Video testimonies on the situation of human rights defenders in Belarus, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Harassment, arbitrary arrests and detentions, acts of torture and ill-treatment, threats, etc. In 2011, a number of human rights defenders are still facing serious hindrances to their activities.

The Observatory is developing audio-visual testimonies as a new tool to widen the mobilisation on some specific cases, and to increase impact on the media and public opinion. This new tool, more dynamic and “visually expressive”, also aims at increasing the awareness of activists, national authorities, national, regional and international institutions and agencies and their mechanisms.

You can see the first series of such testimonies on the situation of human rights defenders in Belarus, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and the DRC at the following links:

RDC :: OBS :: Témoignage de Justine Masika Bihamba par Observatory_HRD


RDC :: OBS :: Témoignage de Marie-Josée Bazana... par Observatory_HRD


COL :: OBS :: Testimonio de Soraya Gutierrez... par Observatory_HRD


COL :: OBS :: Testimonio de Soraya Gutierrez... par Observatory_HRD


KGZ :: OBS :: Testimony of Aida Baydzhumanova... par Observatory_HRD


BLR :: OBS :: Testimony of Ales Bialatski... par Observatory_HRD


BLR :: OBS :: Testimony of Ales Bialiatski... par Observatory_HRD


TUR :: OBS :: Testimony of Pinar Selek... par Observatory_HRD

"Since its creation in 1997, the Observatory has not only been protecting human rights voices, it has also aimed at bringing their messages to a wider audience. Such video testimonies contain concrete recommendations to national authorities and the international community that should be considered with utmost importance by the authorities concerned and, more widely, by all "actors of change"", FIDH President Souhayr Belhassen said today.

“Those testimonies from Belarus, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and the DRC remind us that human rights defenders from all over the world continue to face reprisals because of their vital work to defend and protect human rights, and that we need to stay more vigilant than ever to ensure they are able to carry out their peaceful activities without hindrances and they remain a rampart against arbitrariness and abuses”, added Eric Sottas, OMCT Secretary General.

For more information please contact:
 FIDH: Karine Appy, Arthur Manet: + 33 1 43 55 25 18
 OMCT: Delphine Reculeau: + 41 22 809 49 39