Human Rights Defenders on the front line
FIDH & OMCT
Compte d’auteur
Every day, all over the world, human rights defenders are harassed, threatened, and arbitrarily detained simply because they are working to promote and defend fundamental rights and liberties.
This annual report, the first of its kind, gives an indication of the scale and sophistication, of the repression suffered by these men and women from all over the world who have chosen to defend human rights.
In 1998, the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, defending these same rights means, in many cases, risking your life. We must pay tribute to these activists and plead for international protection proportionate to the risks they run in trying to defend the victims of human rights violations.
The Observatory, a joint programme of the FIDH and OMCT, was set up in July 1997, to respond as systematically as possible to these grave violations and help ensure inproved protection at both the national and international level for human rights defenders.
This is the Observatory’s first annual report. It contains 126 urgent appeals sent out between July 1997 and October 1998 and refers to over 200 human rights defenders in 38 countries. It also outlines the work done at the international level towards improving protection for them.
In this report defenders have, through their testimony, enabled us to share their work, their determination to carry on, regardless of the risks, the daily struggle for “all human rights for all”. Their fight is our fight and in 1998, more than ever, the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be everybody’s concern.
Summary
7 / Foreword
21 / Testimonies
53 / Human Rights Defenders on the front line: Urgent Appeals
231 / Statistics
235 / Strengthening International Protection
257 / Appendices
- Annex I
Unresolved OMCT cases initiated before the creation of the Observatory
- Annex II
Principal International and Regional Human Rights Instruments Ratified by the States dealt with in this Pubheation
- Annex III
Abbreviations
- Annex IV
The Organisations behind the Observatory.
Contents
7 / Foreword
21 / Testimonies
23 / The Protection of Human Rights: A Universal Task
Roberto Garreton
29 / A Constant Responsibility for both North and South
Lucie Lemonde
31 / Human Rights Defenders and the Attacks on the Universality of
Human Rights: Asia-Pacific a Central Challenge
Evelyn Serrano et Santos Lamban
37 / Solidarity: Challenging the Determination of the Authorities
Khemais Chammari
39 / A message from Fatma Ksila
41 / “I defend Human Rights while my Organisation is Banned” Chingove
43 / “I am a man made for service and not to be served”
Monseigneur Juan Gerardi Conedera
49 / Human Rights Defenders on the Front Line: Urgent Appeals
51 / Algeria - 140 / Korea (Republic of)
55 / Argentina - 143 / Kyrgystan
58 / Bangladesh - 147 / Mauritania
60 / Belarus - 152 / Mexico
64 / Bolivia - 170 / Morocco
67 / Brazil - 174 / Namibia
73 / Chad - 176 / Nepal
75 / China - 178 / Nigeria
79 / Colombia - 182 / Pakistan
94 / Congo (Democratic Rep.) - 184 / Peru
108 / Ecuador - 190 / Philippines
110 / Egypt - 194 / Sudan
115 / El Salvador - 198 / Syria
119 / Guatemala - 202 / Tunisia
126 / Honduras - 211 / Turkey
130 / India - 221 / Venezuela
134 / Indonesia - 223 / Yemen
136 / Iran – 225 / Yugoslavia (Fed.Rep. of)
138 / Israel - 228 / Zambia
231 / Statistics of Repression
235 / Strenthening International Protection
237 / Special Procedures of the UN Specific to Human Rights Defenders
243 / Draft Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN Human Rights Commission (April 1998)
251 / Resolution “Violations of the Rights of Human Rights Defenders” adopted by the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of minorities (August 1998)
257 / Appendices
259 / Annex I
Unresolved OMCT cases initiated before the creation of The Observatory
284 / Annex II
Principal International and Regional Human Rights Instruments Ratified by the States dealt with in this Pubheation
286 / Annex III
Abreviations
288 / Annex IV
The Organisations behind Rhe Observatory
FOREWORD:
Human Rights Defenders on the Front Line
This first Annual Report of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, is the result of the joint efforts of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), working with dozens of national and international nongovernmental organisations. The aim is to provide better protection and assistance to human rights defenders whose rights are threatened.
The report reflects the appalling reality for human rights defenders in too many countries, but equally demonstrates that human rights defenders bringing their skills together across the world can make a dif- ference; this pubheation is also an expression of hope.
Since the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris on December 10, 1948, as “a common standard of achievement for all peoples arid all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms secure their universal and effective recognition and observance...”, the advances in human rights at the international level have been considerable.
There has been a progressive elaboration of regional and universal legal instruments, recognising “new rights”, reaffirming the universal and indivisible character of human rights, establishing regional and international supervisory mechanisms and creating national supervisory institutions, etc.
Human rights defenders and their organisations have been at the heart of these developments: they represent the hopes for peace, justice, freedom and welfare of all societies. Increasingly they are playing a leading role at both national and international level.
This work has been strengthened with the creation of hundreds of organisations, above all in Africa, East Europe, the Middle East and Asia. This phenomenon of the nineties has been marked by enormous political transition, but equally by the negative consequences of globalisation, economic liberalisation and the increasing reluctance of States to fulfil their social obligations.
Today, human rights defenders are assuming ever growing responsibil¬ities in the defence and promotion of civil and political rights, and are also the engine of change in the defence of economic, social and cultural rights.
In addition to their work denouncing human rights violations and the fight against impunity, their work has developed in areas like education, health, professional training, the environment, development and humanitarian action, etc., all activities previously the exclusive domain of the State. At the same time their work in the normative field in the creation of promotional and fiscal in mechanisms human rights, at national and international level, including in the framework of bilateral and multilateral economic agreements, have increased.
If the action of the defenders is an essential component at the national level, and is increasingly indispensable for the future development of societies, their activities at the international level are equally vital.
Many international instruments, if not the majority of them, were created or are being discussed thanks to the initiatives of human rights defenders. They have contributed, and continue to contribute, to the strengthening of international co-operation and peace, through the elaboration of conventional compromises among States, the creation and strengthening of monitoring mechanisms, agreements for the peaceful settlement of international disputes and national conflicts, etc. Their role in contemporary society was recognised by the World Conference on Human Rights, celebrated in Vienna, Austria, June 1993, when it was affirmed that organisations and their members should “free to exercise their activities related to human rights without any interference...”1
…..
1 World Conference on Human Rights: Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, 1st part, paragraph 38.
Human Rights Defenders on the front line
FIDH & OMCT
Compte d’auteur
Compte d’auteur
Human Rights Defenders on the front line
Annual Report 1997 – 1998
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
L’Observatoire pour la Protection des Defenseurs des Droits de I’Homme
Et Observatorio para la Protection de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos
FIDH et OMCT
Fidh
International Federation of Human Rights leagues
OMCT
World Organisation Against Torture
The World Organisation Against Torture and the International
Human Rights League authorise the reproduction of extracts of this
text on condition that the source is credited and a copy of the
publication containing the text is sent to the respective
International Secretariats.
© FIDH et OMCT, October 1998
FIDH
International Federation
of Human Rights Leagues
17, Passage de la Main d’Or
75011 Paris - France
Tel. +33 (0) 143 55 25 18
Fax +33 (0) 143 55 18 80
E. mail: fidh@csi.com
Web: mvw.fidh.imaginet.fr
OMCT
World Organisation Against Torture
37-39, rue de Vermont
P.O. BOX 119
CH 1211 Geneva 20 CIC - Switzerland
Tel. +41 22 733 3140
Fax +41 22 733 10 51
E. Mail: omct@omct.org
Internet: http://www.omct.org
Imprimerie ABRAX
F-21300 Chenove
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