National and international organisations sent a letter to the new Colombian government with three recommendations to prevent crimes and improve the security of human rights defenders.
Check out our updated world map on legislative protection, which collates developments in national legal instruments related to defenders and compares existing and draft instruments with the standards set by the Model Law.
This explainer presents action taken by UN experts on the case of detained Chinese anti-discrimination activists Cheng Yuan, Wu Gejianxiong, and Liu Dazhi.
The present assessment provides substantial evidence that demonstrates how the human rights situation in China meets each of the nine ‘objective criteria’ for action by the Human Rights Council.
ISHR, along with multiple other NGOs, released a joint statement condemning the criminalisation of women human rights defender Milena Quiroz and calling for her right to a fair trial and her right to defend human rights to be guaranteed.
In two open letters to the UN Secretary-General and UN member States, NGOs insist that the post of High Commissioner should be filled by someone of high moral standing and personal integrity, and who is independent and impartial and possesses competency and expertise in the field of human rights.
Hong Kong should repeal the National Security Law and release detained activists, say UN experts.
In a rare and unwelcome move, Nicaragua has escaped scrutiny from three UN human rights bodies, most recently with the Committee against Torture. Adding insult to injury, the Nicaragua Minister of Foreign Affairs wrote an insulting letter to the Committee. The Committee took the welcome decision to proceed with the review despite the absence of a State delegation.
ISHR welcomes the adoption of predictable cycles of reviews by all Treaty Bodies with full reviews every eight years, followed by focused reviews after four. It remains to be seen if and how implementation will work out in practice though.
On the third anniversary of the arrest of Cheng Yuan, Wu Gejianxiong and Liu Dazhi (the 'Changsha Three'), ISHR and eight rights groups urge Beijing to ensure Wu is effectively released, and Cheng is able to meet with his family, and not subjected to ill-treatment. Cheng Yuan's wife, Shi Minglei, has reported that Cheng still faces strict limitations in access to his relatives, and is subjected to forced labour in Chishan Prison.
