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Pathways to, conditions and consequences of incarceration for women 2013, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- In 2011 in Egypt, 20 female prisoners were arrested in a peaceful public protest and 17 were subjected to forced virginity testing in a military prison. It is alleged that the purpose was to humiliate them and deter other women from protesting.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- The sources of threats, death threats, killings, attempted killings and physical attacks are generally unknown or unidentified, although it has been reported that they are individuals or groups who are in some way affected or linked to those affected by the work carried out by the defenders they target. In this regard, paramilitary and other armed groups, particularly in the Colombian context, are often the source of killings and death threats, which may target large swathes of civil society, often accompanied by the stigmatization of the work defenders do and declaring them to be "military targets". In a few instances in the Americas, law enforcement or military officials were also identified as the perpetrators of killings, threats and death threats. In such cases, the women defenders in question were generally working on issues related to impunity for alleged violations carried out by State agents. Similarly, in Europe, the perpetrators of killings remain unknown; those responsible for threats and attacks were occasionally alleged to be State agents and, in some instances, far-right political extremists and religious groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- During the 2004-2009 period, the mandate sent some 29 communications regarding threats and death threats against this group of defenders in sub-Saharan African countries. Half of these communications concerned those working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this context, those regularly targeted included members of organizations working on women's rights issues, particularly impunity for sexual and other forms of violence against women in the context of the armed conflict, and their family members, along with wives and other female family members of male human rights defenders. The threats delivered included numerous death threats and often accompanied attacks or break-ins at the home of the defender in question. The sources of such threats were often armed individuals and members of the armed groups party to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including State forces and police. A similar pattern of threats against defenders working on women's rights, albeit less frequently reported, was notable in Zimbabwe, primarily women's rights defenders. Other communications were also sent to the Central African Republic, Kenya and Uganda.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Challenges faced by groups most at risk when exercising or seeking to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association 2014, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned about the use of police violence, harassment and judicial intimidation against assemblies held by women in many parts of the world. In Cambodia, for example, female land-rights activists have been targeted for violence, harassment and arrest on numerous occasions. In India, in the State of Orissa, 42 women human rights defenders were arrested and detained for peacefully protesting against the building of a dam. In Sri Lanka, women advocating for investigations into the enforced disappearance of their loved ones face considerable opposition from the Government. In Cuba, women defenders promoting and protecting human rights (Damas de Blanco) have repeatedly been targeted by security forces when peacefully demonstrating for the rights of detainees. Similarly, in Zimbabwe, members of a local women's group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise, were beaten and arrested in September 2013 after staging a peaceful demonstration outside Parliament.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Civil society organizations called for more support for women’s organizations on the ground, underlining that women human rights defenders faced daily threats and harassment, and needed greater protection. At the same time, more regulations addressing violence against particular groups of women, such as women belonging to minority groups; migrants; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons; elderly women; women with disabilities; and widows, were also supported.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role of digital access providers 2017, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- The failure to explain or acknowledge shutdowns creates the perception that they are designed to suppress reporting, criticism or dissent. Reports of repression and State-sanctioned violence in the wake of network disruptions have led to allegations that some States exploit the darkness to commit and cover up abuses. In Sudan, for example, Internet access was shut down for several hours during a deadly crackdown on demonstrators protesting fuel price hikes in September 2013.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur notes the important role that non-governmental organizations can play in training officials. For example, in Australia, they are invited to give presentations to investigators. In Nicaragua, Casa Allianza Nicaragua has organized workshops for both journalists and police to raise awareness about trafficking and to stress the need to protect victims and to improve investigations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Workplan and Future Activities of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 108
- Paragraph text
- According to statements that he heard at his first consultations in Geneva and at regional consultations, such attacks may take a variety of forms: personal threats or threats against members of defenders' families, smear campaigns, death threats, physical attacks, kidnapping, judicial harassment, murder and other forms of police harassment or intimidation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Global trends in risks and threats facing human rights defenders 2015, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The exchanges of views with defenders threw light on the structural, system causes of the violations committed against these groups, be they the persistence of male-female stereotypes, social and economic inequalities, or the culture of impunity and corruption pervading certain countries. Protecting these groups will therefore only be effective if a holistic and crosscutting approach is taken to their situation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Global trends in risks and threats facing human rights defenders 2015, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- To start with, one can discern an increase in the lack of legal protection for the most at-risk groups, the absence of specific legislation regarding them and sometimes even the effects of discriminatory laws. The defenders pointed out the high level of impunity for perpetrators of the attacks carried out, which is an insidious way of legitimizing acts of violence against them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Global trends in risks and threats facing human rights defenders 2015, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Finally, defenders cited numerous cases of judicial harassment, arrests, arbitrary detentions and convictions accompanied by often disproportionately harsh penalties. Certain States attempt to silence defenders by handing down long prison sentences after fake trials on charges of tax evasion or illegal possession of weapons or drugs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Global trends in risks and threats facing human rights defenders 2015, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur was struck by the sophistication of the new techniques and forms of repression, especially via the media, mentioned by the defenders interviewed. According to accounts from defenders in several dozen countries, defamation campaigns in the written press or on the radio are routinely conducted by governments or radical groups in numerous countries with a view to stigmatizing defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Global trends in risks and threats facing human rights defenders 2015, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Some defenders also mentioned the numerous reprisals against them since they began cooperation with the United Nations or with international and regional organizations for the promotion and defence of human rights. Such reprisals may take different forms, varying from harassment or defamation campaigns to physical assault, but they all have in common is intent to intimidate and silence defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision and Working Methods of the Mandate 2014, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur intends that one of the main lines of his work will be to combat the culture of impunity, and he plans to research this matter and show in one of his forthcoming reports that it is partially because of the de facto impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of reprisals against defenders that the phenomenon grows and expands.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision and Working Methods of the Mandate 2014, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Reprisals may take various forms, from threats against the defenders themselves or their families, defamation campaigns, death threats, physical violence, abductions, hounding by law enforcement, assassinations or various forms of harassment and intimidation by the police.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision and Working Methods of the Mandate 2014, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- All are frequently exposed to the same threats and attacks, but some of them are more exposed or more threatened, or are subject to particular forms of attack, notably denigration or intimidation campaigns, stigmatization, threats against their families, defamation, denunciation or mockery, or unfounded administrative complications.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 116
- Paragraph text
- In the Europe and Central Asia region, six communications were sent to Governments during the period, of which two were sent to the Russian Federation. An important distinction from other regions was that a majority of the victims were women (four out of six). One case involved a male victim and, in another, the sex of the victim(s) was not reported. Also in contrast to other regions, the majority of alleged violations in Europe and Central Asia consisted of raids on and searches of offices, confiscation of materials, surveillance of defenders' activities and their organizations' offices and lengthy interrogations, and even refusal to allow defenders to travel abroad. There were also alleged violations of youth and students' physical integrity, including physical assaults, excessive use of force during demonstrations and arbitrary detention. There was one case involving violations of psychological integrity and one case of criminalization of defenders' activities following peaceful protests. One case involved violations of a judicial nature, more specifically prison sentences. In five of the cases, State actors were the alleged perpetrators, notably police, while non-State actors were the alleged perpetrators in one case.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- An alarming number of women human rights defenders and their relatives have paid the highest price for their work. During the 2004-2009 period, 39 communications were sent regarding killings of one or more defenders, their family members, or female relatives of male human rights defenders, along with thirty-five communications regarding attempted killings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Finally, 18 communications were sent regarding threats and death threats against those working in the Middle East and North Africa. Of these, eight concerned defenders working on women's rights, while various others concerned women defenders working on issues such as the rights of minorities, refugees, as well as on enforced and involuntary disappearances.