28/03/17: Human Rights Defenders

Posted onAuthorHumanRightsAPPG

The All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group (PHRG) met with a group of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) conducting research at the University of York in the UK, on 28 March, to discuss the human rights situation in their respective countries, the importance of bridge-building and networking, and the phenomenon of shrinking civil society space throughout the world.

The speakers were HRDs from the following countries:

  • Egypt;
  • Colombia;
  • Burundi;
  • Somalia;
  • Ethiopia;
  • Tajikistan.

The main points which arose were as follows:

  • The Burundi crisis has been forgotten. France and China are the Burundian Government’s most important supporters. East African countries are key to peace in Burundi, especially Tanzania.
  • Sexual violence and FGM prevention in Chad is a focus for HRDs.
  • In Ethiopia, space for civil society and journalists continues to shrink. There is no independent media in Ethiopia, and there are unofficial prisons, with reports of people being tortured.
  • Civil society space is closing in Egypt too. Egyptian HRDs have been faced with travel bans and having their assets frozen. There is little information on situation in the Sinai.  More generally, there is a need to tell the truth about what is happening in the region.
  • Since the death of Karimov in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan has become the country with the worst human rights in Central Asia.
  • Colombia is in the middle of a peace process: the biggest risk is the creation of a formal peace process instead of peace being realised on the ground. Now that Colombia is closer to peace, more HRDs have been killed, and the investigation of these cases should be a priority. It is important to send the message that HRDs are not the enemy of the Government or of development.
  • Somalia is one of the worst places to work as a HRD because there is impunity and a lack of free press. There are high expectations of the President and the Cabinet, but HRDs and journalists continue to be very vulnerable.
  • The main issue faced by all HRDs is dealing with the risks they face.

The PHRG will continue to monitor the situation and treatment of HRDs closely, to champion their work and its legitimacy with Governments around the world, and to raise its concerns about the risks they are facing with the relevant interlocutors.