Press freedom increasingly under threat in Cambodia
3/8/2022: All of the 65 journalists interviewed for a report now published by the UN Human Rights Office said they had faced some form of interference in the course of their work. For years, Cambodian authorities have adopted legislation restricting civic space generally, and press freedom in particular.
Source: UN News
Senegal’s disputed elections test the country’s democracy
2/8/2022: Senegal's reputation as a stable democracy could suffer serious dents as its electoral commission prevented many opposition leaders from running in Senegal's recent parliamentary elections. Observers fear that disrespect of the rule of law and the constitution plays into the hands of extremists.
Source: DW
Myanmar Junta executes four
25/7/2022: Myanmar’s military junta has reported the execution of four men in the country’s first death sentences carried out in over 30 years. All were convicted after closed trials that fell far short of international standards.
Source: Human Rights Watch
“Right to Protest” under threat around the world
20/7/2022: Citizens across the globe are confronted by a growing number of laws restricting their right to protest; enforced by mass surveillance, internet shutdowns and online censorship. Amnesty International has launched a new global campaign to protect this fundamental human right.
Source: Inter Press Service
Fundamental rights are key to peaceful elections in Kenya
21/7/2022: Independent UN human rights experts have called on candidates standing in next month’s general election to foster civic space to prevent violence. Kenya has a history of contested elections and political violence, marked by human rights violations.
Source: UN News
Nicaraguan government dismantles civil society
19/7/2022: In the last 6 weeks, Nicaraguan authorities have cancelled the legal registration of over 770 nongovernmental organizations, effectively forcing them to shut down their operations. Civil society groups play a critical role in a country that has no independent state institutions to check on executive power.
Source: Human Rights Watch
UN experts condemn shutdown of Russian civil society
13/7/2022: Most independent Russian media outlets have closed down to avoid prosecution. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have been blocked. Many thousands of Russians who protested peacefully against the war have been detained.
Source: UN News
Mourning Hong Kong’s democracy
29/6/2022: July 1, 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s transfer of sovereignty from British to Chinese rule. Beijing has broken the 1997 promise to respect the city’s freedoms and imposed a draconian National Security Law on the city.
Source: Human Rights Watch
New government in Philippines must confront human rights crisis
29/6/2022: Amnesty International is calling on incoming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to end the catastrophic disregard for human life and dignity shown under the Duterte administration. Extrajudicial executions and arbitrary detention committed in the name of the ‘war on drugs’ must end.
Source: Amnesty International
Five takeaways from the 2022 State of Civil Society report
27/6/2022: In a year of immense disruption, mayhem and contestation, concerned citizens and civil society organisations are responding by campaigning for justice and helping out those worst affected. CIVICUS’s 2022 State of Civil Society Report takes stock of the role of the sector.
Source: Inter Press Service