Governments in the sub-region continue to restrict legitimate expressions of dissent, individually and collectively, online and offline, through repressive legislation, physical attacks, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and harassment.
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.
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.
Our organisations, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project and ACJPS, would like to express concern regarding the crackdown by the Government of Sudan on independent civil society, and the severe circumscription of the right to freedom of expression.
Le Projet des défenseurs des droits de l’homme de l’Est et la Corne de l’Afrique remercie les experts pour leur rapport. En tant que Burundaise, j’apprécie le travail accompli par les experts pour documenter la grave et inquiétante réalité dans laquelle vit mon peuple aujourd’hui…
The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project welcomes Tanzania’s efforts towards addressing human rights violations, with a particular focus on those targeting women and people with albinism. However, we remain concerned about the growing number of violations against human rights defenders who challenge the violation of land rights, civil and political rights, health related rights, and LGBTI rights, who are regularly targeted by the state, through arbitrary detention, judicial and administrative harassment, reprisals, and office raids…
Despite Sudan’s commitments to ensure a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders, civil society, the media, and members of the opposition, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project and the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies remain extremely concerned by the repeated arbitrary detention of such actors in Sudan.
DefendDefenders is gravely concerned with the escalating human rights crisis in Ethiopia and the alarming level of threat civil society in South Sudan is facing.
To Permanent Representatives of Members and Observer States
Intervention orale pendant le dialogue interactif avec le Haut-Commissaire sur la situation des droits de l’homme Burundi.
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