(English) GENÈVE – Un groupe d’experts des droits de l’homme des Nations Unies a aujourd’hui appelé les autorités de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) à lever une interdiction « injustifiée » des manifestations dans la capitale, Kinshasa, dans le contexte de la modification du calendrier électoral reportant les élections présidentielles. L’interdiction a été imposée en septembre après une série de grandes manifestations qui ont été brutalement réprimées par les forces de sécurité, laissant des dizaines de… Continue reading →
(français) GENEVA – A group of United Nations human rights experts has called on authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to lift an “unjustified” ban on protests in the capital, Kinshasa, amid social discontent over delayed presidential elections. The ban was imposed in September after a series of large demonstrations that were brutally supressed by security forces, reportedly leaving dozens of people dead and injured. “The rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are… Continue reading →
IRVINE/NAIROBI/PARIS – A group of United Nations human rights experts is urging a U.S. appeals court to grant an Ethiopian American activist the right to sue the Government of Ethiopia for secretly monitoring his online activity for almost five months. The Court’s decision on whether it will hear the activist’s claims will have major repercussions for the ability of individuals to seek redress for human rights violations in domestic courts. Amici Curiae Brief for Appellant Kidane Motion for Leave to File Amici Curiae Brief The activist,… Continue reading →
The following is adapted from the Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai’s foreword to the Civic Charter – the Global Framework for People’s Participation, which was facilitated by the International Civil Society Centre and released in October 2016: It is no secret that our world faces a multitude of problems in the early years of the 21st century: growing poverty and inequality, violent extremism, intolerance of “the other,” potentially catastrophic climate change, and failing states, just to name a few. Indeed these problems sometimes seem so vast and… Continue reading →
GENEVA – Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai has submitted a legal analysis in the case of Kazakhstan protester Max Bokayev, who is currently on trial for participating in an unauthorized assembly in April 2016. Bokayev, who heads the local NGO Arlan, stands charged under Kazakh domestic law of inciting social discord, distribution of knowingly false statements and violation of the procedure to organize and conduct meetings, rallies, pickets, marches and demonstrations. He is currently on trial in Altyrau City Court. The Special Rapporteur’s… Continue reading →
