As a result, detainees have been deprived of the regular visits to which they are entitled. The IPS has repeatedly cited "emergency situations" to justify these restrictions. Ms Jaber was unable to meet with her lawyer during the first 21 days of her detention. During the first 21 days of her detention and until October 9, 2024, when her lawyer was able to visit her, Ms Jaber has been allowed yard time for only five days, totalling just one hour. She has spent the rest of the time in jail. The Observatory strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest, detention, sentencing and ill-treatment of Tahreer Jaber, which appear to constitute retaliation for her legitimate human rights activities. The Observatory urges the Israeli occupation authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ms Jaber and to put an end to any acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against her, as well as against all human rights defenders in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Observatory calls on the Israeli occupation authorities to carry out an immediate investigation into the above-mentioned alleged acts of ill-treatment against Tahreer Jaber, and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with international human rights standards.]]> Tahreer Jaber. Ms Jaber is a Palestinian human rights defender and feminist activist, member of the General Union of Palestinian Women. At 4 a.m. on September 17, 2024, Israeli occupation army officers presented themselves to Tahreer Jaber’s house in Betunia, Ramallah, and checked both her and her husband's identity documents before a female soldier took Ms Jaber in a room to carry out a search on her, without being provided with any reason or presented with any warrant. Once the search was completed, the occupation officers tied Ms Jaber’s hands behind her back with plastic cuffs and blindfolded her. She was then loaded into a jeep, which drove for a long distance, before being transferred to another vehicle in which there were already some young male detainees. The detainees were all moved to a camp, which Ms Jaber estimated to be Beit El Settlement Compound, located just outside the city limits of Ramallah, and put in a room with six other detainees. An Israeli occupation soldier placed some black adhesive tape over Ms Jaber’s blindfold, extending it to her mouth, and making it very difficult for her to breathe. The detainees stayed there for two hours. The soldiers would enter and bang on the walls, while Ms Jaber was sitting on the ground. Later that same day, Ms Jaber was seen by a doctor for a general examination, and later transferred to Ofer prison. At the Ofer prison, the detainees were deprived of water and only allowed to use the bathroom after repeatedly requesting it. Ms Jaber underwent a 15-minute interrogation, and all the other detainees were also questioned. After the interrogations, they were all transferred to Hasharon prison. They were dragged down the stairs towards the vehicle, with a black bag covering Ms Jaber’s face. Upon arriving at Hasharon prison, the detainees were dragged to the yard and made to sit on the ground. Ms Jaber felt unwell because of the lack of air due to the bag covering her face. Notwithstanding that, she underwent a new search by hand and with a metal detector. All the detainees remained in a dirty waiting room for about ten hours, unable to eat because of the filth in the room. On September 18, 2024, all the detainees were transferred to Damon prison, where they were subjected to a strip search upon arrival. The jailer who handled Ms Jaber behaved aggressively and did not accommodate Ms Jaber’s request to address her in English instead of Hebrew. Ms Jaber was taken for a medical examination, followed by an intelligence interrogation session, and then transferred to the prison section. On September 29, 2024, Ms Jaber was sentenced by judge Shum’oon Ashual to administrative detention from September 24, 2024, until January 16, 2025. The official reason given for this conviction, as in all cases of administrative detention, is that Ms Jaber poses a “threat to the security of the nation of Israel”. The detention conditions at Damon prison are deleterious, with prisoners being allowed only 15 minutes per day in the yard to use the bathroom, and anyone who is late is being punished. In those 15 minutes, 25 prisoners have to shower using only six bathrooms. On September 25, 2024, the prison guards entered the prison section in which Ms Jaber is arbitrarily detained and confiscated everything they could find, including essential items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo and laundry soap. Prison authorities also confiscated blankets, books, food containers, hijab clothing, prayer garments, and jilbabs. The prisoners were left with only the clothes they were wearing. The toothbrushes were eventually returned, while other essentials, such as sanitary pads, are still being rationed. Since September 25, 2024, the amount of food and beverages provided to prisoners has decreased significantly. From two cups of tea per day, prisoners are now only receiving half a cup. At 5 a.m. on October 7, 2024, Ms Jaber and all other detainees woke up to the sound of dogs running and barking, while the guards were shouting loudly. They entered the rooms spraying gas in the air, conducted strip searches, restrained the prisoners with their hands behind their backs, blindfolded them, and took them out to the yard. There, prisoners were subjected to insults in both Arabic and Hebrew. They were made to kneel on the ground while the Israeli national anthem was played, accompanied by filming, shouting and cursing. Afterwards, they were returned to their rooms, not allowed outside for yard time and were given only a small amount of food for the day. Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation authorities and the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) have suspended family visits to detainees and imposed severe restrictions on lawyers’ access to their clients. As a result, detainees have been deprived of the regular visits to which they are entitled. The IPS has repeatedly cited "emergency situations" to justify these restrictions. Ms Jaber was unable to meet with her lawyer during the first 21 days of her detention. During the first 21 days of her detention and until October 9, 2024, when her lawyer was able to visit her, Ms Jaber has been allowed yard time for only five days, totalling just one hour. She has spent the rest of the time in jail. The Observatory strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest, detention, sentencing and ill-treatment of Tahreer Jaber, which appear to constitute retaliation for her legitimate human rights activities. The Observatory urges the Israeli occupation authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ms Jaber and to put an end to any acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against her, as well as against all human rights defenders in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Observatory calls on the Israeli occupation authorities to carry out an immediate investigation into the above-mentioned alleged acts of ill-treatment against Tahreer Jaber, and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with international human rights standards.]]> Thailand: Joint call to end judicial abuse and arbitrary detention, and to investigate Netiporn ’Bung’ Sanesangkhom’s death https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/alert/thailand-joint-call-to-end-judicial-abuse-and-arbitrary-detention-and-to-investigate-netiporn-bung-sanesangkhoms-death/ Fri, 14 Jun 2024 15:05:26 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=22112 International organisations, including FIDH and OMCT within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, call on the Thai government to end the abuse of the judicial process and the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, activists, and protesters. Additionally, they urge a thorough and independent investigation into the death in custody one month ago of Netiporn 'Bung' Sanesangkhom. AI Index Number: ASA 39/8157/2024 Tawee Sodsong Minister of Justice 404 Chaeng Watthana Rd, Thung Song Hong Sub-district, Lak Si District, Bangkok 10210 June 14, 2024 Dear Minister of Justice, RE: REQUEST to BRING AN END TO the abuse of the judicial process and Arbitrary Detention of HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, ACTIVISTS AND PROTESTERS, and TO investigate the death in custody of Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom We, the undersigned organisations, write this open letter to request you take urgent and immediate steps to end the ongoing abuse of the judicial process and apparent arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, activists and protesters in Thailand, solely because of their exercise of their right to peaceful protest. Our organisations remain concerned that, in contravention of Thailand’s obligations under international human rights law and standards, the Thai authorities are initiating criminal proceedings against individuals solely because they have exercised their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, leading to their being convicted and often sentenced to imprisonment as a result. The ongoing abuse of the judicial process extends to systematically denying human rights defenders, activists and protesters temporary release on bail. We also request a prompt, thorough, transparent, independent, impartial and effective investigation into the circumstances of the death in custody of activist Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom on May 14, 2024 (see below), while she was arbitrarily detained. We urge the government to provide redress as appropriate for the loss of her life. Bung carried out two lengthy hunger-strikes prior to her death to protest against the restrictive environment preventing pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders from exercising their rights, and against the abuse of the judicial process to target, silence and, detain activists, protesters and human rights defenders, including herself. [1] We call on the Thai government to take the opportunity provided by its candidature for membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council between 2025 and 2027 to demonstrate its commitment to upholding and protecting international human rights law. With respect to this, we further urge the government to take immediate steps to address the concerns outlined below and ensure Thailand’s compliance with its international human rights obligations to protect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and other human rights, and create a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders to exercise and defend their own rights as well as those of others. Abuse of the judicial process Since mass protests calling for political and social reforms started in 2020, the Thai authorities have targeted human rights defenders, activists and protesters solely for their participation in peaceful protests or for expressing their opinions, often with protracted criminal proceedings that lead to criminal and civil sanctions. According to statistics gathered by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), between July 2020 and May 2024, the authorities initiated criminal proceedings against at least 1,954 individuals in 1,296 cases, including 286 young persons under 18 years old, for participating in peaceful protests or expressing their opinions online and offline. [2] At least 424 persons, including children, face charges under the Criminal Code for offences related to “security”, carrying lengthy prison terms upon conviction. In this connection, Thai authorities have initiated proceedings against at least 