EHAHRD-Net: Final Communiqué on third General Assembly
24 February 2017
The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network
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The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network
Somaliland authorities should immediately end judicial harassment of the Human Right Center’s staff.
Throughout the East and Horn of Africa sub-region, the fundamental right to expression continues to be undermined by attacks both on an individual and collective level. Governments have forcibly closed NGOs and media outlets, and obstructed online expression through Internet and social media shutdowns. At the same time, journalists and human rights defenders face intimidation, physical attacks, arrests and detentions as a result of their work.
On the opening day of its 59th Ordinary session, DefendDefenders calls
CIVICUS and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project thank the Independent Expert on Somalia for his report. As Somalia prepares for its electoral process later this year, we take this opportunity to welcome steps taken by the government to strengthen its human rights framework in preparation for the election.
Puntland’s Minister of Information Mohamud Hassan So’ade should stop trying to muzzle and intimidate the press through death threats, undue legal restrictions and his Ministry’s interference in the registration and accreditation of journalists.
Union africaine: Des activistes africains contestent les attaques contre la Cour Pénale Internationale.
DefendDefenders and more than 80 other organisations have called on the UN Human Rights Council to support a resolution on “the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet” and to reject attempts led by Russia and China to weaken it.
244 civil society organisations urge Member States of the UNHRC to support the draft resolution on the protection of civil society space, while rejecting fifteen amendments tabled by the Russian Federation that would undermine international efforts to safeguard space or civil society.
Somalia has taken welcome steps to strengthen the human rights framework since its last Universal Periodic Review. However, in order to continue to strengthen the promotion of and protection of human rights, it needs to urgently address the safety and enabling environment of human rights defenders and media workers, abuses committed against civilians by armed actors, and the need for inclusive nationality laws.
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