Arbitrary detention

PBI-Canada continues to monitor the situation of eight community members criminalized for their opposition to Frontera Energy

Video still: A military helicopter takes Ferney Salcedo, Yulivel Leal and four other social leaders from the villages of Venturosa and Platanales following their arrest on November 27, 2018. Video by Prensa Libre Casanare. Today is the 6th anniversary of the arrest of eight community members who were protesting the Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

Canadian environmental defender Paul Watson remains in Nuuk Prison as Japanese whaling ship heads to the North Pacific

Photo: Trucks with digital billboards displaying a photo of Paul Watson and calling for his release in New York. Photograph: David Dee Delgado/Reuters. This past summer, the Associated Press reported: “Greenland police said they apprehended veteran environmental activist and anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson on an international arrest warrant issued by Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

UN Special Rapporteur calls for a stop to the criminalization of water defenders opposed to megaprojects in Canada

Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to water and sanitation, presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva this morning. He speaks about his visit to Canada here (starting at 2:09:54). While in Canada this past April 8 to 19, Arrojo-Agudo journeyed to Wet’suwet’en territory. Among Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Mexico speaks at the release of the “Defending Human Rights in Mexico: Silence and Impunity” report

Key excerpts from the Executive Summary of the report “Defending Human Rights in Mexico: Silence and Impunity” include: “THIS REPORT WAS PREPARED collectively by the organizations Urgent Action for Human Rights Defenders AC. (ACUDDEH), the Cerezo Committee Mexico and the National Campaign Against Forced Disappearance. The figures we present correspond Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

Addameer, Amnesty International, UN Special Rapporteur note concerns about arbitrary detention of Palestinian HRDs

Photo by PYM. The Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) held an information session in Ottawa on August 22 featuring a representative of the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association who joined the forum virtually from the West Bank. The Addameer website notes: “ADDAMEER (Arabic for conscience) Prisoner Support and Human Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

1,358 Palestinian human rights defenders may have been killed over the last 10 months

Photo: Journalists holding placards protest the killing of journalist Mohamed Abu Saadeh in an Israeli attack on August 7, 2024. Photo by Doaa Albaz/Anadolu Agency. Front Line Defenders has noted: “People considered to be human rights defenders in the OPT [Occupied Palestinian Territory] include journalists, lawyers, medical workers, fieldworkers, international Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Colombia accompanies the CSPP at Roundtable meeting visibilizing the criminalization of social leaders who opposed Frontera Energy

The Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project accompanied the Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP) at the recent meeting of the Roundtable for Human Rights in the face of corporate power (la Mesa por los DDHH frente al poder empresarial) and the United Nations Business and Human Rights Working Group. Agencia Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

The Municipal Committee in Defense of Common and Public Goods of Tocoa file complaint against Mayor and councillors

Image from Guapinol Resiste website. On July 1, Criterio.hn reported: “Due to indications of crimes linked to corruption in the public administration of Tocoa [a city of 63,320 people in the department of Colón] during the convocation and development of the town hall on June 13, members of the Municipal Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Kenya calls for the release of activists arbitrarily detained before protest against vote on finance bill

PBI-Kenya has posted: ‘We express our grave concern about the reports of disappearances of Oguda, Osama, Drey, TemperCR7, Harriet, Shad, Franje, Worldsmith and Hilla254. Before this, Billy, Dr Omondi and Leslie Muturi had also been disappeared and later returned. Billy and Dr Omondi were found at Nairobi police stations. There Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Kenya demands release of at least 210 peaceful protestors arrested at the Occupy Parliament protest

Africa Uncensored video: Wanjira Wanjiru, co-founder of the PBI-Kenya partner Mathare Social Justice Centre, explains today’s protests. PBI-Kenya has posted: VOCAL Africa has also tweeted: The Kenya Star reports: “Human Rights groups have called on the government to release protesters, observers and journalists arrested on Tuesday during demonstrations. According to Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago