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FRONT LINEJANUARY – DECEMBER 2012

WHAT DOES FRONT LINE DEFENDERS DO?Front Line, the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is an international not forprofit organisation established by charitable deed trust. It was founded in Dublin in 2001 with the specific aimof protecting human rights defenders at risk, people who work, non-violently, for any or all of the rights enshrinedin the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Front Line Defenders aims to address the protectionneeds identified by defenders themselves.

Front Line Defenders provides rapid and practical support to at-risk human rights defenders including:■ grants to pay for the practical security needs of human rights defenders;■ provision of training and development of resource materials on security and protection, including digital security;■ international advocacy on behalf of human rights defenders at immediate risk;■ rest and respite, including the Front Line Defenders Fellowship;■ opportunities for networking and exchange between human rights defenders, including at the biennial Dublin Platform;■ the annual Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk;■ an emergency 24 hour phone line for human rights defenders operating in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Russian;■ temporary relocation of human rights defenders in emergency situations.

Front Line Defenders promotes strengthened international and regional measures to protect human rights defendersincluding through support for the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. FrontLine Defenders seeks to promote respect for the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

Front Line Defenders has special consultative status with the Economic and SocialCouncil of the United Nations, partnership status with the Council of Europe andobserver status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. FrontLine Defenders received the 2007 King Baudouin International Prize for Development.

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TRUSTEES

Denis O’Brien (Chairman). Denis isChairman of the Digicel Group.Mr O’Brien is one of Ireland’sleading entrepreneurs with extensive

investments across several sectors. He founded theCommunicorp Group which has a portfolio of mediaand broadcasting-related companies in Ireland andseven other European countries. In 2000 he establishedThe Iris O’Brien Foundation to assist disadvantagedcommunities in Ireland and internationally. He is Co-Founder of Front Line Defenders.

Mary Lawlor (Director). Mary Lawlorhas been constantly inspired by thework of human rights defenders whoput their vision of a civil and just world

for all ahead of their own safety. In 2001 she set upFront Line Defenders to provide round the clockpractical support and deliver fast and effective actionon behalf of human rights defenders at risk.

Hina Jilani is an internationallyknown human rights lawyer andadvocate for human rights defenders.She was the UN Special

Representative of the Secretary General on thesituation of human rights defenders from 2000 to2008. She and her sister Asma Jahangir co-founded

the first all female legal practice in Pakistan and sheis also one of the founders of the Human RightsCommission of Pakistan.

Jim Conway is the founder andChairman of the Print & DisplayGroup, one of Ireland’s largest printcompanies. He also has a number of

other media interests in Ireland and Eastern Europe.

Kieran Mulvey is Chief Executiveof the Irish Labour RelationsCommission and Consultant with theInternational Labour Organisation

and the European Union.

Michel Forst is Secretary General ofthe French National ConsultativeCommission on Human Rights. Hewas Secretary General of the Paris

Summit and Director of the French section of AmnestyInternational. He is UN Independent Expert on thesituation of human rights in Haiti.

Noeline Blackwell is Director ofFLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres),an independent human rightsorganisation dedicated to the reali-

sation of equal access to justice for all.

David Sykes is Investment Directorof Island Capital Ltd and has workedin various banks and stockbrokersincluding Trinity Bank and Dolmen

stockbrokers.

Maria Mulcahy was involved with“People in Need” from 1988 – 2000.She was responsible for organisingthe RTE telethons, which raised €28

million. She was Director of Fundraising for the 2003Special Olympics World Games.

James L. Cavallaro is the FoundingDirector of the International HumanRights and Conflict Resolution Clinicat Stanford Law School, where he is

also a professor of law. Prior to joining Stanford, hespent nine years on the faculty at Harvard LawSchool, where he also served as executive directorof the Human Rights Programme.

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Hanan Ashrawi Founder and Secretary General of the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy.Robert Badinter President of the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration. He was previously French Minister for Justice and a member of the French Senate.Bono Founder member of the Irish rock group U2, and a prominent human rights advocate.The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu Anglican archbishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1984.Adolfo Pérez Equivel Leader of Servicio Paz y Justicia and the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.Indai Lourdes Sajor Founder and former Executive Director of the Asian Centre for Women’s Human Rights.His Holiness The Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso Temporal and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and Nobel Laureate.

FRONTLINEDEFENDERS

Registered Charity Number CHY 14029

EDITORIAL 3

REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

The extraordinary thingabout human rightsdefenders is the fact thatdespite the fear, theloneliness, the terriblesuffering which theyendure – often in isolation –they go on.

They go on despite thethreats, the intimidation, thetrumped up cases andrestrictive laws, the impris-onment, the torture. Somehave gazed murder in theface, such as YolandaOquelí of Guatemala whowas shot on 13th June lastyear and survived.

Others have beenmurdered precisely be-cause of this indefatigablespirit. Thapelo Makhutle'sthroat was cut last May because of his tirelesswork fighting for the rights of Lesbian, Gay,Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex people inSouth Africa. Chut Wutty was shot in his carbecause he would not cease monitoring illegallogging activity in Cambodia. Their murders,and the murders of so many other humanrights defenders continue to demonstrate thedespicable actions of governments and non-state actors across the world who seek toextinguish those who stand and demandjustice.

And yet, these deaths also demonstrate theinsurmountable spirit of human rightsdefenders working on the front line today.These people rise each day with a special kindof courage to continue the struggle to upholdthe rights of others. They manage to generateenough hope to keep going, and the examplethey set shows us that hope is alwaysstronger than fear.

No matter how hard governments andoppressors try, and what atrocious methodsthey use, they will never be able to eradicatethese people. We have seen for many yearsin Front Line Defenders that where each onefalls, another stands to continue the fightagainst injustice, tyranny and oppression.What governments cannot comprehend isthat they will never quench the spirit of humanrights defenders. It is in their blood and in theirbreathing and it cannot be suppressed.

This year we remember those serving longsentences on trumped up charges followingunfair trials. Human rights defenders who areconsidered such a threat to the power of thestate that they cannot be free: AzimjanAskarov, Kyrgyzstan; Liu Xiaobo, China;Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Bahrain; RozaTuletaeva, Kazakhstan; Ales Bialiatski,Belarus; Nasrin Sotoudeh, Iran; DilmurodSayid, Uzbekistan; Dawit Isaak, Eritrea andmost recently David Rabelo Crespo inColombia.

It is their spirit of resistance which demandsthat we continue to work to sustain action onimprisoned HRDs. As these human rightsdefenders - our friends and colleagues - sit indarkness, in cold cells with no light, deniedaccess to books, to music and to visits fromtheir loved ones, we will continue to fight forthem, and to honour their struggle. In thewords of the Poet John O'Donohue:

And when your eyesfreeze behindthe grey windowand the ghost of lossgets in to you,may a flock of colours,indigo, red, green,and azure bluecome to awaken in youa meadow of delight.

Mary LawlorExecutive DirectorFront Line Defenders

Front Line Defenders issued 287Urgent Appeals on behalf of 460individuals at risk in 69 countries.

The EU Office took action on 150cases with a positive response fromthe EU and Member States in 47%of cases.

The Front Line DefendersSecurity Grants Programmeawarded 269 grants, totalling€607,877 to individuals and organ-isations at risk. 105 human rightsdefenders were supported ontemporary relocation.

The Front Line Defenders Awardwas won by Razan Ghazzawiof Syria.

236 human rights defenders from28 countries participated inpersonal and organisationalsecurity trainings; 111 humanrights defenders from 20 countriesparticipated in digital securitytrainings.

Front Line Defenders carried out 31research missions to 26 countries.

The Front Line DefendersHandbook for Human RightsDefenders: What protection can

United Nations Field Presencesprovide? was published in Arabic,English, French, Russian andSpanish.

The Trial Observation Handbookfor Human Rights Defenders waspublished in English.

Online campaigns were launchedfor Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja andother Bahraini HRDs, and forChinese human rights defendersChen Guangcheng and LiuXiaobo. There were also onlinecampaigns for HRDs linked to theEuro 2012 Football Championshipand the 2012 Olympics and

Paralympics in London. A radioPublic Service Announcement(PSA) campaign was broadcast onradio stations throughoutColombia, in partnership with theColombian organisation MOVICE.

Basma Abdelrahman from Egypt,Olga Sadovskaya from the RussianFeberation and Farai Maguwu fromZimbabwe took part in speakingtours in Ireland.

Martin Sheen hosted Voices fromthe Front Line, a special theatreand musical production celebratingthe courage of human rightsdefenders in music and song.

2012AT A GLANCE

Brazil: Killing of human rights defenders Almir Nogueira de Amorimand João Luiz Telles Penetra, leaders of the Association of Seamenwhich defends the rights of fisher-folk working in Rio de Janeiro.

Chile: LGBTI activist Javiera Villareal activist attacked and beaten.

Colombia: David Rabelo Crespo sentenced to 18 years in prisonafter an unfair trial on fabricated charges.

FOCUS ON THE FRONT LINE

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AMERICAS

Angola: Harassment of human rights defender and journalist CoqueMukuta.

Burundi: Conviction and sentencing of Faustin Ndikumana,President of PARCEM, an association which fights againstcorruption.

Gambia: Acquittal of human rights defenders Dr Isatou Touray andAmie Bojang-Sissoho of The Gambia Committee on TraditionalPractices Affecting the Health of Women and Children(GAMCOTRAP) after protracted criminal trial.

AFRICA

Azerbaijan: Break-in at the offices of the Institute of Peace andDemocracy and the Women Crisis Center.

Belarus: Judicial harassment of human rights defender Oleg Volchek.

Kazakhstan: Refusal to investigate allegations of torture made by jailedHRD Roza Tuletaeva and denial of independent medical expertise.

EUROPE ANDCENTRAL ASIA

Cambodia: Thirteen Boeung Kak Lake women human rightsdefenders who had been imprisoned for their role in organising aprotest against forced eviction of their communities, received asuspended sentence by the Phnom Penh Appeal Court.

China: Seven year prison sentence handed down to Tibetan humanrights defender Yonten Gyatso.

ASIA

Algeria: Ongoing harassment against Yacine Zaid, President of a localsection of the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights, whowas arrested twice, charged and assaulted by police officers.

Bahrain: Medical professionals’ convictions upheld, and three-yearprison sentence handed down to human rights defender NabeelRajab, reduced to 2 years on appeal.

MIDDLE EAST ANDNORTH AFRICA

Lucha Castro, Mexico Biram Abeid, Mauritania Roza Tuletaeva, Kazakhstan

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REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

Costa Rica: Break-in and theft at offices of LGBTI human rights or-ganisation Mulabi.

Guatemala: Threats against and defamation of human rightsdefender Claudia Samayoa.

Honduras: Persistent threats against Gladys Lanza Ochoa,Coordinator of the Honduran Women’s Movement for Peace‘Visitación Padilla’, a collective of women human rights defendersfrom across Honduras who work on issues such as gender violence,

women’s participation in public life and advocacy for democracy andhuman rights in Honduras.

Mexico: Campaign to discredit human rights defender LuchaCastro.

Venezuela: Attack and death threats against the family of MarianelaSánchez Ortiz, in relation to the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory’swork.

Kenya: Acquittal of environmental rights defender Phylis Omido afterlengthy trial.

Mauritania: Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid and six of his colleagues atthe Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement inMauritania, an organisation which works for the eradication ofslavery, held in pre-trial detention for over four months and deniedmedical attention despite serious health conditions.

Nigeria: Human rights defender working to promote human rightsand social justice in the Niger Delta region, Justine Ijeomah, forced to

go into hiding following physical assault and threats by police.

South Africa: Assassination of LGBTI rights defender ThapeloMakhutle.

South Sudan: Kidnapping and violent assault of anti-corruptionactivist Deng Athuai.

Uganda: Government threatened to de-register the Uganda LandAlliance due to its campaign against land-grabbing.

Russian Federation: Judicial harassment, smear campaign andrepeated raids on the office and home of Stanislav Dmitrievsky forproviding legal assistance to jailed protesters and documentinghuman rights abuses in Chechnya.

Russian Federation: Threats against human rights defender andenvironmentalist Alexey Kozlov and his family.

Ukraine: Prominent environmental rights defender VolodymyrHoncharenko beaten to death.

Uzbekistan: Human rights defender Alisher Karamatov sentenced tonine years on fabricated charges.

China: Ni Yulan and husband, Dong Jiqin, sentenced to two yearssix months and two years respectively.

India: HRD and trade union leader Murali Mohan beaten to death bypolice.

Malaysia: Banning of sexuality rights campaign by SeksualitiMerdeka, a coalition of human rights defenders working to promote

the rights of LGBTI individuals and communities.

Philippines: Arrest and detention of human rights defenderTemogen Tulawie.

Sri Lanka: Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Nimalka Fernando, SunilaAbeysekera and Sunanada Deshapriya subjected to threats and a mediasmear campaign for participating at the UN Human Rights Council.

Iran: Narges Muhammedi unfairly sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Saudi Arabia: More than one year pre-trial detention of human rightsdefender Fadel Mekki al-Manasef.

Syria: Physical assaults and incommunicado detention of SaleemQabbani

UAE: Attacks on Ahmed Mansoor and ongoing smear campaignagainst him.

Western Sahara: Police beating of human rights defender AminatouHaidar.

Temogen Tulawie, the Philippines David Rabelo Crespo, Colombia Aminatou Haidar, Western Sahara

There was finally something to celebrate inMexico when on 30 April 2012 the lastordinary session of the Sixteenth Legislatureof Congress unanimously passed a draft lawestablishing a national mechanism for theprotection of human rights defenders andjournalists.

In Guatemala, during a meeting between HRDYuri Melini, Front Line Defenders ExecutiveDirector, Mary Lawlor and Deputy ManuelBarquín, the Congressman indicated that hewould be prepared to facilitate a similar billthrough the National Assembly of Guatemala.Such initiatives, if implemented in an effective

way could become useful models for similarinitiatives in other countries.

During 2012 Front Line Defenders liaisedclosely with the Brazilian authorities and theNational Programme for the Protection ofHuman Rights Defenders (PPDDH) on theirprotection programme for human rightsdefenders at risk. This and the developmentof similar legislation in other countries willremain a priority for Front Line Defendersadvocacy work in 2013. Through its EU officeFront Line Defenders consistently raised theissue of attacks on human rights defenders inthe Americas. In February, Front LineDefenders raised the case of the knife attackon Norma Andrade in Mexico. The EUDelegation followed the case closely and twodays later the European Commission informedthe organisation that they had providedfunding for medical treatment and relocation.

When Front Line Defenders raised the issue ofrepeated attempts to criminalise human rightsdefenders in Guatemala on 22 August the EUDelegation informed the organisation that theyhad made contact with the Attorney General’sOffice and the Interior Ministry to follow up onthe cases, and that a meeting was scheduled

that same afternoon with HRD Yuri Melini todiscuss further steps.

Through its training programmes in personaland organisational security, and digital securityFront Line Defenders seeks to enable humanrights defenders to improve their securitysituation. Mexican HRDs Jorge Hernández fromCentro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomede las Casas (who attended a Front LineDefenders Training of Trainers previously) andLorena Peralta from Red “Todos los Derechos

AMERICAS

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We sat on the ground to stop the lorries going into the quarry – wethought they were going to drive over us – now I would be preparedto do it again if necessary”. Christie Gomez, Guatemala

Mexican human rights defenders at a conference organised by human rights networkRed TDT in Chihuahua in March 2012

Mexican human rights defender LuchaCastro (above) and Gambino Gomezand other human rights defenders(below) at a remembrance gathering inChihuahua for murdered human rightsdefender Marisela Escobedo Ortiz andher daughter Rubi Marisol Frayre

GRANTS

■ In Brazil, Front Line Defenders issued agrant of €5,185 to three indigenousmembers of CEDHOR (Center for HumanRights Archbishop Oscar Romero), for theinstallation of security gates and commu-nication equipment in their homes. Theyhad been facing reprisals for their workagainst the appropriation of lands by millowners to plant sugar cane. The humanrights defenders reported an increasedsense of security, allowing them to remainin their communities.

■ In February we provided a security grantto Juan Carlos Galvis, Vice-President ofSINALTRAINAL (National Union of FoodIndustry Workers) and a leading memberof CUT, the Colombian Confederation ofWorkers. Juan Carlos Galvis had beensubjected to assassination attempts, deaththreats and intimidation due to his humanrights work. The grant paid for safetransport and communications equipment.

■ Front Line Defenders paid for urgentsurgery for nine HRDs in Guatemala whohad sustained injuries when they were shotat indiscriminately by members of theGuatemalan military and police during apeaceful protest on 4 October against theviolent repression of members of theirindigenous community.

Cacique JoséRoberto deAzevedo Silva ofCEDHOR inBrazil, at hishome which hadbeen securedwith a Front LineDefenders grant

Para Todos” organised a workshop on personaland organisational security on 6 and 7December for 17 HRDs at risk in Mexico.

The dangers caused by the clash between theeconomic agenda of governments and theneeds of the local communities was borne outduring the joint mission in February toHonduras with the International LandCoalition. Front Line Defenders visited BajoAguán to participate in the InternationalSolidarity Meeting organised by the Observa-torio Permanente de Derechos Humanos enel Aguán, together with local organisations

and movements from the region.

In November Front Line Defenders went onmission to Venezuela to meet human rightsdefenders in Caracas, trade unionists,ecologists and journalists in Puerto Ordaz andCommittees of the Families of Victims ofViolence in Barquisimeto, all of whom reportedon the shrinking space in which they operateand the constant stigmatisation of HRDs in thecountry. Concern was expressed at theVenezuelan Government's decision towithdraw from the American Convention onHuman Rights, as well as further restrictions

on the freedom of association and expressionand in particular organisations' possibilities toreceive foreign funding.

In 2012 Front Line Defenders launched a newcampaign in partnership with MOVICE tochallenge the climate of impunity in Colombia.The campaign was built around a series ofradio ads which highlight the danger faced byindividual human rights defenders and aims toreshape the public discourse in the country.

See Campaign Pages for further details.

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REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

GUATEMALAIn Guatemala many human rights abuses take place in the contextof disputes arising from the granting of mining licences, lack of con-sultation by the companies and the environmental devastationcaused by the ruthless exploitation of natural resources.

Front Line Defenders travelled to San Rafael Las Flores to meetmembers of the local community attacked because of theirresistance to mining projects. The dangers of the situation wereexemplified by the attempted assassination of Yolanda Oqueli whowas shot on her way home from a demonstration. The delay in theprovision of any security measures by the Government to helpprotect Yolanda is another example of the gap between high levelpolitical commitments and the reality for human rights defenders onthe ground.

Gustavo Pernilla Cachin of FundaciónGuillermo Toriello and CCTV equipmentinstalled with a Front Line Defenderssecurity grant

Roberto Pivaral and Oscar Morales, members of Comité endefensa de la de San Rafael Las Flores. When the localcommunity got organised to oppose a new mining project thethreats started. The day before the meeting with Front LineDefenders, Roberto had received 16 anonymous phone callsin one hour.

Front Line Defenders Executive Director, Mary Lawlor, withDr Yuri Melini and with Christie Gomez in Peronia,Guatemala, who, with the support of the local priest andmembers of the local community, managed to get a sandquarry closed down.

“When we started working there was sand everywhere - inthe food – in the clothes – in the water – the children weregetting sick. Because the men were working we, the womanand children, went to protest. We sat on the ground to stopthe lorries going into the quarry – we thought they weregoing to drive over us – but with Father Elias' help weovercame our fear and that was a turning point for me. NowI would be prepared to do it again if necessary.”

In Asia, human rights defenders remain atserious risk because of political tensions inconflict and post-conflict situations and, insome cases, because governments refuse toacknowledge the legitimacy of the work beingdone by human rights defenders. In manycountries in the region HRDs are treated asthe enemy within and targeted through theuse of draconian state security laws in thename of national security.

In September, Front Line Defenders visitednorth and central Vietnam. The situation ofVietnamese HRDs has steadily worsened inthe past year. In 2012, Front Line Defendersrecorded at least 17 HRDs who are currentlyin pre-trial detention or have been sentencedto long prison sentences.

Front Line Defenders held meetings withfamily members of HRDs who had beenarbitrarily detained and imprisoned for theirhuman rights work. The research mission tookplace just before the conviction of fourCatholic human rights defenders from Vinhprovince who received sentences of betweenone and three years imprisonment for distrib-uting pro-democracy leaflets. Front LineDefenders observed that HRDs who work onissues related to democracy face the mostscrutiny by the authorities. Human rightslawyers who take up sensitive cases indefence of religious minorities andcommunities facing convictions have beendisbarred or faced physical abuse byunknown assailants.

Despite the heavy surveillance that HRDshave to endure, there is a growing networkof HRDs in the country. HRDs make use ofsocial media to forge alliances although theinternet is heavily monitored. Unlike HRDs inother countries in Asia, Vietnamese defendersare not so familiar with international NGOs andinternational human rights mechanisms sincemany human rights defenders are barred fromtravelling abroad.

The Front Line Defenders mission to anorthern state of India in November 2012coincided with the holding of a digital securitytraining. Despite what human rights defenderscharacterise as an improving political situationthey continue to be under heavy surveillanceby state authorities, military, and paramilitarygroups. Front Line Defenders met familymembers of victims of torture and disappear-ance, as well as journalists and grassrootshuman rights defenders.

A developing trend is the arbitrary detentionof individuals suspected of being a threat topublic safety for up to two years underdraconian laws such as the Public Safety Act.

HRDs shared testimonies of how theirhouses were raided at night and familymembers threatened or physically abused bysecurity forces to pressure them to stopworking. One torture victim, now HRD toldFront Line Defenders that his wife hadreceived repeated anonymous phone threatstelling her that she would be made a widow ifshe did not tell him to stop doing his humanrights work.

Recently HRDs engaged in sensitivecampaigns, such as calling for an investiga-tion into the alleged rape and murder of twowomen, have had their passports revoked ordenied by the Passport Office. There havebeen incidents in which journalists wearingtheir badges and cameras have been brutallyattacked and dragged out of demonstrationsalthough they repeatedly informed the policethat they were journalists.

Front Line Defenders has tried to build on theenergy of human rights defenders across Asiaand support their work by providing training

ASIA

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“Front Line Defenders - Keep up the good work.Your support gives HRDs like me additional motivation

to strengthen our commitment for others.”

Touseef Raina from the Global YouthFoundation at a digital security trainingin India

SRI LANKAWhilst the war in SriLanka may be over theconditions that HRDsface in their work havedeteriorated.

“The space for activistsand civil society hascontinued to shrink sincethe end of the war”, oneHRD said to Front LineDefenders staff. “NGOoffices now have tooperate in secret andsome have opted not to reveal their organ-isations’ names publicly for fear of attacksand harassment by the authorities”.

HRDs and organisations who exposehuman rights violations locally and interna-tionally are branded as sympathisers andmembers of the Liberation Tigers of TamilEelam (LTTE). Front Line Defenders metwith one human rights defender whonarrowly escaped an armed mob after theyknew of his participation in the UN HumanRights Council. Many HRDs are targeted tothe extent that they have to flee the countryto seek short or long term relocation.

Attacks against HRDs often go unreportedin the belief that publicity could worsen thesituation.

on personal and organisation security anddigital security and through its advocacywork.

In May, a Training of Trainers on personaland organisation security for twelve AsianHRDs took place in Bangkok. Following onfrom this workshop, six of the participantscarried out seven workshops for HRDs in theirown countries. Excellent feedback wasreceived including:

“Front Line Defenders - Keep up the goodwork. Your support gives HRDs like meadditional motivation to strengthen ourcommitment for others.”

“It was very good training for our future work’ssustainability & safety. And I learned manydifferent trainer methodologies and skills fromthe three trainers and the other participants.”

The experience of human rights defenders iscommunicated to international organisationslike the UN and, through the work of the FrontLine Defenders EU Office in Brussels, to theEU and its Member States. The disruption by

local authorities of civil society events held inPhnom Penh, Cambodia, in the run-up toNovember's ASEAN Summit was raised withthe EU Delegation. EU representativesattended some events, and an EU diplomatspoke at the final relocation site of the ASEANPeople's Forum 2012. In addition, the Headof EU Delegation called high-level governmentcontacts to express concern. Harassmentagainst the human rights defendersdecreased the following day. The issue ofthreats against indigenous human rightsdefender Erita Capion Dialang after the killingof relatives in an army attack in thePhilippines was also raised with the EUDelegation and the UK’s Foreign and Com-monwealth Office. The EU Liaison Officerreplied that the case had been discussed withother EU Missions. A meeting between localorganisations and the EU Delegation was laterorganised in Manila.

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REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

GRANTS

■ Front Line Defenders sent a grant toRural Missionaries of the Philippines(RMP), an organisation working with mar-ginalised communities, including farmers,fisher-folk and indigenous people. Thegrant paid for medication for imprisonedHRD Dario Tomada Dario, rent of a safehouse for his family and transportation andfood expenses during their visits to Darioin prison.

■ In India a security grant of €1,349 wasissued for legal fees and relocation costsfor an LGBT HRD and his partner, whowere forced to flee as a result of threatsfrom their local community.

■ A grant was given to Herman Kumara,Secretary General of the World Forum ofFisher People (WFFP) and the head of theNational Fisheries Solidarity Movement ofSri Lanka. The grant paid for the con-struction of a barbed wire fence and gateat the entrance to his garden, CCTVcameras and a constant accompanyingpresence for a period of six months. Thegrant ensured that Kumara wasaccompanied at all times and that meantthat all staff began to feel they couldcontinue their activism. Herman’s familyalso felt more secure and happy: “myfamily is confident about the security aboutme and at home. With the new set up ofCCTV, fence and gate they feel moresecure and confident to say to people thatthere is a concerned group of people whoare involved in human rights defending.”

