https://observatoryfordefenders.org Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:10:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cropped-OB-eye-orange-32x32.png https://observatoryfordefenders.org 32 32 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/cote-divoire-a-lapproche-de-lelection-presidentielle-les-defenseur%c2%b7es-des-droits-humains-doivent-etre-protege%c2%b7es-et-lespace-civique-respecte/ Fri, 24 Oct 2025 23:47:08 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=24105 La prochaine élection présidentielle ivoirienne aura lieu le 25 octobre 2025. Au cours de la période pré-électorale, des actes de violence et de restriction de l’espace civique de la part des autorités ont été constatés. L’Observatoire pour la protection des défenseur·es des droits humains (FIDH-OMCT), la Ligue ivoirienne des droits de l’Homme (LIDHO), le Mouvement ivoirien des droits humains (MIDH) et la Coalition ivoirienne des défenseur·es des droits humains (CIDDH) expriment leur vive inquiétude face au climat de fortes tensions dans le pays et rappellent aux autorités ivoiriennes leur obligation de garantir la sécurité des défenseur·es des droits humains et l’ouverture de l’espace civique en toutes circonstances, et particulièrement en période électorale. Abidjan-Paris-Genève - 24 octobre 2025 - Le samedi 25 octobre 2025, les citoyen·nes ivoirien·nes sont appelé·es aux urnes pour élire leur prochain·e président·e. À l’occasion de ce scrutin, les candidatures de plusieurs figures majeures de l'opposition ont été invalidées en septembre 2025 par le Conseil constitutionnel. Parmi les candidat·es retenu·es figurent Alassane Ouattara, actuel président de la République au pouvoir depuis 2011, et Simone Éhivet, ex-épouse de l’ancien Président Laurent Gbagbo et Première dame de Côte d’Ivoire de 2000 à 2011. Les partis d’opposition, particulièrement le Parti démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) de Tidjane Thiam, et le Parti des peuples africains – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA – CI) de Laurent Gbagbo, ont initié une série d'actions pour protester contre ces décisions et réclamer la tenue d'un dialogue politique. Une manifestation pacifique était prévue pour le 4 octobre 2025, mais celle-ci a été interdite par arrêté préfectoral le 2 octobre, pour « risques de troubles à l'ordre public ». Le même jour, le Conseil national de sécurité a ordonné que « toutes les dispositions nécessaires pour maintenir l’ordre et la sécurité, y compris l’interdiction des meetings et manifestations publiques visant à contester les décisions du Conseil Constitutionnel » soient prises, et a déployé 44 000 éléments des Forces de défense et de sécurité sur tout le territoire en invoquant la sécurisation du processus électoral. Une autre manifestation, prévue pour le 11 octobre 2025 a, elle aussi, été interdite par un nouvel arrêté préfectoral du 10 octobre 2025 portant interdiction de toute manifestation publique sur le territoire du département d'Abidjan pour le 11 octobre. Cependant, des manifestant·es qui ont tenté de se réunir le 11 octobre ont été durement réprimé·es par les forces de l’ordre, notamment à l’aide de gaz lacrymogènes. À l’issue de la manifestation, 237 personnes ont été interpellées à Abidjan et 18 à Dabou. Le 17 octobre 2025, un arrêté ministériel a été pris, interdisant « les meetings et manifestations publiques des partis ou groupements politiques sur toute l’étendue du territoire national » pour une durée de deux mois, à l’exception de « ceux qui s’inscrivent dans le cadre de la participation au processus électoral relatif à l’élection du Président de la République du 25 octobre 2025 ». Pour autant, des partis d’opposition ont annoncé la poursuite des manifestations « tous les jours et sur toute l’étendue du territoire ». À ce jour, suite à ces manifestations et d’après les informations recueillies par les organisations signataires, plus de 700 personnes ont été arbitrairement interpellées et sont maintenant détenues. Plusieurs manifestant·es ainsi qu’un agent des forces de défense et de sécurité ont été tué·es. Plusieurs dizaines de manifestant·es ont été condamné·es à de lourdes peines de prison. Ainsi, au tribunal de Dabou, 24 manifestant·es ont été condamné·es à 36 mois de prison ferme pour « troubles à l’ordre public ». À Abidjan, 26 manifestant·es ont été condamné·es à 36 mois d’emprisonnement ferme. 32 autres manifestant·es ont été condamné·es à Abidjan à trois ans de prison ferme pour « troubles à l’ordre public ». L’Observatoire, la LIDHO, le MIDH et la CIDDH dénoncent ces violations flagrantes des droits à la liberté d’expression et à la liberté d’association, de réunion et de manifestation pacifique, et rappellent que ceux-ci sont garantis par les articles 19 et 20 de la Constitution ivoirienne, ainsi que par les instruments régionaux et internationaux relatifs aux droits humains ratifiés par la Côte d’Ivoire, notamment les articles 9 et 11 de la Charte africaine des droits de l’Homme et des peuples, et les articles 19 et 21 du Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques. Les organisations signataires exhortent la Côte d’Ivoire à respecter ses engagements en faveur de la protection des défenseur.es des droits humains. En 2014, la Côte d’Ivoire est devenue le premier pays africain à se doter d’une loi portant promotion et protection des défenseurs des droits humains. Conformément à cette loi, au mois de mars 2022, la Côte d’Ivoire a mis en place un comité de protection des défenseurs des droits humains. En juin 2025, le Ministère de la justice et des droits de l’Homme ivoirien a intégré la représentation de la société civile au sein de ce comité, permettant ainsi de relancer ce mécanisme. Les organisations signataires appellent les autorités ivoiriennes à poursuivre ces efforts et à prendre des mesures concrètes, via le mécanisme existant, pour garantir la protection des défenseur.es des droits humains et de l’espace civique. Les organisations signataires appellent les autorités ivoiriennes à garantir en toutes circonstances les droits et libertés fondamentales, y compris en période électorale et post électorale, et à tout mettre en œuvre pour garantir des élections libres, transparentes, inclusives et apaisées. Les organisations signataires soulignent également la nécessité de protéger les défenseur·es des droits humains en cette période cruciale pour la démocratie ivoirienne, et de leur permettre d’exercer leurs activités essentielles d’observation et de documentation sans entraves ni crainte de représailles.]]> La prochaine élection présidentielle ivoirienne aura lieu le 25 octobre 2025. Au cours de la période pré-électorale, des actes de violence et de restriction de l’espace civique de la part des autorités ont été constatés. L’Observatoire pour la protection des défenseur·es des droits humains (FIDH-OMCT), la Ligue ivoirienne des droits de l’Homme (LIDHO), le Mouvement ivoirien des droits humains (MIDH) et la Coalition ivoirienne des défenseur·es des droits humains (CIDDH) expriment leur vive inquiétude face au climat de fortes tensions dans le pays et rappellent aux autorités ivoiriennes leur obligation de garantir la sécurité des défenseur·es des droits humains et l’ouverture de l’espace civique en toutes circonstances, et particulièrement en période électorale. Abidjan-Paris-Genève - 24 octobre 2025 - Le samedi 25 octobre 2025, les citoyen·nes ivoirien·nes sont appelé·es aux urnes pour élire leur prochain·e président·e. À l’occasion de ce scrutin, les candidatures de plusieurs figures majeures de l'opposition ont été invalidées en septembre 2025 par le Conseil constitutionnel. Parmi les candidat·es retenu·es figurent Alassane Ouattara, actuel président de la République au pouvoir depuis 2011, et Simone Éhivet, ex-épouse de l’ancien Président Laurent Gbagbo et Première dame de Côte d’Ivoire de 2000 à 2011. Les partis d’opposition, particulièrement le Parti démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) de Tidjane Thiam, et le Parti des peuples africains – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA – CI) de Laurent Gbagbo, ont initié une série d'actions pour protester contre ces décisions et réclamer la tenue d'un dialogue politique. Une manifestation pacifique était prévue pour le 4 octobre 2025, mais celle-ci a été interdite par arrêté préfectoral le 2 octobre, pour « risques de troubles à l'ordre public ». Le même jour, le Conseil national de sécurité a ordonné que « toutes les dispositions nécessaires pour maintenir l’ordre et la sécurité, y compris l’interdiction des meetings et manifestations publiques visant à contester les décisions du Conseil Constitutionnel » soient prises, et a déployé 44 000 éléments des Forces de défense et de sécurité sur tout le territoire en invoquant la sécurisation du processus électoral. Une autre manifestation, prévue pour le 11 octobre 2025 a, elle aussi, été interdite par un nouvel arrêté préfectoral du 10 octobre 2025 portant interdiction de toute manifestation publique sur le territoire du département d'Abidjan pour le 11 octobre. Cependant, des manifestant·es qui ont tenté de se réunir le 11 octobre ont été durement réprimé·es par les forces de l’ordre, notamment à l’aide de gaz lacrymogènes. À l’issue de la manifestation, 237 personnes ont été interpellées à Abidjan et 18 à Dabou. Le 17 octobre 2025, un arrêté ministériel a été pris, interdisant « les meetings et manifestations publiques des partis ou groupements politiques sur toute l’étendue du territoire national » pour une durée de deux mois, à l’exception de « ceux qui s’inscrivent dans le cadre de la participation au processus électoral relatif à l’élection du Président de la République du 25 octobre 2025 ». Pour autant, des partis d’opposition ont annoncé la poursuite des manifestations « tous les jours et sur toute l’étendue du territoire ». À ce jour, suite à ces manifestations et d’après les informations recueillies par les organisations signataires, plus de 700 personnes ont été arbitrairement interpellées et sont maintenant détenues. Plusieurs manifestant·es ainsi qu’un agent des forces de défense et de sécurité ont été tué·es. Plusieurs dizaines de manifestant·es ont été condamné·es à de lourdes peines de prison. Ainsi, au tribunal de Dabou, 24 manifestant·es ont été condamné·es à 36 mois de prison ferme pour « troubles à l’ordre public ». À Abidjan, 26 manifestant·es ont été condamné·es à 36 mois d’emprisonnement ferme. 32 autres manifestant·es ont été condamné·es à Abidjan à trois ans de prison ferme pour « troubles à l’ordre public ». L’Observatoire, la LIDHO, le MIDH et la CIDDH dénoncent ces violations flagrantes des droits à la liberté d’expression et à la liberté d’association, de réunion et de manifestation pacifique, et rappellent que ceux-ci sont garantis par les articles 19 et 20 de la Constitution ivoirienne, ainsi que par les instruments régionaux et internationaux relatifs aux droits humains ratifiés par la Côte d’Ivoire, notamment les articles 9 et 11 de la Charte africaine des droits de l’Homme et des peuples, et les articles 19 et 21 du Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques. Les organisations signataires exhortent la Côte d’Ivoire à respecter ses engagements en faveur de la protection des défenseur.es des droits humains. En 2014, la Côte d’Ivoire est devenue le premier pays africain à se doter d’une loi portant promotion et protection des défenseurs des droits humains. Conformément à cette loi, au mois de mars 2022, la Côte d’Ivoire a mis en place un comité de protection des défenseurs des droits humains. En juin 2025, le Ministère de la justice et des droits de l’Homme ivoirien a intégré la représentation de la société civile au sein de ce comité, permettant ainsi de relancer ce mécanisme. Les organisations signataires appellent les autorités ivoiriennes à poursuivre ces efforts et à prendre des mesures concrètes, via le mécanisme existant, pour garantir la protection des défenseur.es des droits humains et de l’espace civique. Les organisations signataires appellent les autorités ivoiriennes à garantir en toutes circonstances les droits et libertés fondamentales, y compris en période électorale et post électorale, et à tout mettre en œuvre pour garantir des élections libres, transparentes, inclusives et apaisées. Les organisations signataires soulignent également la nécessité de protéger les défenseur·es des droits humains en cette période cruciale pour la démocratie ivoirienne, et de leur permettre d’exercer leurs activités essentielles d’observation et de documentation sans entraves ni crainte de représailles.]]