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We urgently need your help to call out the Chechen government on the persecution of people who are, as they put it, of ‘non-traditional orientation’ – and urge immediate action to ensure their safety.
She was strip-searched, held for five hours in a chain-link holding cage, detained for 30 hours total and then charged with rioting and trespassing.
Demand that charges against Jenni be dropped!
For the most vulnerable, the ban is a death sentence.
Tell Congress and demand that Trump abandon this bigoted ban.
On 18 October, a court in Samara will hear the case against human rights defender Evdokia Romanova accused of spreading “homosexual propaganda”. The judge has ruled that the hearing will be closed to the public. The proceedings against Evdokia Romanova stem solely from the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression and therefore must be dropped.
Prominent Crimean Tatar activist Ilmi Umerov was sentenced to two years in penal colony on 27 September for his criticism of the Russian occupation of Crimea. The court also imposed a two-year ban on his public activities. Ilmi Umerov’s sentence should be quashed immediately and the charges against him dropped.
Human rights defender Rafael Marques de Morais and journalist Mariano Brás Lourenço have formally been charged with ‘defamation of a public authority’ and ‘outrage to a sovereign body’ in relation to an article they published on questionable acquisition of public land by the Angolan General Public Prosecutor. Both charges carry a penalty of one year in prison and three years in prison respectively.
Ruben Cárdenas Ramírez, a 47-year-old Mexican national denied his consular rights, is due to be executed in Texas on 8 November in violation of international law. Convicted in 1998 of a murder in 1997, he maintains his innocence and is seeking new DNA testing.
Journalist and poet Narzullo Akhunzhonov was detained by Ukrainian border guards on 20 September, following an Interpol Red Notice requested by Uzbekistan. He remains remanded in custody, pending a formal extradition request from the Uzbekistani authorities. If forcibly returned to Uzbekistan, he would be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. 1) TAKE ACTION Write … Continued
The Brazilian Senate has approved a proposed bill which will transfer to the Military Court the ability to try human rights violations, such as killings and extrajudicial executions, which have been carried out by military personnel against civilians. This contradicts the fundamental principles of fair trial, judicial independence and impartiality of the decisions. It is now up to the President of Brazil to fully veto or sign the Bill into law.
Malagasy environmental human rights defender Raleva has been detained based on the false charge of ‘use of false title’. This comes after he publicly challenged a Chinese gold mining company to provide proof that it had been granted mining and environmental permits to proceed with its activities. There are also health concerns for Raleva as he has yet to fully recover from a surgery he underwent several months ago.
Member of the Palestinian parliament Khalida Jarrar and women’s union leader Khitam Saafin have been held without being charged or tried for 36 days. They both face indefinite detention without charge or trial. Their administrative detention orders can be renewed indefinitely and with no prior notice.
After more than 28 months in detention followed by a closed court hearing for “subverting state power”, prominent activist Wu Gan (better known by his pen name Tufu, ‘The Butcher’) remains incarcerated. He is still at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.
On 27 September, Uzbekistani journalist Bobomurod Abdullayev was detained by the National Security Services in Tashkent for allegedly attempting to overthrow the constitutional order of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He has since been held at one of the most notorious detention centres in the country, where torture is commonplace. He is at serious risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Human rights defenders and colleagues believe he is being targeted for his journalistic work and critical political views.