Patrick La Ring and otherhuman rights defendersat a workshop in Burma

Below left: Boung Kak Lake Repsprotesting at CDCC, Cambodia, whilst,below right: the police look on

KENYAFront Line Defenders carried out three trialmonitoring missions in coastal Kenya insupport of human rights defender Ms.Phyllis Omido (pictured). Phyllis and hercolleagues at the Center for Justice,Governance and Environmental Action hadbeen at the forefront of a campaign for en-vironmental justice in the Mombasa area.In April 2012, Phyllis was arrested followinga demonstration she had co-organisedagainst a local lead processing plantsuspected of causing substantial lead

poisoning in the village. She and sixteenresidents of the same village were releasedon bail but went on to face a lengthy trialfor unlawful assembly and incitement toviolence. They were eventually acquitted on9 November after a magistrate at theMombasa Law Courts determined thatthey did not have a case to answer.

Shortly after her acquittal, Phylis Omidosaid “...It has been a long and tediousjourney seeking justice since I was arrestedalongside sixteen others. I especially wouldnot have made it without Front LineDefenders, both the local and the Dublin

office, who were thefirst to respond whenwe were arrested andfacilitated our releaseby sending us fundingto pay for an advocateto release us fromcustody and organ-ising for our securityneeds, they sentobservers to thecourts constantly, thusputting pressure forjustice to be done.”

During missions to the region, which includedtrips to Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, DRC, Kenya,Tanzania, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudanand Uganda, human rights defendersreported killings, death threats, physicalattacks, abductions, arbitrary detention,harassment and the use of restrictive NGOlegislation as means to silence them.

In Uganda harassment of HRDs bygovernment agents has been on the rise withaccusations that some defenders have hiddenpolitical agendas, work to sabotagegovernment programmes and policies orpromote immoral practices. A draft NGO Actif adopted, could substantially restrict the workof many HRDs, particularly those focusing onsensitive issues. HRDs in rural areas are at adisadvantage due to less coverage of theirissues by independent media, poor under-standing of the role of civil society at the locallevel and impunity. LGBTI human rightsdefenders are a particular targets ofhomophobic propaganda manipulated by theGovernment.

In The Democratic Republic of Congo FrontLine Defenders visited HRDs based in thetown of Uvira to strengthen existing collabo-ration with HRDs and to gather ideas on howto streamline Front Line Defenders contribu-tions to Eastern DRC. The HRDs emphasisedthat the major issue is the persisting insecurityexacerbated by rebel activities particularly inremote rural areas such as Fizi.

In a field mission carried out in earlySeptember in Juba, the capital of SouthSudan, Front Line Defenders spent some timewith members of a newly-created humanrights defenders network. HRDs reported thatthey face a number of challenges exacerbatedby the fact that it is a new nation undergoinga difficult political transition: state authority isweak, parts of the country are still sufferingarmed conflict, impunity is rampant, and it ishard for defenders to predict where threats orattacks against them may come from. Groupsmost at risk are those working on civil andpolitical rights and corruption issues, as wellas individual journalists who raise humanrights and accountability issues.

Through its advocacy work and the provisionof personal and organisation security anddigital security training Front Line Defendersattempted to address the specific securityneeds of human rights defenders in the region.The mission to Burundi assessed the imple-mentation of digital security training at anumber of human rights organisations thathandle sensitive information. A follow-upmission was also organised to provide trainingto consolidate each organisation's digitalsecurity strategies.

While on mission in northern Tanzania in lateSeptember, 2012, Front Line Defendersstrengthened its links with key groups andindividuals working on pastoralist issues in theArusha area. Despite the risk of intimidationfrom both government security services andprivate actors, human rights groups focusingtheir work on pastoralist issues haveintensified their advocacy initiatives,conducting fact-finding missions on reportedviolations of pastoralists rights, challengingdecisions of unlawful evictions, and organisingcivic education programs and mediacampaigns.

Front Line Defenders organised a personalprotection and security training for WestAfrican human rights defenders in CôteD’Ivoire in October 2012. The sessionbrought together fifteen participants fromseven different countries.

Front Line Defenders conducted the lastphase of a long-term security course forFrancophone African human rightsdefenders at risk. The session took place inDecember 2012 in Dakar, Senegal. The

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Aloys Habimana, Front Line Defenders,with Gégé Katana, winner of the 2007Front Line Defenders Award, andmembers of her organisation SOFAD(Solidarity Movement of Women HumanRights Activists) in DRC

“I especially would not have made it without Front Line Defenders,both the local and the Dublin office, who were the first to respond

when we were arrested.” Phyllis Omido, Kenya

previous phases of the course wereconducted by correspondence from June2012. The Dakar session brought together 16participants from eight different countries.

At the 52nd session of the The AfricanCommission on Human and Peoples’Rights in Côte d’Ivoire, Front Line Defenderstook part in the NGO forum which convenedmore than 200 human rights defenders fromacross the continent.At the EU level there were some positiveoutcomes to celebrate. Following threatsagainst human rights defender Ehounou kanLaurent Manlan in Côte d’Ivoire the Front LineDefenders EU Office contacted the EU

Delegation and the Belgian Embassy. TheDelegation was in touch with the HRD and hislawyer at the EU Delegation premises. The EUDelegation then met with the ONUCI HRdivision to exchange information and discussprotection measures. Thanks to these efforts,Ehounou kan Laurent Manlan was able tocontinue his work in a safer environment.

Following the detention without charge ofthree human rights defenders in Sudan, thecase was raised on 2 August with the EU.Three days later, the EU Delegation informedus that the case had been raised withauthorities, that it was in contact with thedefendants’ lawyer and had sought

permission to visit these and other detainees.It was the first time the lawyer was in contactwith EU Missions. All three HRDs werereleased between 11 and 16 August.

REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

GRANTS

■ Front Line Defenders gave a grant of€1,484 for safe transport and communica-tion costs for 90 days for a LGBTI HRD inUganda.

■ A security grant of €4,785 was providedto GAMCOTRAP, an organisationcommitted to the promotion of the rightsof women and girls in the Gambia. Thegrant paid for securing their office withfencing, gates, locks and CCTV cameras.Prior to the grant being awarded, twosenior members of GAMCOTRAP hadbeen targeted. They reported, “‘With theCCTV cameras and the physical securityboosted, now the team mainly focuses ontheir work because the externalenvironment is much safer as compared tobefore. This had a great impact on theefficiency of staff in putting all energy on thework without too much cause for worry.”

■ 39 grants were provided to human rightsdefenders in DRC in 2012. A number ofthese grants were to women human rightsdefenders working on the promotion andprotection of the rights of women andchildren in rural areas who had beenvictims of gender based violence. Thesecurity grants paid for them to travel tourban areas to access medical care.

Gilbert Mugisha, journalist at FreedomRadio, Uganda

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Roleplay by West African HRDs on holding a safe demonstration at a Front LineDefenders workshop

In Russia, several new laws were introduced;one extending the definition of treason toinclude “financial, technical, advisory or otherassistance to a foreign state or internationalorganisation (...) directed at harming Russia’ssecurity,” and another obliging all NGOs thatreceive foreign funding and engage in politicalactivities to register as “foreign agents.”

Ludmila Alekseyeva, head of the oldestRussian human rights organisation, theMoscow Helsinki Group, said: “I have been

doing human rights work for 50years since the beginning of thehuman rights movement inRussia, and this is the first timethat we, human rightsdefenders, people who work forthe full respect of legislation,cannot comply with a law.Because to register as ‘foreignagent’ would mean giving falseinformation about ourselves,which is not only amoral but alsoan unlawful act”.

In Kazakhstan the focus thisyear was on the ongoing trials of thosearrested during the clampdown on striking oilworkers in Zhanaozen during which 16 peoplewere killed and 64 injured. Roza Tuletaeva wasone of those arrested, imprisoned andtortured. When she received in prison the“Euro2012” campaign T-shirt produced byFront Line Defenders, Roza said that she felt aperson again and her spirit started to comeback to her. Meanwhile the government isworking to shut down opposition media.

Front Line Defendersorganised a workshop on digitalsecurity for twelve IT specialistswho work with NGOs inKazakhstan. The goal was todeepen the knowledge ofsecurity tools by IT activists whowork with HRDs, to reinforcetheir capacity to solve securityproblems and to build new linksbetween IT specialists andHRDs in the region. Theworkshop was co-organisedwith the NGO ‘Kadyr Kassiet’(Dignity).

In September, Front Line Def-enders travelled to Kyrgyzstan.Although human rights def-enders face fewer restrictionsthan in previous years, lawyers

and other human rights defenders in the southof Kyrgyzstan are intimidated and restricted intheir work especially if it concerns the minorityUzbek population.

Front Line Defenders also visited humanrights defender Azimjan Askarov who isserving a life sentence in prison number N47in Bishkek. He was tortured whilst indetention, then jailed following an unfair trial.

When the authorities in Kyrgyzstan initiateda smear campaign and threats against humanrights defender Tolekan Ismailova in relation toher organisation’s annual Human Rights FilmFestival, Front Line Defenders called on the EUDelegation to attend an appeal hearing on 31October. On 31 October, the EU Delegation –one of the main funders of the Film Festival –attended the hearing.

During the Front Line Defenders mission toMoldova and Transnistria, meetings were

EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA

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“The government shrinks thespace for human rightsdefenders and for the civilisedopposition. What will happen ifthe civilised forces will go out,who then will come to replacethem?”Evgeny Zhovtis, Director of theKazakhstan InternationalBureau for Human Rights andRule of Law

“They want me to die here. They want me to sign a requestfor amnesty, but I am not guilty” Azimjan Askarov in prison

Committee Against Torture (CAT),Russian Federation

GRANTS

■ A security grant was issued to Doveriye,a Chechen-based NGO which providesassistance to single women, widows andpersons with disabilities. The grant paid forthe temporary relocation of GistamSakaeva, a brave WHRD based inChechnya who has been targeted by theauthorities as a result of her human rightswork. Gistam reported on the impact of thegrant:

“The Chechen Government is running asystematic campaign of oppression,targeting human rights and women's rightsorganisations. But grant funds enabled ourorganisation to respond to the Governmentthreats and guarantee that our organisa-tion continues its activities. It was veryimportant for our organisation to fightagainst injustice and let them know that weintend not to accept their threats.”

■ In May, Front Line Defenders gave agrant to Roza Tuletaeva, a WHRD inKazakhstan. Roza lost her job and wasarrested as a result of her prominence in astrike, in which workers protested thereduction of their salaries by the OzenMu-naiGaz oil company and argued for bettersocial conditions. She was tortured andthen brought to trial for two separatecriminal cases relating to her work as aleader of the oil workers’ strike committee.In June, the court sentenced her to sevenyears’ imprisonment. The grant providedher children with financial support.

■ Front Line Defenders provided a securitygrant to Insight, a human rights organisa-tion in Ukraine which works to improve thequality of life of LGBTI people. Theyreported: “During the last four months wewere informed about an attack on ouroffice. Insight is quite a visible LGBT or-ganisation and quite active on political andsocial levels, so many ultra-right groupswere trying to violate our events andespecially to find and attack our office.That’s why we changed our office andsecured it. So thanks to this help wesecured our new office and information onour website, so our clients from LGBTcommunity can feel themselves safe now.”

Martin Sheen discusses thecase of Azimjan Askarovduring the Voices from theFront Line concert in VicarStreet, Dublin, last year

held with with lawyers, journalists and LGBTIactivists who highlighted the very difficultsituation for human rights defenders in thecountry. HRDs were worried about smearcampaigns, harassment and surveillance -both physical and through electronicdevices.

“Moldova is one of the countries againstwhich the European Court of Human Rightsissues most negative verdicts. We leave theoffice in groups, as we fear attacks from thelocal community. We had incidents in the past,and we applied security measures both in theoffice and to try to keep safe in the street. Therecent law against discrimination simplyignored the issue of LGBTI rights,” stated anLGBTI activist in Moldova.

Journalists who report corruption aretargeted by the influential people they expose.Human rights defenders in Transnistria arefaced with intimidation, the absence of the ruleof law and extensive use of torture.

HRDs were worried about StepanPopovsky, a human rights defender whochallenges the illegal appropriation of farmers’lands in Transnistria. “We are concerned forhis security, as he brings an issue whichcontradicts interests of powerful businessmenand the administration.”

During the mission to Hungary, Front LineDefenders met HRDs working on the plight ofRoma peoples, LGBTI, journalists, and HRDssupporting homeless people. The main threat

to HRDs in the country comes from extremeright-wing groups, which target human rightsdefenders by publishing their names, photos,phone numbers and other personalinformation on extreme right-wing websites,inciting readers to target them. HRDs workingin smaller towns and rural areas arevulnerable, especially members of the Romacommunity.

Front Line Defenders EU Office raised theissue of the beating of Idrak Abbasov andattacks on other independent journalists inAzerbaijan with the EU Liaison Officer forHRDs who had previously attended the FrontLine Defenders workshop on the EUGuidelines for HRDs in December 2011. Alocal statement was issued on 23 April justafter the attack, and EU representatives visitedhim in hospital.

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REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

TURKEYThe Front Line Defenders mission to Turkey in November met withHRDs working in human rights organisations, women’s rightsgroups, journalists, trade unionists and LGBTI rights defenders andothers in Diyarbakir, Ankara and Istanbul. Most of the HRDs havehad legal proceedings initiated against them on allegations relatedto the Kurdish issue. Invariably, the accusations they face are ofbelonging to a terrorist organisation. The situation has deterioratedsince 2009, when periodic waves of arrest in connection with anti-KCK (KCK is the Union of Communities in Kurdistan) policeoperations began. HRDs, academics, journalists, trade unionists,lawyers and intellectuals have been arrested.

Front Line Defenders attended the trial of four human rightslawyers, all affiliated with the Human Rights Association (IHD): FilizKalayci, Halil Ibrahim Vargün, Hasan Anlar, and Murat Vargün.The prosecution file is entirely based on accusations of participating

in demonstrations, making calls to their clients, or possessingmaterials about the Kurdish issue, which are all legitimate activitiesfor HRDs.

Front Line Defenders met the family of imprisoned human rightsdefender and lawyer Muharrem Erbey, held in detention for threeyears though no sentence has been pronounced against him. Hiswife shared her hopes for her husband’s case and spoke of the highprice his family is paying. When his son was asked if he wanted to

become a lawyer likehis father he said, “If Ibecome a lawyer, Iwould go to jail likedad, and I don’t wantto go to jail!”.

Dutch Ambassador Peter Van Leeuwen with Anara Ibrayeva and other HRDs at aworkshop in Kazakhstan which Front Line Defenders supported

Far left: Staff atKaos-GLAbove left: AndreaRocca, Front LineDefenders withLami Ozgen andEvrim Yaban ofKESK(Confederation ofPublic Workers'Unions) Left: ZübeydeTeker, Tuhad-Fed

WESTERN SAHARA

In September, Front Line DefendersExecutive Director Mary Lawlor joined ahigh-level delegation to Western Sahara ledby Kerry Kennedy of the Robert F KennedyCenter, to assess the human rightssituation on the ground in both occupiedWestern Sahara and in the Sahrawi refugeecamps in Algeria.

The members of the delegation witnessedpolice brutality against a Sahrawi womanhuman rights defender, Soukainajed Ahlou,President of the Forum for Sahrawi women,and followed up by submitting photo-

graphic evidence to the Moroccanauthorities. Additionally, the delegationobserved the overwhelming presence ofsecurity forces and violations of the rightsto life, liberty, personal integrity, freedom ofexpression, assembly, and association. Inthe climate of impunity human rightsdefenders are a particular target.Throughout their time in Western Sahara,the delegation was followed by secretpolice, verbally abused, and subjected to awidely disseminated disinformationcampaign aimed at undermining thecredibility of the delegation.

The Middle East and North Africa remains aregion in transition, and the challenge tohuman rights defenders is navigating a shiftinglandscape which in some countries offers newopportunities, while in others space isshrinking. A common theme is that in allcountries in the region, HRDs are at theforefront – be it campaigning for the enshrine-ment of rights in new constitutional orders, orstruggling every day to resist the furthererosion of rights by governments seeking tomaintain their grip on power.

A core element of Front Line Defendersadvocacy work is the promotion of the EUGuidelines on human rights defenders. In JuneFront Line Defenders organised a workshopin Algiers to train HRDs on protection relatedmechanisms and international obligations forHRDs. The workshop also introduced HRDsto EU diplomats and EU Delegation staff. Atthe end of the workshop, one HRD thankedFront Line Defenders “for the uniqueopportunity to meet EU diplomats in such anopen, trustful way.” Consequently, since theworkshop, the EU Delegation has been

monitoring several trials of HRDsand sent observers, whichpreviously had rarely happened.

In relation to the cases ofKherba Abdelkader andYacine Zaid who were broughtto trial after peaceful protests inAlgeria, the EU Liaison Officer forHRDs attended the trials. Thisgave increased visibility to thosecases and both HRDs werereleased a short while later.

Front Line Defenders held atraining on digital security forSyrian human rights defenders,journalists, researchers andbloggers.

Front Line Defenders visitedQatar in March to assess thesituation for human rightsdefenders in the country, whichhas largely avoided the mediaspotlight even though humanrights NGOs are not allowed tooperate and there are no NGOsregistered for the purpose of

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA

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Plain clothes security beating women human rights defenders, Western Sahara

Yacine Zaid from Algeria at the Dublin PlatformGRANTS

■ Front Line Defenders provided theLebanese Center for Human Rights inBeirut with a security grant for a CCTVsystem for its offices. A note sent to FrontLine Defenders said “without the grant wewould still be at risk of someone stealingequipment or confidential documents andinformation, or unknown persons enteringour offices at night or during the vacation.”In the medium and long term they saidCLDH staff “are working in a securedenvironment and confidential informationand documentation are secured.”

■ In February, a grant to the Women’sGroup for Human Rights paid for the safetransportation of eighteen women humanrights defenders in northern Sinai, Egypt.These women were civil society activistsfrom the provinces and were attending apublic conference. Travel in the region isdangerous, particularly for women humanrights defenders, who are subjected tothreats from Islamic fundamentalist groups.In June, a grant was given to the same or-ganisation for the installation of iron gates,2 mobile phones with GPS for communi-cation between their security team and thefield team and a contribution towardsvehicle hire for field staff. The organisationhad reported that three members hadreceived direct threats by telephone andthat Islamic slogans and pictures had beenwritten/posted on the headquarters,accusing the activists of blasphemy. Theorganisation contacted Front LineDefenders following a risk assessment thatit conducted in order to look at the securityof its staff.

Courtesy of the RFK Center

human rights work. Only charities working onissues approved by the authorities are allowedto operate.

A mission to Oman in July expressedsolidarity with Omani HRDs as they struggledfor the protection and promotion of humanrights in difficult circumstances.

Freedom of association and expression areseverely limited while NGOs suffer heavyrestrictions stipulated by the law on associa-tions. Those involved in human rights activismare limited in number and are well-known tothe authorities. Several are currently facing trialdue to their human rights work.

A human rights defender described hisdetention following a peaceful protest in Juneto challenge the arrests of bloggers, writers,and activists whose whereabouts hadn’t beendisclosed for a week after their arrest: “In the Sama’il Central Prison, we were ac-commodated with hackers, illegal immigrants,and violators of the laws of work andresidency in the country, while the arrestedwomen were placed in the central women’swing. Our mobile phones and personal pocketbelongings were confiscated. Filled with

Kafkaesque cockroaches, our designated jailwas unclean, to put it euphemistically. We,hence, refused to stay in the jail and eventuallywere moved to another one. Most of us spent16 days in detention. Others were taken tosecret prisons belonging to the Department ofInternal Security. Some of those were kept insolitary confinement.”

On 2 November 2012, Front Line Defendersjoined members of the Iran Group andconcerned members of the public at the WeAre All Nasrin Sotoudeh Vigil outside theEmbassy of Iran, in Dublin, Ireland, to call forfreedom for Iranian lawyer and human rightsdefender Nasrin Sotoudeh. Arrested in 2010,Nasrin was given a prison sentence of elevenyears (reduced to six years on appeal) andbanned from working as a lawyer or leavingthe country for twenty years. On 17 October2012, she began a hunger strike which lasted49 days, to protest the ongoing and escalatingharassment by the judicial authorities faced byher family, which included her 12-year-olddaughter being summoned by authorities andinformed that she was banned from travellingoutside the country.

Nasrin Sotoudeh was awarded the EuropeanParliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom ofThought in 2012.

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REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

BAHRAINThe deteriorating situation for human rightsdefenders in Bahrain continued to be a mainfocus for Front Line Defenders work in2012. Former Front Line DefendersProtection Coordinator Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja remains in prison after his lifesentence on fabricated charges was upheldin September by the High Court of Appealsafter a process which did not comply with

international fair trial standards and whichagain failed to investigate evidence of tortureas detailed in the official BahrainIndependent Commission of Inquiry report.Abdulhadi went on a hunger strike inFebruary which he sustained until Maydespite the serious deterioration in hishealth. Front Line Defenders ExecutiveDirector Mary Lawlor travelled to Bahrain inApril to meet with Abdulhadi’s family andpress for his release on humanitariangrounds.

Front Line Defenders has also continuedto work on the cases of other human rightsdefenders in Bahrain including that ofNabeel Rajab, President of the BahrainCentre for Human Rights who wassentenced to three years in prison followingan unfair trial. Zainab Al-Khawaja,

Mohammed Al-Maskati and Sayed YousifAl-Muhafdha have also all facedharassment, threats and detention duringthe year.

In June, Front Line Defenders hostedMohammed Al-Maskati in Brussels foradvocacy meetings with the EU Institutions,the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, theDanish Representation and NGOs. Thecases of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and NabeelRajab were also raised during the meetings.

In October, six medical professionals andhuman rights defenders were arrestedduring early morning raids of their homesfollowing the decision of the Bahrain Courtof Cassation in Manama to uphold thesentences imposed upon them in spite ofunfair trials and the use of torture. Thewhereabouts of blogger and human rightsdefender Ali Abdulemam sentenced to 15years in prison in absentia, remainunknown.

Mary Lawlor, Front Line Defenders,with Nabeel Rajab and YousifAl-Muhafdha in Bahrain

Left: Irish campaigners protest theongoing detention of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja outside the Embassy of SaudiArabia in Dublin

Mural of Nasrin Sotoudeh in Dublin

THE 2012 FRONT LINE AWARDfor Human Rights Defenders atRisk was awarded by AryehNeier, President of the OpenSociety Foundations to RazanGhazzawi, a Syrian human rightsdefender, blogger andcampaigner who works for theSyrian Centre for Media &Freedom of Expression (SMC)advocating for journalists andbloggers under threat.

Unfortunately Ms Ghazzawiwas unable to collect the awardin person due to a travel ban andongoing military trial. DlshadOthman, a former colleague atthe SMC, accepted the Award onher behalf, and read out a lettershe had written for the ceremony.

“Dear friends, colleagues andcomrades,

I find myself honoured to bethe person chosen for such ap-preciation. I see the award as anaward for Bassel, for MazharTayyara, for Ghiath Matar, forRami Assayed and for all thecitizen journalists who diedtrying to tell the world what’shappening in Syria, when thetraditional media have failed todo so....

I have not put myself atserious risk, I wasn’t tortured todeath like activist Ammar MousaHassan or photojournalistFerzan Jerbran. I wasn’t hit by asniper on my way to a fieldhospital to donate blood likecitizen Abdalla HusseinHoswah. I am here in my home

behind my screen writing thesewords to you.

“This award is for thebeautiful people of Syria, forthe unprivileged revolutionary,for the unknown activist, forthe thousands of families ofmartyrs, injured anddetainees...”

When he presented the Award,Mr Neier said:

“Everyone who cares about

human rights is indebted to thebrave defenders who keep usinformed about attacks on rights.What we know about Syria todayis largely due to a few personslike Razan Ghazzawi who enduresevere reprisals for giving theworld a window through which tosee the terrible crimes committedevery day.”

Front Line Defenders received107 nominations for the Award, a

significant increase for 2011. Theother shortlisted nominees for theAward were:

■ Rafiq Hazat of Malawi;accused of being an enemy ofthe state and forced to go intohiding for his work as a humanrights lawyer.

■ Ivonne Mallezo Galano of theLadies in White (Damas deBlanca) in Cuba; repeatedlydetained and subjected tocruel and degrading treatmentin prison for promoting humanrights and democracy.

■ Cu Huy Ha Vu of Vietnam;sentenced to 7 years in prisonin April 2011 after an unfair trialon charges of “propagandaagainst the Socialist Republicof Vietnam” because of hisinvolvement in a number ofhigh profile legal cases.

■ Mona Seif of Egypt, targetedfor founding the 'No MilitaryTrials' movement whichchallenged the widespread useof military trials of civilians andexposed the crimes of theSupreme Council of the ArmedForces of Egypt ( known asSCAF).

Front Line Defenders Award

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Dlshad Othman accepted the award on behalf of Razan Ghazzawi from Aryeh Neier, President ofthe Open Society Foundations

Director, Mary Lawlor, with the 2012 Award jury members (from left to right) Pat Breen T.D.,Minister Ruairi Quinn T.D., Minister Simon Coveney T.D. and Noeline Blackwell, Front LineDefenders Board

Speakers ToursDr Basma Abdelrahman of the ElNadeem Centre for theManagement and Rehabilitationof Victims of Violence in Cairo,Egypt, came to Ireland in Marchto address public audiences inDublin, Cork and Galway aboutthe Centre’s work providing psy-chological support and rehabilita-tion to victims of torture andcampaigning against the practiceof torture of Egypt.

In October, Farai Maguwu,Director of the Zimbabwe Centerfor Research and Developmentin Zimbabwe and OlgaSadovskaya, Deputy Chair of The

Nizhny Novgorod CommitteeAgainst Torture (CAT) in theRussian Federation came toIreland for the ‘Cycle forProtection’, a promotionalspeaking and cycle event to raiseawareness of the practicalsupport given by Front LineDefenders to human rightsdefenders at risk around theworld.