> https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/nepal-call-for-accountability-over-protest-crackdown-urging-an-end-to-digital-repression-and-police-misuse-of-force/ Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:34:29 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=23926 The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, together with the undersigned organisations, condemn the crackdown on peaceful protests in Nepal, sparked by widespread demonstrations against corruption and a government-imposed ban on social media platforms. We call on Nepali authorities to immediately end all forms of violence and repression against peaceful protestors, lift remaining curfews and amend restrictive digital legislation to align with international human rights standards, thereby safeguarding the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly both online and offline. Paris, Geneva, Kathmandu - 9 September 2025 – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and civil society partners from Nepal condemn the reported killing of at least 19 protestors and the injuring of hundreds more during demonstrations against corruption and the Nepal Government’s blanket ban on 26 social media and messaging platforms. The brutal response of security forces—including the use of live ammunition, tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets, and batons—is unlawful, unnecessary, and disproportionate. Excessive force should never be used against peaceful protestors. As of 9 September 2025, the government has lifted its nationwide social media ban. This reversal doesn’t undo the grave violations against those exercising their right to peaceful assembly. A curfew remains in place in at least three districts, including Kathmandu, and police reportedly opened fire again on protesters in Chandranigahapur today. FORUM-ASIA, CIVICUS, and partners urge the Government of Nepal to immediately end the use of unlawful and excessive force against protestors, lift curfews, and withdraw the military from civilian spaces. The government should conduct a prompt, impartial, and independent investigation into all killings and injuries, ensuring accountability, justice, and reparations to victims, survivors, and their families. “The deadly crackdown on protestors in Nepal marks a regression in the handling of protests by security forces. The government’s actions have not only eroded public trust but also revealed a deeper governance failure,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA. “The state resorted first to banning social media as a weapon of political control over free speech, and then deployed excessive force against its own citizens who were merely exercising their fundamental right to dissent. The government must protect, not punish, the people for demanding their rights,” Bacalso continued. Peaceful protests met with violence On 8 September, youth-led “Gen Z” protests erupted in Kathmandu and other cities, with thousands demanding an end to corruption and the lifting of the social media ban. In Kathmandu’s New Baneshwar, police opened fire after protestors entered Parliament premises. Security forces deployed water cannons, tear gas, and even live ammunition to disperse crowds. Consequently, at least 19 protestors were killed and more than a hundred were injured, many of whom remain in critical condition with bullet wounds to the head and chest. Tear gas reportedly seeped into a hospital treating the injured, disrupting urgent medical care–underscoring the indiscriminate and disproportionate nature of the response. The killing of unarmed protestors through the use of live ammunition is a grave violation of the right to life. Such excessive force violates Nepal’s Constitution and its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. Nepal’s security forces have repeatedly used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations. As protests continue across the country in response to the killings, we remind the authorities that any use of force by law enforcement officials must comply with the principles of legality, necessity, and proportionality, in line with international standards. Digital repression On 4 September, the government imposed a blanket ban on social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Signal, and X—after companies were given a seven-day ultimatum to register locally under the 2023 social media directives. Protests soon broke out in response. Since November 2023, the government has issued at least five notices to social media companies to register locally, appoint grievance officers, and establish compliance mechanisms. These requirements were said to be grounded in Section 79 of the Electronic Transactions Act (ETA) 2006. The Nepali civil society has argued that such directives exceed the scope of the ETA, which was not intended to license global platforms or regulate online speech, but only to regulate e-commerce and cybercrimes. By bypassing parliamentary scrutiny, these directives “go beyond the ambit of the ETA” and lack a clear statutory basis. As such, they fall short of the ICCPR’s requirement that any restrictions on rights must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate, and must be “provided by law.” The ban was not an isolated incident but part of a wider pattern. The draft Social Media Bill 2025 may impose sweeping licensing requirements, vague takedown powers, liability for local representatives, and up to five years’ imprisonment for undefined “false” or “anti-national” content. Such provisions violate international standards of legal certainty. They could institutionalize censorship, criminalize dissent, silence journalism, and weaponize laws for political control. “Nepal is following a regional authoritarian playbook—India’s IT Rules, Pakistan’s repeated shutdowns of X and YouTube, and Bangladesh’s crackdown on students in 2024 all reveal the same pattern. When governments shut down civic space—whether digital or physical—people will resist. And when states respond with bullets, it only deepens the very crisis of legitimacy it seeks to contain,” said Reylynne Dela Paz, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead at CIVICUS. Call to action

1.  We call on the government of Nepal to respect the people’s right to protest and freedom of peaceful assembly, and to immediately halt all forms of violation and brutality by authorities against protesters.
2. The government should ensure that the rollback of the social media ban is permanent. It must withdraw or substantially amend the draft Social Media Bill 2025 and related directives to align with international human rights law and standards.
3.  As a state party to ICCPR, Nepal must uphold its international obligations. To protect civic space, the government must respect the fundamental rights of its people–both online and offline.

]]> The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, together with the undersigned organisations, condemn the crackdown on peaceful protests in Nepal, sparked by widespread demonstrations against corruption and a government-imposed ban on social media platforms. We call on Nepali authorities to immediately end all forms of violence and repression against peaceful protestors, lift remaining curfews and amend restrictive digital legislation to align with international human rights standards, thereby safeguarding the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly both online and offline. Paris, Geneva, Kathmandu - 9 September 2025 – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and civil society partners from Nepal condemn the reported killing of at least 19 protestors and the injuring of hundreds more during demonstrations against corruption and the Nepal Government’s blanket ban on 26 social media and messaging platforms. The brutal response of security forces—including the use of live ammunition, tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets, and batons—is unlawful, unnecessary, and disproportionate. Excessive force should never be used against peaceful protestors. As of 9 September 2025, the government has lifted its nationwide social media ban. This reversal doesn’t undo the grave violations against those exercising their right to peaceful assembly. A curfew remains in place in at least three districts, including Kathmandu, and police reportedly opened fire again on protesters in Chandranigahapur today. FORUM-ASIA, CIVICUS, and partners urge the Government of Nepal to immediately end the use of unlawful and excessive force against protestors, lift curfews, and withdraw the military from civilian spaces. The government should conduct a prompt, impartial, and independent investigation into all killings and injuries, ensuring accountability, justice, and reparations to victims, survivors, and their families. “The deadly crackdown on protestors in Nepal marks a regression in the handling of protests by security forces. The government’s actions have not only eroded public trust but also revealed a deeper governance failure,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA. “The state resorted first to banning social media as a weapon of political control over free speech, and then deployed excessive force against its own citizens who were merely exercising their fundamental right to dissent. The government must protect, not punish, the people for demanding their rights,” Bacalso continued. Peaceful protests met with violence On 8 September, youth-led “Gen Z” protests erupted in Kathmandu and other cities, with thousands demanding an end to corruption and the lifting of the social media ban. In Kathmandu’s New Baneshwar, police opened fire after protestors entered Parliament premises. Security forces deployed water cannons, tear gas, and even live ammunition to disperse crowds. Consequently, at least 19 protestors were killed and more than a hundred were injured, many of whom remain in critical condition with bullet wounds to the head and chest. Tear gas reportedly seeped into a hospital treating the injured, disrupting urgent medical care–underscoring the indiscriminate and disproportionate nature of the response. The killing of unarmed protestors through the use of live ammunition is a grave violation of the right to life. Such excessive force violates Nepal’s Constitution and its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. Nepal’s security forces have repeatedly used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations. As protests continue across the country in response to the killings, we remind the authorities that any use of force by law enforcement officials must comply with the principles of legality, necessity, and proportionality, in line with international standards. Digital repression On 4 September, the government imposed a blanket ban on social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Signal, and X—after companies were given a seven-day ultimatum to register locally under the 2023 social media directives. Protests soon broke out in response. Since November 2023, the government has issued at least five notices to social media companies to register locally, appoint grievance officers, and establish compliance mechanisms. These requirements were said to be grounded in Section 79 of the Electronic Transactions Act (ETA) 2006. The Nepali civil society has argued that such directives exceed the scope of the ETA, which was not intended to license global platforms or regulate online speech, but only to regulate e-commerce and cybercrimes. By bypassing parliamentary scrutiny, these directives “go beyond the ambit of the ETA” and lack a clear statutory basis. As such, they fall short of the ICCPR’s requirement that any restrictions on rights must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate, and must be “provided by law.” The ban was not an isolated incident but part of a wider pattern. The draft Social Media Bill 2025 may impose sweeping licensing requirements, vague takedown powers, liability for local representatives, and up to five years’ imprisonment for undefined “false” or “anti-national” content. Such provisions violate international standards of legal certainty. They could institutionalize censorship, criminalize dissent, silence journalism, and weaponize laws for political control. “Nepal is following a regional authoritarian playbook—India’s IT Rules, Pakistan’s repeated shutdowns of X and YouTube, and Bangladesh’s crackdown on students in 2024 all reveal the same pattern. When governments shut down civic space—whether digital or physical—people will resist. And when states respond with bullets, it only deepens the very crisis of legitimacy it seeks to contain,” said Reylynne Dela Paz, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead at CIVICUS. Call to action

1.  We call on the government of Nepal to respect the people’s right to protest and freedom of peaceful assembly, and to immediately halt all forms of violation and brutality by authorities against protesters.
