Press Releases

Open letter: UNHRC should renew and strengthen mandate of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan

23 February 2017

We, the undersigned South Sudanese, regional and international non-governmental organisations, write to urge your delegation to renew and strengthen the mandate and capacity of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan to address the continued lack of accountability for severe, widespread and on-going crimes under international law and human rights violations and abuses, many of which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, during the upcoming 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Sudan: Urgent concern for human rights defender on hunger strike over unlawful detention

14 February 2017

Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, a prominent Sudanese human rights defender,

Somaliland: Two prominent HRDs detained and questioned

7 February 2017

Somaliland authorities should immediately end judicial harassment of the Human Right Center’s staff.

Ethiopia: detained journalist missing, denied access to family and medical care

13 December 2016

Ethiopian authorities should immediately disclose the location of Temesgen Desalegn,

Rural activists celebrated in new video on International Human Rights Defenders Day

9 December 2016

In a new video launched on the International Human Rights

ProtectDefenders.eu: Human Rights Defenders are not criminals

30 November 2016

For its first annual meeting, ProtectDefenders.eu, an international consortium comprised of twelve organisations including DefendDefenders, warns about the worrying pattern of criminalisation used against Human Rights defenders throughout the world.

Egypt: Draft NGO law dismantles civil society

25 November 2016

60 organisations call on the Egyptian government to cease silencing civil society, and to allow NGOs to conduct their mandates within Egypt’s constitutional framework and in full respect of its international legal commitments to freedom of association.

Uganda: Police should adequately protect officers of the court

12 August 2016

The Uganda Police Force (UPF) must preserve the sanctity of

Ethiopia: EU must raise treatment of Human Rights Defenders with Prime Minister

13 June 2016

Brussels, 13 June 2016 Dear President, High Representative, Dear Commissioners,

Somaliland: Immediately end harassment of journalists

2 June 2016

The recent spate of arrests and increasing harassment of journalists and human rights defenders in Somaliland are worrying demonstrations of the Government’s clampdown on public debate and freedom of expression, said DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project) and Human Rights Centre-Somaliland in a statement today.