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is greatly concerned by these trends, which reveal that impunity for human rights abuses against defenders remains unacceptably widespread. Ending impunity is a necessary condition to ensure the security of defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- The mandate holder has also repeatedly received information about the situation of women defenders working on issues of impunity and access to justice, including witnesses and victims of human rights violations seeking redress, as well as the lawyers, individuals and organizations representing or supporting them. This group appears to be particularly at risk in certain countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Women defenders often face more risks than their male counterparts when participating in collective public action because of perceptions of the traditional role of women in some societies, and they become targets of non-State actors. In some cases, retaliation against women defenders takes such forms as rape and sexual assault, which can have adverse social consequences in addition to causing physical and psychological harm.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Security and protection of human rights defenders 2010, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Women defenders are most likely to be subjected to certain forms of violence, especially since they frequently work on specific issues that challenge established customs or norms and are therefore often culturally sensitive. Such gender-based violence includes verbal and sexual harassment and rape. Since January 2009, the Special Rapporteur has sent 86 communications concerning the situation of women defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has received information about numerous threats made against defenders through anonymous telephone calls, text messages, letters or raids on premises committed by isolated individuals. Several defenders have received death threats through text messages following their involvement in human rights activities at the local level or abroad.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Also of concern are attacks committed against defenders by non-State armed groups which are directly or indirectly instigated by States. Information received by the Special Rapporteur indicates that certain States have allegedly been involved in violations committed against defenders by providing non-State armed groups with weapons and/or logistical support or by condoning their actions, explicitly or implicitly. In certain cases, States have also used non-State armed groups to commit human rights violations against defenders; such violations include killings. In one such case, the Special Rapporteur was "notably disturbed to learn that some information illegally obtained by DAS [Department of National Security] had been transmitted to paramilitary groups in the form of a hit list of defenders, which had led to the killing of four human rights defenders" (A/HRC/13/22/Add.3, para. 135). In certain regions, although States claimed that certain armed groups had been demobilized, former members of those groups were allegedly still operating under the supervision of the central authorities. Information received by the Special Rapporteur indicates that in certain instances, former members of paramilitaries continue to threaten and attack human rights defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Contemporary challenges to freedom of expression 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Perhaps most concerning is that Governments often fail to provide measures of protection and accountability that can deter attacks on journalists. The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights presented alarming statistics involving killings, kidnappings and other forms of aggression against journalists in the Americas, with extremely limited accountability despite some efforts to create special mechanisms for the protection of journalists. Messages from the most senior leadership matter, as I have pointed out in the wake of threatening comments made by the leaders of Thailand and the Philippines. The widespread failure to hold perpetrators accountable for attacks on journalists suggests the absence of concern for the role that journalists play in democratic societies. My communications have highlighted reports and allegations of the failure of accountability in, among other places, South Sudan, where journalists have been killed and disappeared; Mexico, where journalists have been murdered and accountability is inconsistent; the Philippines, which after nearly seven years has not concluded its investigations and prosecutions against those responsible for the massacre of journalists in Maguindinao; and the Russian Federation, where there are multiple reports of journalists who have been murdered and the perpetrators not held to account.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur would like to underscore that given that the causes of violence, as well as of impunity, vary in each context, strategies or protection mechanisms established to protect journalists must be tailored to local needs with context-specific consideration of the differing needs of journalists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Female journalists also face additional risks, such as sexual assault, mob-related sexual violence aimed against journalists covering public events, or sexual abuse in detention or captivity. Many of these attacks are not reported as a result of powerful cultural and professional stigmas. A gender-sensitive approach is therefore needed when considering measures to address the issue of violence against journalists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur notes that the 12 countries with the highest number of unresolved murders of journalists expressed as a proportion of the country's population are (in descending order): Iraq (88), Somalia (9), Philippines (55), Sri Lanka (10), Colombia (13), Afghanistan (7), Nepal (6), Russian Federation (18), Mexico (9), Pakistan (12), Bangladesh (7), and India (7).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The suspected perpetrators of murders of journalists since 1992 are political groups (30 per cent), Government officials (24 per cent), criminal groups (13 per cent), paramilitary groups (7 per cent), military officials (5 per cent), local residents (2 per cent) and mob violence (2 per cent), while the rest are unknown (19 per cent).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph