Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) interviewed Belarusian activists for its new report, “Dictatorship No More? EU Sanctions Lifted at the Expense of Civil and Political Rights in Belarus.” The report highlights testimonies of activists who say the government remains deeply repressive despite the European Union’s (EU) claim that Belarus has improved its human rights record. It…
Khadija Ismayilova (Image: Washington Post)On February 21, 2017, former Azerbaijani political prisoner and journalist Khadija Ismayilova reported that Azerbaijani civil society activists were harassed, blackmailed and arrested days before Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that his wife would be the country’s new vice president. Ismayilova said the arrests are connected to the government’s ongoing efforts…
In collaboration with the Oslo Freedom Forum, Jigsaw, an ‘incubator’ that uses technology to defend human rights, has documented the courageous stories of activists in a new video series, “Internet Without Borders.” The series features personal interviews with four innovators who are incorporating technology in their work to defend human rights. In the first installment,…
The Sudan government has continued to escalate its assaults against civil society, most notably with the recent arrests of several Sudanese activists. In December, the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) authorities arrested human rights lawyer Tasneem Ahmed Taha, as well as three other lawyers, a move which prompted more than 200 lawyers to sign a petition…