Human Rights Defenders on The Front Line

OMCT – FIDH – SOAT

Publication of the 2004 Annual Report Of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Geneva-London-Paris, April 14, 2005

The 2004 Annual Report of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), addresses the cases of 1,154 defenders and nearly 200 human rights organisations (NGOs, trade unions, institutions, etc.), targeted by acts of repression in about 90 countries. Although this report does not pretend to be fully exhaustive, the doubling of the number of cases handled by the Observatory in 2004 compared to the 2003 Annual Report is revealing of the deteriorating situation of human rights defenders – and thus, of the erosion of human rights in the world.

In 2004, human rights defenders in Africa carried on their activities under high pressure and hostility: they were subjected to threats and intimidation (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania), as well as to serious acts of violence (Gambia, Zimbabwe). Repression mainly took the form of limiting their freedom of expression, since governments poorly tolerated criticism of their policies and denunciation of human rights violations on their territories. The adoption of restrictive pieces of legislation became also more systematic as part of methods to neutralise civil society, whose role is still far from being accepted (Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe). Defenders were also marginalised by campaigns aimed at discrediting them, organised by the authorities (DRC, Mauritania and Togo) and often relayed by pro-governmental NGOs that have become more and more present on both national and international scene. Finally, as well as being affected by the direct consequences of conflict throughout Africa, defenders denouncing human rights violations in Darfur (Sudan), Côte d’Ivoire, and in Kivu (DRC) were subjected to threats and severe hindrances to their activities.

In Sudan, the ceasefire agreed between the Sudanese government and the rebel forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) on December 31, 2004, and which resulted in the signature of comprehensive peace accords in Nairobi on January 9, 2005, is a sign of hope. However, the violent armed operations in the Darfur region, where the conflict is ongoing since February 2003, implies an escalation in the massive human rights violations perpetrated against civilian populations (summary executions, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, rape, displacement of populations, etc.). In this context, human rights defenders continued to be severely repressed, most particularly those who fought against the ongoing impunity of international crimes perpetrators. In addition, access to the Darfur region was far from secure for international humanitarian personnel. Access to information also remained strictly limited: although censorship was officially lifted in 2003, journalists disseminating information about the situation in Darfur were fiercely repressed in 2004.

On the occasion of the publication of its yearly report, the Observatory will organise four press conferences on April 14, 2005 in Geneva, London, Tunis, Dakar and Khartoum.

The 2004 Annual Report is available on the internet sites of FIDH (www.fidh.org)
and of OMCT (www.omct.org)

For further information, please contact:
– FIDH : Juliane Falloux / Catherine François : (+33) 1 43 55 25 18
– OMCT : Eric Sottas / Delphine Reculeau : (+41) 22 809 49 39
– SOAT : Osman Hummaida / Adwoa Kufuor : (+44) 20 7625 8055