Counter-terrorism provisions – The Observatory For Defenders

Counter-terrorism provisions – The Observatory For Defenders https://observatoryfordefenders.org Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:06:31 +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 Counter-terrorism provisions – The Observatory For Defenders https://observatoryfordefenders.org 32 32 India: Kashmiri journalist and human rights defender Irfan Mehraj held for three-years in pre-trial detention https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/india-kashmiri-journalist-and-human-rights-defender-irfan-mehraj-held-for-three-years-in-pre-trial-detention/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:06:18 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=24547 19 March 2026. On 20 March 2023, Irfan Mehraj was detained by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on politically motivated and fabricated charges. According to the NIA, Irfan Mehraj was arrested for being ‘a close associate of Khurram Parvez’. Khurram Parvez is a HRD and the Program Coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a leading civil society organisation in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian authorities continue to arbitrarily detain Khurram Parvez for over four years now on politically motivated and fabricated charges. The ongoing detentions of Irfan Mehraj and Khurram Parvez highlight a broader pattern of persecution of human rights defenders and journalists in Jammu and Kashmir. The authorities have used the UAPA – a draconian anti-terror law - and the repressive Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), which permits long-term detention without trial, to criminalise and silence journalists and human rights defenders in Jammu and Kashmir. This has worsened since the unilateral abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in August 2019. In recent months, the police continued to harass and intimidate journalists from Indian-administered Kashmir for their reporting, including through summoning them for repeated police interrogations and demanding that journalists sign a bond undertaking that they will not do anything that would ‘disturb peace’. The Indian government has continuously failed to respond to concerns regarding human rights violations in Kashmir raised by United Nations experts and international human rights organisations. India should respect its international human rights obligations and end its reprisal against human rights defenders and journalists, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. Other countries at the UN Human Rights Council should address these flagrant violations by a sitting member state. Our organisations urge the Indian authorities to repeal repressive laws including the UAPA and the PSA and to create an enabling environment for civil society and the media to freely and independently operate in Jammu and Kashmir. As India continues to work towards securing stronger multilateral and bilateral relations, we call on the international community to urge the Indian government to comply with its international human rights obligations, release Irfan Mehraj, Khurram Parvez and all other detained Kashmiri human rights defenders and end its repression in Jammu and Kashmir.]]> 19 March 2026. On 20 March 2023, Irfan Mehraj was detained by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on politically motivated and fabricated charges. According to the NIA, Irfan Mehraj was arrested for being ‘a close associate of Khurram Parvez’. Khurram Parvez is a HRD and the Program Coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a leading civil society organisation in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian authorities continue to arbitrarily detain Khurram Parvez for over four years now on politically motivated and fabricated charges. The ongoing detentions of Irfan Mehraj and Khurram Parvez highlight a broader pattern of persecution of human rights defenders and journalists in Jammu and Kashmir. The authorities have used the UAPA – a draconian anti-terror law - and the repressive Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), which permits long-term detention without trial, to criminalise and silence journalists and human rights defenders in Jammu and Kashmir. This has worsened since the unilateral abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in August 2019. In recent months, the police continued to harass and intimidate journalists from Indian-administered Kashmir for their reporting, including through summoning them for repeated police interrogations and demanding that journalists sign a bond undertaking that they will not do anything that would ‘disturb peace’. The Indian government has continuously failed to respond to concerns regarding human rights violations in Kashmir raised by United Nations experts and international human rights organisations. India should respect its international human rights obligations and end its reprisal against human rights defenders and journalists, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. Other countries at the UN Human Rights Council should address these flagrant violations by a sitting member state. Our organisations urge the Indian authorities to repeal repressive laws including the UAPA and the PSA and to create an enabling environment for civil society and the media to freely and independently operate in Jammu and Kashmir. As India continues to work towards securing stronger multilateral and bilateral relations, we call on the international community to urge the Indian government to comply with its international human rights obligations, release Irfan Mehraj, Khurram Parvez and all other detained Kashmiri human rights defenders and end its repression in Jammu and Kashmir.]]> Yemen: Government Escalates Repression Against Civil Society https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/yemen-government-escalates-repression-against-civil-society/ Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:51:21 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=24268 The Yemeni Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MoSAL) has escalated its repression of civil society organisations that work across the country, further shrinking civic space, eight human rights organisations said today, including the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. On 27 November 2025 MoSAL made a decision to prohibit all civil society actors from engaging with Mwatana for Human Rights, a Yemeni nongovernmental organisation that documents human rights abuses by all warring parties in Yemen. This move follows many other instances over the last few years in which the Yemeni government and MoSAL, as well as the Southern Transitional Council (STC), have obstructed the work of Yemeni civil society organisations, including the Yemen Journalists Syndicate and the Yemen Women’s Union. The decision, issued under reference number (1001), instructs local councils, social affairs offices, and civil society organisations in areas under the internationally recognised government’s authority to “refrain from any interaction with the entity called Mwatana for Human Rights” and to treat it as an “unauthorised organisation” under Yemeni law. In its explanation, the Ministry linked the prohibition to concerns about terrorism and alleged ties to Ansar Allah (Houthis), framing the ban as necessary to “maintain the legality and safety of civil society work.” In practice, however, this directive weaponises counterterrorism and security narratives to criminalise engagement with one of Yemeni human rights organisation, further shrinking the space for civil society work. The decision reflects a broader pattern of repression against civil society, human rights defenders, and journalists by authorities across Yemen, including in the south. Organisations in Aden and other governorates controlled by the government and the STC have faced harassment, arbitrary closures, and administrative obstacles. MoSAL has refused to renew the registration of several organisations, including Mwatana, as well as the Yemen Women’s Union and the Yemen Journalists’ Syndicate, particularly where they’re seen as working across the whole of Yemen. In 2024, CIHRS conducted interviews with six civil society organisations regarding restrictions they faced from the government. None of the organisations were able to submit their applications-- all six were verbally rejected. The directive not only undermines the vital role of civil society in Yemen but also violates Yemen’s obligations under international law to protect freedom of association and the work of human rights defenders. The decision also violates Yemen’s Law on Associations and Foundations, which, under Article 3, stipulates authorities must “ensure that associations and foundations can carry out their activities with complete freedom and independence, in a manner consistent with their social responsibilities, and to simplify procedures and facilitate processes related to the right to establish associations and foundations, enabling them to fulfill their mission to the fullest extent.” It further isolates survivors of human rights and armed-conflict violations and their families, who rely on independent organisations to have their voices heard. Allowing this ban to stand will set a dangerous precedent, effectively giving a green light for politicised attacks on civil society organisations and opening the door to more organisations being subjected to similar threats. Along with attacks on journalists and human rights defenders, these measures risk silencing independent voices across Yemen, dismantling the fragile space that remains for accountability, justice, and the defense of human rights. We, the undersigned civil society organisations, call on the internationally recognised government to immediately rescind their decision and ensure that all civil society groups can operate freely and safely. International actors, including the United Nations and donor governments, should press all parties in Yemen to end their harassment of human rights defenders and guarantee protection for Yemen’s civil society.]]> The Yemeni Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MoSAL) has escalated its repression of civil society organisations that work across the country, further shrinking civic space, eight human rights organisations said today, including the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. On 27 November 2025 MoSAL made a decision to prohibit all civil society actors from engaging with Mwatana for Human Rights, a Yemeni nongovernmental organisation that documents human rights abuses by all warring parties in Yemen. This move follows many other instances over the last few years in which the Yemeni government and MoSAL, as well as the Southern Transitional Council (STC), have obstructed the work of Yemeni civil society organisations, including the Yemen Journalists Syndicate and the Yemen Women’s Union. The decision, issued under reference number (1001), instructs local councils, social affairs offices, and civil society organisations in areas under the internationally recognised government’s authority to “refrain from any interaction with the entity called Mwatana for Human Rights” and to treat it as an “unauthorised organisation” under Yemeni law. In its explanation, the Ministry linked the prohibition to concerns about terrorism and alleged ties to Ansar Allah (Houthis), framing the ban as necessary to “maintain the legality and safety of civil society work.” In practice, however, this directive weaponises counterterrorism and security narratives to criminalise engagement with one of Yemeni human rights organisation, further shrinking the space for civil society work. The decision reflects a broader pattern of repression against civil society, human rights defenders, and journalists by authorities across Yemen, including in the south. Organisations in Aden and other governorates controlled by the government and the STC have faced harassment, arbitrary closures, and administrative obstacles. MoSAL has refused to renew the registration of several organisations, including Mwatana, as well as the Yemen Women’s Union and the Yemen Journalists’ Syndicate, particularly where they’re seen as working across the whole of Yemen. In 2024, CIHRS conducted interviews with six civil society organisations regarding restrictions they faced from the government. None of the organisations were able to submit their applications-- all six were verbally rejected. The directive not only undermines the vital role of civil society in Yemen but also violates Yemen’s obligations under international law to protect freedom of association and the work of human rights defenders. The decision also violates Yemen’s Law on Associations and Foundations, which, under Article 3, stipulates authorities must “ensure that associations and foundations can carry out their activities with complete freedom and independence, in a manner consistent with their social responsibilities, and to simplify procedures and facilitate processes related to the right to establish associations and foundations, enabling them to fulfill their mission to the fullest extent.” It further isolates survivors of human rights and armed-conflict violations and their families, who rely on independent organisations to have their voices heard. Allowing this ban to stand will set a dangerous precedent, effectively giving a green light for politicised attacks on civil society organisations and opening the door to more organisations being subjected to similar threats. Along with attacks on journalists and human rights defenders, these measures risk silencing independent voices across Yemen, dismantling the fragile space that remains for accountability, justice, and the defense of human rights. We, the undersigned civil society organisations, call on the internationally recognised government to immediately rescind their decision and ensure that all civil society groups can operate freely and safely. International actors, including the United Nations and donor governments, should press all parties in Yemen to end their harassment of human rights defenders and guarantee protection for Yemen’s civil society.]]> Saudi Arabia: Ten years after his arbitrary arrest, Waleed Abu al-Khair must be released https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/saudi-arabia-ten-years-after-his-arbitrary-arrest-waleed-abu-al-khair-must-be-released/ Mon, 15 Apr 2024 17:09:44 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=21961 April 15, 2024 - Monday April 15, 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the arrest of Saudi human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence as a result of his peaceful human rights activism. He has repeatedly been ill-treated in prison, including being denied vital medical care. The undersigned organisations call on the Saudi authorities to allow him immediate access to the medical care he requires, and to immediately and unconditionally release him, as well as all other prisoners unjustly detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights. Waleed Abu al-Khair is a prominent human rights defender and founder of the NGO Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (MHRSA). He has spent much of his life advocating for democratic reforms in the country and, before his arrest, provided legal representation for many victims of human rights abuses. Abu al-Khair was arrested on April 15, 2014 after refusing to sign a pledge to give up his human rights activism, and became one of the first activists to be tried and sentenced under Saudi Arabia’s draconian Counter-Terrorism Law. He was tried in the Specialised Criminal Court, an exceptional jurisdiction that was set up in 2008 to try cases of terrorism but has since been used to prosecute numerous peaceful human rights defenders. It is notorious for disregarding legal safeguards. On July 6, 2014, Abu al-Khair was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by a 15-year travel ban and a fine of 200,000 Saudi Arabian riyals (more than £35,000) as punishment for his lawful and peaceful human rights advocacy. The charges against him included “inciting public opinion against the State and its people”; “inciting international organisations against Saudi Arabia with the intention of ruining its reputation”; and “setting up and supervising an unlicensed association”, namely the MHRSA, which he registered in Ontario, Canada after it was denied a licence in the kingdom. In 2015 and 2018, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) released formal opinions in which it found his arrest, prosecution, conviction and sentencing to be arbitrary and in contravention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On both occasions the WGAD called on the Saudi authorities to immediately release Abu al-Khair, provide reparations, and investigate his unlawful arrest, detention and conviction. Throughout his time in detention, Abu al-Khair has suffered ill-treatment by prison authorities including solitary confinement, sleep deprivation, restricted visits, and denial of food, medications and adequate medical care, which has prompted him to carry out several hunger strikes in protest. In recent months, for example, he has been repeatedly beaten by another inmate in Dhahban Prison and was refused a transfer to a hospital. The Saudi authorities continue to deprive him of needed medical care. Both before and since his arrest, Abu al-Khair has received support and recognition for his work from across the world. He and fellow Saudi human rights defenders Abdullah al-Hamid and Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani jointly received the 2018 Right Livelihood Award for their “visionary and courageous efforts, guided by universal human rights principles, to reform the totalitarian political system in Saudi Arabia”. Abu al-Khair has won several other prestigious international awards for his work, including the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Human Rights Award, the Olof Palme Prize, the Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Award, the PEN Pinter Writer of Courage Award, and the American Bar Association’s International Human Rights Award. Waleed Abu al-Khair is just one prominent example of the many Saudi human rights defenders unjustly detained and wrongfully imprisoned for peacefully exercising their internationally protected fundamental human rights. Hundreds of people in Saudi Arabia are currently serving lengthy prison sentences based on the authorities’ abuse of the repressive Counter-Terrorism, Anti-Cybercrime, and other national and state security laws that are systematically used to silence peaceful dissenting voices in the kingdom. These widespread rights violations were raised in January 2024 during Saudi Arabia’s latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR), when UN member states issued a long list of recommendations that included the release of prisoners of conscience and revision of the Counter-Terrorism and Anti-Cybercrime Laws. We insist that the Saudi authorities must accept these important recommendations and work to implement them, and we urge human rights supporters everywhere to join this petition for them to do so. On this day, the tenth anniversary of Waleed Abu al-Khair’s arrest, we again call on the Saudi authorities to allow him immediate access to the medical care he requires, and to immediately and unconditionally release him, as well as all other prisoners of conscience unjustly detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights.]]