International Federation for Human Rights

Thailand: Two human rights reports submitted for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Andrea GIORGETTA — 2026-04-10T15:15:10Z

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) made two joint submissions to the United (UN) Human Rights Council for the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Thailand, which is scheduled to be held on 9 November 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland.
10 April 2026. The first submission, prepared with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) and Freedom Bridge, focuses on: the use of draconian laws to criminalise the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful (…)

- Thailand / News

Thailand: A 10-point human rights agenda for the new government

Andrea GIORGETTA — 2026-04-10T01:19:05Z

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its Thai member organisations Union for Civil Liberty (UCL), Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw), and Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, urge Thailand's new government to prioritise important and long-standing human rights issues.
Bangkok, Paris, 10 April 2026. In an open letter to Thailand's 32nd Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, FIDH, UCL, iLaw, and TLHR highlight 10 key human rights priorities raised by United Nations (UN) human (…)

- Thailand

China: Authorities must release arbitrarly detained human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng at the end of his sentence and ensure his full freedom

Hugo GABBERO — 2026-04-09T13:21:45Z

Human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng is expected to be released on 13 April after completing a three-year sentence following his baseless conviction for “inciting subversion of state power”. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), together with other civil society organisations, expresses deep concern about his wellbeing and urges the Chinese (…)

- China

Ecuador: United Nations experts raise alarm over targeting of Indigenous leaders and activists

Lucia Posteraro — 2026-04-08T16:37:00Z

Four United Nations Special Rapporteurs have expressed their deep worry and called for accountability over credible reports of a rapid deterioration of civic space affecting Indigenous Peoples and human rights defenders in Ecuador, echoing the concerns of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisations.
8 April 2026. The independent experts called for an end to all persecution, criminalisation and reprisals against Indigenous defenders and Peoples in (…)

- Impacts / Economic Social & Cultural Rights, Ecuador, News

Egypt: Civil society organisations worldwide call for the immediate release of Ahmed Douma

Hugo GABBERO — 2026-04-08T16:15:12Z

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), together with the undersigned civil society organisations from around the world, call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release prominent activist, poet and political writer Ahmed Douma from pretrial detention and to stop their systematic campaign of judicial harassment against him.
8 April (…)

- Egypt

Indonesia: Hold perpetrators of acid attack against human rights defender Andrie Yunus accountable

Hugo GABBERO — 2026-04-07T16:23:48Z

IDN 001 / 0426 / OBS 018 Assassination attempt / Assault Indonesia 7 April 2026
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Indonesia.
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed about recent developments concerning the attack against Mr Andrie Yunus, human rights (…)

- Human Rights Defenders / News

Turkey: Alarming escalation in repression of LGBTI+ activists and organisations

Hugo GABBERO — 2026-04-07T16:23:04Z

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), together with the undersigned organisations, express their deep concern at the December court ruling in Turkey shutting down LGBTI+ youth organisation, Genç LGBTİ+, the lawsuit initiated against its board members, and the February lawsuit filed against LGBTI+ human rights defender Defne Güzel. These cases (…)

- Turkey / News

Road to COP31: The new Just Transition Mechanism must live up to its name and guarantee real participation

Lucia Posteraro — 2026-04-07T07:42:28Z

The United Nations Climate Change Conference 30 (COP30) delivered the decision to develop a Just Transition Mechanism to advance climate action with human rights and broad participation at its heart. Those same principles must guide the operationalisation of the Mechanism on the way to COP31, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its partners argued in a submission to the United Nations (UN).
7 April 2026. While COP30 reaped mild results when it came to tackling the (…)

- Business, Human Rights & Environment / News, Human Rights Defenders

Iran: Human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh arbitrarily arrested amid intensified crackdown

Hugo GABBERO — 2026-04-03T17:05:57Z

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI) strongly condemn the arbitrary arrest of prominent Iranian human rights lawyer and Sakharov Prize laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh and call on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release her.
Paris-Geneva, 3 April 2026. On the night of 1 to 2 April 2026, Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested at her home in Tehran by agents believed to be affiliated with the Ministry of (…)

- Iran

Historic decision: the Committee on enforced disappearances takes enforced disappearances in Mexico to the United Nations General Assembly

Carlos Lancho — 2026-04-02T17:47:53Z

In its decision, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) found that enforced disappearances amounting to crimes against humanity have been, and continue to be, committed in Mexico. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) welcomes the decision to bring the situation before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where a key space will be opened to discuss how the international community can act collectively to confront this issue.
Paris, Mexico, 2 April 2026. The (…)

- Mexico / News, Headlines