Africa
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Human Rights Orgs Petition UN on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People Arbitrarily Detained in Uganda
The Ugandan government has unlawfully detained 19 LGBTQ+ people under the guise of its COVID-19 response.
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Urgent Measures Must Be Taken by MENA Governments to Protect Prison Population
Tags Share In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic outbreak—qualified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO)—we, the undersigned organizations, express grave concern over the situation of detainees and prisoners across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). While certain states in the region have taken some positive…
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Escalating Attacks on Malawian Civil Society Leaders
Tags Share Ahead of Malawi’s upcoming general election rerun on May 19, government authorities have escalated their attacks on civic space, homing in on human rights defenders Gift Trapence, Reverend MacDonald Sembereka, and Timothy Mtambo—leaders of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC)—for organizing national protests to advocate for electoral justice and free elections. “We are…
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Omoyele Sowore Faces Life in Prison for Organizing Peaceful Protests
The journalist and human rights defender has spent 143 days in arbitrary detention in Nigeria.
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Nigeria Aims to Silence Dissent With Charges Against Prominent Journalist
Tags Share After months in prison and a prolonged legal fight, prominent Nigerian journalist and client of RFK Human Rights, Omoyele Sowore, is now facing charges of treason. Sowore had been arbitrarily arrested and detained after organizing an event, Revolution Now, to protest corruption and unfair elections. His wife, Opeyemi Sowore told VOA News that…
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Protecting Civic Space: The Case of Omoyele Sowore
Tags Share New Jersey journalist and human rights activist Omoyele “Yele” Sowore was violently detained in his native Nigeria in August 2019 after his online publication, Sahara Reporters, called for a nationwide protest of the country’s president. He’s been unlawfully imprisoned for months on trumped up charges of cyberstalking and treason, and potentially faces life…
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19 LGBTQ+ Individuals v. Republic of Uganda: Covid Exploited to Target LGBTQ+ Ugandans
Shades of “Kill the Gays” legislation return in arbitrary detention of 19 LGBTTI individuals.
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Mohamed Nuur v. Somalia: Somali Journalist Released From Detention
After being arbitrarily detained for criticizing Somali actions against citizens, Abuuja Abdiwahab Nuur is now free.
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The Case of Omoyele Sowore
Nigerian authorities have subjected the journalist and human rights defender to multiple human rights violations.
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The Unlawful Re-Arrest of Omoyele Sowore
Tags Share The violent and unlawful re-arrest of journalist and human rights defender Omoyele Sowore is a flagrant violation of his fundamental human rights. As free speech and peaceful protest are cornerstones of any functioning democracy, we join with the international community in solidarity to demand that the Nigerian authorities and Department of State Services,…
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Fighting to Free Imprisoned Nigerian Journalist Omoyele Sowore
Sowore’s arbitrary arrest and continued detention violate multiple provisions of Nigeria’s constitution as well as its international human rights obligations.
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Abuse of Cyber Security Laws to Unduly Limit Civic Space
Tags Share Honourable Chairperson, Honourable Commissioners, State delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, This is a joint statement from the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. We take this opportunity to congratulate the new Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Commission, and wish them all the best as…
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