> April 15, 2024 - Monday April 15, 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the arrest of Saudi human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence as a result of his peaceful human rights activism. He has repeatedly been ill-treated in prison, including being denied vital medical care. The undersigned organisations call on the Saudi authorities to allow him immediate access to the medical care he requires, and to immediately and unconditionally release him, as well as all other prisoners unjustly detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights. Waleed Abu al-Khair is a prominent human rights defender and founder of the NGO Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (MHRSA). He has spent much of his life advocating for democratic reforms in the country and, before his arrest, provided legal representation for many victims of human rights abuses. Abu al-Khair was arrested on April 15, 2014 after refusing to sign a pledge to give up his human rights activism, and became one of the first activists to be tried and sentenced under Saudi Arabia’s draconian Counter-Terrorism Law. He was tried in the Specialised Criminal Court, an exceptional jurisdiction that was set up in 2008 to try cases of terrorism but has since been used to prosecute numerous peaceful human rights defenders. It is notorious for disregarding legal safeguards. On July 6, 2014, Abu al-Khair was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by a 15-year travel ban and a fine of 200,000 Saudi Arabian riyals (more than £35,000) as punishment for his lawful and peaceful human rights advocacy. The charges against him included “inciting public opinion against the State and its people”; “inciting international organisations against Saudi Arabia with the intention of ruining its reputation”; and “setting up and supervising an unlicensed association”, namely the MHRSA, which he registered in Ontario, Canada after it was denied a licence in the kingdom. In 2015 and 2018, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) released formal opinions in which it found his arrest, prosecution, conviction and sentencing to be arbitrary and in contravention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On both occasions the WGAD called on the Saudi authorities to immediately release Abu al-Khair, provide reparations, and investigate his unlawful arrest, detention and conviction. Throughout his time in detention, Abu al-Khair has suffered ill-treatment by prison authorities including solitary confinement, sleep deprivation, restricted visits, and denial of food, medications and adequate medical care, which has prompted him to carry out several hunger strikes in protest. In recent months, for example, he has been repeatedly beaten by another inmate in Dhahban Prison and was refused a transfer to a hospital. The Saudi authorities continue to deprive him of needed medical care. Both before and since his arrest, Abu al-Khair has received support and recognition for his work from across the world. He and fellow Saudi human rights defenders Abdullah al-Hamid and Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani jointly received the 2018 Right Livelihood Award for their “visionary and courageous efforts, guided by universal human rights principles, to reform the totalitarian political system in Saudi Arabia”. Abu al-Khair has won several other prestigious international awards for his work, including the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Human Rights Award, the Olof Palme Prize, the Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Award, the PEN Pinter Writer of Courage Award, and the American Bar Association’s International Human Rights Award. Waleed Abu al-Khair is just one prominent example of the many Saudi human rights defenders unjustly detained and wrongfully imprisoned for peacefully exercising their internationally protected fundamental human rights. Hundreds of people in Saudi Arabia are currently serving lengthy prison sentences based on the authorities’ abuse of the repressive Counter-Terrorism, Anti-Cybercrime, and other national and state security laws that are systematically used to silence peaceful dissenting voices in the kingdom. These widespread rights violations were raised in January 2024 during Saudi Arabia’s latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR), when UN member states issued a long list of recommendations that included the release of prisoners of conscience and revision of the Counter-Terrorism and Anti-Cybercrime Laws. We insist that the Saudi authorities must accept these important recommendations and work to implement them, and we urge human rights supporters everywhere to join this petition for them to do so. On this day, the tenth anniversary of Waleed Abu al-Khair’s arrest, we again call on the Saudi authorities to allow him immediate access to the medical care he requires, and to immediately and unconditionally release him, as well as all other prisoners of conscience unjustly detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights.]]> Venezuela: Detención arbitraria del sindicalista y trabajador humanitario Gabriel Blanco https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/venezuela-detencion-arbitraria-del-sindicalista-y-trabajador-humanitario-gabriel-blanco/ Fri, 15 Jul 2022 23:38:20 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=18582 Gabriel Blanco, sindicalista y trabajador humanitario, enfocado en temas como la migración forzada y casos de violencia basada en género en comunidades vulnerables y que en el pasado se desempeñó como sindicalista en la Asamblea Nacional siendo parte de la Alianza Sindical Independiente (ASI). El 6 de julio de 2022, a las 19:30 horas aproximadamente, funcionarios de la Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar (DGCIM), vestidos de civil y sin identificación ni credenciales visibles, interceptaron a Gabriel Blanco en las afueras de su vivienda ubicada en la urbanización Carlos Delgado Chalbaud, en la parroquia Coche, al suroeste de Caracas. Los funcionarios le insistieron en que el Sr. Gabriel les acompañara a la sede central del organismo para una supuesta “entrevista”. En ausencia de una orden judicial emitida por un tribunal competente, el Sr. Blanco se negó acompañarlos. Sin embargo, los funcionarios de la DGCIM alegaron que la referida orden se estaba tramitando e iba “en camino” y despojaron al Sr. Gabriel Blanco de su celular y de su cédula de identidad. La situación se prolongó por un período de casi seis horas, durante la cuales unos 50 agentes de la DGCIM y de la Policía Nacional Bolivariana (PNB) rodearon las adyacencias de la urbanización Carlos Delgado Chalbaud. El 7 de julio de 2022, sobre la 1 de la madrugada, funcionarios de la Dirección de Investigaciones Estratégicas de la PNB llegaron a la residencia del Sr. Gabriel Blanco, con una orden de aprehensión firmada por el Juzgado Cuarto con competencia en terrorismo de Caracas, en la que se le imputan los delitos de “conspiración” y “asociación para delinquir”, previstos en la Ley Contra la Delincuencia Organizada y Financiamiento al Terrorismo (LODOFAT), en contra de Gabriel Blanco. El Sr. Blanco fue trasladado en una patrulla de las Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales (FAES), a la sede de la PNB ubicada en La Quebradita, al oeste de Caracas, a pesar de que la orden de aprehensión estaba comisionada para ser llevada a cabo por funcionarios del Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas (CICPC). El 9 de julio de 2022, el Tribunal Especial Cuarto de Primera Instancia con competencia en terrorismo, en la audiencia de presentación, declaró con lugar la solicitud del Ministerio Público y ratificó la medida de privación de libertad del Sr. Gabriel Blanco, la cual puede mantenerse en vigor hasta que se realice la audiencia preliminar. El Tribunal cambió los cargos que aparecían en la orden de aprehensión e imputado al Sr. Blanco por los delitos de “terrorismo” y “asociación para delinquir”. A pesar de que el sitio de reclusión indicado por el tribunal es la cárcel común El Rodeo II, al momento de la publicación de este Llamado Urgente, el Sr. Blanco se encuentra detenido en la Comisaría de La Yaguara. El Observatorio subraya que Gabriel Blanco es esposo de la también defensora de derechos humanos Diannet Milagros Blanco, quien estuvo detenida arbitrariamente durante más de un año desde el 20 de mayo de 2017 y estuvo sometida injustamente a jurisdicción militar. Además, denunció ante la Oficina de la Alta Comisionada de Derechos Humanos y ante la Misión Independiente e Internacional de Determinación de los Hechos (MII) que durante su detención fue sometida a actos que pueden ser considerados como tortura. De acuerdo con la Alta Comisionada de Derechos Humanos de la ONU, entre mayo de 2021 y abril de 2022, se documentaron 166 restricciones indebidas del espacio democrático y cívico en Venezuela, incluida la estigmatización, criminalización y amenazas contra voces disidentes. Asimismo, en su informe de septiembre de 2021, la MII subrayó el incremento de la persecución de individuos y organizaciones que documentan, denuncian o intentan abordar problemas de derechos humanos, y problemas sociales y económicos en el país, así como individuos que interfieren o se percibe que interfieren en los intereses políticos, económicos o criminales de ciertos actores del Gobierno. Según las cifras documentadas por COFAVIC, durante 2021, se registraron un total de 215 casos de ataques a personas y organizaciones no gubernamentales defensoras de derechos humanos, muchos de ellos con la justificación doctrinal del enemigo desestabilizador del Estado. Las autoridades venezolanas siguen implementando una estructura de persecución que ha contribuido a restringir el espacio de trabajo para las personas y organizaciones defensoras de derechos humanos. El Observatorio señala que la detención arbitraria del Sr. Gabriel Blanco forma parte de una reciente ola de represión y de detenciones arbitrarias en contra de sindicalistas, activistas y opositores políticos en un contexto de protestas sociales en el país. Según cifras del Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social, las protestas aumentaron de 30% en el primer cuatrimestre de 2022 en comparación con el mismo período de 2021; 38% de las 2.677 manifestaciones registradas estuvieron enmarcadas en la exigencia de derechos laborales, en un contexto de pérdida del poder adquisitivo de los trabajadores. El Observatorio rechaza contundentemente la detención arbitraria del Sr. Gabriel Blanco, que parece obedecer a un acto de represalia por su legítima labor en defensa de los derechos humanos en Venezuela. El Observatorio insta a las autoridades venezolanas a liberar de manera inmediata al Sr. Gabriel Blanco y a poner fin a todo tipo de actos de hostigamiento y criminalización en su contra, así como en contra de todas las personas defensoras de derechos humanos en el país.]]> Gabriel Blanco, sindicalista y trabajador humanitario, enfocado en temas como la migración forzada y casos de violencia basada en género en comunidades vulnerables y que en el pasado se desempeñó como sindicalista en la Asamblea Nacional siendo parte de la Alianza Sindical Independiente (ASI). El 6 de julio de 2022, a las 19:30 horas aproximadamente, funcionarios de la Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar (DGCIM), vestidos de civil y sin identificación ni credenciales visibles, interceptaron a Gabriel Blanco en las afueras de su vivienda ubicada en la urbanización Carlos Delgado Chalbaud, en la parroquia Coche, al suroeste de Caracas. Los funcionarios le insistieron en que el Sr. Gabriel les acompañara a la sede central del organismo para una supuesta “entrevista”. En ausencia de una orden judicial emitida por un tribunal competente, el Sr. Blanco se negó acompañarlos. Sin embargo, los funcionarios de la DGCIM alegaron que la referida orden se estaba tramitando e iba “en camino” y despojaron al Sr. Gabriel Blanco de su celular y de su cédula de identidad. La situación se prolongó por un período de casi seis horas, durante la cuales unos 50 agentes de la DGCIM y de la Policía Nacional Bolivariana (PNB) rodearon las adyacencias de la urbanización Carlos Delgado Chalbaud. El 7 de julio de 2022, sobre la 1 de la madrugada, funcionarios de la Dirección de Investigaciones Estratégicas de la PNB llegaron a la residencia del Sr. Gabriel Blanco, con una orden de aprehensión firmada por el Juzgado Cuarto con competencia en terrorismo de Caracas, en la que se le imputan los delitos de “conspiración” y “asociación para delinquir”, previstos en la Ley Contra la Delincuencia Organizada y Financiamiento al Terrorismo (LODOFAT), en contra de Gabriel Blanco. El Sr. Blanco fue trasladado en una patrulla de las Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales (FAES), a la sede de la PNB ubicada en La Quebradita, al oeste de Caracas, a pesar de que la orden de aprehensión estaba comisionada para ser llevada a cabo por funcionarios del Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas (CICPC). El 9 de julio de 2022, el Tribunal Especial Cuarto de Primera Instancia con competencia en terrorismo, en la audiencia de presentación, declaró con lugar la solicitud del Ministerio Público y ratificó la medida de privación de libertad del Sr. Gabriel Blanco, la cual puede mantenerse en vigor hasta que se realice la audiencia preliminar. El Tribunal cambió los cargos que aparecían en la orden de aprehensión e imputado al Sr. Blanco por los delitos de “terrorismo” y “asociación para delinquir”. A pesar de que el sitio de reclusión indicado por el tribunal es la cárcel común El Rodeo II, al momento de la publicación de este Llamado Urgente, el Sr. Blanco se encuentra detenido en la Comisaría de La Yaguara. El Observatorio subraya que Gabriel Blanco es esposo de la también defensora de derechos humanos Diannet Milagros Blanco, quien estuvo detenida arbitrariamente durante más de un año desde el 20 de mayo de 2017 y estuvo sometida injustamente a jurisdicción militar. Además, denunció ante la Oficina de la Alta Comisionada de Derechos Humanos y ante la Misión Independiente e Internacional de Determinación de los Hechos (MII) que durante su detención fue sometida a actos que pueden ser considerados como tortura. De acuerdo con la Alta Comisionada de Derechos Humanos de la ONU, entre mayo de 2021 y abril de 2022, se documentaron 166 restricciones indebidas del espacio democrático y cívico en Venezuela, incluida la estigmatización, criminalización y amenazas contra voces disidentes. Asimismo, en su informe de septiembre de 2021, la MII subrayó el incremento de la persecución de individuos y organizaciones que documentan, denuncian o intentan abordar problemas de derechos humanos, y problemas sociales y económicos en el país, así como individuos que interfieren o se percibe que interfieren en los intereses políticos, económicos o criminales de ciertos actores del Gobierno. Según las cifras documentadas por COFAVIC, durante 2021, se registraron un total de 215 casos de ataques a personas y organizaciones no gubernamentales defensoras de derechos humanos, muchos de ellos con la justificación doctrinal del enemigo desestabilizador del Estado. Las autoridades venezolanas siguen implementando una estructura de persecución que ha contribuido a restringir el espacio de trabajo para las personas y organizaciones defensoras de derechos humanos. El Observatorio señala que la detención arbitraria del Sr. Gabriel Blanco forma parte de una reciente ola de represión y de detenciones arbitrarias en contra de sindicalistas, activistas y opositores políticos en un contexto de protestas sociales en el país. Según cifras del Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social, las protestas aumentaron de 30% en el primer cuatrimestre de 2022 en comparación con el mismo período de 2021; 38% de las 2.677 manifestaciones registradas estuvieron enmarcadas en la exigencia de derechos laborales, en un contexto de pérdida del poder adquisitivo de los trabajadores. El Observatorio rechaza contundentemente la detención arbitraria del Sr. Gabriel Blanco, que parece obedecer a un acto de represalia por su legítima labor en defensa de los derechos humanos en Venezuela. El Observatorio insta a las autoridades venezolanas a liberar de manera inmediata al Sr. Gabriel Blanco y a poner fin a todo tipo de actos de hostigamiento y criminalización en su contra, así como en contra de todas las personas defensoras de derechos humanos en el país.]]> India: Prominent rights defender Khurram Parvez is still in prison https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/india-prominent-rights-defender-khurram-parvez-is-still-in-prison/ Tue, 17 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://pods.local/alert/india-prominent-rights-defender-khurram-parvez-is-still-in-prison/ Khurram Parvez, as well as the recent raid on his house. Mr. Parvez is the Coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS)[efn_note]The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, founded in 2000, is a federation of human rights organisations and individuals working in Jammu and Kashmir.[/efn_note] and the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP)[efn_note]Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons actively campaigns for an end to the practice and crime of involuntary and enforced disappearances at local, national and international platforms. Members of the APDP have been engaged in documenting enforced disappearances in Kashmir since 1989 and have collected information on over one thousand such cases.[/efn_note], and the Chairperson of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)[efn_note]Founded in 1998, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances is a human rights federation of organisations campaigning against enforced disappearances in Asia.