272 persons for lèse-majesté (Article 112) and 152 persons for sedition (Article 116). [3] In addition, at least 202 people were charged under the Computer Crimes Act (CCA) in connection with their online expressions. [4] At the time of writing, trials were still ongoing in at least 729 cases, and at least 717 individuals are facing potential sentences linked to their exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. [5] Courts have handed down prison sentences, with some individuals notably being sentenced to up to 50 years for lèse-majesté offences. [6] UN human rights bodies and independent experts have raised concerns about the use of criminal provisions to criminalise the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression, including with respect to their use in Thailand, due to their incompatibility with international human rights law. [7] The UN Human Rights Committee, for example, has held that “imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty” for defamation-related offences [8] and has expressed concern over criminal provisions, including sedition and lèse-majesté under the Criminal Code and the CCA. [9] The restrictive, overbroad, ambiguous or imprecise language of these criminal provisions fails to narrow down the scope of the punishable offences in question with a clear definition of the criminalised conduct, establishing its elements and the factors that distinguish it from conduct that is not criminally proscribed. As such, these criminal provisions fail to meet the requirements of international law with respect to the principle of legality; the limited and narrowly defined legitimate fundamental public interests allowed under international human rights law (namely, for the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of others, national security, public safety, public order, public health or public morals); necessity; proportionality; non-arbitrariness and non-discrimination. [10] As a result, these criminal provisions give officials wide discretion to unduly limit the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in the name of public security, order and health, and allow for the imposition of lengthy prison terms. Regardless of whether criminal proceedings lead to prosecution, imprisonment or fines, their use may have the effect of further undermining the enjoyment of defendants’ rights. Individuals are required to commit time and other resources to defend themselves against unwarranted charges. Children and young people are particularly impacted by abuse of the judicial process which may result in stigma and compromise their ability to fully enjoy their right to education. [11] Arbitrary detention According to TLHR, as of June 6, 2024, at least 43 individuals involved in protests were in detention, 19 of whom had been sentenced to imprisonment and 24 of whom were still in pre-trial detention. [12] Of the 24 people, 17 were charged with t lèse-majesté offences. [13] The Thai authorities repeatedly held prominent protesters in detention and denied them temporary release on bail. [14] Under international human rights law and standards guaranteeing the right to liberty and the presumption of innocence, there is a presumption that people charged with a criminal offence will not be detained while awaiting trial. [15] The UN Human Rights Committee has held that a defendant may only be detained pending trial in exceptional circumstances where the authorities must demonstrate that their deprivation of liberty pending trial is both necessary and proportionate, for example, in cases where there is substantial reason to believe that if released, the individual would abscond or commit a serious offence or interfere with the investigation or obstruct the course of justice. [16] In addition, pre-trial detention should not be mandatory for all defendants charged with a particular crime, nor should it be ordered for a period based on the potential sentence for the crime charged rather than on a determination of necessity. [17] Further, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) has repeatedly and consistently found Thailand’s detention of individuals solely as a result of their peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression, including under lèse-majesté provisions and article 14 of the Computer Crimes Act, to be arbitrary. [18] The UNWGAD has expressed grave concern at a pattern of arbitrary detention resulting in serious harm to society by causing a chilling effect and leading individuals to “[refrain] from debates on matters of public interest in order to avoid prosecution.” It has called on the Thai authorities to release individuals arbitrarily detained in violation of Thailand’s human rights obligations, including the right to liberty, the right to a fair trial and the right to freedom of opinion and expression under Articles 3, 8, 9, 10 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 2, 9, 14 and 19 the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), by which Thailand is bound as a State party. [19] The United Nations Human Rights Committee [20] and UN Special Procedures, [21] as well as governments during the Universal Periodic Reviews [22] , have made further recommendations to the Thai government to stop arbitrarily detaining individuals and imposing excessive restrictions on the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Death in custody Netiporn ’Bung’ Sanesangkhom, a 28-year-old woman activist, was among those who were denied bail and was held in arbitrary detention twice due to her peaceful activism. Netiporn faced seven criminal charges because of her involvement in the protest movement, including one charge of lèse-majesté which stemmed from peacefully conducting a public opinion poll on February 8, 2022 about road traffic controls imposed during royal motorcades. [23] She was initially granted temporary release pending her trial, but on May 3, 2022, the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court revoked bail and remanded her in custody in the lèse-majesté case mentioned above because Netiporn had continued to take part in peaceful assemblies and had violated a bail condition requiring her to refrain from “joining a protest that causes public disorder”. [24] She then went on her first hunger strike until she was temporarily released on August 4, 2022. [25] More recently, in a separate case, on January 26, 2024, Netiporn was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for contempt of court. [26] In late February 2024, her detention was then extended, as the Bangkok Criminal Court t revoked bail and remanded her in custody for the same aforementioned lèse-majesté case against her, which was still pending. [27] Starting on January 27, 2024, she went on her second hunger strike, this time for more than 65 days, to protest her detention and the detention of other activists. [28] Eventually, she reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest on May 14, 2024 and passed away, while in the Central Women’s Correctional Institute Hospital. [29] Under international human rights law and standards, the Thai authorities must respect, protect, and fulfill the right to life of everyone under their jurisdiction, including people in detention. There is a presumption of State liability for arbitrary deprivation of life that arises in connection with custodial deaths. Such presumption may be rebutted only when the State is exonerated of any liability through a prompt, thorough, effective, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the circumstances and causes of such a death, which is an essential requirement to uphold the right to life. [30] Thailand is further obligated under international human rights law to provide medical care for everyone deprived of their liberty. Thailand is a State Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has stated that governments must respect the right to health by ensuring equal access to health services for all persons, including prisoners. [31] The 1990 UN Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners stipulate that prisoners should have access to the same health services as the general population in a country without discrimination. [32] Additionally, the revised 2015 UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) restate that right and mandate prompt access to medical attention in urgent cases and the transfer of prisoners requiring specialised treatment or surgery to appropriate facilities, which can also be civil hospitals if needed. [33] Recommendations The abuse of the judicial process and the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, activists and protesters constitute violations of Thailand’s obligations under international human rights law, as would any failure to effectively investigate the custodial death of Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom. The Thai government must act to uphold its commitments to protect human rights and ensure the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, liberty and security of person, due process guarantee, and the right to life, among other rights, are respected. The Thai authorities need to take immediate steps outlined below to address the concerns raised in this letter and to demonstrate their adherence to their international human rights obligations, with a view to fostering an environment where human rights are fully respected and protected. These actions are essential to comply with the ICCPR and other international standards. To end the abuse of the judicial process and the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and activists, we call on the Thai authorities to: • Respect, protect and fulfil the rights of everyone, including of children and other young people, to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly; • Conduct a thorough review of the bail process to align it with international human rights law and standards, ensuring that detention in connection with the legitimate exercise of human rights is arbitrary and unlawful, and pre-trial detention be the exception rather than the rule; • Immediately and unconditionally release individuals from arbitrary detention, drop criminal investigations and prosecutions and quash convictions related solely to their exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; • Repeal or amend laws used to stifle peaceful dissent, including by bringing the lèse-majesté (Article 112) and sedition (Article 116) provisions and the CCA in line with international human rights law and standards on freedom of expression, as recommended by the Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures and the UN Human Rights Committee; and • Establish regular, structured dialogue with civil society organisations to address concerns referred to in this letter and involve them in relevant policy-making processes. To address the concerns around the death in custody of Netiporn, take the following actions: • Conduct a prompt, effective, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the circumstances and cause of Netiporn’s death, in line with international human rights law and standards, including in the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016), to establish accountability and prevent future occurrences; • Provide appropriate forms of remedy, including compensation and other forms of reparations, as warranted in line with international law; and • Ensure the right to health for all detainees, as a minimum as mandated by the Nelson Mandela Rules, including by providing prompt access to medical attention and necessary specialised treatment or surgery as needed. The undersigned organisations remain committed to working with relevant government agencies to provide any additional information you may need in order to fulfill these recommendations.    

