Front Line Defenders

🚨 #Pakistan: This morning, Pakistani WHRD and laureate of Front Line Defenders' annual award Sammi Deen Baloch was prevented from traveling & informed that she is on an exit control list. We condemn this as an act of reprisal against Sammi Deen Baloch's human rights work, particularly given protests in Balochistan in recent weeks and months. https://zurl.co/dT55

🚨 #Azerbaijan In the aftermath of the presidential election earlier this year, Anar Mammadli is one of many political prisoners facing repression for their legitimate human rights work. As it stands, almost no independent civil society actor remains free in the country. Pressure has increased on media outlets, legal professionals, academics and scholars. Front Line Defenders joins the call for an end to repression in Azerbaijan, and the release of Anar Mammadli and other human rights defenders ahead of #COP29, in an open letter to @PACE_President and members. Full letter 🔗 https://zurl.co/oGih

Honduras: Front Line Defenders remembers the enormous legacy of #BertaCáceres, defender of indigenous & environmental rights. The international community continues to observe the judicial process for the crime that took her life and we join the voices demanding justice.

Official Launch of the Free Narges Coalition! Today, at the Nobel Peace Conference, we are proud to officially launch the Free Narges Coalition in support of 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who remains unjustly imprisoned for her courageous activism. 🕊️ Formed by PEN America, RSF, and Front Line Defenders, with the support of over 25 other civil society organizations, the coalition will be introduced during the Woman, Life, Freedom conference. Together, we are committed to campaigning to secure Narges Mohammadi's immediate release and amplifying her voice in the fight for human rights. The Free Narges Coalition steering committee is deeply concerned about the rapid deterioration of Narges Mohammadi's health in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, where she has been held continuously since November 2021, following prior periods of incarceration. Over the past decade, Narges has endured more than 10 years behind bars in retaliation for her journalism and human rights work. Despite ongoing repression, she continues to speak out from within prison walls, facing additional charges and sentences in response. **How You Can Support:** - **Join the Free Narges Coalition!** Visit [https://lnkd.in/dKnKsjPc) for details. - **Follow the Narges Foundation** on social media and post your own messages of support using the hashtag **#FreeNarges**. - **Write to your elected representatives** urging them to take action to **#FreeNarges**. 🎥 Watch the launch here: [https://lnkd.in/d_AWNeG8]  🔗 Learn more about our mission at: [https://lnkd.in/dKnKsjPc) #FreeNarges #WomanLifeFreedom #NobelPeacePrize

September 2 marked 200 days since Karakalpak human rights defender Aqylbek Muratbai has been in pre-trial detention in #Kazakhstan. Authorities arrested him at the request of #Uzbekistani authorities, who are prosecuting him for shedding the light on human rights abuses in Uzbekistan's Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. We call for his immediate release!

We are deeply concerned by the approval issued by the Ankara Heavy Penal Court regarding the decision by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance of #Türkiye to freeze the assets of human rights organisation GÖÇİZDER (Migration Monitoring Association) and its former chair and three staff members. This is based on the law on prevention of financing of terrorism. However, staff of @IzlemeGoc were already acquitted from terrorism charges in February 2024, and another case regarding the closure of the organisation is ongoing. We believe this is yet another move of judicial and administrative harassment to silence and create a chilling effect on all human rights defenders in the country.

Today marks the #InternationalDayOfTheDisappeared. All around the world, human rights defenders; as well as their friends and families, are forcibly taken and disappeared as a direct means of targeting them for their peaceful human rights work. Those who search and advocate for the disappeared, often become victim to violence, harassment and abduction themselves. Today, we remember and stand with the victims of enforced disappearances as well as HRDs who are standing up for the rights of the disappeared.

🚨 #Guatemala JOINT STATEMENT: We demand justice for HRD, ancestral authority and environmental defender, Rigoberto Juárez. A judicial process against Rigoberto began in 2015, due to his role as a mediator and ancestral authority in a land conflict within the Q'anjob'al territory. The conflict arose from the indigenous Maya community's resistance to the poorly implemented hydroelectric projects which took place without consultation by Energía y Renovación S.A., financed by BID Invest. We strongly condemn the criminalisation of the HRD and believe the judicial process has been used as a reprisal mechanism against his legitimate human rights work. Full statement 🔗 https://zurl.co/rAdN

🚨 #Iran Front Line Defenders welcomes the news that WHRD Soma Pourmohammadi was acquitted of the charge of "forming groups and associations with the intention of disturbing national security." However, we urge the Iranian authorities to overturn the remaining convictions against her and stop the judicial harassment of her relatives and other Nozhin members. Urgent Appeal 🔗 https://zurl.co/k049

🔊 NEW PODCAST: Hear from prominent HRD lawyer Raji Sourani, founder of @Palestinian Centre for Human Rights , who reflects on the situation in #Gaza since October 7th and prior. Raji has been tirelessly working on documenting human rights violations for many years and shares important insights for all to learn from. Listen on all major platforms now. SoundCloud: https://zurl.co/rRgX Spotify: https://zurl.co/Mqxv