2. The government should ensure that the rollback of the social media ban is permanent. It must withdraw or substantially amend the draft Social Media Bill 2025 and related directives to align with international human rights law and standards.
3.  As a state party to ICCPR, Nepal must uphold its international obligations. To protect civic space, the government must respect the fundamental rights of its people–both online and offline.

]]> https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/serbia-european-civil-society-stands-in-solidarity-with-the-people-of-serbia/ Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:04:30 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=23030 We, representatives of European civil society from across the continent, express our deep concern over the rapid escalation of restrictions, attacks, and repression against civil society in Serbia and call on the Serbian authorities to stop them. The latest illegal police raid on five leading non-governmental organisations represents a stark and deeply troubling intensification of the systemic effort to silence critical voices and suppress fundamental freedoms. This targeted assault underscores the growing crackdown on organisations that directly empower citizens to participate in public life and hold authorities accountable.  We stand in unwavering solidarity with the people of Serbia who are courageously resisting state oppression and systemic misgovernance. The mass protests were sparked by the tragic collapse of the newly renovated train station in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, which claimed 15 lives and left two others seriously injured. This disastrous incident laid bare the authorities’ systemic corruption and negligence, which is why the protests demand systemic change in addition to the government taking responsibility for the tragedy. The Serbian government has responded to these legitimate expressions of grief and outrage with increasing repression against civil society. The scale of state violence and intimidation is deeply alarming. Dozens of attacks on protesters have been documented, including vehicles being driven into crowds and the brutal assault of a female student by ruling party activists. These examples illustrate the lengths to which the government is willing to go to quash dissent and deny responsibility for the disaster. Those who express support for the movement — students, professors, activists, and independent voices — are accused of acting on behalf of foreign interests and face threats, surveillance, police interrogations, and losing their job. These attacks are not new. For over a decade, Serbia’s political leadership has steered the country away from democratic values and the commitments required for EU integration. Civic space in Serbia rated as “obstructed” by the CIVICUS Monitor, underscoring the longstanding challenges faced by those committed to this path. These trends are part of an authoritarian playbook that we have come to know and experience in our EU countries too. Yet, in the face of this repression, the resilience of Serbian society inspires us and gives us hope. The protests, which have spread to at least 245 cities and towns, have drawn tens of thousands — sometimes up to 100,000 people — onto the streets. The broad support enjoyed by the movement from trade unions, farmers, the bar association, private businesses, and self-organised citizens, shows how rooted it is in the Serbian society. It is the largest mobilisation in Serbia in decades, signalling the strength of civil society and the unyielding spirit of the Serbian people in their struggle for democracy and justice. All our struggles, in each of our countries, are interconnected and the strength of this movement is another brick in our collective power. The Serbian people’s fight for democracy, transparency, and human rights is also a fight for the fundamental values upon which the EU itself claims to be built. But the EU’s failure to act decisively has contributed to the deepening distrust among Serbian citizens towards the European path, weakening the enlargement process as a whole, and discrediting the EU’s external policy. Clearer messages and concrete actions are urgently needed to show citizens and civil society organisations that they are not alone in this fight, and that the EU truly upholds the values it claims to stand for. We stand in solidarity with the people of Serbia in their pursuit of a shared democratic future, and we call on European leaders to do the same.]]> We, representatives of European civil society from across the continent, express our deep concern over the rapid escalation of restrictions, attacks, and repression against civil society in Serbia and call on the Serbian authorities to stop them. The latest illegal police raid on five leading non-governmental organisations represents a stark and deeply troubling intensification of the systemic effort to silence critical voices and suppress fundamental freedoms. This targeted assault underscores the growing crackdown on organisations that directly empower citizens to participate in public life and hold authorities accountable.  We stand in unwavering solidarity with the people of Serbia who are courageously resisting state oppression and systemic misgovernance. The mass protests were sparked by the tragic collapse of the newly renovated train station in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, which claimed 15 lives and left two others seriously injured. This disastrous incident laid bare the authorities’ systemic corruption and negligence, which is why the protests demand systemic change in addition to the government taking responsibility for the tragedy. The Serbian government has responded to these legitimate expressions of grief and outrage with increasing repression against civil society. The scale of state violence and intimidation is deeply alarming. Dozens of attacks on protesters have been documented, including vehicles being driven into crowds and the brutal assault of a female student by ruling party activists. These examples illustrate the lengths to which the government is willing to go to quash dissent and deny responsibility for the disaster. Those who express support for the movement — students, professors, activists, and independent voices — are accused of acting on behalf of foreign interests and face threats, surveillance, police interrogations, and losing their job. These attacks are not new. For over a decade, Serbia’s political leadership has steered the country away from democratic values and the commitments required for EU integration. Civic space in Serbia rated as “obstructed” by the CIVICUS Monitor, underscoring the longstanding challenges faced by those committed to this path. These trends are part of an authoritarian playbook that we have come to know and experience in our EU countries too. Yet, in the face of this repression, the resilience of Serbian society inspires us and gives us hope. The protests, which have spread to at least 245 cities and towns, have drawn tens of thousands — sometimes up to 100,000 people — onto the streets. The broad support enjoyed by the movement from trade unions, farmers, the bar association, private businesses, and self-organised citizens, shows how rooted it is in the Serbian society. It is the largest mobilisation in Serbia in decades, signalling the strength of civil society and the unyielding spirit of the Serbian people in their struggle for democracy and justice. All our struggles, in each of our countries, are interconnected and the strength of this movement is another brick in our collective power. The Serbian people’s fight for democracy, transparency, and human rights is also a fight for the fundamental values upon which the EU itself claims to be built. But the EU’s failure to act decisively has contributed to the deepening distrust among Serbian citizens towards the European path, weakening the enlargement process as a whole, and discrediting the EU’s external policy. Clearer messages and concrete actions are urgently needed to show citizens and civil society organisations that they are not alone in this fight, and that the EU truly upholds the values it claims to stand for. We stand in solidarity with the people of Serbia in their pursuit of a shared democratic future, and we call on European leaders to do the same.]]> https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/ecuador-violenta-detencion-de-dos-miembros-de-inredh-miguel-angel-perez-y-jafet-guzman/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:38:21 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=23299 Miguel Ángel Pérez y Jafet Guzmán. Desde hace más de 30 años, Inredh ha acompañado a víctimas de violencia policial en Ecuador, promoviendo la defensa de los derechos humanos, de la naturaleza y de los pueblos, el derecho a la protesta pacífica y a la resistencia. Inredh es una de las organizaciones miembro de la FIDH en Ecuador. El 21 de noviembre de 2024, durante una protesta convocada por el Frente Unitario de Trabajadores (FUT) para denunciar la mala gestión de la crisis económica y social por el Gobierno de Daniel Noboa, la Policía Nacional detuvo a los Sres. Pérez y Guzmán, mientras realizaban labores de monitoreo de las protestas y documentación de posibles actos de violencia policial. Miguel Ángel Pérez y Jafet Guzmán, junto con otras personas, incluidos menores de edad, fueron llevados a las 17:30 horas al Distrito de Policía Manuela Sáenz, un lugar que no constituye un centro de detención legal y que es conocido como sitio de tortura y de vulneración de los derechos humanos. Según la información proporcionada por la presidenta de Inredh, los Sres. Pérez y Guzmán fueron detenidos allí durante dos horas, incomunicados, maltratados, gaseados, golpeados y privados de acceso a sus dispositivos móviles, que también fueron revisados de manera deliberada y sin consentimiento. No se permitió la entrada de la abogada de Inredh quien se identificó y solicitó que le permitan garantizar la integridad de sus compañeros por más de siete ocasiones. Posteriormente, fueron llevados a un centro médico para su revisión médica y finalmente trasladados esposados a la Unidad de Flagrancia de la Fiscalía General del Estado. Fueron liberados a las 23 horas del mismo día, sin un procedimiento claro y sin un registro formal de su detención. El Observatorio denuncia la detención violenta de Miguel Ángel Pérez y Jafet Guzmán, quienes ejercían su legitima actividad de vigilancia pacífica del respeto de los derechos humanos y del derecho de reunión pacífica. El Observatorio urge a las autoridades ecuatorianas a poner fin a todo tipo de represalia y hostigamiento, incluyendo detenciones arbitrarias, contra integrantes de Inredh, otras organizaciones de la sociedad civil, y todas las personas que ejercen su derecho a la protesta pacífica. El Observatorio pide a las autoridades ecuatorianas que garanticen en todas las circunstancias el derecho de reunión pacífica, consagrado en los instrumentos internacionales de derechos humanos de los que Ecuador es parte, en particular el artículo 21 del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos (PIDCP) y la garantía de derechos fundamentales a las organizaciones de derechos humanos.]]> Miguel Ángel Pérez y Jafet Guzmán. Desde hace más de 30 años, Inredh ha acompañado a víctimas de violencia policial en Ecuador, promoviendo la defensa de los derechos humanos, de la naturaleza y de los pueblos, el derecho a la protesta pacífica y a la resistencia. Inredh es una de las organizaciones miembro de la FIDH en Ecuador. El 21 de noviembre de 2024, durante una protesta convocada por el Frente Unitario de Trabajadores (FUT) para denunciar la mala gestión de la crisis económica y social por el Gobierno de Daniel Noboa, la Policía Nacional detuvo a los Sres. Pérez y Guzmán, mientras realizaban labores de monitoreo de las protestas y documentación de posibles actos de violencia policial. Miguel Ángel Pérez y Jafet Guzmán, junto con otras personas, incluidos menores de edad, fueron llevados a las 17:30 horas al Distrito de Policía Manuela Sáenz, un lugar que no constituye un centro de detención legal y que es conocido como sitio de tortura y de vulneración de los derechos humanos. Según la información proporcionada por la presidenta de Inredh, los Sres. Pérez y Guzmán fueron detenidos allí durante dos horas, incomunicados, maltratados, gaseados, golpeados y privados de acceso a sus dispositivos móviles, que también fueron revisados de manera deliberada y sin consentimiento. No se permitió la entrada de la abogada de Inredh quien se identificó y solicitó que le permitan garantizar la integridad de sus compañeros por más de siete ocasiones. Posteriormente, fueron llevados a un centro médico para su revisión médica y finalmente trasladados esposados a la Unidad de Flagrancia de la Fiscalía General del Estado. Fueron liberados a las 23 horas del mismo día, sin un procedimiento claro y sin un registro formal de su detención. El Observatorio denuncia la detención violenta de Miguel Ángel Pérez y Jafet Guzmán, quienes ejercían su legitima actividad de vigilancia pacífica del respeto de los derechos humanos y del derecho de reunión pacífica. El Observatorio urge a las autoridades ecuatorianas a poner fin a todo tipo de represalia y hostigamiento, incluyendo detenciones arbitrarias, contra integrantes de Inredh, otras organizaciones de la sociedad civil, y todas las personas que ejercen su derecho a la protesta pacífica. El Observatorio pide a las autoridades ecuatorianas que garanticen en todas las circunstancias el derecho de reunión pacífica, consagrado en los instrumentos internacionales de derechos humanos de los que Ecuador es parte, en particular el artículo 21 del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos (PIDCP) y la garantía de derechos fundamentales a las organizaciones de derechos humanos.]]> https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/turkey-upcoming-verdict-in-the-trial-of-environmental-defender-fusun-ergun-aka-fusun-kayra/ Mon, 27 Mar 2023 12:29:04 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=20071 Füsun Ergün, aka Füsun Kayra. Ms Ergün is the spokesperson of Ekoloji Birliği (Ecology Unity/Union) Women's Assembly, and is involved in Kazdağları Ecology Platform and Kazdağları Sisterhood. She is also a member of the Marmara Region Solidarity and Coordination Group, under the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey - HRFT (Türkiye İnsan Hakları Vakfı – TİHV) human rights defenders project. On March 27, 2023, at 14.00, the Milas 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance is expected to hand down its verdict against Füsun Ergün in what will be the sixth hearing in her trial. Ms Ergün faces criminal proceedings on the charge of "prevention of public duty" (Article 265 of the Penal Code of Turkey) for her participation in the İkizköy Akbelen Resistance, a series of peaceful protests aiming to protect Akbelen Forest in İkizköy Neighborhood located in Muğla, south-west of Turkey, from mining operations. If convicted, Füsun Ergün could face up to four years in prison. İkizköy Akbelen Resistance started in October 2019, when residents of Muğla İkizköy started protests to protect the Akbelen Forest from mining companies, which are planning on destroying it in order to expand the lignite mining site that fuels the Yeniköy-Kemerköy thermal power stations. These protests turned into a continuous ongoing vigil on July 17, 2021, when teams affiliated with the General Directorate of Forestry entered the Akbelen Forest to start operations and cut down trees. Residents of İkizköy carried out a nationwide campaign and filed administrative objections in 2019 and 2020, which resulted in two separate stay of execution orders. The first one was issued by the Muğla 1st Administrative Court for the cutting down of trees and the second one by the Muğla 3rd Administrative Court for the annulment of the permission to carry out the mining site operations. Despite those orders, mining companies and gendarmerie forces continue to prevent the protests until today. The mining companies threatened the residents with dismissal from their jobs and cut off their access to water for ten days in 2019. The gendarmerie intervened in the protests and exercised extra-judicial use of force several times. On August 11, 2021, approximately 250 gendarmerie officers raided the area and forcibly removed 11 peaceful protestors from the Akbelen Forest. Füsun Ergün, who had tied herself to a tree, was violently detained by the gendarmerie forces and taken into custody for one day, before being charged with "prevention of public duty". The two-page-long indictment alleges that while being taken out of the protest area, Füsun Ergün prevented gendarmerie forces from carrying out their public duty. Since she was charged, the Milas 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance has hold five hearings in the case of Füsun Ergün. During the second hearing, the presenting judge and the public prosecutor overtly violated Ms Ergün’s right to due process and legally established criminal procedures. The judge ordered Füsun Ergün to stand still and not to sit down, and argued with her attorneys, who were in turn threatened by the public prosecutor. In the same hearing, the public prosecutor submitted his final opinion for the conviction of Füsun Ergün. The attorneys requested a recusation of the judges and İzmir Bar Association submitted a complaint to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, which was still pending at the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal. The following three hearings were postponed due to the ongoing evaluation of the recusation, which the court eventually overruled. The Observatory strongly condemns the judicial harassment against Füsun Ergün, which seems to be only aimed at preventing her from exercising her legitimate environmental and human rights activities. The Observatory urges the authorities in Turkey to put an immediate end to the judicial harassment against Füsun Ergün and all human and environmental rights defenders in the country, and to guarantee her rights to due process and fair trial. The Observatory further urges the authorities to ensure that Füsun Ergün and all environmental and human rights defenders in Turkey are able to carry out their legitimate activities without any hindrance or fear of reprisals.]]> Füsun Ergün, aka Füsun Kayra. Ms Ergün is the spokesperson of Ekoloji Birliği (Ecology Unity/Union) Women's Assembly, and is involved in Kazdağları Ecology Platform and Kazdağları Sisterhood. She is also a member of the Marmara Region Solidarity and Coordination Group, under the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey - HRFT (Türkiye İnsan Hakları Vakfı – TİHV) human rights defenders project. On March 27, 2023, at 14.00, the Milas 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance is expected to hand down its verdict against Füsun Ergün in what will be the sixth hearing in her trial. Ms Ergün faces criminal proceedings on the charge of "prevention of public duty" (Article 265 of the Penal Code of Turkey) for her participation in the İkizköy Akbelen Resistance, a series of peaceful protests aiming to protect Akbelen Forest in İkizköy Neighborhood located in Muğla, south-west of Turkey, from mining operations. If convicted, Füsun Ergün could face up to four years in prison. İkizköy Akbelen Resistance started in October 2019, when residents of Muğla İkizköy started protests to protect the Akbelen Forest from mining companies, which are planning on destroying it in order to expand the lignite mining site that fuels the Yeniköy-Kemerköy thermal power stations. These protests turned into a continuous ongoing vigil on July 17, 2021, when teams affiliated with the General Directorate of Forestry entered the Akbelen Forest to start operations and cut down trees. Residents of İkizköy carried out a nationwide campaign and filed administrative objections in 2019 and 2020, which resulted in two separate stay of execution orders. The first one was issued by the Muğla 1st Administrative Court for the cutting down of trees and the second one by the Muğla 3rd Administrative Court for the annulment of the permission to carry out the mining site operations. Despite those orders, mining companies and gendarmerie forces continue to prevent the protests until today. The mining companies threatened the residents with dismissal from their jobs and cut off their access to water for ten days in 2019. The gendarmerie intervened in the protests and exercised extra-judicial use of force several times. On August 11, 2021, approximately 250 gendarmerie officers raided the area and forcibly removed 11 peaceful protestors from the Akbelen Forest. Füsun Ergün, who had tied herself to a tree, was violently detained by the gendarmerie forces and taken into custody for one day, before being charged with "prevention of public duty". The two-page-long indictment alleges that while being taken out of the protest area, Füsun Ergün prevented gendarmerie forces from carrying out their public duty. Since she was charged, the Milas 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance has hold five hearings in the case of Füsun Ergün. During the second hearing, the presenting judge and the public prosecutor overtly violated Ms Ergün’s right to due process and legally established criminal procedures. The judge ordered Füsun Ergün to stand still and not to sit down, and argued with her attorneys, who were in turn threatened by the public prosecutor. In the same hearing, the public prosecutor submitted his final opinion for the conviction of Füsun Ergün. The attorneys requested a recusation of the judges and İzmir Bar Association submitted a complaint to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, which was still pending at the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal. The following three hearings were postponed due to the ongoing evaluation of the recusation, which the court eventually overruled. The Observatory strongly condemns the judicial harassment against Füsun Ergün, which seems to be only aimed at preventing her from exercising her legitimate environmental and human rights activities. The Observatory urges the authorities in Turkey to put an immediate end to the judicial harassment against Füsun Ergün and all human and environmental rights defenders in the country, and to guarantee her rights to due process and fair trial. The Observatory further urges the authorities to ensure that Füsun Ergün and all environmental and human rights defenders in Turkey are able to carry out their legitimate activities without any hindrance or fear of reprisals.]]> https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/russia-administrative-harassment-against-chairperson-of-the-civic-assistance-committee-ms-svetlana-gannushkina/ Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://pods.local/alert/russia-administrative-harassment-against-chairperson-of-the-civic-assistance-committee-ms-svetlana-gannushkina/ Svetlana Gannushkina, founder and Chairperson of the Civic Assistance Committee[efn_note]The Civic Assistance Committee was founded in 1990 to support refugees and internal displaced people after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Civic Assistance Committee provides advisory assistance and legal support to migrants and refugees, and works for the protection of migrants’ rights to housing, work, medical care and education. In April 2015, the Ministry of Justice of Russia placed the organisation on the list of “foreign agents”.[/efn_note]. The administrative harassment against her takes place amid the brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-war demonstrators, human rights defenders, and civil society organisations, that followed Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24, 2022. On March 15, 2022, Ms. Svetlana Gannushkina was fined 10,000 Rubles (approximately 87 Euros) by the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow, after she was found guilty of “violating the established procedure for arranging or conducting a meeting, rally, demonstration, procession or picket” (Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). The Observatory recalls that Svetlana Gannushkina was arbitrarily arrested by law enforcement officers on March 6, 2022 for allegedly attending an anti-war protest on February 27, 2022. On the same day, prominent human rights defender Mr. Oleg Orlov, member of the Council of the Human Rights Center “Memorial” (HRC “Memorial”) and head of its “Hot Points” programme, was arbitrarily arrested at Manezhnaya Square for holding a sign in which it was written “Peace for Ukraine, Freedom to Russia”. They were both charged with “violating the established procedure for arranging or conducting a meeting, rally, demonstration, procession or picket”. Mr. Orlov and Ms. Gannushkina were released pending trial after more than 10 hours of arbitrary detention. Mr. Orlov was due to appear before the court on March 9, 2022 but the hearing was postponed until March 28, 2022. The Observatory underlines that as of March 18, 2022, over 14,800 peaceful anti-war protesters have been arbitrarily arrested in 147 cities across Russia, according to OVD-Info, an independent human rights media project which has been targeted by the authorities in reprisal for its work documenting violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, the right to be free from arbitrary arrest and other human rights in Russia. Furthermore, according to independent media reports, some of the detainees have been beaten and there are also reports of torture by the police. Additionally, on March 4, 2022, a bill criminalising the dissemination of “fake news” about Russian military operations was approved “to prevent the discrediting of the armed forces of the Russian Federation during their operations to protect the interests of the country and its citizens”. Individuals convicted on the charge of “fake news” will face up to three years of imprisonment, up to ten years if committed in an official capacity, and up to 15 years if the distribution of “fake news” leads to “serious consequences”. Moreover, “making calls against the use of Russian troops to protect the interests of Russia”, “discrediting such use” and “calling for sanctions against Russia” will be penalised with a prison sentence of up to three years. In this framework, independent journalists and media outlets reporting on the war have been heavily targeted by the Russian authorities, both in Russia and in Ukraine. On February 26, 2022, Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, published a statement ordering media to remove reports describing the attack on Ukraine as an “attack”, “invasion” or a “war”. Should media outlets fail to comply with this order, they will face fines of up to 5 million rubles (approximately 53,200 Euros) and blockages. Roskomnadzor accused several independent media outlets of “spreading unreliable socially significant untrue information” about civilian deaths and the attacks of Russia against Ukrainian cities. The media regulator further underlined that reliable information could be found in “official Russian information outlets”, that is, State-controlled media. Around 30 independent media sites have been blocked since the publication of the statement, including Dozhd, Echo of Moscow, Meduza, Media Zona, New Times, among others. As of March 2, 2022, at least 11 independent journalists had been arbitrarily arrested for their work reporting on the war, including while they were covering anti-war demonstrations. The Observatory strongly condemns the increased crackdown on human rights defenders, independent media and civil society organisations in Russia and expresses its utmost concern over the blatant violations of the rights to freedom of expression, information and assembly perpetrated by the Russian authorities, including the censorship imposed on independent media operating in the country by the Russian media regulator. The Observatory further condemns the administrative harassment of human rights defenders and independent journalists, including Oleg Orlov and Svetlana Gannushkina. The Observatory urges the authorities to put an immediate end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial and administrative levels, against Oleg Orlov, Svetlana Gannushkina and all human rights defenders, peaceful protesters, and independent journalists and media outlets in the country. The Observatory further urges the authorities to guarantee, in all circumstances, the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, as enshrined in international human right law, and particularly in Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Finally, the Observatory calls on the authorities to immediately repeal the above-mentioned new law and to reverse all restrictive measures implemented by Roskomnadzor.]]> Svetlana Gannushkina, founder and Chairperson of the Civic Assistance Committee[efn_note]The Civic Assistance Committee was founded in 1990 to support refugees and internal displaced people after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Civic Assistance Committee provides advisory assistance and legal support to migrants and refugees, and works for the protection of migrants’ rights to housing, work, medical care and education. In April 2015, the Ministry of Justice of Russia placed the organisation on the list of “foreign agents”.[/efn_note]. The administrative harassment against her takes place amid the brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-war demonstrators, human rights defenders, and civil society organisations, that followed Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24, 2022. On March 15, 2022, Ms. Svetlana Gannushkina was fined 10,000 Rubles (approximately 87 Euros) by the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow, after she was found guilty of “violating the established procedure for arranging or conducting a meeting, rally, demonstration, procession or picket” (Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). The Observatory recalls that Svetlana Gannushkina was arbitrarily arrested by law enforcement officers on March 6, 2022 for allegedly attending an anti-war protest on February 27, 2022. On the same day, prominent human rights defender Mr. Oleg Orlov, member of the Council of the Human Rights Center “Memorial” (HRC “Memorial”) and head of its “Hot Points” programme, was arbitrarily arrested at Manezhnaya Square for holding a sign in which it was written “Peace for Ukraine, Freedom to Russia”. They were both charged with “violating the established procedure for arranging or conducting a meeting, rally, demonstration, procession or picket”. Mr. Orlov and Ms. Gannushkina were released pending trial after more than 10 hours of arbitrary detention. Mr. Orlov was due to appear before the court on March 9, 2022 but the hearing was postponed until March 28, 2022. The Observatory underlines that as of March 18, 2022, over 14,800 peaceful anti-war protesters have been arbitrarily arrested in 147 cities across Russia, according to OVD-Info, an independent human rights media project which has been targeted by the authorities in reprisal for its work documenting violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, the right to be free from arbitrary arrest and other human rights in Russia. Furthermore, according to independent media reports, some of the detainees have been beaten and there are also reports of torture by the police. Additionally, on March 4, 2022, a bill criminalising the dissemination of “fake news” about Russian military operations was approved “to prevent the discrediting of the armed forces of the Russian Federation during their operations to protect the interests of the country and its citizens”. Individuals convicted on the charge of “fake news” will face up to three years of imprisonment, up to ten years if committed in an official capacity, and up to 15 years if the distribution of “fake news” leads to “serious consequences”. Moreover, “making calls against the use of Russian troops to protect the interests of Russia”, “discrediting such use” and “calling for sanctions against Russia” will be penalised with a prison sentence of up to three years. In this framework, independent journalists and media outlets reporting on the war have been heavily targeted by the Russian authorities, both in Russia and in Ukraine. On February 26, 2022, Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, published a statement ordering media to remove reports describing the attack on Ukraine as an “attack”, “invasion” or a “war”. Should media outlets fail to comply with this order, they will face fines of up to 5 million rubles (approximately 53,200 Euros) and blockages. Roskomnadzor accused several independent media outlets of “spreading unreliable socially significant untrue information” about civilian deaths and the attacks of Russia against Ukrainian cities. The media regulator further underlined that reliable information could be found in “official Russian information outlets”, that is, State-controlled media. Around 30 independent media sites have been blocked since the publication of the statement, including Dozhd, Echo of Moscow, Meduza, Media Zona, New Times, among others. As of March 2, 2022, at least 11 independent journalists had been arbitrarily arrested for their work reporting on the war, including while they were covering anti-war demonstrations. The Observatory strongly condemns the increased crackdown on human rights defenders, independent media and civil society organisations in Russia and expresses its utmost concern over the blatant violations of the rights to freedom of expression, information and assembly perpetrated by the Russian authorities, including the censorship imposed on independent media operating in the country by the Russian media regulator. The Observatory further condemns the administrative harassment of human rights defenders and independent journalists, including Oleg Orlov and Svetlana Gannushkina. The Observatory urges the authorities to put an immediate end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial and administrative levels, against Oleg Orlov, Svetlana Gannushkina and all human rights defenders, peaceful protesters, and independent journalists and media outlets in the country. The Observatory further urges the authorities to guarantee, in all circumstances, the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, as enshrined in international human right law, and particularly in Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Finally, the Observatory calls on the authorities to immediately repeal the above-mentioned new law and to reverse all restrictive measures implemented by Roskomnadzor.]]> https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/russia-judicial-harassment-against-prominent-rights-defenders-oleg-orlov-and-svetlana-gannushkina/ Tue, 08 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://pods.local/?post_type=alert&p=17918 The Observatory has been informed about the arbitrary arrest and subsequent release of prominent human rights defenders Mr. Oleg Orlov, member of the Council of the Human Rights Center “Memorial” (HRC “Memorial”) and head of its “Hot Spots” programme, and Ms. Svetlana Gannushkina, founder and Chairperson of the Civic Assistance Committee. The arrests of both rights defenders have taken place amid the brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-war demonstrators and human rights defenders and organisations that followed President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24, 2022.On March 6, 2022, Svetlana Gannushkina and Oleg Orlov were arbitrarily arrested by law enforcement officers in Moscow, while attending a protest against the war in Ukraine. Oleg Orlov was arrested at Manezhnaya square for holding a sign “Peace to Ukraine, Freedom to Russia”. They were both charged with “violating the established procedure for arranging or conducting a meeting, rally, demonstration, procession or picket” (Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Mr. Orlov and Ms. Gannushkina were released pending trial after more than 10 hours of arbitrary detention. They will have to appear before the court on March 9 and March 15, 2022, respectively.The Observatory underlines that on the same day, more than 5,020 anti-war peaceful protesters were brutally arrested by the police in 69 cities across Russia, according to OVD-Info, an independent human rights media project which has been targeted by the authorities in reprisal for its work documenting violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, the right to be free from arbitrary arrest and other human rights in Russia. Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, more than 13,000 anti-war protesters have been arbitrarily detained in 147 cities across Russia to date. According to independent media reports, some of the detainees were beaten and there are also reports of torture by the police. At least 23 people in nine cities were involved in criminal cases for speaking up against the war with Ukraine. Criminal cases were opened under articles criminalising violence against policemen, hooliganism, vandalism, false information about an act of terrorism and public dissemination of knowingly false information. The details are yet unknown. The Observatory recalls that on March 4, 2022, the Moscow offices of International Memorial and HRC “Memorial”, both of them listed as “foreign agents” and liquidated in December 2021 for alleged violation of the “Foreign Agent” Law, were raided by law enforcement officers. The offices of the Civic Assistance Committee – likewise listed as a “foreign agent under the “Foreign Agent” Law – were also raided. The search in the Memorial offices at Karetnyi Ryad street lasted 14 hours. The law enforcement officers seized several hard drives and printed materials including books, flyers, posters and business cards. Moreover, the lawyers and legal representatives of the organisations were not allowed into the buildings during the raids. Formally, the search was conducted within the framework of a criminal case against Bakhrom Khamroev, who is not an employee, but a member of HRC “Memorial”. According to rights defenders, this case was a pretext to get access to the documents of HRC "Memorial". Also on March 4, 2022, a bill criminalising the dissemination of “fake news” about Russian military operations was approved “to prevent the discrediting of the armed forces of the Russian Federation during their operations to protect the interests of the country and its citizens”. The law applies to both national and international media and will be added as a separate article to the Criminal Code. Individuals convicted on the charge of “fake news” will face up to three years of imprisonment, up to ten years if committed in an official capacity, and up to 15 years if the distribution of “fake news” leads to “serious consequences”. Moreover, “making calls against the use of Russian troops to protect the interests of Russia”, “discrediting such use” and “calling for sanctions against Russia” will be penalised with a prison sentence of up to three years. In this framework, independent journalists and media outlets reporting on the war have been heavily targeted by the authorities. On February 26, 2022, Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, published a statement ordering media to remove reports describing the attack on Ukraine as an “assault”, “invasion” or a “war”. Should media outlets fail to comply with this order, they will face fines of up to 5 million rubles (approximately 53,200 Euros) and blockages. Roskomnadzor accused several independent media outlets of “spreading unreliable socially significant untrue information” about civilian deaths and the attacks of Russia against Ukrainian cities. The media regulator body further underlined that reliable information could be found in “official Russian information outlets”. That is, State-controlled media. Around 30 independent media sites have been blocked since then. As of March 2, 2022, at least 11 independent journalists had been arbitrarily arrested for their work reporting on the war, including while they were covering anti-war demonstrations. The Observatory strongly condemns the increased crackdown on human rights defenders, independent media and civil society organisations in Russia and expresses its utmost concern over the blatant violations of the rights to freedom of expression, information and assembly perpetrated by the Russian authorities, including the censorship imposed on independent media operating in the country by the Russian media regulator. The Observatory further condemns the arbitrary arrests and judicial harassment of human rights defenders and independent journalists, including Oleg Orlov and Svetlana Gannushkina. The Observatory urges the authorities to put an immediate end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Oleg Orlov, Svetlana Gannushkina and all human rights defenders, peaceful protesters, and independent journalists and media outlets in the country. The Observatory further urges the authorities to guarantee, in all circumstances, the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, as enshrined in international human right law, and particularly in Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Finally, the Observatory calls on the authorities to immediately repeal the above-mentioned new law and to reverse all restrictive measures implemented by Roskomnadzor. ]]> The Observatory has been informed about the arbitrary arrest and subsequent release of prominent human rights defenders Mr. Oleg Orlov, member of the Council of the Human Rights Center “Memorial” (HRC “Memorial”) and head of its “Hot Spots” programme, and Ms. Svetlana Gannushkina, founder and Chairperson of the Civic Assistance Committee. The arrests of both rights defenders have taken place amid the brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-war demonstrators and human rights defenders and organisations that followed President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24, 2022.On March 6, 2022, Svetlana Gannushkina and Oleg Orlov were arbitrarily arrested by law enforcement officers in Moscow, while attending a protest against the war in Ukraine. Oleg Orlov was arrested at Manezhnaya square for holding a sign “Peace to Ukraine, Freedom to Russia”. They were both charged with “violating the established procedure for arranging or conducting a meeting, rally, demonstration, procession or picket” (Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Mr. Orlov and Ms. Gannushkina were released pending trial after more than 10 hours of arbitrary detention. They will have to appear before the court on March 9 and March 15, 2022, respectively.The Observatory underlines that on the same day, more than 5,020 anti-war peaceful protesters were brutally arrested by the police in 69 cities across Russia, according to OVD-Info, an independent human rights media project which has been targeted by the authorities in reprisal for its work documenting violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, the right to be free from arbitrary arrest and other human rights in Russia. Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, more than 13,000 anti-war protesters have been arbitrarily detained in 147 cities across Russia to date. According to independent media reports, some of the detainees were beaten and there are also reports of torture by the police. At least 23 people in nine cities were involved in criminal cases for speaking up against the war with Ukraine. Criminal cases were opened under articles criminalising violence against policemen, hooliganism, vandalism, false information about an act of terrorism and public dissemination of knowingly false information. The details are yet unknown. The Observatory recalls that on March 4, 2022, the Moscow offices of International Memorial and HRC “Memorial”, both of them listed as “foreign agents” and liquidated in December 2021 for alleged violation of the “Foreign Agent” Law, were raided by law enforcement officers. The offices of the Civic Assistance Committee – likewise listed as a “foreign agent under the “Foreign Agent” Law – were also raided. The search in the Memorial offices at Karetnyi Ryad street lasted 14 hours. The law enforcement officers seized several hard drives and printed materials including books, flyers, posters and business cards. Moreover, the lawyers and legal representatives of the organisations were not allowed into the buildings during the raids. Formally, the search was conducted within the framework of a criminal case against Bakhrom Khamroev, who is not an employee, but a member of HRC “Memorial”. According to rights defenders, this case was a pretext to get access to the documents of HRC "Memorial". Also on March 4, 2022, a bill criminalising the dissemination of “fake news” about Russian military operations was approved “to prevent the discrediting of the armed forces of the Russian Federation during their operations to protect the interests of the country and its citizens”. The law applies to both national and international media and will be added as a separate article to the Criminal Code. Individuals convicted on the charge of “fake news” will face up to three years of imprisonment, up to ten years if committed in an official capacity, and up to 15 years if the distribution of “fake news” leads to “serious consequences”. Moreover, “making calls against the use of Russian troops to protect the interests of Russia”, “discrediting such use” and “calling for sanctions against Russia” will be penalised with a prison sentence of up to three years. In this framework, independent journalists and media outlets reporting on the war have been heavily targeted by the authorities. On February 26, 2022, Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, published a statement ordering media to remove reports describing the attack on Ukraine as an “assault”, “invasion” or a “war”. Should media outlets fail to comply with this order, they will face fines of up to 5 million rubles (approximately 53,200 Euros) and blockages. Roskomnadzor accused several independent media outlets of “spreading unreliable socially significant untrue information” about civilian deaths and the attacks of Russia against Ukrainian cities. The media regulator body further underlined that reliable information could be found in “official Russian information outlets”. That is, State-controlled media. Around 30 independent media sites have been blocked since then. As of March 2, 2022, at least 11 independent journalists had been arbitrarily arrested for their work reporting on the war, including while they were covering anti-war demonstrations. The Observatory strongly condemns the increased crackdown on human rights defenders, independent media and civil society organisations in Russia and expresses its utmost concern over the blatant violations of the rights to freedom of expression, information and assembly perpetrated by the Russian authorities, including the censorship imposed on independent media operating in the country by the Russian media regulator. The Observatory further condemns the arbitrary arrests and judicial harassment of human rights defenders and independent journalists, including Oleg Orlov and Svetlana Gannushkina. The Observatory urges the authorities to put an immediate end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Oleg Orlov, Svetlana Gannushkina and all human rights defenders, peaceful protesters, and independent journalists and media outlets in the country. The Observatory further urges the authorities to guarantee, in all circumstances, the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, as enshrined in international human right law, and particularly in Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Finally, the Observatory calls on the authorities to immediately repeal the above-mentioned new law and to reverse all restrictive measures implemented by Roskomnadzor. ]]> https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/argentina-criminalizacion-contra-el-defensor-guillermo-galantini/ Thu, 20 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://pods.local/alert/argentina-criminalizacion-contra-el-defensor-guillermo-galantini/ Guillermo Galantini, Presidente de la Coordinadora por los Derechos y la