Over the course of 6 days,Mary Lawlor, Farai, Olga and ateam of 20 cyclists travelled 800+km from Dublin to Kilkenny,Carlow, Cork, Limerick, Galway,Athlone and back to Dublin.

Voices from theFront LineOn 9 December, FrontLine Defenders hostedan evening of storiesand song calledVoices from the FrontLine at Vicar StreetTheatre in Dublin. Theevent celebrated theinspirational courageof the following humanrights defenders:

Lucha Castro (Mexico), Yuri Melini(Guatemala), Alexandre Andersonde Souza (Brazil), Farai Maguwu(Zimbabwe), Kasha JacquelineNabagesera (Uganda), LiuXiaobo (China), Azimjan Askarov(Kyrgyzstan), Roza Tuletaeva(Kazakhstan), Nasrin Sotoudeh(Iran), Mona Seif (Egypt) andAbdulhadi Al-Khawaja (Bahrain).Lending their time and talent onthe night were actors MartinSheen, Andrea Corr, RobertSheehan and Amy Huberman.There was live musicalperformance from Paul Brady,Hazel O’Connor, Cara O’Sullivan,Liam Ó’Maonlaí, Finbar Furey,Frances Black.

One of the featured HRDs,Alexandre Anderson from Brazil,wrote to us about the production:

“Dear grand friends from FrontLine,

I have no words to express ourthanks and to say how importantyou are for me, my family andthousands of other fishermenand fisherwomen that depend onour work in defence ofGuanabara Bay and of the

people who live there and getfrom there their livelihood. I’mthrilled writing this email, evenmore to know that there are goodpeople in the world who careabout the lives and welfare ofothers, even without knowing youin person. I hope to have life andstrength to one day personallygreet you all and say how muchyou are important to us!”

Day of the ImprisonedWriterOn 15 November, Front LineDefenders and Irish PEN joinedwith writer Brian Keenan, poetNuala Ní Dhomhnaill andjournalist Justine McCarthy tocelebrate the Day of theImprisoned Writer. Each of ourguest writers read from the worksof writers and human rightsdefenders who have beentargeted because they have had

the courage tospeak out.

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REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

Left: Dr BasmaAbdelrahman of theEl Nadeem Centrefor the Managementand Rehabilitationof Victims ofViolence in Cairo

Olga Sadovskaya and Farai Maguwu on the ‘Cycle for Protection’

Voices from the Front Line – a night to remember! Left: Martin Sheen and Mary Lawlor;below left: Amy Huberman; Below: Andrea Corr, and below right: Declan O’Rourke,Frances Black and Robert Sheehan

Front Line Defenders launched severalcampaigns in 2012. The campaign for ChenGuangcheng (www.lighthonestyhrd.org) waslaunched just before Christmas 2011 andcontinued through the New Year, in an effort topress authorities in China to release the blindlawyer from house detention. Working withIrish artist Trish McAdam, Front LineDefenders developed an animation videopromoted through the website and socialmedia. Visitors were asked to email, call orwrite to the Chinese embassy in their countrythrough a mechanism designed for thewebsite.

In late April 2012 Chen made an improbableescape from house arrest and used the coverof nightfall to evade the guards stationedoutside his home in Shandong province. Withthe help of fellow human rights defenders hetravelled to Beijing and entered the USEmbassy where he remained for a number ofdays before receiving hospital treatment inBeijing and permission to travel to the US withhis family to study law at New York University.

The site for Bahraini HRDs(www.bahrainhrd.org) became a hub of FrontLine Defenders efforts to draw attention toAbdulhadi Al-Khawaja’s hunger strike leadingup to the 2012 Formula 1 race in Bahrain, aswell as maintaining ongoing updates on thesituation of human rights defenders in thecountry. It also focused on the Bahrainimedical professionals and other HRDs whohad been arrested and charged throughoutthe year. Content created for the campaigningefforts has been used by The New York TimesLede Blog and as the featured video (interviewwith Zaynab Al-Khawaja) for the launch of thenew Human Rights Channel developed byWitness and Storyful.

In September, Front Line Defenders launcheda Public Service Announcement (PSA)campaign on radio stations throughoutColombia, in partnership with the Colombianorganisation MOVICE. The campaign featuredsix PSAs focused on six HRDs, with each PSAbroadcasting for two weeks.

The bilingual website www.radiohrd.orgfeatures the broadcasts and more information

about each HRD, including video profiles andcontext. Finally, visitors were asked to signpetitions for each HRD. The PSAs have beenpicked up for rebroadcast in El Salvador and ona radio station in Spain. Phase 2 of the campaign,moving to television broadcasts, will be launchedwith a press conference and delivery of thepetitions from Phase 1 in early 2013.

In December, Front Line Defenders launcheda campaign for imprisoned Chinese HRD andNobel Peace laureate, Liu Xiaobo, whichincludes video submissions from writers(through collaboration with International PEN)around the world reading a poem by LiuXiaobo. The videos and other campaigningactions are featured at www.lighthon-estyhrd.org.

Two other campaigns were designed tocapitalise on international sports events – theEuro 2012 Football Championship and the2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London.To coincide with Euro 2012,www.sportshrd.org featured eleven HRDsfrom UEFA-participating countries. Animationsfeaturing the HRD team playing football werecreated as intros to the site, each ‘player’ hada dedicated page, and a graphic football kitdesigned featuring the Front Line Defenderslogo and their name. Each day during Euro2012 a different HRD was featured on oursocial media outreach. Visitors to the site wereencouraged to send messages that Front LineDefenders later put on postcards featuring theeleven HRDs and mailed to the defenders.

The campaign connected to the Olympicson the same page (www.sportshrd.org)featured three HRDs from each of the fiveregions. Visitors could sign a letter of concernto a local official, engage on Twitter orFacebook with the HRD, or visit the Front LineDefenders website for more information aboutthe defender. Videos about each HRD wereembedded on each page and new animationsfeaturing the HRD engaging in a nightmarishsporting event were created.

Campaigns in 2012

CAMPAIGNS

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Frame from theanimation "NoEnemies," based onthe speech LiuXiaobo wasprevented frommaking at the lasthearing of his trial;animation by Irishfilmmaker TrishMcAdam

Juan DavidDiaz with aposter of hisfather

Liu Xiaobo, China

As Front Line Defenders expands itscampaigning efforts to raise the visibility ofhuman rights defenders and promote theirlegitimacy and recognition, it is important toappreciate how much the protection andsafety of human rights defenders is related tothe support from their communities. Throughthese types of campaigns, Front LineDefenders is working to promote greatercommunity awareness – locally, regionally andinternationally – about the work of HRDs andthe risks they face.

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REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

The animation for Chen Guangcheng took images from theiconic Willow Pattern scene and re-imagined them for thenightmare that Chen and his family endured in home detention;animation by Irish filmmaker Trish McAdam

Above right: The sitewww.sportshrd.org

hosted two campaignsorganised around major

sports events in 2012 -the Euro 2012 Football

Championships and the2012 London Olympicsand Paralympics - and

focused attention on 25human rights defenders

from 23 countries

Below right: Colombiacampaign websitewww.radiohrd.org

Below: Colleagues of Muharem Erbeyin Turkey in Front Line Defenders‘team’ shirts

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20 RESOURCES

(New in 2012 ! )

Workbook on Security: Practical Steps for Human Rights Defenders at Risk

The Workbook on Security is designed to raise awareness about security issues and to help human rights defenders consider how tomitigate threats. The workbook takes human rights defenders through the steps to producing a security plan – for individuals and fororganisations. It follows a systematic approach for assessing their security situation and developing risk and vulnerability reduction strategiesand tactics.

Available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Protection Handbook for Human Rights Defenders

The Protection handbook is intended as a quick reference tool for human rights defenders, in which to find helpful and practical suggestionson how to deal with threats, intimidation and attacks in order to improve their personal and organisational security.

Available in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish

Front Line Defenders Security and Protection Training Programme Front Line Defenders Security and Protection Training Programme for HRDs, through its workshops, seminars and training resources aimsto facilitate a sharing of skills, knowledge and expertise to help provide HRDs with additional knowledge and tools that may be useful tothem in addressing their personal security and protection issues.

Workshops for human rights defenders at risk cover risk assessment, threat analysis, reaction to security incidents, digital security (basiclevel), dealing with stress, the production of practical security plans geared towards each HRD’s unique situation, and how to produceorganisational security plans.

Front Line Defenders Handbook for Human Rights Defenders:What protection can United Nations Field Presences provide?

The handbook gives a summary of the type of support and protection UN agencies can provide locally to human rights defenders. It isintended to give practical and helpful suggestions to human rights defenders on how to engage constructively with the UN. It is also meantto encourage UN agencies and UN officials to implement their commitments to human rights and human rights defenders.

