During the week of June 18, 2017, the World Movement for Democracy co-organized two sessions with the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (REDLAD) entitled “Shrinking Space for Civil Society” and “Engaging with the Business Sector in Policy Advocacy.” The sessions were part of REDLAD’s larger regional meeting, and highlighted the need for activists…
Venezuela: On May 23, 2017, Venezuelan activist, Antonietta Ledezma, spoke at the Oslo Freedom Forum, a global human rights conference, where she advocated for the release of all Venezuelan political prisoners. Ledezma explained that Venezuela is “going through the cruelest dictatorship of [its] history,” and has witnessed a complete “criminalization of politics.” Ledezma is one…
On May 9, 2017, Hassan Shire, the Executive Director of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (DefendDefenders), addressed the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and encouraged them to play a stronger role in protecting human rights on the continent. Shire drew attention to a number of recent human rights…
Egypt: After three years behind bars, Egyptian-American political prisoner, Aya Hijazi, and her Egyptian husband, Mohamed Hassanein, were found not guilty and released from custody on April 18, 2017. The couple have been detained since May 1, 2014, when authorities raided the offices of an organization ran by the couple, the “Belady Foundation for Street…