[/efn_note]. Mr. Parvez is also a distinguished scholar with the political conflict, gender, and people’s rights initiative at the Center for Race and Gender at University of California, Berkeley. On May 13, 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet before the NIA Special Court in New Delhi against Khurram Parvez under Sections 120B and 121A of the Indian Penal Code (“criminal conspiracy” and “punishment for conspiracy to wage war against the government of India”, respectively), Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (“taking gratification, in order, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servant”) and Sections 13, 18, 18B, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) (“unlawful activities”, “conspiracy”, “recruiting any person or persons for commission of a terrorist act”, “offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation” and “giving support to a terrorist organisation”, respectively). The NIA accuses Khurram Parvez of “running a network of over ground workers of the [Pakistan-based terrorist organisation] Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for furthering activities of LeT and to commit terrorist attacks in India”, according to the press release published by NIA on May 13, 2022. The document further states that the investigation into this case is ongoing. The case will be heard on July 6, 2022, at the NIA Special Court in New Delhi. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Khurram Parvez remains detained at the Tihar maximum security prison in Delhi, where he faces high risk of ill-treatment. The Observatory recalls that Khurram Parvez was arbitrarily arrested on November 22, 2021, by NIA officers following 14-hour raids on his house and the JKCCS office in the city of Srinagar, during which his electronic devices and several documents were seized. He was taken to New Delhi on November 24, 2021, where he remained detained under NIA’s custody until December 4, 2021. On that day, he appeared before the NIA Special Court in New Delhi, and Judge Parveen Singh ordered his pre-trial detention in the Tihar maximum security prison. On March 24, 2022, the NIA Special Court in Delhi extended his pre-trial detention by 50 days under Section 43d(2) (b) of the UAPA. The Observatory further recalls that Khurram Parvez’s house in Srinagar was raided again on March 27, 2022, by NIA officers and local police in connection with another investigation launched in October 2020 into several NGOs and trusts in India and abroad. This investigation is being conducted pursuant to Articles 120B, 124A of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 17, 18, 22A, 22C, 38, 39, and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Observatory strongly condemns the ongoing arbitrary detention on trumped-up charges of Khurram Parvez as well as the politically motivated attempts by Indian authorities to silence prominent human rights defenders and to discredit them by labelling them as terrorists. The Observatory reiterates its concern over the misuse of the UAPA by the authorities to target human rights defenders and silence dissent and condemns all acts of harassment and persecution of human rights defenders in India. Moreover, the Observatory recalls that the arbitrary detention of Khurram Parvez takes place in a context of an increased crackdown on civil society by the Indian government, notably by bringing politically motivated criminal cases against human rights defenders, student activists, journalists, and other critics of the government under sedition, terrorism, and other repressive legal provisions, with the aim to silence critical voices in the country. The Observatory urges the authorities of India to immediately and unconditionally release Khurram Parvez and drop all charges against him, as his detention is arbitrary and only aimed at punishing him for his peaceful and legitimate human rights activities. *** Geneva-Paris, May 17, 2022 Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH. The objective of this programme is to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society. To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: • E-mail: alert@observatoryfordefenders.org]]> Khurram Parvez, as well as the recent raid on his house. Mr. Parvez is the Coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS)[efn_note]The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, founded in 2000, is a federation of human rights organisations and individuals working in Jammu and Kashmir.[/efn_note] and the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP)[efn_note]Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons actively campaigns for an end to the practice and crime of involuntary and enforced disappearances at local, national and international platforms. Members of the APDP have been engaged in documenting enforced disappearances in Kashmir since 1989 and have collected information on over one thousand such cases.[/efn_note], and the Chairperson of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)[efn_note]Founded in 1998, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances is a human rights federation of organisations campaigning against enforced disappearances in Asia.[/efn_note]. Mr. Parvez is also a distinguished scholar with the political conflict, gender, and people’s rights initiative at the Center for Race and Gender at University of California, Berkeley. On May 13, 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet before the NIA Special Court in New Delhi against Khurram Parvez under Sections 120B and 121A of the Indian Penal Code (“criminal conspiracy” and “punishment for conspiracy to wage war against the government of India”, respectively), Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (“taking gratification, in order, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servant”) and Sections 13, 18, 18B, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) (“unlawful activities”, “conspiracy”, “recruiting any person or persons for commission of a terrorist act”, “offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation” and “giving support to a terrorist organisation”, respectively). The NIA accuses Khurram Parvez of “running a network of over ground workers of the [Pakistan-based terrorist organisation] Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for furthering activities of LeT and to commit terrorist attacks in India”, according to the press release published by NIA on May 13, 2022. The document further states that the investigation into this case is ongoing. The case will be heard on July 6, 2022, at the NIA Special Court in New Delhi. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Khurram Parvez remains detained at the Tihar maximum security prison in Delhi, where he faces high risk of ill-treatment. The Observatory recalls that Khurram Parvez was arbitrarily arrested on November 22, 2021, by NIA officers following 14-hour raids on his house and the JKCCS office in the city of Srinagar, during which his electronic devices and several documents were seized. He was taken to New Delhi on November 24, 2021, where he remained detained under NIA’s custody until December 4, 2021. On that day, he appeared before the NIA Special Court in New Delhi, and Judge Parveen Singh ordered his pre-trial detention in the Tihar maximum security prison. On March 24, 2022, the NIA Special Court in Delhi extended his pre-trial detention by 50 days under Section 43d(2) (b) of the UAPA. The Observatory further recalls that Khurram Parvez’s house in Srinagar was raided again on March 27, 2022, by NIA officers and local police in connection with another investigation launched in October 2020 into several NGOs and trusts in India and abroad. This investigation is being conducted pursuant to Articles 120B, 124A of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 17, 18, 22A, 22C, 38, 39, and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Observatory strongly condemns the ongoing arbitrary detention on trumped-up charges of Khurram Parvez as well as the politically motivated attempts by Indian authorities to silence prominent human rights defenders and to discredit them by labelling them as terrorists. The Observatory reiterates its concern over the misuse of the UAPA by the authorities to target human rights defenders and silence dissent and condemns all acts of harassment and persecution of human rights defenders in India. Moreover, the Observatory recalls that the arbitrary detention of Khurram Parvez takes place in a context of an increased crackdown on civil society by the Indian government, notably by bringing politically motivated criminal cases against human rights defenders, student activists, journalists, and other critics of the government under sedition, terrorism, and other repressive legal provisions, with the aim to silence critical voices in the country. The Observatory urges the authorities of India to immediately and unconditionally release Khurram Parvez and drop all charges against him, as his detention is arbitrary and only aimed at punishing him for his peaceful and legitimate human rights activities. *** Geneva-Paris, May 17, 2022 Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH. The objective of this programme is to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society. To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: • E-mail: alert@observatoryfordefenders.org]]> Turkey: Arbitrary arrest of women’s rights defenders in Diyarbakır https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/turkey-arbitrary-arrest-of-womens-rights-defenders-in-diyarbakir/ Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://pods.local/alert/turkey-arbitrary-arrest-of-womens-rights-defenders-in-diyarbakir/ Paris-Geneva-Ankara, March 30, 2022 – In the early hours of March 16, 2022, police raided the homes of 24 women’s rights defenders and activists in Diyarbakır, and arbitrarily detained them. On March 18, 2022, 11 of them were arrested. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT), Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği-İHD), and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT, Türkiye İnsan Hakları Vakfı-TİHV) condemn this new attack against women’s rights defenders in Turkey and call on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release them. They urge the government of Turkey to halt judicial harassment against all human rights defenders, including Kurdish women’s rights defenders. In the morning of March 16, 2022, police officers raided the homes of 24 women’s rights defenders and activists from different civil society organisations, unions and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) members in Diyarbakır. As a result of these raids the following rights defenders and activists were detained and brought to the Diyarbakır Provincial Security Directorate’s Anti-Terrorism Department: Mses. Adalet Kaya, Chair of the board of the Rosa Women's Association (RWA) ; Nevin Oyman, member of the executive board of RWA ; Fatma Gültekin, member of RWA ; Zekiye Güler, Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinen Azad – TJA) activist ; Remziye Sızıcı, HDP Yenişehir District Co-Chair ; Filiz Buluttekin, Sur Municipality Co-Mayor, who was replaced by a trustee ; Fatma Yıldızhan, Diyarbakır Health and Social Service Workers’ Union (SES) Women Secretary ; Nihal Yanık, TÜMBEL-SEN (Union of All Municipality Civil Servants) Co-Chair ; Hatice Efe, Eğitim-Sen (Education and Science Workers' Union) No. 1 Education Secretary ; Bahar Uluğ, BTS (United Transport Workers Union) Women Secretary ; Sakine Karadeniz ; Birsen Güneş ; Gülşen Özer ; Muhibet Özcanlı ; Fatma Kavmaz ; Esma Efetürk ; Xezal Yıldırım ; Jale Okkan ; Yıldız Kardeş ; Emine Akşahin ; Songül Kapancı ; Emine Kaya ; Evin Yelboğa ; and Safiye Akdağ. A 24-hour ban was imposed on lawyer visits to the women detained, that was later lifted following their lawyers’ objections. Nonetheless, the police started taking their statements only around midnight on March 17, 2022. Under charges of “membership to a terrorist organisation” (Article 314/2 of the Turkish Criminal Code), police questioned the women about assemblies, protests, gatherings and press statements that took place in Diyarbakır, including on the occasion of the World Peace Day, on September 1, 2021; the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, on November 25, 2021 ; International Women’s Day, on March 8, 2022 ; and Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. On March 18, 2022, Jale Okkan, Emine Kaya, Sakine Karadeniz, Fatma Kavmaz, Remziye Sızıcı, Gülşen Özer, Esma Efetürk, Filiz Buluttekin, Bahar Uluğ, Songül Kapancı and Fatma Yıldızhan were arrested as per decisions by the Peace Criminal Judgeships and sent to Diyarbakır Prison. Yıldız Kardeş was released by the prosecutor’s office and the remaining human rights defenders and activists were released under judicial control measures. The undersigned organisations deplore that this is not the first time that women’s rights defenders in Diyarbakır are targeted. Indeed, similar raids and waves of arrests already took place notably in May 2020, July 2020 and April 2021 within the scope of investigations against activities of TJA and the Rosa Women’s Association. These investigations resulted in the detention and conviction of several women’s rights defenders under various spurious charges, including under Turkey’s anti-terrorism legislation which is systematically abused to judicially harass human rights defenders, journalists, dissidents, and opposition politicians, particularly HDP members. The Observatory, İHD and HRFT strongly condemn these raids and subsequent arrests of women’s rights defenders, which seem to be in retaliation for their legitimate human rights activities. The undersigned organisations express their concern over the blatant and repeated violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association perpetrated by the authorities in Turkey against all human rights defenders, including Kurdish women’s rights defenders. We urge the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all the above-mentioned arbitrarily arrested women’s rights defenders and to lift all charges against them. We also urge the government to end all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against women’s rights defenders and all human rights defenders in Turkey. We further call on the authorities in Turkey 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, that Turkey has committed to respecting and implementing.]]> Paris-Geneva-Ankara, March 30, 2022 – In the early hours of March 16, 2022, police raided the homes of 24 women’s rights defenders and activists in Diyarbakır, and arbitrarily detained them. On March 18, 2022, 11 of them were arrested. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT), Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği-İHD), and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT, Türkiye İnsan Hakları Vakfı-TİHV) condemn this new attack against women’s rights defenders in Turkey and call on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release them. They urge the government of Turkey to halt judicial harassment against all human rights defenders, including Kurdish women’s rights defenders. In the morning of March 16, 2022, police officers raided the homes of 24 women’s rights defenders and activists from different civil society organisations, unions and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) members in Diyarbakır. As a result of these raids the following rights defenders and activists were detained and brought to the Diyarbakır Provincial Security Directorate’s Anti-Terrorism Department: Mses. Adalet Kaya, Chair of the board of the Rosa Women's Association (RWA) ; Nevin Oyman, member of the executive board of RWA ; Fatma Gültekin, member of RWA ; Zekiye Güler, Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinen Azad – TJA) activist ; Remziye Sızıcı, HDP Yenişehir District Co-Chair ; Filiz Buluttekin, Sur Municipality Co-Mayor, who was replaced by a trustee ; Fatma Yıldızhan, Diyarbakır Health and Social Service Workers’ Union (SES) Women Secretary ; Nihal Yanık, TÜMBEL-SEN (Union of All Municipality Civil Servants) Co-Chair ; Hatice Efe, Eğitim-Sen (Education and Science Workers' Union) No. 1 Education Secretary ; Bahar Uluğ, BTS (United Transport Workers Union) Women Secretary ; Sakine Karadeniz ; Birsen Güneş ; Gülşen Özer ; Muhibet Özcanlı ; Fatma Kavmaz ; Esma Efetürk ; Xezal Yıldırım ; Jale Okkan ; Yıldız Kardeş ; Emine Akşahin ; Songül Kapancı ; Emine Kaya ; Evin Yelboğa ; and Safiye Akdağ. A 24-hour ban was imposed on lawyer visits to the women detained, that was later lifted following their lawyers’ objections. Nonetheless, the police started taking their statements only around midnight on March 17, 2022. Under charges of “membership to a terrorist organisation” (Article 314/2 of the Turkish Criminal Code), police questioned the women about assemblies, protests, gatherings and press statements that took place in Diyarbakır, including on the occasion of the World Peace Day, on September 1, 2021; the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, on November 25, 2021 ; International Women’s Day, on March 8, 2022 ; and Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. On March 18, 2022, Jale Okkan, Emine Kaya, Sakine Karadeniz, Fatma Kavmaz, Remziye Sızıcı, Gülşen Özer, Esma Efetürk, Filiz Buluttekin, Bahar Uluğ, Songül Kapancı and Fatma Yıldızhan were arrested as per decisions by the Peace Criminal Judgeships and sent to Diyarbakır Prison. Yıldız Kardeş was released by the prosecutor’s office and the remaining human rights defenders and activists were released under judicial control measures. The undersigned organisations deplore that this is not the first time that women’s rights defenders in Diyarbakır are targeted. Indeed, similar raids and waves of arrests already took place notably in May 2020, July 2020 and April 2021 within the scope of investigations against activities of TJA and the Rosa Women’s Association. These investigations resulted in the detention and conviction of several women’s rights defenders under various spurious charges, including under Turkey’s anti-terrorism legislation which is systematically abused to judicially harass human rights defenders, journalists, dissidents, and opposition politicians, particularly HDP members. The Observatory, İHD and HRFT strongly condemn these raids and subsequent arrests of women’s rights defenders, which seem to be in retaliation for their legitimate human rights activities. The undersigned organisations express their concern over the blatant and repeated violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association perpetrated by the authorities in Turkey against all human rights defenders, including Kurdish women’s rights defenders. We urge the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all the above-mentioned arbitrarily arrested women’s rights defenders and to lift all charges against them. We also urge the government to end all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against women’s rights defenders and all human rights defenders in Turkey. We further call on the authorities in Turkey 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, that Turkey has committed to respecting and implementing.]]