ProtectDefenders.eu partners are expressing their concern about judicial harassment faced by human rights defenders in Russian Federation. During the last month: 
 

• A journalist, Zhalaudi Geriev, reporting on abuses by Chechen authorities, was sentenced to three years imprisonment on fabricated charges of drug possession.
   

• Six members of the human rights organisation Voice of Beslan, founded by relatives of people who were held hostage or killed during the attack perpetrated in a school in September 2004 in Beslan (North Ossetia), were found guilty of committing an administrative offence of 'violation of the established procedure of organisation or holding of a meeting' and sentenced to either twenty hours of correctional labour or a fine after a commemorative service for the victims of the 2004 attack in which they wore t-shirts stating “Putin – Beslan executioner”.

 

• Russia is ranked 148th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2016 World Press Freedom Index

Within the last year, ProtectDefenders.eu has allocated 12 emergency grants to Russian human rights defenders at risk to cover expenses related to emergency relocation and lawyer's fees and has funded the implementation of office security measures for a local organisation. One human rights defender from Russia is being relocated under the EU Temporary Relocation Programme.

Partners implementing ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism, have alerted about attacks and intimidation against human rights defenders in Colombia during this month:

• A human rights defender Ms Rocío Campos, working for MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes), was attacked by two armed men on a motorcycle, in what appeared to be an assassination attempt.
   

• Another human rights defender, Ms Claudia Julieta Duque, became aware that her place of residence was under police surveillance. Since precautionary measures were granted to Ms Duque, she has been forced to complain on several occasions that the agreed protocols regarding the implementation of these measures were not being properly followed by Colombian authorities.

 

• Colombia is ranked 134th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2016 World Press Freedom Index

 
During the last year, ProtectDefenders.eu has allocated three emergency grants to Colombian human rights defenders at risk in order to secure emergency relocations and family support measures. Two Colombian HRDs are temporary relocated within the EU Temporary Relocation Programme. The EU Mechanism has also provided funds to two local organisations for the implementation of advocacy initiatives and to expand their capacities.

ProtectDefenders.eu has supported three trainings on Psycho-social support and emotional security, one training on Protection networks, a workshop on prevention of criminalisation and one exchange for Women human rights defenders to discuss the role of women in the protection of their territories. ProtectDefenders.eu also develops on an ongoing basis field monitoring on the situation of Human Rights Defenders in the country.

 

During the last month, ProtectDefenders.eu partners have reported about attacks and judicial harassment against human rights defenders in Viet Nam:
 

• A land rights defender campaigning against and documenting land seizures in Hanoi, Ms Can Thi Theu, was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, on charges of “causing public disorder”. Can Thi Theu was beaten and imprisoned as a result of her activities.
   

• A human rights defender, Mr Nguyen Bac Truyen, and his wife were physically attacked by unidentified men in Ho Chi Min city. Nguyen Bac Truyen is a legal expert who promotes freedom of belief in the Mekong Delta region and is head of a former prisoners of conscience organisation. 

• Vietnam is ranked 175th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2016 World Press Freedom Index.

During the last 12 months, ProtectDefenders.eu has allocated two emergency grants to Vietnamese human rights defenders to cover urgent relocation expenses and legal support.

43 emergency grants allocated to human rights defenders at risk


COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN OF DEFENDERS

FIELDS OF ACTION

 

TYPES OF GRANTS

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT)


Front Line Defenders


Reporters Without Borders/ Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF)