NEWSLETTER Updates about Human Rights Defenders in the East and Horn of Africa

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Friday February 12, 2021 - 22:41:30 in Wararka by Super Admin
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    NEWSLETTER Updates about Human Rights Defenders in the East and Horn of Africa

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Dear friends and colleagues,


Internet shutdowns are becoming increasingly wide-spread tools of oppression in the East and Horn of Africa. Cutting access to the internet violates amultitude of human rights, including rights to freedom of expression, access to information, association, peaceful assembly, political participation, health, and education. Internet shutdowns impede development and can have costly economic impacts. In addition to inherently restricting rights, internet shutdowns more often than not serve tohide human rights violations.

Recently,Ethiopia,Tanzania, andUgandahave experienced such shutdowns, allegedly because of concerns regarding national security and public order. While these are legitimate concerns, I implore governments to remember that resulting human rights restrictions must remain exceptional, be grounded in law, and be strictly necessary and proportional to achieve a legitimate aim.

Thanks to our tireless team we continue to provide emergency support to HRDs at risk in the East and Horn of Africa. Additionally, we contributed toresearchon the internet shutdown.

Yours in solidarity,

Hassan Shire
Executive Director, DefendDefenders
We encourage all human rights defenders who need emergency protection to reach out to us viaprotection@defenddefenders.orgor our 24/7 emergency phone line on+256 783 027 611. This line is also available on signal.
Meet our Human Rights Defender of the Month:
Chantal Mutamuriza
Chantal Mutamuriza does not wait for problems to be solved. When the Burundian woman human rights defender (WHRD) encounters a problem, she will seek a solution there and then. When hundreds of thousands Burundians had to flee from political unrest in 2015, many of them were stranded in refugee camps with little economic opportunity or access to education. In her problem-solving spirit, Chantal felt compelled to act: she quit her job to put her skills and network to use and founded the NGOLight For All.
Read more.
Check out:
Recommended reading:
In January 2021...
45 HRDs received protection through DefendDefenders emergency grants.
  • At Rwanda’s third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council on 25 January, DefendDefenders and CIVICUSemphasizedthis opportunity to shed light into civic space restrictions, in line with our jointreport.
  • The 46thsession of the Human Rights Council is coming up on 22 February to 23 March 2021 in Geneva.HRC46is likely to take place in a hybrid format, with many video interventions. Ahead of, and during the session, DefendDefenders will focus on South Sudan, as well as highlight the situation in Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
  • Together with the Open Observatory of Network Interference, the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis, and Defenders Protection Initiative, DefendersTech contributed to areporton Uganda’s internet shutdown in January 2021.
  • Our protection team received 45 requests for support of which 22 were approved (benefitting 45 HRDs), 11 were rejected, five were referred, and seven remain pending.
Regional human rights updates
ERITREA
  • The release of 28 prisoners of conscience in December 2020, has given advocateshopethat journalists like Amanuel Asrat may be released, even after detention of almost 20 years.
ETHIOPIA
  • On 1 January, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) reported thatcrimes against humanitywere committed during the security crisis following Hachalu Hundessa’s death of musician Hachalu Hundessa. 76 died at the hands of Ethiopia's security forces.
  • After 12 days of police detention without charge, camera man Kumerra Gemechu wasreleasedon 5 January.
KENYA
  • On 13 January, the head of HAKI Africa, a rights group, and three other activists werearrestedin Nairobi for protesting against alleged rights violations in Uganda. On 22 January, a demonstration demanding the resignation of Uganda’s president Museveni wasdispersedby police.
RWANDA
SOMALIA / SOMALILAND
  • On 20 January, four Somaliland journalists werereleasedafter five days of detention. Somaliland Journalists Association, which played a key role in their release, welcomes their freedom.
SOUTH SUDAN
  • South Sudan’s National Security Service is usingabusive surveillanceto terrorise journalists, activists, and critics, leading to a climate of intense fear and self-censorship, Amnesty International said in a new report.
TANZANIA
  • After one year in detention without trial, prominent human rights lawyer, Tito Magoti, and another person charged with "economic crimes,” werereleasedon 5 January. A local court fined the two 17.3 million Tanzanian shillings fine, forcing them to "buy their freedom,” according to critics.
UGANDA
  • After his arrest in December 2020, prominent HRD Nicholas Opiyo appeared at the Anti-Corruption court in Kampala on 11 January 2020, where he was granted anextended bail.
  • On 13 January, a journalist for Vision Group, Emmanuel Ojok, wasarrested, detained, and beaten by army personnel while covering a raid at the home of an FDC party official.
  • The election season in Uganda wasmarred by violencein the weeks leading up to it, with various human rights bodies and organisations voicing concerns. Key actors wererefusedpermits to observe the elections. 27 civil society members werearrested(and released on bail) at an election observation centre they had set up. Opposition candidate, Patrick Amuriat, wasarrestedand detained for several hours while campaigning. On the night before the elections, a nationwideinternet shutdownwas implemented, lasting for five days. Social media and messaging platforms remain blocked and are only accessible with a VPN.
  • After the elections, which saw incumbent Museveni re-elected,protestsbroke out, where two people were killed and at least 23 arrested. Official observants hadmixed reactions, noting irregularities despite largely peaceful voting. Opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi (known as Bobi Wine),calledthe vote "the most fraudulent election in the history of Uganda,” and announced that the results would bechallenged. He spent 11 days under house arrest following the elections. Another opposition candidate and activist, Stella Nyanzi, says her family faced increasing police trailing. She has fled to Kenya, where she is seeking politicalasylum.
  • There were increasingconcernsfor the safety of the LGBTI+ community in Uganda throughout the election period, as President Museveni continuously used anti-LGBTI rhetoric to scapegoat the community.
  • On 22 January, Ugandan radio stations in Jinja Busoga One FM and Baba FM wereforced off air by police for allegedly inciting violence, though there is no clarity on which reports were deemed inciteful.
For more regional human rights updates, please refer to Civicus'Civic Space Monitor, to which DefendDefenders contributes on an ongoing basis.
Lastly...

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About DefendDefenders

DefendDefenders (Eastand Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)seeks to strengthen the work of human rights defenders throughout the region by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution and by enhancing their capacity to effectively defend human rights.

DefendDefenders focuses its work on Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia (together with Somaliland), South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
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