> Turkey: Sentencing of human rights defender Fırat Akdeniz https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/turkey-sentencing-of-human-rights-defender-firat-akdeniz/ Fri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://pods.local/alert/turkey-sentencing-of-human-rights-defender-firat-akdeniz/ Fırat Akdeniz, member of the Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği – İHD), Diyarbakır Branch, as well as member of the Education and Science Workers’ Union. Mr. Akdeniz is a prominent human rights defender advocating to stop, investigate, prevent and seek justice for enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions in Turkey. On March 23, 2022, Fırat Akdeniz appeared before the Diyarbakır 11th Heavy Penal Court for the final hearing in his case. He was sentenced to six years and three months of imprisonment on the charge of “membership to an illegal armed organisation” (Article 314/2 of the Criminal Code of Turkey). Mr. Akdeniz’s lawyers will appeal this decision. Fırat Akdeniz has been imposed a travel ban that will be in force until the judgement is final. Mr. Akdeniz was arbitrarily arrested on May 24, 2021, following a search conducted at his house on the same day, in which an alleged banned publication was seized. On May 26, 2021, the Diyarbakır 4th Peace Criminal Judgeship ordered his pre-trial detention on the charge of “membership to an illegal armed organisation”. On June 17, 2021, the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office formally indicted Mr. Akdeniz. The indictment is based on Mr. Akdeniz’s participation in 17 different public gatherings from October 2019 to December 2020. These public gatherings span from a World Peace Day, a Kurdish language festival and demonstrations against gender-based violence and arbitrary detentions of attorneys and arbitrary removals of local elected officials. The Public Prosecutor’s Office alleges that those public gatherings praised and defended the activities and principles of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). On September 3, 2021, during the first hearing in Mr. Akdeniz’s case before the Diyarbakır 11th Heavy Penal Court, an anonymous witness statement was taken to corroborate the above-mentioned allegations. On September 8, 2021, following the second hearing, Mr. Akdeniz was provisionally released pending the final verdict in his case. The Observatory expresses its utmost concern over the judicial harassment of Fırat Akdeniz and highlights that his targeting is part of a broader trend of criminalisation of human rights defenders in Turkey, including İHD members. The organisation and its members have been subjected to judicial harassment and intimidations by the authorities for years because of their peaceful human rights activities and exercise of freedom of expression and association, including the sentencing of Ms. Eren Keskin, Co-Chairperson of İHD, the threats and acts of stigmatisation against the organisation, as well as the three criminal proceedings İHD’s Co-Chairperson Mr. Öztürk Türkdoğan is facing. The Observatory strongly condemns the sentencing of Fırat Akdeniz and urges the authorities of Turkey to quash his conviction and put an end to any act of harassment, including at the judicial level, against him as well as against all human rights defenders in Turkey.]]> Fırat Akdeniz, member of the Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği – İHD), Diyarbakır Branch, as well as member of the Education and Science Workers’ Union. Mr. Akdeniz is a prominent human rights defender advocating to stop, investigate, prevent and seek justice for enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions in Turkey. On March 23, 2022, Fırat Akdeniz appeared before the Diyarbakır 11th Heavy Penal Court for the final hearing in his case. He was sentenced to six years and three months of imprisonment on the charge of “membership to an illegal armed organisation” (Article 314/2 of the Criminal Code of Turkey). Mr. Akdeniz’s lawyers will appeal this decision. Fırat Akdeniz has been imposed a travel ban that will be in force until the judgement is final. Mr. Akdeniz was arbitrarily arrested on May 24, 2021, following a search conducted at his house on the same day, in which an alleged banned publication was seized. On May 26, 2021, the Diyarbakır 4th Peace Criminal Judgeship ordered his pre-trial detention on the charge of “membership to an illegal armed organisation”. On June 17, 2021, the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office formally indicted Mr. Akdeniz. The indictment is based on Mr. Akdeniz’s participation in 17 different public gatherings from October 2019 to December 2020. These public gatherings span from a World Peace Day, a Kurdish language festival and demonstrations against gender-based violence and arbitrary detentions of attorneys and arbitrary removals of local elected officials. The Public Prosecutor’s Office alleges that those public gatherings praised and defended the activities and principles of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). On September 3, 2021, during the first hearing in Mr. Akdeniz’s case before the Diyarbakır 11th Heavy Penal Court, an anonymous witness statement was taken to corroborate the above-mentioned allegations. On September 8, 2021, following the second hearing, Mr. Akdeniz was provisionally released pending the final verdict in his case. The Observatory expresses its utmost concern over the judicial harassment of Fırat Akdeniz and highlights that his targeting is part of a broader trend of criminalisation of human rights defenders in Turkey, including İHD members. The organisation and its members have been subjected to judicial harassment and intimidations by the authorities for years because of their peaceful human rights activities and exercise of freedom of expression and association, including the sentencing of Ms. Eren Keskin, Co-Chairperson of İHD, the threats and acts of stigmatisation against the organisation, as well as the three criminal proceedings İHD’s Co-Chairperson Mr. Öztürk Türkdoğan is facing. The Observatory strongly condemns the sentencing of Fırat Akdeniz and urges the authorities of Turkey to quash his conviction and put an end to any act of harassment, including at the judicial level, against him as well as against all human rights defenders in Turkey.]]> Turkey: Human rights advocacy cannot be put on trial https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/turkey-human-rights-advocacy-cannot-be-put-on-trial/ Tue, 22 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://pods.local/alert/turkey-human-rights-advocacy-cannot-be-put-on-trial/

The joint statement you below was to be read on February 22, 2022 in front of the Ankara courthouse ahead of the first hearing against prominent human rights lawyer and Co-Chairperson of the Human Rights Association Öztürk Türkdoğan, who is facing the unfounded charge of "membership to an illegal armed organisation". Yet, the police did not allow the statement to be read in front of the courthouse.

22 February 2022 - Ankara We are here to stand in solidarity with our dear friend Lawyer Öztürk Türkdoğan who has been the co-chair of Human Rights Association (HRA/İHD) for 15 years and has dedicated more than 35 years of his life to addressing Turkey's fundamental human rights problems and helping the victims of human rights violations. The Human Rights Association was inspected by the Interior Ministry Inspectors firstly in 2016 and then in 2020, and as a result of both audits, the inspectors had filed complaints against the Association. The complaint in 2017 resulted in non-prosecution decisions by the Public Prosecutor's Office. On March 19, 2021, some time after the 2020 audit, the HRA Co-chair was detained and then released under judicial control on the same day. As a result of the audit in 2020, the Public Prosecutor's Office prepared this time three indictments, alleging that the HRA Co-chair had committed crimes under the Articles 125, 301 and 314 of the Turkish Penal Code (TPC), and the relevant courts accepted these indictments and started the prosecution process. The charges based on the Articles 125 and 301 of the TPC are directed at the activities of the Human Rights Association. A statement criticizing the actions and rhetoric of the Interior Minister and the "Call to Recognize the Armenian Genocide" made by the HRA on April 24th every year for a very long time were listed as crimes. These are the same allegations that the Public Prosecutor had previously decided not to prosecute. Öztürk Türkdoğan's advocacy activities as the Co-Chair of the Human Rights Association are to be punished in the case, the first hearing of which is to be held on this February 22, before the Ankara 19th Assize Court, which was created during the state of emergency. It is in no way acceptable to expand the crime of membership of a criminal organization and the uncertainty identified by the European Court of Human Rights regarding this crime to include the human rights advocacy activities. These indictments targeting the Human Rights Association and its Co-Chair are indictments aimed at covering up torture, discrimination, violence, lawlessness and impunity by silencing and intimidating human rights defenders. These indictments are at the same time threats to all rights defenders and independent CSOs defending human rights and freedoms in Turkey. We the undersigned human rights organizations and the human rights defenders will continue to fight for equality and freedom for all and justice without allowing any discrimination in Turkey, to realize the international human rights standards, which are considered part of domestic law in line with Article 90 of the Constitution, and to stand against injustices. We want everyone to know that such pressures on the struggle for human rights cannot weaken our struggle or solidarity as human rights organizations. We will continue to defend human rights and freedoms and protect each other.

