Human rights defenders more than ever at risk!

Human rights defenders from Algeria, the Gambia and Guinea, interviewed on the occasion of the publication of the 2011 Annual Report of the Obseravory in the framework of the 50th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), report the main restrictions on the freedom of action of human rights non-governmental organisations in their respective countries.

Other interviews relate the obstacles faced by defenders of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgenders (LGBT - Burundi, Uganda) or by lawyers involved in defending sexual minorities (Nigeria), confronted in many countries to all forms of prejudice, discrimination, and acts of intimidation or judicial harassment.

"As highlighted again this year in the 2011 Annual Report of the Observatory, in many countries, human rights defenders remain more than ever at risk. These videos aim to raise awareness about the emergency to provide them with adequate protection, both at the national and international levels" , FIDH President Souhayr Belhassen said today.

"These testimonies are evidence of the multiple abusive restrictions of freedom of association and of a fundamental lack of protection of human rights defenders. Assassinations and other violations of the physical intergrity of human rights defenders in contexts of impunity remain an unbearable reality. The defenders of LGBT rights and the persons they defend, remain for ther part confronted in many countries to all kinds of prejudice, intimidation and even criminalisation" , OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock added.

3 interviews on the obstacles faced by defenders and lawyers working on LGBT issues


Uganda : Pepe Onziema, Program Coordinator for Sexual Minorities in Uganda (in English)

UGA :: OBS :: Interview of Pepe Onziema par Observatory_HRD

Burundi : Christian Rumu, Director of Movement for Individual Freedoms - MOLI (in French)

BDI :: OBS :: Interview de Christian Rumu par Observatory_HRD

Nigeria : Charles Nwoke, lawyer (in English)

NGA :: OBS :: Interview of Tom Charles Nwoke par Observatory_HRD

3 interviews on freedom of association

The Gambia : Baboucar Ceesey, Vice-President of Union Press of The Gambia (in English)

GMB :: OBS :: Interview of Baboucar Ceesey par Observatory_HRD

Algeria : Nassera Dutour, President of Committee of Families of Disappeared Persons in Algeria (in French)

DZA :: OBS :: Interview de Nassera Dutour par Observatory_HRD

Guinea : Abdoul Diallo, member of the Guinean Organisation for Human Rights (in French)

GIN :: OBS :: Interview d’Abdoul Diallo par Observatory_HRD

Links to the videos:

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ALL THE VIDEOS OF THE OBSERVATORY

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