Justicia (CODEJU)[efn_note]La CODEJU es un organismo de derechos humanos autogestivo que trabaja en la región de la provincia de Corrientes, hace más 20 años, apoyando a población vulnerable y víctimas de violencia institucional provocada por el Estado, sus políticas públicas o sus funcionarios, incluyendo desalojos, represión a la protesta o pobreza extrema. CODEJU educa y acompaña la movilización y a quienes sufren las violencias institucionales y sociales. [/efn_note] con sede en la ciudad de Monte Caseros, provincia de Corrientes. El 23 de noviembre de 2021, Guillermo Galantini, junto a otros miembros de CODEJU, fue detenido violentamente por la policía en la ruta provincial n°129, en el Paraje "Paso Vallejos", ruta de acceso a la localidad de Monte Caseros, cuando acompañaban solidariamente el reclamo de justicia frente al desalojo violento que sufría la familia Almeyda. Esta familia vivió durante más de 50 años hasta su desalojo y trabajó para que sus derechos legítimos de posesión pacifica fueran respetados por la justicia argentina. CODEJU estuvo presente en el lugar de los hechos para ejercer de mediador. Las familias habían perdido el juicio ese mismo día y el desalojo debía llevarse a cabo. Sin embargo, el juez, en lugar de dar un plazo de unas horas o días para el desalojo, se presentó esa mañana con el Mandamiento de Desalojo sin plazo de intimación y pretendiendo ejecutarlo en el acto. CODEJU pidió un periodo mínimo de tiempo para que estas familias recogieran sus pertenencias y animales para poder marcharse pacíficamente y sin violencia, pero esta propuesta no fue aceptada. El Sr. Galantini habría sido detenido en el marco de una amplia y violenta represión policial contra la familia desalojada, junto a su hijo Galileo Galantini, que le acompañaba, y con otras dos personas. La policía sacó por la fuerza a las familias desalojadas de sus casas, aterrorizándolas y gritándolas, rompiendo sus pertenencias y arrojando sus muebles a la banquina de la ruta. La policía también atacó directamente a las familias desalojadas presentes, incluidos los niños y las personas discapacitadas. El desalojo fue violento y represivo. No se contó con la presencia de trabajadores sociales, psicólogos o cualquier otro personal para atender a estas familias. Asimismo, no se les ofreció una alternativa habitacional, por lo que, tras el desalojo, se quedaron sin hogar. La policía también utilizó la fuerza contra Guillermo Galantini, que fue golpeado en la cabeza, uno de los ojos y el torso. Guillermo Galantini, su hijo y las dos personas habrían sido trasladados y detenidos en la Comisaria Primera de Monte Caseros, durante más de 24 horas sin ser informados de los motivos de su detención. Cuando fueron detenidos y durante su traslado, el Sr. Galantini y su hijo manifestaron haber sido golpeados constantemente. En horas de la tarde del 24 de noviembre de 2021, Galileo Galantini y los dos otros detenidos fueron liberados gracias a una amplia movilización social. Sin embargo, Guillermo Galantini no fue puesto en libertad y sin previo aviso, habría sido trasladado hacia la Comisaría Primera de Curuzú Cuatiá, Corrientes. El 27 de noviembre de 2021, Guillermo Galantini fue presentado al Juzgado de Garantías para su audiencia de imputación y medida de aseguramiento. Durante esta audiencia, el Sr. Galantini fue imputado de los delitos de “resistencia a la autoridad”, “lesiones leves calificadas por la condición de funcionario policial del lesionado y lesiones graves calificadas por la condición de funcionario policial, en concurso ideal”, “obstrucción del tránsito público”, “instigar a la comisión de delitos” y “desobediencia judicial, en concurso real” (Artículos 239, 237, 92 en relación al art. 89 y 80 inc. 8, 194, 209, 54 y 55 del Código Penal de la Nación). En la misma audiencia, el juez resolvió prisión preventiva para Guillermo Galantini sin haber acreditado el argumento de Riesgo Procesal como fundamento de la Prisión Preventiva. El Fiscal no habría acreditado el riesgo de peligro de fuga, ni de entorpecimiento de la investigación judicial. Es decir, el Sr. Galantini debió haber recuperado su libertad el mismo 27 de noviembre. Sin embargo, 17 días después en audiencia solicitada por la defensa el 13 de diciembre de 2021, se demostró la ausencia total de riesgo procesal, así como la inexistencia del peligro de fuga y de entorpecimiento de la investigación judicial por parte de Guillermo Galantini. Por ello, el juez decretó libertad sujeto al proceso penal para el Sr. Galantini. Sin embargo, el proceso judicial en su contra continua y su libertad limitada, ya que el Sr. Galantini tiene que presentarse a firmar a Fiscalía periódicamente, presentarse ante cualquier citación de la Justicia y no salir de Monte Caseros sin autorización judicial. Esta situación perturba su trabajo como defensor de derechos humanos y, por ende, el de la organización que lidera. El Observatorio condena el uso excesivo de la fuerza ejercido por la policía durante el desalojo y expresa su más alta preocupación por la criminalización de Guillermo Galantini. El Observatorio urge a las autoridades argentinas a garantizar sus derechos al debido proceso y a poner fin de inmediato a todo acto de hostigamiento —incluido a nivel judicial— en su contra, así como contra todas las personas defensoras de derechos humanos en Argentina.]]> Guillermo Galantini, Presidente de la Coordinadora por los Derechos y la Justicia (CODEJU)[efn_note]La CODEJU es un organismo de derechos humanos autogestivo que trabaja en la región de la provincia de Corrientes, hace más 20 años, apoyando a población vulnerable y víctimas de violencia institucional provocada por el Estado, sus políticas públicas o sus funcionarios, incluyendo desalojos, represión a la protesta o pobreza extrema. CODEJU educa y acompaña la movilización y a quienes sufren las violencias institucionales y sociales. [/efn_note] con sede en la ciudad de Monte Caseros, provincia de Corrientes. El 23 de noviembre de 2021, Guillermo Galantini, junto a otros miembros de CODEJU, fue detenido violentamente por la policía en la ruta provincial n°129, en el Paraje "Paso Vallejos", ruta de acceso a la localidad de Monte Caseros, cuando acompañaban solidariamente el reclamo de justicia frente al desalojo violento que sufría la familia Almeyda. Esta familia vivió durante más de 50 años hasta su desalojo y trabajó para que sus derechos legítimos de posesión pacifica fueran respetados por la justicia argentina. CODEJU estuvo presente en el lugar de los hechos para ejercer de mediador. Las familias habían perdido el juicio ese mismo día y el desalojo debía llevarse a cabo. Sin embargo, el juez, en lugar de dar un plazo de unas horas o días para el desalojo, se presentó esa mañana con el Mandamiento de Desalojo sin plazo de intimación y pretendiendo ejecutarlo en el acto. CODEJU pidió un periodo mínimo de tiempo para que estas familias recogieran sus pertenencias y animales para poder marcharse pacíficamente y sin violencia, pero esta propuesta no fue aceptada. El Sr. Galantini habría sido detenido en el marco de una amplia y violenta represión policial contra la familia desalojada, junto a su hijo Galileo Galantini, que le acompañaba, y con otras dos personas. La policía sacó por la fuerza a las familias desalojadas de sus casas, aterrorizándolas y gritándolas, rompiendo sus pertenencias y arrojando sus muebles a la banquina de la ruta. La policía también atacó directamente a las familias desalojadas presentes, incluidos los niños y las personas discapacitadas. El desalojo fue violento y represivo. No se contó con la presencia de trabajadores sociales, psicólogos o cualquier otro personal para atender a estas familias. Asimismo, no se les ofreció una alternativa habitacional, por lo que, tras el desalojo, se quedaron sin hogar. La policía también utilizó la fuerza contra Guillermo Galantini, que fue golpeado en la cabeza, uno de los ojos y el torso. Guillermo Galantini, su hijo y las dos personas habrían sido trasladados y detenidos en la Comisaria Primera de Monte Caseros, durante más de 24 horas sin ser informados de los motivos de su detención. Cuando fueron detenidos y durante su traslado, el Sr. Galantini y su hijo manifestaron haber sido golpeados constantemente. En horas de la tarde del 24 de noviembre de 2021, Galileo Galantini y los dos otros detenidos fueron liberados gracias a una amplia movilización social. Sin embargo, Guillermo Galantini no fue puesto en libertad y sin previo aviso, habría sido trasladado hacia la Comisaría Primera de Curuzú Cuatiá, Corrientes. El 27 de noviembre de 2021, Guillermo Galantini fue presentado al Juzgado de Garantías para su audiencia de imputación y medida de aseguramiento. Durante esta audiencia, el Sr. Galantini fue imputado de los delitos de “resistencia a la autoridad”, “lesiones leves calificadas por la condición de funcionario policial del lesionado y lesiones graves calificadas por la condición de funcionario policial, en concurso ideal”, “obstrucción del tránsito público”, “instigar a la comisión de delitos” y “desobediencia judicial, en concurso real” (Artículos 239, 237, 92 en relación al art. 89 y 80 inc. 8, 194, 209, 54 y 55 del Código Penal de la Nación). En la misma audiencia, el juez resolvió prisión preventiva para Guillermo Galantini sin haber acreditado el argumento de Riesgo Procesal como fundamento de la Prisión Preventiva. El Fiscal no habría acreditado el riesgo de peligro de fuga, ni de entorpecimiento de la investigación judicial. Es decir, el Sr. Galantini debió haber recuperado su libertad el mismo 27 de noviembre. Sin embargo, 17 días después en audiencia solicitada por la defensa el 13 de diciembre de 2021, se demostró la ausencia total de riesgo procesal, así como la inexistencia del peligro de fuga y de entorpecimiento de la investigación judicial por parte de Guillermo Galantini. Por ello, el juez decretó libertad sujeto al proceso penal para el Sr. Galantini. Sin embargo, el proceso judicial en su contra continua y su libertad limitada, ya que el Sr. Galantini tiene que presentarse a firmar a Fiscalía periódicamente, presentarse ante cualquier citación de la Justicia y no salir de Monte Caseros sin autorización judicial. Esta situación perturba su trabajo como defensor de derechos humanos y, por ende, el de la organización que lidera. El Observatorio condena el uso excesivo de la fuerza ejercido por la policía durante el desalojo y expresa su más alta preocupación por la criminalización de Guillermo Galantini. El Observatorio urge a las autoridades argentinas a garantizar sus derechos al debido proceso y a poner fin de inmediato a todo acto de hostigamiento —incluido a nivel judicial— en su contra, así como contra todas las personas defensoras de derechos humanos en Argentina.]]