Human Rights Foundation’s Post

On Oct. 10, Ukrainian authorities reported that Viktoria Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist who went missing in Russian-occupied territories, died in Russian captivity. https://lnkd.in/gTiNJFBM Roshchina, 27, was a freelance journalist previously working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other media outlets. In August 2023, she traveled to the Russian-occupied territories in the east of Ukraine and was captured. Ukraine’s Coordination Staff for the Treatment of POWs reported she and 25 other Ukrainian journalists were being prepared for a prisoner exchange before she died under unknown circumstances on Sept. 19. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), more than 100 Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been directly affected by the actions of the Russian military since 2022. https://lnkd.in/g3xyvw4d HRF demands an independent investigation and punishment of culprits of Viktoria Roshchyna’s death and condemns the Russian regime’s continuing gross mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

On Sunday, Pakistani police ordered the detention of Ihsan Naseem, a journalist with the local news outlet Abbaseen Battagram and a reporter for Neo News Battagram, and conducted a raid on his home. Police arrested Naseem on charges of jeopardizing public safety and allegedly encouraging members of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) to protest. According to an investigation by Committee to Protect Journalists, Naseem was then transferred to the central prison in Harper district. Naseem covered the ban on the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement and the current protest. Before he was arrested, Naseem interviewed the sisters of former imprisoned prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leader Imran Khan. HRF calls on Pakistan for the immediate and unconditional release of Ihsan Naseem. The regime’s ongoing crackdown on media is a violation of freedom of expression and obstructs the free flow of information. https://lnkd.in/e24qcuKJ

Join HRF’s Combating Kleptocracy Program Director Casey Michel on Oct. 17 for a virtual panel discussion on his new book #ForeignAgents and how the US can implement stronger policies and legal frameworks to combat threats to democracies. 📕RSVP today:

A Hong Kong judge has rejected media mogul Jimmy Lai’s request for a jury trial in his libel case against the pro-Beijing newspaper, Ta Kung Pao, citing the large volume of documents and complex legal issues that make the case unsuitable for a jury trial. Lai initiated the lawsuit in 2020 after Ta Kung Pao published a defamatory article alleging he planned to flee Hong Kong illegally. He sought a court order to stop further reports and demanded an apology, arguing that the case should be heard by the jury, given its public interest. The judge ordered Lai to cover HK$300,000 in legal costs, pointing out that the trial would involve a responsible journalism defense raised by the accused, which entailed complex legal concepts. HRF expresses deep concern over the prolonged and unjust detention of 76-year-old Jimmy Lai since 2020 and reiterates its call for his immediate and unconditional release.

On Tuesday, the United States imposed sanctions on Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa, the younger brother of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Aloney was accused of leading the RSF's paramilitary group’s procurement of weapons and extending Sudan’s current civil conflict, which began in April 2023. This development follows previous US-mediated talks in September, which failed to achieve progress toward a ceasefire between the RSf and the Sudanese Armed Forces. HRF condemns the actions of Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa and the RSF and calls for an immediate end to the conflict. https://buff.ly/4dJorKQ

On Sunday, Algerian officials sentenced the Djelfa Tribune editor-in-chief, Badreddine Guermat, to one year in prison and a fine of 100,000 dinars on charges of insulting a state institution and its employees. Guermat was arrested on Sept. 25 from his home in Djelfa, a city south of Algiers, following a Facebook post alleging government mismanagement of funds. The multiple arrests of journalists in Algeria aim to silence criticism around the Sept. 7 presidential elections, with rights groups calling it an “erosion of human rights” under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s regime. HRF condemns the arrest of Guermat and the continued assault on free speech and journalism in Algeria.

Pakistan has officially banned the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), labeling it a “proscribed organization” for its peaceful advocacy for the human rights of ethnic Pashtuns. The PTM, founded in 2014, has been highly critical of Pakistan’s powerful military and its role in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Pashtun leaders. The group has long faced harassment and violence from the regime for their activism. The PTM is now criminalized under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act on the basis of “credible sources,” despite a lack of concrete evidence presented. The ban follows the arrest of 100 PTM activists and 16 students who were preparing to join its peaceful gathering last week. HRF condemns the criminalization of peaceful protests and calls for an immediate end to the unjust arrests of the dissenting groups who are advocating for their rights.

Casey Michel and Elisha Maldonado are back! Season 2 of #DissidentsandDictators kicks off with Venezuelan politician and activist Leopoldo López, who spent nearly seven years in prison for opposing the Maduro regime. 🎧Tune in as they discuss his upbringing, Venezuela’s current political landscape, and his work with the World Liberty Congress. Plus, some extreme sports! 🎙️Stream "For the love of Venezuelans" and more episodes of Dissidents and Dictators on all platforms for powerful stories exposing dictators and in-depth debates on global human rights issues: https://buff.ly/3Yjh3Sc #podcast #humanrights #venezuela #democracy

Tomorrow, #DissidentsandDictators Season 2 premieres! Leopoldo López joins us to discuss his upbringing in Venezuela, the family history that inspired his political journey, and what he loves most about the country he didn’t want to leave. Tune in here: https://buff.ly/3qUqQwz #podcast #venezuela #humanrights #democracy

Ahead of today's UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) election, UN Watch, The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, and HRF published a joint report evaluating the candidacies of countries seeking election to the UNHRC for the 2025-27 term. We call on the UNHRC to oppose the candidacies of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia, who the report has determined “unqualified” due to their poor records on respecting human rights at home, and in voting on UN resolutions concerning human rights. To learn more, read the report here: