February 15, 2021
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your intervention in the following situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed about the conviction and judicial harassment of
Issa Amro, founder and coordinator of the Youth Against Settlements group in Hebron (southern West Bank), an action group which seeks to end the building and expanding of illegal Israeli settlements through non-violent popular struggle, civil resistance and documentation of human rights violations.
On January 6, 2021, an Israeli judge at the Ofer Military Court convicted Issa Amro on six counts, including “participating in a rally without a permit”, “obstructing a soldier”, and “assault”. One count of obstruction relates to a non-violent sit-in protest in 2012 calling to re-open the old Hebron municipali
Darya Apakhonchich and
Evgeniya Litvinova, member of the Human Rights Council of St. Petersburg and
Sofia Ulyasheva,
Bogdan Litvin and
Alexei Bezrukov, three activists of Vesna movement[1], in St. Petersburg in connection with mass protests held on January 23 and 31, 2021 in support of Alexei Navalny[2].
On January 23, 2021, the Main Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in St. Petersburg initiated criminal proceedings against dozens of activists. They are accused of blocking traffic during the January 23, 2021 protest march in St. Petersburg under Article 267 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“rendering means of transport or means of communication unusable”).
According to preliminary information, Darya Apakhonchich, Lolja Nordic, Evgeniya Litvinova, Sofia Ulyasheva, Bogdan Litvin and Alexei Bezrukov figure as witnesses or accused in this criminal case. Orders to search the apartments of the six activists were issued by an invest
Torng Cheang.
On February 5, 2021, officials working for the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia arrested Ouch Leng, Heng Sros, Men Mat, Heng Run, and Torng Cheang, in the protected Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in Kratie Province, where they were collecting evidence of illegal logging in the area. They were subsequently taken to the Provincial Forestry Office of Kratie on accusations of “entering the protected area without permission”. Authorities seized their cameras, GPS devices, banners, and memory cards, which contained evidence of illegal logging.
On February 8, 2021, Ouch Leng, Heng Sros, Men Mat, Heng Run and Torng Cheang were released without charge after being forced to sign a document requiring them to cease their activities inside the protected areas of Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. The document further required them to stop sharing footage, photos or information about the forest with other organisations without the authorities’ permission.
February 8, 2021
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Belarus.
New information:
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Center “Viasna” about the indictment and ongoing arbitrary detention of
Leanid Sudalenka, lawyer of the Homieĺ (Gomel) branch of Viasna[1], and the arbitrary detention of
Tatsiana Lasitsa, Viasna’s volunteer.
On February 1, 2021, Leanid Sudalenka was charged under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 342 of the Belarus Criminal Code (“organization and preparation of actions grossly violating public order and financing such activities”). If convicted, he could face up to three years of imprisonment. Mr. Sudalenka remains detained in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Homieĺ.
Judicial harassment
February 4, 2021
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in
The Philippines.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by Karapatan - the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights - of the judicial harassment of Karapatan National Council member
Daisy ‘Jack
’ Valencia.
On September 25, 2020, the Regional Trial Court Branch 30 in Tagum, Davao del Norte Province, issued an arrest warrant for Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia. However, she was only recently made aware through a reliable source of the murder charges pressed against her. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Ms. Valencia had not received any formal notice from the Court.