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]]> Turkey: Judicial harassment against Mr. Öztürk Türkdoğan https://observatoryfordefenders.org/alert/turkey-judicial-harassment-against-mr-ozturk-turkdogan/ Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://pods.local/alert/turkey-judicial-harassment-against-mr-ozturk-turkdogan/ Öztürk Türkdoğan, a prominent human rights lawyer and Co-Chairperson of the Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği – İHD). On February 22, 2022, Öztürk Türkdoğan will appear before the Ankara 19th Heavy Penal Court under the accusation of “membership to an illegal armed organisation” (Article 314/2 of the Criminal Code of Turkey) following his indictment by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. This charge stems from an investigation conducted by the prosecutor’s office into Mr. Türkdoğan’s peaceful human rights activities in his capacity as İHD Co-Chairperson. Particularly, Mr. Türkdoğan is targeted for his public statements on Abdullah Öcalan’s detention conditions in İmralı Prison,[efn_note]Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), has been imprisoned in İmralı Island since 1999 serving an aggravated life sentence without the possibility of conditional release. He has been subjected to severe isolation for extended periods of time while imprisoned, including bans on visits by lawyers and family members, which the European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2014 to be a violation of Article 3 of the Convention in its judgment Öcalan v. Turkey (No. 2). The conditions of Öcalan’s detention, including extreme social isolation in İmralı Island, has also been documented by the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT).[/efn_note] as well as his cooperation with international delegations, members of the parliament, state officials and international organisations, including the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). If convicted and sentenced, Mr. Öztürk Türkdoğan faces between five and ten years of imprisonment. The Observatory recalls that on March 19, 2021, police officers raided the house of Mr. Türkdoğan in Ankara. He was subsequently taken into police custody within the scope of the above-mentioned investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. On the same day in the evening, Öztürk Türkdoğan was released under judicial control pending investigation and was imposed an international travel ban. The Observatory further recalls that since December 2021, Öztürk Türkdoğan is facing two additional criminal proceedings solely aimed at targeting his and İHD’s peaceful human rights activities and freedom of expression. Mr. Türkdoğan faces the charge of “degrading the Turkish nation, state of the Turkish Republic and institutions and organs of the sate” (Article 301 of the Criminal Code) before the Ankara 24th Criminal Court of First Instance in relation to an article titled “Stop Denying the Armenian Genocide for Justice and Truth” published by İHD on its website on April 24, 2017. If convicted and sentenced on this charge, Mr. Türkdoğan faces between six months and two years of imprisonment. In addition, Öztürk Türkdoğan faces the charge of “insult” (Article 125/3 of the Criminal Code) before the Ankara 60th Criminal Court of First Instance in relation to an İHD statement published on June 29, 2018 condemning the public statements made by the Interior Minister of Turkey targeting, threatening and insulting civil society organisations, politicians and the population. The first hearing in this case is scheduled on February 18, 2022. If convicted and sentenced, Mr. Türkdoğan faces up to two years of imprisonment. The Observatory underlines that İHD and its members have been subjected to judicial harassment and intimidations by the authorities for years because of their peaceful human rights activities and exercise of freedom of expression and association, including the sentencing of Ms. Eren Keskin, Co-President of the İHD, and the threats and acts of stigmatisation against the organisation. The Observatory strongly condemns the ongoing judicial harassment of Öztürk Türkdoğan and urges the authorities in Turkey to immediately and unconditionally put an end to all acts of harassment against him, including at the judicial level, and drop all charges pressed against him in the framework of the above-mentioned criminal cases. The Observatory further urges the authorities in Turkey to put an end to the targeting of İHD and all human rights defenders and organisations in the country. The Observatory more generally calls on the authorities to ensure that all human rights organisations and human rights defenders in Turkey are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including judicial harassment.]]> Öztürk Türkdoğan, a prominent human rights lawyer and Co-Chairperson of the Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği – İHD). On February 22, 2022, Öztürk Türkdoğan will appear before the Ankara 19th Heavy Penal Court under the accusation of “membership to an illegal armed organisation” (Article 314/2 of the Criminal Code of Turkey) following his indictment by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. This charge stems from an investigation conducted by the prosecutor’s office into Mr. Türkdoğan’s peaceful human rights activities in his capacity as İHD Co-Chairperson. Particularly, Mr. Türkdoğan is targeted for his public statements on Abdullah Öcalan’s detention conditions in İmralı Prison,[efn_note]Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), has been imprisoned in İmralı Island since 1999 serving an aggravated life sentence without the possibility of conditional release. He has been subjected to severe isolation for extended periods of time while imprisoned, including bans on visits by lawyers and family members, which the European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2014 to be a violation of Article 3 of the Convention in its judgment Öcalan v. Turkey (No. 2). The conditions of Öcalan’s detention, including extreme social isolation in İmralı Island, has also been documented by the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT).[/efn_note] as well as his cooperation with international delegations, members of the parliament, state officials and international organisations, including the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). If convicted and sentenced, Mr. Öztürk Türkdoğan faces between five and ten years of imprisonment. The Observatory recalls that on March 19, 2021, police officers raided the house of Mr. Türkdoğan in Ankara. He was subsequently taken into police custody within the scope of the above-mentioned investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. On the same day in the evening, Öztürk Türkdoğan was released under judicial control pending investigation and was imposed an international travel ban. The Observatory further recalls that since December 2021, Öztürk Türkdoğan is facing two additional criminal proceedings solely aimed at targeting his and İHD’s peaceful human rights activities and freedom of expression. Mr. Türkdoğan faces the charge of “degrading the Turkish nation, state of the Turkish Republic and institutions and organs of the sate” (Article 301 of the Criminal Code) before the Ankara 24th Criminal Court of First Instance in relation to an article titled “Stop Denying the Armenian Genocide for Justice and Truth” published by İHD on its website on April 24, 2017. If convicted and sentenced on this charge, Mr. Türkdoğan faces between six months and two years of imprisonment. In addition, Öztürk Türkdoğan faces the charge of “insult” (Article 125/3 of the Criminal Code) before the Ankara 60th Criminal Court of First Instance in relation to an İHD statement published on June 29, 2018 condemning the public statements made by the Interior Minister of Turkey targeting, threatening and insulting civil society organisations, politicians and the population. The first hearing in this case is scheduled on February 18, 2022. If convicted and sentenced, Mr. Türkdoğan faces up to two years of imprisonment. The Observatory underlines that İHD and its members have been subjected to judicial harassment and intimidations by the authorities for years because of their peaceful human rights activities and exercise of freedom of expression and association, including the sentencing of Ms. Eren Keskin, Co-President of the İHD, and the threats and acts of stigmatisation against the organisation. The Observatory strongly condemns the ongoing judicial harassment of Öztürk Türkdoğan and urges the authorities in Turkey to immediately and unconditionally put an end to all acts of harassment against him, including at the judicial level, and drop all charges pressed against him in the framework of the above-mentioned criminal cases. The Observatory further urges the authorities in Turkey to put an end to the targeting of İHD and all human rights defenders and organisations in the country. The Observatory more generally calls on the authorities to ensure that all human rights organisations and human rights defenders in Turkey are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including judicial harassment.]]>