Human Rights Council: End attacks against people for exercising rights to freedom of expression and association

(Geneva) – Human rights defenders and civil society activists continue to be harassed, arrested and detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, the International Service for Human Rights told the UN Human Rights Council today.

Delivering a statement to the Council in relation to the report of the Special Rapporteur on Peaceful Assembly and Association, ISHR said, ‘These attacks vary in nature and form – from sexual attacks against women protesters demanding equal participation in Egypt, to the de-registration of the Fundación Pachamama for its work to protest corporate human rights abuses in Ecuador, to the denial of ECOSOC status to the International Dalit Solidarity Network at the UN. What these attacks have in common, however, is that they show that human rights defenders continue to be targeted, both because of their identities, and because of their advocacy on behalf of those who are subject to discrimination and stigmatisation.’

ISHR also said that, as demonstrated by the report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, there is a heightened risk of such attacks in electoral periods and periods of transition.

Addressing the Council in relation to the Freedom of Expression report, ISHR expressed ‘deep concerned at the continued harassment and imprisonment of human rights defenders and journalists solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in Bahrain and Egypt. We are also alarmed at recent raids on human rights NGOs, such as the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights.’

The reports of both Special Rapporteurs commented on the importance of the right of NGOs to organise, register and access funds. ‘Laws such as Russia’s “foreign agent law” and Ethiopia’s Charities and Societies Proclamation are manifestly incompatible with this right,’ ISHR said. ‘In this regard we welcome the guidelines developed by Maina Kiai and the Community of Democracies on civil society’s right to access resources.’