The 39th FIDH Congress, meeting in Johannesburg (Republic of South Africa) from 25 to 27 August 2016, wishes to express its solidarity and its support with human rights defenders who, across the planet, are subjected to harassment, attacks, repression and…
Theme: Human Rights Defenders
Overcoming the obstacles created for civil society: response of the international community
Civil society faces various difficulties in many countries of the world: various states use a different means to complicate the work of NGOs and independent human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and experts. Sometimes the authorities act boldly and simply do…
July 13, 2016, Brussels. Joint Hearing of the shrinking space for civil society and the problem of repressions against Human Right defenders took place in the European Parliament; the event was organized by the Committee on Development and the Subcommittee…
Human rights defenders in the Russian Federation are facing persecution from all sides—they are being listed in the “foreign agents register” and distracted from their work by checks, trials, and fines. At the same time, independent media outlets are being…
Press release – the Observatory
RUSSIA: First human rights organisation liquidated by court for “influencing public opinion” Paris-Geneva, February 11, 2016 – On February 10, 2016, Russian human rights organisation “Agora”, providing legal assistance to nongovernmental organisations and civic activists, was liquidated by a court…
Stephania Koulaeva, a historian by education, explains the ever-expanding scope of her human rights work. Her interest was drawn to the memorial movement in Russia: ‘at first from a historical perspective, then from a human rights perspective.’ As a…