Footnotes

[1] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้, 14 May 2024, https://tlhr2014.com/archives/66964 [2] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, พฤษภาคม 2567: จำนวนผู้ถูกดำเนินคดีทางการเมืองยอดรวม 1,954 คน ใน 1,296 คดี, 5 June 2024, https://tlhr2014.com/archives/67575 [3] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, พฤษภาคม 2567: จำนวนผู้ถูกดำเนินคดีทางการเมืองยอดรวม 1,954 คน ใน 1,296 คดี (previously cited). [4] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, พฤษภาคม 2567: จำนวนผู้ถูกดำเนินคดีทางการเมืองยอดรวม 1,954 คน ใน 1,296 คดี (previously cited). [5] Information documented by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights [6] See Amnesty International, “Thailand: 87-year prison sentence handed in harshest lèse-majesté conviction,” 19 January 2021, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2021/01/thailand-87-prison-sentence-lese-majeste and Guardian, “Man jailed for record 50 years for criticising Thai monarchy” 18 January 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/18/man-jailed-for-record-50-years-for-criticising-thai-monarchy#: :text=A%20Thai%20man%20has%20been,a%20 legal%20rights%20group%20said. [7] UN Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the second periodic report of Thailand, 25 April 2017, UN Doc. CCPR/C/THA/CO/2, paras 35-38, https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/concluding-observations/ccprcthaco2-concluding-observations-second-periodic-report (‘2017 Concluding Observations’) [8] International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 19; Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 34 on Article 19: Freedoms of opinion and expression, 12 September 2011, UN Doc. CCPR/C/GC/34, paras 30, 38 and 47, https://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/docs/gc34.pdf. [9] UN Human Rights Committee, 2017 Concluding Observations (previously cited). [10] For further analysis of the laws against international human rights law and standards, see: ICJ, Dictating the Internet: Curtailing Free Expression, Opinion and Information Online in Thailand, April 2021, Part III, https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Thailand-Dictating-the-Internet-FoE-Publication-2021-ENG.pdf [11] Amnesty International Thailand, ‘แอมเนสตี้-ศูนย์ทนาย’ ดำเนินคดีของเด็กและเยาวชน 3 ปี สร้าง 7 ผลกระทบ แนะ 6 ข้อ ก. ยุติธรรม, 21 พฤศจิกายน 2566, https://www.amnesty.or.th/latest/news/1190 [12] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, รายชื่อผู้ต้องขังทางการเมือง 2567, 6 June 2024, https://tlhr2014.com/archives/63015 [13] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, รายชื่อผู้ต้องขังทางการเมือง 2567 (previously cited). [14] This pattern of arbitrary detention through the denial of bail has been ongoing since 2021. See, for example, Amnesty International, Urgent Action: Peaceful protestors may face 100+ years in prison, 24 March 2021, Index: ASA 39/3891/2021, https://www.amnesty.org/fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ASA3938912021ENGLISH.pdf; and Amnesty International, Thailand: Immediately drop unjustified charges against protest leader, 24 September 2021, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/09/amnesty-thailand-protest-leader-arrest/; Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, The expanding universe of legal persecutions: Examining various developments following the #19Sept protest (Part 2), 29 June 2021, https://tlhr2014.com/en/archives/31397 [15] Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 35 on Article 9: Liberty and security of person, 16 December 2014, UN Doc. CCPR/C/GC/35, https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/general-comment-no-35-article-9-liberty-and-security-person, para 38. [16] Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 35 on Article 9: Liberty and security of person (previously cited). [17] Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 35 on Article 9: Liberty and security of person (previously cited). [18] See the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its ninety-seventh session, 28 August–1 September 2023, 23 October 2023, UN Doc. A/HRC/WGAD/2023/49, para 61(a). The UNWGAD also referred to its opinions No. 35/2012, No. 41/2014, No. 43/2015, No. 44/2016 and No. 51/2017, which made the same assessment. [19] UNWGAD, Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its ninety-seventh session, 28 August–1 September 2023, para 71-72 (previously cited). [20] UN Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the second periodic report of Thailand, 25 April 2017, UN Doc. CCPR/C/THA/CO/2, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g17/099/90/pdf/g1709990.pdf?token=co1x9EVLWuVMLTDQbb&fe=true, para 25-26. [21] See recent examples of such communications from UN Special Rapporteurs at UN Special Procedures, Joint allegation letter, 13 March 2024, UN Doc. AL THA 3/2024, https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=28802; and UN Special Procedures, Joint allegation letter, 5 May 2023, UN Doc. AL THA 2/2023, https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=28064 [22] Thailand received at least four recommendations on arbitrary arrest and detention of activists during the Universal Periodic Review in 2021. See United Nations Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Univesal Periodic Review: Thailand, 21 December 2021, UN Doc. A/HRC/49/17, recommendation 52.47 by Mexico (“Decriminalize freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and avoid the detention of minors for exercising these rights”), recommendation 52.52 by Austria (“Guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and assembly and stop targeting civilians engaging in peaceful protests under criminal charges entailing punishment with exorbitant prison terms”), recommendation 52.60 by Sweden (“Amend article 112 of the criminal code on royal defamation to bring it into line with Thailand’s international human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and, as an intermediate step, remove mandatory minimum prison terms for violations of that provision”) and recommendation 52.83 by Ireland (“End arbitrary detentions, arrests and any acts of harassment against political actors and civil society, including human rights defenders”). [23] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited). [24] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, ศาลสั่งถอนประกัน “ใบปอ – เนติพร” ผู้ต้องหา ม.112 คดีทำโพลขบวนเสด็จ ชี้สร้างความวุ่นวายกับกลุ่มผู้ชุมนุมอื่น ผิดเงื่อนไขประกัน, 5 May 2022, https://tlhr2014.com/archives/43235 [25] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited). [26] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited). [27] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited). [28] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited) [29] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited) [30] International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 6(1); the UN Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions (1989), and its companion document, the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016). See also: Amnesty International, Thailand: Tragic death of detained activist must be ‘wake-up call’, 14 May 2024, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/05/thailand-tragic-death-of-detained-activist-must-be-wake-up-call/ [31] International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), Article 12. See also CESCR, General Comment No. 14: The Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (Art. 12), 11 August 2000, UN Doc. E/C.12/2000/4, para. 34. [32] Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners, Rule No. 9. [33] United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, Rules No. 24 and 27.]]> International organisations, including FIDH and OMCT within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, call on the Thai government to end the abuse of the judicial process and the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, activists, and protesters. Additionally, they urge a thorough and independent investigation into the death in custody one month ago of Netiporn 'Bung' Sanesangkhom. AI Index Number: ASA 39/8157/2024 Tawee Sodsong Minister of Justice 404 Chaeng Watthana Rd, Thung Song Hong Sub-district, Lak Si District, Bangkok 10210 June 14, 2024 Dear Minister of Justice, RE: REQUEST to BRING AN END TO the abuse of the judicial process and Arbitrary Detention of HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, ACTIVISTS AND PROTESTERS, and TO investigate the death in custody of Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom We, the undersigned organisations, write this open letter to request you take urgent and immediate steps to end the ongoing abuse of the judicial process and apparent arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, activists and protesters in Thailand, solely because of their exercise of their right to peaceful protest. Our organisations remain concerned that, in contravention of Thailand’s obligations under international human rights law and standards, the Thai authorities are initiating criminal proceedings against individuals solely because they have exercised their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, leading to their being convicted and often sentenced to imprisonment as a result. The ongoing abuse of the judicial process extends to systematically denying human rights defenders, activists and protesters temporary release on bail. We also request a prompt, thorough, transparent, independent, impartial and effective investigation into the circumstances of the death in custody of activist Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom on May 14, 2024 (see below), while she was arbitrarily detained. We urge the government to provide redress as appropriate for the loss of her life. Bung carried out two lengthy hunger-strikes prior to her death to protest against the restrictive environment preventing pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders from exercising their rights, and against the abuse of the judicial process to target, silence and, detain activists, protesters and human rights defenders, including herself. [1] We call on the Thai government to take the opportunity provided by its candidature for membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council between 2025 and 2027 to demonstrate its commitment to upholding and protecting international human rights law. With respect to this, we further urge the government to take immediate steps to address the concerns outlined below and ensure Thailand’s compliance with its international human rights obligations to protect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and other human rights, and create a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders to exercise and defend their own rights as well as those of others. Abuse of the judicial process Since mass protests calling for political and social reforms started in 2020, the Thai authorities have targeted human rights defenders, activists and protesters solely for their participation in peaceful protests or for expressing their opinions, often with protracted criminal proceedings that lead to criminal and civil sanctions. According to statistics gathered by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), between July 2020 and May 2024, the authorities initiated criminal proceedings against at least 1,954 individuals in 1,296 cases, including 286 young persons under 18 years old, for participating in peaceful protests or expressing their opinions online and offline. [2] At least 424 persons, including children, face charges under the Criminal Code for offences related to “security”, carrying lengthy prison terms upon conviction. In this connection, Thai authorities have initiated proceedings against at least 272 persons for lèse-majesté (Article 112) and 152 persons for sedition (Article 116). [3] In addition, at least 202 people were charged under the Computer Crimes Act (CCA) in connection with their online expressions. [4] At the time of writing, trials were still ongoing in at least 729 cases, and at least 717 individuals are facing potential sentences linked to their exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. [5] Courts have handed down prison sentences, with some individuals notably being sentenced to up to 50 years for lèse-majesté offences. [6] UN human rights bodies and independent experts have raised concerns about the use of criminal provisions to criminalise the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression, including with respect to their use in Thailand, due to their incompatibility with international human rights law. [7] The UN Human Rights Committee, for example, has held that “imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty” for defamation-related offences [8] and has expressed concern over criminal provisions, including sedition and lèse-majesté under the Criminal Code and the CCA. [9] The restrictive, overbroad, ambiguous or imprecise language of these criminal provisions fails to narrow down the scope of the punishable offences in question with a clear definition of the criminalised conduct, establishing its elements and the factors that distinguish it from conduct that is not criminally proscribed. As such, these criminal provisions fail to meet the requirements of international law with respect to the principle of legality; the limited and narrowly defined legitimate fundamental public interests allowed under international human rights law (namely, for the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of others, national security, public safety, public order, public health or public morals); necessity; proportionality; non-arbitrariness and non-discrimination. [10] As a result, these criminal provisions give officials wide discretion to unduly limit the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in the name of public security, order and health, and allow for the imposition of lengthy prison terms. Regardless of whether criminal proceedings lead to prosecution, imprisonment or fines, their use may have the effect of further undermining the enjoyment of defendants’ rights. Individuals are required to commit time and other resources to defend themselves against unwarranted charges. Children and young people are particularly impacted by abuse of the judicial process which may result in stigma and compromise their ability to fully enjoy their right to education. [11] Arbitrary detention According to TLHR, as of June 6, 2024, at least 43 individuals involved in protests were in detention, 19 of whom had been sentenced to imprisonment and 24 of whom were still in pre-trial detention. [12] Of the 24 people, 17 were charged with t lèse-majesté offences. [13] The Thai authorities repeatedly held prominent protesters in detention and denied them temporary release on bail. [14] Under international human rights law and standards guaranteeing the right to liberty and the presumption of innocence, there is a presumption that people charged with a criminal offence will not be detained while awaiting trial. [15] The UN Human Rights Committee has held that a defendant may only be detained pending trial in exceptional circumstances where the authorities must demonstrate that their deprivation of liberty pending trial is both necessary and proportionate, for example, in cases where there is substantial reason to believe that if released, the individual would abscond or commit a serious offence or interfere with the investigation or obstruct the course of justice. [16] In addition, pre-trial detention should not be mandatory for all defendants charged with a particular crime, nor should it be ordered for a period based on the potential sentence for the crime charged rather than on a determination of necessity. [17] Further, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) has repeatedly and consistently found Thailand’s detention of individuals solely as a result of their peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression, including under lèse-majesté provisions and article 14 of the Computer Crimes Act, to be arbitrary. [18] The UNWGAD has expressed grave concern at a pattern of arbitrary detention resulting in serious harm to society by causing a chilling effect and leading individuals to “[refrain] from debates on matters of public interest in order to avoid prosecution.” It has called on the Thai authorities to release individuals arbitrarily detained in violation of Thailand’s human rights obligations, including the right to liberty, the right to a fair trial and the right to freedom of opinion and expression under Articles 3, 8, 9, 10 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 2, 9, 14 and 19 the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), by which Thailand is bound as a State party. [19] The United Nations Human Rights Committee [20] and UN Special Procedures, [21] as well as governments during the Universal Periodic Reviews [22] , have made further recommendations to the Thai government to stop arbitrarily detaining individuals and imposing excessive restrictions on the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Death in custody Netiporn ’Bung’ Sanesangkhom, a 28-year-old woman activist, was among those who were denied bail and was held in arbitrary detention twice due to her peaceful activism. Netiporn faced seven criminal charges because of her involvement in the protest movement, including one charge of lèse-majesté which stemmed from peacefully conducting a public opinion poll on February 8, 2022 about road traffic controls imposed during royal motorcades. [23] She was initially granted temporary release pending her trial, but on May 3, 2022, the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court revoked bail and remanded her in custody in the lèse-majesté case mentioned above because Netiporn had continued to take part in peaceful assemblies and had violated a bail condition requiring her to refrain from “joining a protest that causes public disorder”. [24] She then went on her first hunger strike until she was temporarily released on August 4, 2022. [25] More recently, in a separate case, on January 26, 2024, Netiporn was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for contempt of court. [26] In late February 2024, her detention was then extended, as the Bangkok Criminal Court t revoked bail and remanded her in custody for the same aforementioned lèse-majesté case against her, which was still pending. [27] Starting on January 27, 2024, she went on her second hunger strike, this time for more than 65 days, to protest her detention and the detention of other activists. [28] Eventually, she reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest on May 14, 2024 and passed away, while in the Central Women’s Correctional Institute Hospital. [29] Under international human rights law and standards, the Thai authorities must respect, protect, and fulfill the right to life of everyone under their jurisdiction, including people in detention. There is a presumption of State liability for arbitrary deprivation of life that arises in connection with custodial deaths. Such presumption may be rebutted only when the State is exonerated of any liability through a prompt, thorough, effective, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the circumstances and causes of such a death, which is an essential requirement to uphold the right to life. [30] Thailand is further obligated under international human rights law to provide medical care for everyone deprived of their liberty. Thailand is a State Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has stated that governments must respect the right to health by ensuring equal access to health services for all persons, including prisoners. [31] The 1990 UN Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners stipulate that prisoners should have access to the same health services as the general population in a country without discrimination. [32] Additionally, the revised 2015 UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) restate that right and mandate prompt access to medical attention in urgent cases and the transfer of prisoners requiring specialised treatment or surgery to appropriate facilities, which can also be civil hospitals if needed. [33] Recommendations The abuse of the judicial process and the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, activists and protesters constitute violations of Thailand’s obligations under international human rights law, as would any failure to effectively investigate the custodial death of Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom. The Thai government must act to uphold its commitments to protect human rights and ensure the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, liberty and security of person, due process guarantee, and the right to life, among other rights, are respected. The Thai authorities need to take immediate steps outlined below to address the concerns raised in this letter and to demonstrate their adherence to their international human rights obligations, with a view to fostering an environment where human rights are fully respected and protected. These actions are essential to comply with the ICCPR and other international standards. To end the abuse of the judicial process and the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and activists, we call on the Thai authorities to: • Respect, protect and fulfil the rights of everyone, including of children and other young people, to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly; • Conduct a thorough review of the bail process to align it with international human rights law and standards, ensuring that detention in connection with the legitimate exercise of human rights is arbitrary and unlawful, and pre-trial detention be the exception rather than the rule; • Immediately and unconditionally release individuals from arbitrary detention, drop criminal investigations and prosecutions and quash convictions related solely to their exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; • Repeal or amend laws used to stifle peaceful dissent, including by bringing the lèse-majesté (Article 112) and sedition (Article 116) provisions and the CCA in line with international human rights law and standards on freedom of expression, as recommended by the Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures and the UN Human Rights Committee; and • Establish regular, structured dialogue with civil society organisations to address concerns referred to in this letter and involve them in relevant policy-making processes. To address the concerns around the death in custody of Netiporn, take the following actions: • Conduct a prompt, effective, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the circumstances and cause of Netiporn’s death, in line with international human rights law and standards, including in the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016), to establish accountability and prevent future occurrences; • Provide appropriate forms of remedy, including compensation and other forms of reparations, as warranted in line with international law; and • Ensure the right to health for all detainees, as a minimum as mandated by the Nelson Mandela Rules, including by providing prompt access to medical attention and necessary specialised treatment or surgery as needed. The undersigned organisations remain committed to working with relevant government agencies to provide any additional information you may need in order to fulfill these recommendations.    

Footnotes

[1] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้, 14 May 2024, https://tlhr2014.com/archives/66964 [2] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, พฤษภาคม 2567: จำนวนผู้ถูกดำเนินคดีทางการเมืองยอดรวม 1,954 คน ใน 1,296 คดี, 5 June 2024, https://tlhr2014.com/archives/67575 [3] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, พฤษภาคม 2567: จำนวนผู้ถูกดำเนินคดีทางการเมืองยอดรวม 1,954 คน ใน 1,296 คดี (previously cited). [4] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, พฤษภาคม 2567: จำนวนผู้ถูกดำเนินคดีทางการเมืองยอดรวม 1,954 คน ใน 1,296 คดี (previously cited). [5] Information documented by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights [6] See Amnesty International, “Thailand: 87-year prison sentence handed in harshest lèse-majesté conviction,” 19 January 2021, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2021/01/thailand-87-prison-sentence-lese-majeste and Guardian, “Man jailed for record 50 years for criticising Thai monarchy” 18 January 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/18/man-jailed-for-record-50-years-for-criticising-thai-monarchy#: :text=A%20Thai%20man%20has%20been,a%20 legal%20rights%20group%20said. [7] UN Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the second periodic report of Thailand, 25 April 2017, UN Doc. CCPR/C/THA/CO/2, paras 35-38, https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/concluding-observations/ccprcthaco2-concluding-observations-second-periodic-report (‘2017 Concluding Observations’) [8] International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 19; Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 34 on Article 19: Freedoms of opinion and expression, 12 September 2011, UN Doc. CCPR/C/GC/34, paras 30, 38 and 47, https://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/docs/gc34.pdf. [9] UN Human Rights Committee, 2017 Concluding Observations (previously cited). [10] For further analysis of the laws against international human rights law and standards, see: ICJ, Dictating the Internet: Curtailing Free Expression, Opinion and Information Online in Thailand, April 2021, Part III, https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Thailand-Dictating-the-Internet-FoE-Publication-2021-ENG.pdf [11] Amnesty International Thailand, ‘แอมเนสตี้-ศูนย์ทนาย’ ดำเนินคดีของเด็กและเยาวชน 3 ปี สร้าง 7 ผลกระทบ แนะ 6 ข้อ ก. ยุติธรรม, 21 พฤศจิกายน 2566, https://www.amnesty.or.th/latest/news/1190 [12] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, รายชื่อผู้ต้องขังทางการเมือง 2567, 6 June 2024, https://tlhr2014.com/archives/63015 [13] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, รายชื่อผู้ต้องขังทางการเมือง 2567 (previously cited). [14] This pattern of arbitrary detention through the denial of bail has been ongoing since 2021. See, for example, Amnesty International, Urgent Action: Peaceful protestors may face 100+ years in prison, 24 March 2021, Index: ASA 39/3891/2021, https://www.amnesty.org/fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ASA3938912021ENGLISH.pdf; and Amnesty International, Thailand: Immediately drop unjustified charges against protest leader, 24 September 2021, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/09/amnesty-thailand-protest-leader-arrest/; Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, The expanding universe of legal persecutions: Examining various developments following the #19Sept protest (Part 2), 29 June 2021, https://tlhr2014.com/en/archives/31397 [15] Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 35 on Article 9: Liberty and security of person, 16 December 2014, UN Doc. CCPR/C/GC/35, https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/general-comment-no-35-article-9-liberty-and-security-person, para 38. [16] Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 35 on Article 9: Liberty and security of person (previously cited). [17] Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 35 on Article 9: Liberty and security of person (previously cited). [18] See the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its ninety-seventh session, 28 August–1 September 2023, 23 October 2023, UN Doc. A/HRC/WGAD/2023/49, para 61(a). The UNWGAD also referred to its opinions No. 35/2012, No. 41/2014, No. 43/2015, No. 44/2016 and No. 51/2017, which made the same assessment. [19] UNWGAD, Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its ninety-seventh session, 28 August–1 September 2023, para 71-72 (previously cited). [20] UN Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the second periodic report of Thailand, 25 April 2017, UN Doc. CCPR/C/THA/CO/2, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g17/099/90/pdf/g1709990.pdf?token=co1x9EVLWuVMLTDQbb&fe=true, para 25-26. [21] See recent examples of such communications from UN Special Rapporteurs at UN Special Procedures, Joint allegation letter, 13 March 2024, UN Doc. AL THA 3/2024, https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=28802; and UN Special Procedures, Joint allegation letter, 5 May 2023, UN Doc. AL THA 2/2023, https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=28064 [22] Thailand received at least four recommendations on arbitrary arrest and detention of activists during the Universal Periodic Review in 2021. See United Nations Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Univesal Periodic Review: Thailand, 21 December 2021, UN Doc. A/HRC/49/17, recommendation 52.47 by Mexico (“Decriminalize freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and avoid the detention of minors for exercising these rights”), recommendation 52.52 by Austria (“Guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and assembly and stop targeting civilians engaging in peaceful protests under criminal charges entailing punishment with exorbitant prison terms”), recommendation 52.60 by Sweden (“Amend article 112 of the criminal code on royal defamation to bring it into line with Thailand’s international human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and, as an intermediate step, remove mandatory minimum prison terms for violations of that provision”) and recommendation 52.83 by Ireland (“End arbitrary detentions, arrests and any acts of harassment against political actors and civil society, including human rights defenders”). [23] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited). [24] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, ศาลสั่งถอนประกัน “ใบปอ – เนติพร” ผู้ต้องหา ม.112 คดีทำโพลขบวนเสด็จ ชี้สร้างความวุ่นวายกับกลุ่มผู้ชุมนุมอื่น ผิดเงื่อนไขประกัน, 5 May 2022, https://tlhr2014.com/archives/43235 [25] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited). [26] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited). [27] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited). [28] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited) [29] Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, บุ้ง เนติพร เสียชีวิตระหว่างการควบคุมตัวของ จนท.ราชทัณฑ์ รอชันสูตรพลิกศพต่อในวันพรุ่งนี้ (previously cited) [30] International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 6(1); the UN Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions (1989), and its companion document, the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016). See also: Amnesty International, Thailand: Tragic death of detained activist must be ‘wake-up call’, 14 May 2024, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/05/thailand-tragic-death-of-detained-activist-must-be-wake-up-call/ [31] International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), Article 12. See also CESCR, General Comment No. 14: The Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (Art. 12), 11 August 2000, UN Doc. E/C.12/2000/4, para. 34. [32] Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners, Rule No. 9. [33] United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, Rules No. 24 and 27.]]