– Mr. Akbar Ganji (Iran), a journalist at the daily newspaper Sobh-e-Emrooz, detained since 2000 at the Evin Prison in Tehran for having written numerous articles denouncing the involvement of the Iranian regime in the assassination of political opponents and intellectuals in 1998. Mr. Akbar Ganji was sentenced in July 2001 to ten years’ imprisonment on the charges of "undermining national security and propaganda against institutions of the Islamic State". In July 2005, Mr. Ganji was hospitalised at the Milad Hospital in Tehran after more than two months on hunger strike, to which he finally put an end in the night of 20 to 21 August 2005. During his hospitalisation, he was beaten by his guards in order to persuade him give up his views and promise his allegiance to the Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei. As he refused, he was sent back to prison on 3 September 2005, whereas he remained extremely weak both physically and psychologically. He was placed in solitary confinement in a special wing of the Evin Prison, where he might be subjected to acts of torture (See Observatory Annual Report 2004, Urgent Appeals IRN 001/0004/030.3, 030.4, 030.5, 030.6, 030.7, 030.8 and 030.9 and Open Letter to the Iranian authorities, 28 October 2005).
– Mr. Golden Misabiko (Democratic Republic of Congo), honorary president of the Katanga section of the African Association for the Defence of Human Rights (Association africaine de défense des droits de l’Homme - ASADHO), was arrested and arbitrarily detained from 5 February till 13 September 2001 at the Kinshasa Penitentiary and Re-education Centre (CPRK), and forced to leave the country in 2002, as a result of repeated threats against him. After spending almost two years in exile in Europe, Mr. Misabiko returned to Katanga in June 2004 and then resumed his activities. Since then, he has been detained several times and he remains subjected to regular acts of harassment, being in particular under constant surveillance. On 16 May 2005, Mr. Golden Misabiko was attacked and threatened by unknown armed men. On 2 June 2005, he was abducted in Lubumbashi by three armed officers of the ANR/Katanga while dropping off his daughter at school. Mr. Misabiko was roughly questioned by officers of National Intelligence Agency (ANR) about his human rights activities and blamed for "destabilising" the regime and prejudicing its leaders. He was then taken to the provincial direction lockup, where he was not allowed to eat for over 24 hours. He was finally released without charges on 3 June 2005 (See Observatory Annual Report 2004 and Urgent Appeals RDC 002/0505/OBS 034, 034.1, 034.2 and 034.3).
– Mr. Arnold Tsunga (Zimbabwe), Chairman of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (Zimrights), Executive Director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), and a trustee of the radio station Voice of the People (VOP), which produces independent programmes on political issues. Mr. Tsunga has repeatedly denounced the legal system and the human rights situation in his country, and has, in turn, been constantly threatened and harassed. For instance, on 21 January 2006, two police officers and one soldier raided Mr. Tsunga’s home, in Mutare. Mr. Tsunga and his family were not at home at the time of the visit. Besides, on January 24, 2006, Mr. Tsunga, along with five other VOP trustees, were arrested and charged with "broadcasting without a license" (section 7.1 of the Broadcasting Services Act), liable with a two-year prison sentence. On that day, the six persons were released on bail, but five of them, including Mr. Tsunga, had to report weekly before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Law and Order. During a hearing on 10 February 2006, the Harare Magistrates’ Court postponed the case to 28 February 2006, and ordered that the trustees immediately be released from their obligation to report once a week to the Law and Order CID at the Harare central police station. Furthermore, on January 26, 2006, an unknown man came to Zimrights’ office, asking to talk with Mr. Tsunga. As the latter was absent, this man, who seemed to be linked with the Army, explained that he had been visited twice by members of the Zimbabwe Military Intelligence Corps (ZIC), who told him that they had received orders from the government to hunt Mr. Tsunga down, and to kill him (See Observatory Urgent Appeal ZWE 001/0106/OBS 011, dated 27 January 2006).
– Mrs. Jennifer Williams (Zimbabwe), one of the leaders of the NGO Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), has been regularly arrested and subjected to acts of harassment because of her activities within WOZA. For instance, on 18 June 2005, twenty WOZA members, including Mrs. Jennifer Williams, were arrested while protesting against the governmental programme of illegal buildings and premises clearance "Operation Murambatsivina". Mrs. Williams’ house was further searched without a warrant. The demonstration being considered as illegal, the women were indicted with "impeding public traffic", a charge liable with up to a three-month prison sentence or a fine, and released on bail on 20 June 2005. However, on 11 July 2005, the Bulawayo Provincial Magistrates Court ruled that "women demonstrating, and therefore moving, could not possibly block the sidewalk", and acquitted them (For more information on WOZA see Observatory Annual Report 2004).
The OMCT and FIDH transmit their warm thoughts of congratulation to Mr. Akbar Ganji, Mr. Golden Misabiko, Mr. Arnold Tsunga, and Mrs. Jennifer Williams, as well as their support in their pursuit of their activities in favour of human rights.
In 2005, the MEA Jury decided to publicly announce nominees as they are all in an urgent need of protection. The four nominees were retained after careful selection by the ten human rights organisations that constitute the Jury. On 23 May 2006, the Jury will announce the final MEA laureate at a conference in the Carter Centre in Atlanta, USA.
* The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA), created in 1993, is a unique collaboration among ten of the world’s leading non-governmental human rights organisations to give protection to human rights defenders worldwide. The Jury is composed of the following: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, FIDH, the International Commission of Jurists, OMCT, German Diakonie, International Service for Human Rights, International Alert, and Huridocs.
The previous MEA laureates are: Aktham Naisse, Syria (2005); Lida Yusupova, Russia (2004); Alirio Uribe Muñoz, Colombia (2003); Jacqueline Moudeina, Chad (2002); Peace Brigades International (2001); Immaculée Birhaheka, DR Congo (2000); Natasa Kandic, Yugoslavia (1999); Eyad El Sarraj, Palestine (1998); Samuel Ruiz García; Mexico (1997); Clement Nwankwo, Nigeria (1996); Asma Jahangir, Pakistan (1995); Harry Wu, China (1994).
For more information on the MEA, please contact Mr. Luis Marreiros, Coordinator.
Tel: +41 22 809 49 25 (marreiros@martinennalsaward.org).