> https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/dcl-gtm-041121/ Thu, 04 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000 https://pods.local/?post_type=alert&p=17752 Misión de Observancia y Verificación llevada a cabo por la Convergencia por los Derechos Humanos, las fuerzas de seguridad hicieron un uso injustificado y desproporcionado de la fuerza contra las personas manifestantes y la población, destacando el uso indiscriminado de gases lacrimógenos. Se documentaron, además, agresiones y restricciones a la libertad de información de periodistas que se encontraban en la zona. Cuatro comunicadores de Prensa Comunitaria fueron agredidos por las fuerzas especiales de la PNC para evitar que documentaran el desalojo. A dos de ellos les confiscaron su equipo de trabajo y a otros dos les allanaron sus viviendas en la comunidad. Hubo asimismo vigilancia y allanamientos a las casas de 12 personas defensoras de derechos humanos de El Estor por parte del Ejército, la PNC y miembros de la División Especializada en Investigación Criminal (DEIC) de la PNC, durante los cuales se cometieron abusos físicos y psicológicos contra niñas y niños. En un allanamiento el 27 de octubre, la PNC arrestó de manera arbitraria al defensor de derechos humanos Eduardo Bin Poou con una orden de captura emitida el 15 de agosto de 2017 por un caso de criminalización por el que goza de medidas sustitutivas a la detención. Fue puesto en libertad al día siguiente. Posteriormente al desalojo, se declaró el estado de sitio y un toque de queda de las 6 de la tarde a las 6 de la mañana en el municipio por un período de 30 días. El Gobierno de Guatemala, además, acusó a la Procuraduría de Derechos Humanos (PDH) de “malinformar” a la población, tras la publicación de un comunicado de la PDH denunciando el uso excesivo de la fuerza ejercido en el desalojo y exigiendo el respeto del derecho a una consulta previa. Las organizaciones firmantes destacan que el proyecto minero “Fénix”, operado por CGN, fue implantado en el territorio sin consulta previa, libre e informada a las comunidades afectadas, violando así sus derechos colectivos, tal y como estableció la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos en septiembre de 2020. Además, en julio de 2019, la Corte de Constitucionalidad suspendió la licencia de explotación a la minera CGN y ordenó llevar a cabo un proceso de consulta con las poblaciones indígenas afectadas en los 18 meses posteriores a la emisión de la sentencia. El Ministerio de Energía y Minas ha excluido a las comunidades indígenas del proceso de consulta y, mientras tanto, la empresa minera ha seguido operando ilegalmente, provocando afectaciones medioambientales al lago de Izabal. El incumplimiento de la legislación en materia de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas por parte de las autoridades de Guatemala ha cronificado el conflicto entre la empresa minera y las comunidades de El Estor, derivando en un buen número desalojos y acciones violentas, entre las que destacan el asesinato del líder comunitario Adolfo Ich Chamán en 2009, la violación sexual de mujeres Maya Q’eqchi’ del Lote 8en 2007, el asesinato de Carlos Maaz Coc en mayo de 2017 y en la detención arbitraria, criminalización y de personas defensoras de derechos humanos. Ante estos hechos, el Observatorio, UDEFEGUA, CALDH, el Grupo de Pueblos Indígenas y Tortura e IM-Defensoras urgen a las autoridades a revocar de manera inmediata el estado de sitio y a investigar de forma exhaustiva todos los casos de uso excesivo de la fuerza arriba mencionados. Las organizaciones firmantes exhortan al Estado de Guatemala a cumplir con sus obligaciones internacionales en materia de seguridad ciudadana y proceder a la retirada de las Fuerzas Armadas de las tareas de seguridad ciudadana, tal y como recomendó el Comité Contra la Tortura de las Naciones Unidas en 2018. El Observatorio, UDEFEGUA, CALDH, el Grupo de Pueblos Indígenas y Tortura e IM-Defensoras urgen al Estado de Guatemala a dar cumplimiento a la sentencia de la Corte de Constitucionalidad, y a poner fin a la criminalización y persecución de quienes defienden los derechos de los pueblos indígenas y el medio ambiente frente a las actividades de industrias extractivas que operan ilegalmente en el país. *** El Observatorio para la Protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos (el Observatorio) es un programa creado en 1997 por la Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT) y la FIDH y tiene por objetivo intervenir para prevenir o remediar situaciones concretas de represión contra los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos. OMCT y FIDH son ambos miembros de ProtectDefenders.eu, el Mecanismo de la Unión Europea para Defensores de Derechos Humanos implementado por sociedad civil internacional. La Unidad de Protección a Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) es una organizaciónque proporciona servicios a defensoras y defensores de derechos humanos enGuatemala y en países de la región Centroamericana desde el año 2000, para lageneración de capacidades individuales y colectivas la autogestión de riesgos.La UDEFEGUA es una organización miembro de la Red SOS-Tortura de la OMCT. El Centro para la Acción Legal en Derechos Humanos (CALDH) es una organización de Derechos Humanos que ejerce la acción política autónoma valorando, construyendo e integrando los saberes, luchas y memorias de los pueblos y comunidades mayas, mujeres, juventudes y en alianza impulsa y acompaña procesos de rebeldías y resistencias por la emancipación de las opresiones racistas, clasistas y patriarcales, por la justicia histórica, la recuperación de la memoria, la resignificación de la historia y la defensa del cuerpo-tierra-territorio construyendo vidas libres de violencias. El Grupo de Trabajo Temático sobre Pueblos Indígenas y Tortura en América Latina establecido en mayo de 2020 y conformada por 10 personas expertas en tortura y/o derechos de los pueblos indígenas, procedentes de 7 países de América Latina y la Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT), es una iniciativa dirigida a visibilizar los actos de violencia y persecución que constituyen tortura y otros malos tratos y sus impactos y consecuencias específicas para la población indígena, así como a promover acciones colectivas comunes para la incidencia, protección y defensa de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas. La Iniciativa Mesoamericana de Mujeres Defensoras de Derechos Humanos (IM-Defensoras) es una alianza local y regional de diversas defensoras de derechos humanos, organizaciones y redes, cuya misión es impulsar estrategias de Protección Integral Feminista (PIF) que sustenten las luchas y el trabajo de las defensoras de derechos humanos mesoamericanas para defender los derechos humanos en condiciones de seguridad, bienestar, liderazgo y autonomía.]]> Misión de Observancia y Verificación llevada a cabo por la Convergencia por los Derechos Humanos, las fuerzas de seguridad hicieron un uso injustificado y desproporcionado de la fuerza contra las personas manifestantes y la población, destacando el uso indiscriminado de gases lacrimógenos. Se documentaron, además, agresiones y restricciones a la libertad de información de periodistas que se encontraban en la zona. Cuatro comunicadores de Prensa Comunitaria fueron agredidos por las fuerzas especiales de la PNC para evitar que documentaran el desalojo. A dos de ellos les confiscaron su equipo de trabajo y a otros dos les allanaron sus viviendas en la comunidad. Hubo asimismo vigilancia y allanamientos a las casas de 12 personas defensoras de derechos humanos de El Estor por parte del Ejército, la PNC y miembros de la División Especializada en Investigación Criminal (DEIC) de la PNC, durante los cuales se cometieron abusos físicos y psicológicos contra niñas y niños. En un allanamiento el 27 de octubre, la PNC arrestó de manera arbitraria al defensor de derechos humanos Eduardo Bin Poou con una orden de captura emitida el 15 de agosto de 2017 por un caso de criminalización por el que goza de medidas sustitutivas a la detención. Fue puesto en libertad al día siguiente. Posteriormente al desalojo, se declaró el estado de sitio y un toque de queda de las 6 de la tarde a las 6 de la mañana en el municipio por un período de 30 días. El Gobierno de Guatemala, además, acusó a la Procuraduría de Derechos Humanos (PDH) de “malinformar” a la población, tras la publicación de un comunicado de la PDH denunciando el uso excesivo de la fuerza ejercido en el desalojo y exigiendo el respeto del derecho a una consulta previa. Las organizaciones firmantes destacan que el proyecto minero “Fénix”, operado por CGN, fue implantado en el territorio sin consulta previa, libre e informada a las comunidades afectadas, violando así sus derechos colectivos, tal y como estableció la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos en septiembre de 2020. Además, en julio de 2019, la Corte de Constitucionalidad suspendió la licencia de explotación a la minera CGN y ordenó llevar a cabo un proceso de consulta con las poblaciones indígenas afectadas en los 18 meses posteriores a la emisión de la sentencia. El Ministerio de Energía y Minas ha excluido a las comunidades indígenas del proceso de consulta y, mientras tanto, la empresa minera ha seguido operando ilegalmente, provocando afectaciones medioambientales al lago de Izabal. El incumplimiento de la legislación en materia de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas por parte de las autoridades de Guatemala ha cronificado el conflicto entre la empresa minera y las comunidades de El Estor, derivando en un buen número desalojos y acciones violentas, entre las que destacan el asesinato del líder comunitario Adolfo Ich Chamán en 2009, la violación sexual de mujeres Maya Q’eqchi’ del Lote 8en 2007, el asesinato de Carlos Maaz Coc en mayo de 2017 y en la detención arbitraria, criminalización y de personas defensoras de derechos humanos. Ante estos hechos, el Observatorio, UDEFEGUA, CALDH, el Grupo de Pueblos Indígenas y Tortura e IM-Defensoras urgen a las autoridades a revocar de manera inmediata el estado de sitio y a investigar de forma exhaustiva todos los casos de uso excesivo de la fuerza arriba mencionados. Las organizaciones firmantes exhortan al Estado de Guatemala a cumplir con sus obligaciones internacionales en materia de seguridad ciudadana y proceder a la retirada de las Fuerzas Armadas de las tareas de seguridad ciudadana, tal y como recomendó el Comité Contra la Tortura de las Naciones Unidas en 2018. El Observatorio, UDEFEGUA, CALDH, el Grupo de Pueblos Indígenas y Tortura e IM-Defensoras urgen al Estado de Guatemala a dar cumplimiento a la sentencia de la Corte de Constitucionalidad, y a poner fin a la criminalización y persecución de quienes defienden los derechos de los pueblos indígenas y el medio ambiente frente a las actividades de industrias extractivas que operan ilegalmente en el país. *** El Observatorio para la Protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos (el Observatorio) es un programa creado en 1997 por la Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT) y la FIDH y tiene por objetivo intervenir para prevenir o remediar situaciones concretas de represión contra los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos. OMCT y FIDH son ambos miembros de ProtectDefenders.eu, el Mecanismo de la Unión Europea para Defensores de Derechos Humanos implementado por sociedad civil internacional. La Unidad de Protección a Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) es una organizaciónque proporciona servicios a defensoras y defensores de derechos humanos enGuatemala y en países de la región Centroamericana desde el año 2000, para lageneración de capacidades individuales y colectivas la autogestión de riesgos.La UDEFEGUA es una organización miembro de la Red SOS-Tortura de la OMCT. El Centro para la Acción Legal en Derechos Humanos (CALDH) es una organización de Derechos Humanos que ejerce la acción política autónoma valorando, construyendo e integrando los saberes, luchas y memorias de los pueblos y comunidades mayas, mujeres, juventudes y en alianza impulsa y acompaña procesos de rebeldías y resistencias por la emancipación de las opresiones racistas, clasistas y patriarcales, por la justicia histórica, la recuperación de la memoria, la resignificación de la historia y la defensa del cuerpo-tierra-territorio construyendo vidas libres de violencias. El Grupo de Trabajo Temático sobre Pueblos Indígenas y Tortura en América Latina establecido en mayo de 2020 y conformada por 10 personas expertas en tortura y/o derechos de los pueblos indígenas, procedentes de 7 países de América Latina y la Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT), es una iniciativa dirigida a visibilizar los actos de violencia y persecución que constituyen tortura y otros malos tratos y sus impactos y consecuencias específicas para la población indígena, así como a promover acciones colectivas comunes para la incidencia, protección y defensa de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas. La Iniciativa Mesoamericana de Mujeres Defensoras de Derechos Humanos (IM-Defensoras) es una alianza local y regional de diversas defensoras de derechos humanos, organizaciones y redes, cuya misión es impulsar estrategias de Protección Integral Feminista (PIF) que sustenten las luchas y el trabajo de las defensoras de derechos humanos mesoamericanas para defender los derechos humanos en condiciones de seguridad, bienestar, liderazgo y autonomía.]]>