> Vietnam: Land rights defender Trinh Ba Phuong continues to be tortured in prison https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/alert/vietnam-land-rights-defender-trinh-ba-phuong-continues-to-be-tortured-in-prison/ Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:43:27 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=20993 Trinh Ba Phuong in detention. Mr Ba Phuong is a land rights defender who has been vocal about land grabbing and its impact on small-scale farmers across the country, along with his mother Can Thi Theu and brother Trinh Ba Tu. All three of them have been arbitrarily detained since June 24, 2020. On October 12, 2023, during a family visit in An Diem Prison, in Quang Nam Province, where he is arbitrarily detained, Trinh Ba Phuong informed his relatives about the punishment inflicted upon him and two fellow inmates by the prison authorities between September 9 and 19, 2023. According to Trinh Ba Phuong, on September 9, 2023, he and three other prisoners peacefully protested against the Vietnamese government’s human rights record by holding banners made with pieces of paper in Division 34 of An Diem Prison. After more than 30 minutes, 10 prison guards confiscated the banners and brutally beat them in the presence of the prison ward. Trinh Ba Phuong was grabbed by the neck and pushed against the wall, causing him bruises on his chest. He was subsequently handcuffed and taken to a disciplinary cell, where he remained detained in solitary confinement with his feet shackled until September 19, 2023. The shackles were removed for only 20 minutes every morning to allow him to wash his body. After the 10-day punishment period, he was transferred back to his cell. To date, he has neither been treated nor examined by any medical personnel. The Observatory condemns in its strongest terms the disciplinary punishment perpetrated against Trinh Ba Phuong and his two fellow inmates while in prison, and recalls that this is not the first time the human rights defender has been subjected to ill-treatment and acts of torture. His brother Trinh Ba Tu has been subjected to disciplinary punishment on multiple occasions in Thanh Hoa Prison No. 6, in Nghe An province, including solitary confinement, beatings, foot shackling, and hard labour. The Observatory recalls that Trinh Ba Phuong was arbitrarily arrested in Hanoi on June 24, 2020, on charge of “making, storing, distributing or disseminating information, documents and items against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code. On the same day, in Hoa Binh Province, his mother and brother, Ms Can Thi Theu and Trinh Ba Tu, were arbitrarily arrested on the same charge. Their arrest and detention are connected to their work denouncing on social media the excessive use of force against farmers of the Dong Tam Village, about 25 km Southwest of Hanoi, during a deadly police raid conducted in January 2020, in which a farmer and three policemen died. On December 15, 2021, Trinh Ba Phuong was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of probation. On August 17, 2022, his conviction and prison sentence were upheld by the Hanoi High People’s Court and the sentence is final. During the investigation, he was subjected to acts of torture and ill-treatment, and was confined to a psychiatric hospital for one month in March 2021. Can Thi Theu and Trinh Ba Tu were sentenced by the Hanoi People’s Court to eight years of imprisonment each under Article 117 of the Criminal Code on May 5, 2021. Their convictions and prison sentences were upheld on appeal on December 24, 2021 and are final. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, they remained detained in Thanh Hoa Prison No. 5 and Thanh Hoa Prison No. 6, respectively, and their detention conditions remained unknown. The Observatory expresses its grave concern over the high risk of torture and ill-treatment Trinh Ba Phuong, Can Thi Theu, and Trinh Ba Tu face while in detention. The Observatory expresses further concern about the physical integrity and psychological well-being of the three human rights defenders’ families, who have been subjected to threats and short periods of arrest to intimidate them and prevent them from attending the trials of their relatives. The Observatory further notes that Trinh Ba Phuong remains detained 850 km away from his home; while Trinh Ba Tu and Can Thi Theu are detained at a distance of 300 km and 120 km from their homes, respectively. The continued detention of the above-mentioned human rights defenders in remote prisons has a punitive effect on them and their families, as each prison visit requires high traveling costs and onerous journeys, and consequently cannot take place regularly. The Observatory urges the Vietnamese authorities to protect and respect Trinh Ba Phuong, Trinh Ba Tu, and Can Thi Theu’s right to be free from torture and other ill-treatment, and to carry out an immediate, thorough, and impartial investigation into the above-mentioned allegations of torture and ill treatment and hold those responsible accountable. The Observatory further condemns their ongoing arbitrary detention and calls on the authorities to quash their prison sentences and to immediately and unconditionally release them. The Observatory urges the Vietnamese authorities to stop misusing Article 117 of the Criminal Code to prosecute human rights defenders and silence dissent in Vietnam, and recalls that several United Nations Special Procedures declared that this article is “overly broad and appears to be aimed at silencing those who seek to exercise their human rights to freely express their views and share information with others”.]]> Trinh Ba Phuong in detention. Mr Ba Phuong is a land rights defender who has been vocal about land grabbing and its impact on small-scale farmers across the country, along with his mother Can Thi Theu and brother Trinh Ba Tu. All three of them have been arbitrarily detained since June 24, 2020. On October 12, 2023, during a family visit in An Diem Prison, in Quang Nam Province, where he is arbitrarily detained, Trinh Ba Phuong informed his relatives about the punishment inflicted upon him and two fellow inmates by the prison authorities between September 9 and 19, 2023. According to Trinh Ba Phuong, on September 9, 2023, he and three other prisoners peacefully protested against the Vietnamese government’s human rights record by holding banners made with pieces of paper in Division 34 of An Diem Prison. After more than 30 minutes, 10 prison guards confiscated the banners and brutally beat them in the presence of the prison ward. Trinh Ba Phuong was grabbed by the neck and pushed against the wall, causing him bruises on his chest. He was subsequently handcuffed and taken to a disciplinary cell, where he remained detained in solitary confinement with his feet shackled until September 19, 2023. The shackles were removed for only 20 minutes every morning to allow him to wash his body. After the 10-day punishment period, he was transferred back to his cell. To date, he has neither been treated nor examined by any medical personnel. The Observatory condemns in its strongest terms the disciplinary punishment perpetrated against Trinh Ba Phuong and his two fellow inmates while in prison, and recalls that this is not the first time the human rights defender has been subjected to ill-treatment and acts of torture. His brother Trinh Ba Tu has been subjected to disciplinary punishment on multiple occasions in Thanh Hoa Prison No. 6, in Nghe An province, including solitary confinement, beatings, foot shackling, and hard labour. The Observatory recalls that Trinh Ba Phuong was arbitrarily arrested in Hanoi on June 24, 2020, on charge of “making, storing, distributing or disseminating information, documents and items against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code. On the same day, in Hoa Binh Province, his mother and brother, Ms Can Thi Theu and Trinh Ba Tu, were arbitrarily arrested on the same charge. Their arrest and detention are connected to their work denouncing on social media the excessive use of force against farmers of the Dong Tam Village, about 25 km Southwest of Hanoi, during a deadly police raid conducted in January 2020, in which a farmer and three policemen died. On December 15, 2021, Trinh Ba Phuong was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of probation. On August 17, 2022, his conviction and prison sentence were upheld by the Hanoi High People’s Court and the sentence is final. During the investigation, he was subjected to acts of torture and ill-treatment, and was confined to a psychiatric hospital for one month in March 2021. Can Thi Theu and Trinh Ba Tu were sentenced by the Hanoi People’s Court to eight years of imprisonment each under Article 117 of the Criminal Code on May 5, 2021. Their convictions and prison sentences were upheld on appeal on December 24, 2021 and are final. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, they remained detained in Thanh Hoa Prison No. 5 and Thanh Hoa Prison No. 6, respectively, and their detention conditions remained unknown. The Observatory expresses its grave concern over the high risk of torture and ill-treatment Trinh Ba Phuong, Can Thi Theu, and Trinh Ba Tu face while in detention. The Observatory expresses further concern about the physical integrity and psychological well-being of the three human rights defenders’ families, who have been subjected to threats and short periods of arrest to intimidate them and prevent them from attending the trials of their relatives. The Observatory further notes that Trinh Ba Phuong remains detained 850 km away from his home; while Trinh Ba Tu and Can Thi Theu are detained at a distance of 300 km and 120 km from their homes, respectively. The continued detention of the above-mentioned human rights defenders in remote prisons has a punitive effect on them and their families, as each prison visit requires high traveling costs and onerous journeys, and consequently cannot take place regularly. The Observatory urges the Vietnamese authorities to protect and respect Trinh Ba Phuong, Trinh Ba Tu, and Can Thi Theu’s right to be free from torture and other ill-treatment, and to carry out an immediate, thorough, and impartial investigation into the above-mentioned allegations of torture and ill treatment and hold those responsible accountable. The Observatory further condemns their ongoing arbitrary detention and calls on the authorities to quash their prison sentences and to immediately and unconditionally release them. The Observatory urges the Vietnamese authorities to stop misusing Article 117 of the Criminal Code to prosecute human rights defenders and silence dissent in Vietnam, and recalls that several United Nations Special Procedures declared that this article is “overly broad and appears to be aimed at silencing those who seek to exercise their human rights to freely express their views and share information with others”.]]> Algérie : Noureddine Tounsi en grève de la faim https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/alert/algerie-noureddine-tounsi-en-greve-de-la-faim/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:26:02 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=20947 Noureddine Tounsi, lanceur d’alerte et défenseur des droits humains anti-corruption, et membre du bureau d’Oran de la Ligue Algérienne de Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LADDH). Noureddine Tounsi est un ancien responsable commercial de l’Entreprise portuaire d’Oran (EPO), une entreprise publique, et travaille avec la Plateforme de Protection des Lanceurs d’Alerte en Afrique (PPLAAF). Le 25 avril 2023, Noureddine Tounsi a entamé une grève de la faim illimitée pour protester contre sa détention arbitraire à la prison d’El Harrach d’Alger, au sein de laquelle il est incarcéré depuis plus de trois mois et demi. Noureddine Tounsi a été arbitrairement arrêté le 8 février 2023 en pleine rue à Oran, avant d’être présenté devant le procureur de la République d’Oran qui lui a notifié le mandat d’arrêt délivré à son encontre par le tribunal de Bir Mourad Raïs d’Alger. Le jour même, il a été transféré à Alger, où il a été présenté devant le procureur de la République près le tribunal de Bir Mourad Raïs, qui a ordonné son placement en détention préventive, avec mandat de dépôt, à la prison d’El Harrach. Le 15 février 2023, Noureddine Tounsi a été présenté devant le juge d’instruction près le tribunal de Bir Mourad Raïs, qui a maintenu le mandat de dépôt. Le 8 mars 2023, la chambre d’accusation près la Cour de Ruisseau d’Alger a confirmé le maintien en détention préventive de M. Tounsi, qui est poursuivi pour « atteinte à l’unité nationale » (article 79 du Code pénal algérien) et « atteinte à la sûreté de l’État » (article 95 bis du même Code), en lien avec le supposé partage d’un document jugé « officiel » sur ses réseaux sociaux. Selon les avocat·es de M. Tounsi, ces accusations sont montées de toutes pièces, aucune de ses publications sur les réseaux sociaux ne comportant de document jugé officiel, et Noureddine Tounsi aurait en réalité été arrêté sur la base des mêmes faits que ceux qui lui ont été reprochés en 2020, et pour lesquels il a déjà été jugé et a purgé une peine de prison. L’Observatoire rappelle que Noureddine Tounsi avait déjà été arbitrairement arrêté et incarcéré le 21 septembre 2020 pour des accusations de « divulgation de secrets professionnels », « outrage et violence à fonctionnaires et institutions de l’État » et « intelligence avec l’étranger » (accusation par la suite abandonnée), pour avoir dénoncé plusieurs affaires de corruption, et notamment le scandale des 701 kilos de cocaïne découverts au port d’Oran en 2018. Le 24 novembre 2020, il a été condamné par le tribunal d’Oran à six mois de prison, 50.000 DA (environ 341 Euros) d’amende et 50.000 DA de dommages et intérêts. Le 21 avril 2021, M. Tounsi a été condamné à un an de prison ferme dans le cadre d’une deuxième affaire pour « offense au président de la République », « pression sur les décisions des magistrats » et « atteinte à la vie privée d’autrui » en lien avec les mêmes faits. M. Tounsi avait été libéré le 23 septembre 2021 après avoir purgé sa peine. L’Observatoire rappelle également que la condamnation de Noureddine Tounsi intervient dans un contexte de rétrécissement de l’espace civique et de répression de toutes les voix dissidentes dans le pays, marqué par des attaques systématiques des autorités aux droits à la liberté d’association, de réunion et d’expression, ainsi qu’à l’encontre des défenseur·es des droits humains, en réaction notamment au soulèvement populaire du Hirak qui a débuté en février 2019. L’Observatoire exprime sa vive inquiétude quant à l’état de santé de Noureddine Tounsi qui se détériore significativement depuis le début de sa grève de la faim, et dénonce sa détention arbitraire qui ne semble viser qu’à le sanctionner pour l’exercice de ses activités légitimes de défense des droits humains. L’Observatoire appelle les autorités algériennes à garantir l’accès de Noureddine Tounsi à des soins de santé adéquats, à le libérer immédiatement, et à mettre un terme à tout acte de harcèlement, y compris au niveau judiciaire, à son encontre ainsi qu’à celle de tou·tes les défenseur·es des droits humain dans le pays.]]> Noureddine Tounsi, lanceur d’alerte et défenseur des droits humains anti-corruption, et membre du bureau d’Oran de la Ligue Algérienne de Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LADDH). Noureddine Tounsi est un ancien responsable commercial de l’Entreprise portuaire d’Oran (EPO), une entreprise publique, et travaille avec la Plateforme de Protection des Lanceurs d’Alerte en Afrique (PPLAAF). Le 25 avril 2023, Noureddine Tounsi a entamé une grève de la faim illimitée pour protester contre sa détention arbitraire à la prison d’El Harrach d’Alger, au sein de laquelle il est incarcéré depuis plus de trois mois et demi. Noureddine Tounsi a été arbitrairement arrêté le 8 février 2023 en pleine rue à Oran, avant d’être présenté devant le procureur de la République d’Oran qui lui a notifié le mandat d’arrêt délivré à son encontre par le tribunal de Bir Mourad Raïs d’Alger. Le jour même, il a été transféré à Alger, où il a été présenté devant le procureur de la République près le tribunal de Bir Mourad Raïs, qui a ordonné son placement en détention préventive, avec mandat de dépôt, à la prison d’El Harrach. Le 15 février 2023, Noureddine Tounsi a été présenté devant le juge d’instruction près le tribunal de Bir Mourad Raïs, qui a maintenu le mandat de dépôt. Le 8 mars 2023, la chambre d’accusation près la Cour de Ruisseau d’Alger a confirmé le maintien en détention préventive de M. Tounsi, qui est poursuivi pour « atteinte à l’unité nationale » (article 79 du Code pénal algérien) et « atteinte à la sûreté de l’État » (article 95 bis du même Code), en lien avec le supposé partage d’un document jugé « officiel » sur ses réseaux sociaux. Selon les avocat·es de M. Tounsi, ces accusations sont montées de toutes pièces, aucune de ses publications sur les réseaux sociaux ne comportant de document jugé officiel, et Noureddine Tounsi aurait en réalité été arrêté sur la base des mêmes faits que ceux qui lui ont été reprochés en 2020, et pour lesquels il a déjà été jugé et a purgé une peine de prison. L’Observatoire rappelle que Noureddine Tounsi avait déjà été arbitrairement arrêté et incarcéré le 21 septembre 2020 pour des accusations de « divulgation de secrets professionnels », « outrage et violence à fonctionnaires et institutions de l’État » et « intelligence avec l’étranger » (accusation par la suite