Available in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish on our website at www.frontlinedefenders.org/resources

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REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE

(New in 2012 ! )

All of these resources are available on our website at www.frontlinedefenders.org/resources

To order a copy of any of our publications please send an email to info@frontlinedefendersspecifying the publication and language requested.

FRONTLINEDEFENDERS

Security in a Box – tools and tactics for your digital security Security in a Box is a toolkit of peer-reviewed free and open source software and guides for improving the security and privacy of storedinformation and communication. The aim of the toolkit is to simplify this complicated area, provide an understanding of the risks involved inelectronic communication and provide a practical step by step guide towards the implementation of practical solutions.

The toolkit is written for the non-technical user and describes:- how to improve the physical security of information,- ways to protect the computer from malware, spyware and hackers;- procedures for the protection and encryption of sensitive information;- how to keep your communication private and remain anonymous when posting or reading the information.

Available in Amharic, Arabic, Bahasa, Burmese, English, Farsi, French, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish and Vietnameseat https://securityinabox.org/

Front Line Defenders Digital Security Programme Front Line Defenders Digital Security Programme aims to help human rights defenders maximise their effective and secure use of e-com-munications, social media and information storage. Front Line Defenders conducts trainings for human rights defenders in digital securityand cooperates with trainers around the world to provide human rights defenders with the skills to manage their online security. Front LineDefenders also offers intensive one-to-three month personalised digital security internships to assist in the development of IT and trainingskills for trainers from highly sensitive countries.

Trial Observation Manual for Human Rights Defenders

The Trial Observation Handbook for Human Rights Defenders is designed as a resource to enable trial observers toaccurately report on trial proceedings and to contribute to the protection of HRDs facing prosecution by highlightinginjustice and the lack of due process. The presence of trial observers sends out a clear message that the right to a fairtrial in which all the evidence can be heard and examined without prejudice is a fundamental human right. It is largely basedon the excellent work by the International Commission of Jurists in its Trial Observation Manual for Criminal Proceedingsand is an attempt to summarise and adapt it in a more compact form.

Available in English on our website at www.frontlinedefenders.org/resources

Guidebook on the Application Process for a Schengen Visa

The Guidebook on the Application Process for a Schengen Visa is a useful tool for human rights defenders to betterunderstand the Schengen visa application process. This document provides useful tips based on past experiencesby human rights defenders and international human rights organisations, with a view to help speed up the visa deliveryprocess.

Available in English, French and Spanish.

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WORKING IN A HIGHLY STRESSFULenvironment takes a huge personal toll onindividual HRDs, while burnout can oftenundermine the work of even the bestmanaged NGOs. The Front Line DefendersRest and Respite Programme offers somerespite from the relentless pressure. In 2012,Front Line Defenders supported 13 humanrights defenders from nine countries on theFellowship programme and on rest andrespite. These are just some of the humanrights defenders who were supported thisyear.

Stanislav Dmitrievsky, head of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, a human rightsorganisation registered in Finland and basedin Nizhny Novgorod, faced several threats in2012. Stanislav travelled to France with hisdaughter from 29 September to 10 October.They spent time in Strasbourg and Paris andtook part in a conference on the issue offreedom of expression in Russia.

The offices of the Russian-ChechenFriendship Society in Nizhny Novgorod werelater raided in November and Stanislav facedan administrative lawsuit which requested thata monograph – ‘International Tribunal forChechnya’ that Stanislav had co-authoredand edited – be recognised as an extremistpublication.

Tilder Kumichi, Programme Coordinator ofGEED (Global Education and EnvironmentDevelopment) Foundation in Cameroon, spenttwo weeks rest and respite on the coast in

September. She reported:“The impact of this support to my security isquite big. For the range of 1 -5, I will say it hasimpacted 3.5 on my security because by theend of the period, my stress level was reducedand I was feeling much more relaxed than Iwas before the rest. My blood pressure whichwas declared raised by my doctor wasdeclared dropped after the rest.

This period also helped me to reflect on newways to ensure my security, especially as I hadhad several threats and anonymous phonecalls some days before observing the restperiod. I used the rest period to reassuremyself that my work is important and mysecurity is also very important.”

Ibrahim Muamar, Chairman of the NationalSociety for Democracy and Law in Gaza anda founding member of the Network of CivilSociety Institutions for the Enhancement ofthe Rule of Law and Protection of HumanRights, came to Dublin to study English on theFront Line Defenders Fellowship in 2012.

He attended English classes for three monthsand at the end of his stay he said he felt restedand more confident in his spoken English.

Claudia Samayoa is Coordinator ofUDEFEGUA, the Human Rights DefendersProtection Unit in Guatemala. She has facedserious risks due to her human rights work inGuatemala for several years. Most recently,she received warnings of an attack beingprepared against her.

In addition to death threats and her car beingtampered with, her family have also beenthreatened. Her daughter has been followedand threatened and has been experiencingextreme anxiety and fear as a result. In March,Front Line Defenders contributed to the costof the family’s travel to the Netherlands for restand respite.

Rest and Respite 2012

Ibrahim Muamar, Palestine and Ozlem Dalkiran, Turkey with Front Line Defenders staff

Stanislav Dmitrievsky and his daughterin France

Claudia Samayoa of UDEFEGUA,Guatemala

“The constant threat because ofmy human rights and socialactivity results in chronic fatigueand professional burnout. What ismore, I can say the same aboutmy daughter, who is not onlyworried about me, but is alsounder stress from night attackson our apartment. A sort ofpause and rest under differentcircumstances was evidentlyindispensable for us.

It was immeasurably important formy daughter to participate inconferences in the Council ofEurope and meetings with humanright defenders from othercountries. This showed her thatthe profession her fatherdevotes his life to is significant,valued and respected, for inRussia, unfortunately, it lookslike tilting at windmills and thiseven makes her envy the friendsand classmates whose parentshave more ‘peaceful’ professions.”Stanislav Dmitrievsky

FRONT LINE DEFENDERS IS GRATEFUL FOR THESUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING DONORS

• Irish Aid• The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights• Iris O’Brien Foundation• Adessium Foundation• American Jewish World Service• The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs• The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs• Fairwinds Foundation • Ford Foundation • Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dublin• Hivos• The Ireland Funds • Lifeline: Embattled NGO Assistance Fund• Oak Foundation • Open Society Foundations• The Overbrook Foundation • The Roddick Foundation• Rothco Advertising Integration• The Sigrid Rausing Trust• The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency• The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs• Tikva Grassroots Empowerment Fund• The Violet Jabara Charitable Trust

We also wish to thank our many public donors, volunteers andtranslators whose contributions are crucial to our work.

Special thanks to the Board of Front Line Defenders and ourChair and Co-Founder Denis O'Brien, whose support andcommitment to human rights defenders has been unwaveringsince Front Line Defenders was founded.

Thank You

My child, in the life ahead of you, keepyour capacity for faith and belief, but letyour judgment watch what you believe.Keep your love of life, but throw awayyour fear of death. Life must be loved orit is lost... Keep your wonder at great andnoble things, like sunlight and thunder,the rain and the stars, and the greatnessof heroes. Keep your heart hungry fornew knowledge. Keep your hatred of a lie,and keep your power of indignation...I am ashamed to leave you in an uncom-fortable world, but someday it will bebetter. And when that day comes, youwill thank God for the greatest blessingman can receive: living in peace.

Letter from a Yugoslav soldier in World War II to

his unborn child (the man was later executed).

SDFSDFSDFeataehtaeh

Americas

REGIONAL REPORTS

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FRONT LINE DEFENDERS(EU Office – Brussels)Square Marie-Louise 72 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: 00 32 2 230 93 83Fax: 00 32 2 230 00 28euoffice@frontlinedefenders.org

WWW.FRONTLINEDEFENDERS.ORG

FRONT LINE DEFENDERS(Head Office – Dublin)Second FloorGrattan House, Temple RoadBlackrock, Co. Dublin, IrelandTel: 00 353 1 212 37 50Fax: 00 353 1 212 10 01info@frontlinedefenders.org

This document has been produced with the financialassistance of the European Union. The contents of thisdocument are the sole responsibility of Front LineDefenders and can under no circumstances be regardedas reflecting the position of the European Union.

The ideas, opinions and commentsin this publication are entirely theresponsibility of Front LineDefenders and do not necessarilyrepresent or reflect Irish Aid Policy.

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

The White Rose

Cultivo una rosa blanca,En julio como en enero,Para el amigo sinceroQue me da su mano franca.

Y para el cruel que me arrancaEl corazón con que vivo,Cardo ni ortiga’ cultivo:Cultivo la rosa blanca.

José Martí

I have a white rose to tendIn July as in January;I give it to the true friendWho offers his frank hand to me.

And for the cruel one whose blowsBreak the heart by which I live,Thistle nor thorn do I give:For him, too, I have a white rose.

REPORTS FROM THE

FRONT LINEJANUARY – DECEMBER 2012