abandonnée), pour avoir dénoncé plusieurs affaires de corruption, et notamment le scandale des 701 kilos de cocaïne découverts au port d’Oran en 2018. Le 24 novembre 2020, il a été condamné par le tribunal d’Oran à six mois de prison, 50.000 DA (environ 341 Euros) d’amende et 50.000 DA de dommages et intérêts. Le 21 avril 2021, M. Tounsi a été condamné à un an de prison ferme dans le cadre d’une deuxième affaire pour « offense au président de la République », « pression sur les décisions des magistrats » et « atteinte à la vie privée d’autrui » en lien avec les mêmes faits. M. Tounsi avait été libéré le 23 septembre 2021 après avoir purgé sa peine. L’Observatoire rappelle également que la condamnation de Noureddine Tounsi intervient dans un contexte de rétrécissement de l’espace civique et de répression de toutes les voix dissidentes dans le pays, marqué par des attaques systématiques des autorités aux droits à la liberté d’association, de réunion et d’expression, ainsi qu’à l’encontre des défenseur·es des droits humains, en réaction notamment au soulèvement populaire du Hirak qui a débuté en février 2019. L’Observatoire exprime sa vive inquiétude quant à l’état de santé de Noureddine Tounsi qui se détériore significativement depuis le début de sa grève de la faim, et dénonce sa détention arbitraire qui ne semble viser qu’à le sanctionner pour l’exercice de ses activités légitimes de défense des droits humains. L’Observatoire appelle les autorités algériennes à garantir l’accès de Noureddine Tounsi à des soins de santé adéquats, à le libérer immédiatement, et à mettre un terme à tout acte de harcèlement, y compris au niveau judiciaire, à son encontre ainsi qu’à celle de tou·tes les défenseur·es des droits humain dans le pays.]]> Vietnam: Environmental lawyer Dang Dinh Bach must be released https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/alert/vietnam-environmental-lawyer-dang-dinh-bach-must-be-released/ Thu, 25 May 2023 16:13:53 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=20445 May 24, 2023 Dear Supporters of a Just Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Vietnam, We, the undersigned climate justice and human rights advocates worldwide, call for the immediate release of prominent environmental lawyer, Dang Dinh Bach, who is serving a five year prison sentence in Vietnam on trumped-up tax evasion charges after advocating for the country’s movement away from coal. Bach has declared that on June 24, 2023 - the two-year anniversary of his arrest - he will go on a hunger strike to the death in defense of his innocence. In his own spirit of nonviolent and peaceful protest, we are launching in solidarity with him a relay hunger strike" joining him in solidarity in a relay hunger strike from May 24 through June 24, to raise awareness about this extreme injustice and call for his release. We are running out of time to address the climate crisis. Action is urgent, and across the world, steps are being taken to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the impacts of climate change for future generations. The Vietnamese government itself has committed to net zero emissions by 2050 and accepted a $15.5 billion deal to support a just transition to clean energy. But this cannot succeed with climate leaders like Bach in jail. Bach is one of four members of the Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance who were imprisoned in Vietnam, despite playing an instrumental role in the country’s ambitious climate commitments, indicating an ongoing and highly concerning trend. Bach has dedicated his life to improving the health and well-being of marginalized communities throughout Vietnam and worked tirelessly to limit pollutants such as plastic, asbestos, and coal. “I have witnessed so many painful stories of poverty and terrible diseases that weigh on abused communities in Vietnam,” said Bach in a recent statement from prison. “They are deprived of their land and livelihoods and do not have opportunities to speak out for justice and the right to be human in the face of environmental pollution, especially in places with coal-fired power plants across the country. In order to conceal the truth and threaten the voices of people, the Vietnamese authorities have arrested, convicted and unjustly detained environmental and human rights activists in defiance of national and international law.” This is why we, the global community, stand in solidarity with Bach through peaceful protest and call for his release, as well as an end to retaliation against government and civil society actors in Vietnam and around the world pushing for human rights and environmental justice. We urge all governments, multilateral institutions and others invested in a just energy transition for Vietnam to:
  • insist on Bach’s release;
  • demand that civil society in Vietnam is welcome to participate meaningfully in this process that is so crucial for the future of the region and the planet.
We must act now to safeguard Bach’s life, as well as Vietnam’s ability to successfully transition away from coal and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Sincerely,]]> May 24, 2023 Dear Supporters of a Just Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Vietnam, We, the undersigned climate justice and human rights advocates worldwide, call for the immediate release of prominent environmental lawyer, Dang Dinh Bach, who is serving a five year prison sentence in Vietnam on trumped-up tax evasion charges after advocating for the country’s movement away from coal. Bach has declared that on June 24, 2023 - the two-year anniversary of his arrest - he will go on a hunger strike to the death in defense of his innocence. In his own spirit of nonviolent and peaceful protest, we are launching in solidarity with him a relay hunger strike" joining him in solidarity in a relay hunger strike from May 24 through June 24, to raise awareness about this extreme injustice and call for his release. We are running out of time to address the climate crisis. Action is urgent, and across the world, steps are being taken to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the impacts of climate change for future generations. The Vietnamese government itself has committed to net zero emissions by 2050 and accepted a $15.5 billion deal to support a just transition to clean energy. But this cannot succeed with climate leaders like Bach in jail. Bach is one of four members of the Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance who were imprisoned in Vietnam, despite playing an instrumental role in the country’s ambitious climate commitments, indicating an ongoing and highly concerning trend. Bach has dedicated his life to improving the health and well-being of marginalized communities throughout Vietnam and worked tirelessly to limit pollutants such as plastic, asbestos, and coal. “I have witnessed so many painful stories of poverty and terrible diseases that weigh on abused communities in Vietnam,” said Bach in a recent statement from prison. “They are deprived of their land and livelihoods and do not have opportunities to speak out for justice and the right to be human in the face of environmental pollution, especially in places with coal-fired power plants across the country. In order to conceal the truth and threaten the voices of people, the Vietnamese authorities have arrested, convicted and unjustly detained environmental and human rights activists in defiance of national and international law.” This is why we, the global community, stand in solidarity with Bach through peaceful protest and call for his release, as well as an end to retaliation against government and civil society actors in Vietnam and around the world pushing for human rights and environmental justice. We urge all governments, multilateral institutions and others invested in a just energy transition for Vietnam to:
  • insist on Bach’s release;
  • demand that civil society in Vietnam is welcome to participate meaningfully in this process that is so crucial for the future of the region and the planet.
We must act now to safeguard Bach’s life, as well as Vietnam’s ability to successfully transition away from coal and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Sincerely,]]> Belarus: Appeal upholds prison sentences against Viasna members https://observatoryfordefenders.org/fr/alert/belarus-appeal-upholds-prison-sentences-against-viasna-members/ Fri, 21 Apr 2023 15:28:38 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=20183