 Act Now to End Human Rights Crisis in Zimbabwe
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06/25/08
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 Release Burmese Artist Leading Cyclone Relief
On June 4, 2008, famous Burmese comedian and renowned human rights activist Zarganar was detained by ten officials from Burma's State Peace and Development Council at his Rangoon home. Zarganar's arrest came just hours after he appeared in a BBC report about public anger over the military junta's handling of humanitarian aid to cyclone victims.
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06/19/08
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 On Anniversary of Indonesian Activist's Death, New Evidence Demands Investigation
On the third anniversary of the fatal poisoning of leading Indonesian human rights lawyer Munir, Human Rights First called on the Indonesian government to immediately and fully investigate all of those implicated in the planning and execution of the murder.
Read HRF statement
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09/10/07
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 Major Suspect Arrested in Indonesian Defender Case
In a major development in the investigation into the fatal poisoning of leading human rights lawyer Munir, retired General Muchdi was arrested on June 19.
Read an op-ed from Human Rights First and Kontras about the arrest here
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06/19/08
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 Demand that Dangerously Ill Cuban Activist Receive Proper Medical Care
When imprisoned Cuban independent journalist Normando Hernandez Gonzalez was sent to the Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital in Havana on September 14, 2007, we hoped it was a step towards his release. Instead, on May 7 he was returned to an isolation cell in the Kilo 7 Prison.
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06/04/08
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 Support Iranian Women's Rights Activists on their National Day of Solidarity
Today marks the second anniversary of a protest held by women's rights activists in Iran. That demonstration was broken up violently by security forces and led to the arrest of 70 men and women. The activists then launched the One Million Signatures Campaign, an unprecedented grass-roots campaign to change gender discrimination in Iranian laws. On this anniversary, call on the Iranian government to cease its persecution of the activists, drop any charges against them, and to allow women's rights activists to engage in their rights of assembly and peaceful political expression.
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06/12/08
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 Help Guatemalan Defenders Uncover the Past
On May 19 Fredy Peccerelli received an email that said that he would be killed and his wife would be raped, murdered, and sent to him in pieces. Peccerelli is a renowned forensic anthropologist who leads exhumations of mass graves. The scientific evidence he and his team uncover could enable the prosecution of those responsible for hundreds of massacres committed during Guatemala's armed conflict.
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05/22/08
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 Protest Threats against Colombian Defender and her Family
Colombian human rights activist Ingrid Vergara has been subjected to intimidation through a particularly vulnerable target: her young daughter.
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04/16/08
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 Members of Congress Express Support for Reinstatement of Pakistani Judges
The February elections in Pakistan marked a new beginning following martial law, demonstrations, and the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The nascent government needs to know that the international community, including the United States government, supports the progress so far and hopes to see truly independent courts.
Read press release on the congressional letter
New Pakistani Government Must Restore Courts and Constitution
Click here to read report on attacks on judicial independence
Learn more about the crisis in Pakistan
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04/25/08 - Updated
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 President Bush Should Address Human Rights in Meeting with Guatemalan President
Read press release here (English) (Spanish)
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04/28/08
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 On Anniversary of Guatemalan Bishop's Murder, Demand Accountability for Mass Atrocities
Ten years ago, famous Guatemalan human rights defender Bishop Juan Gerardi was murdered. Bishop Gerardi was killed just days after publicly releasing a report that documented more than 200,000 killings during Guatemala's 36 year civil war. The report laid blame on the Guatemalan government for over 90 per cent of the conflict's human rights violations. Urge the Attorney General to follow through on the criminal petitions lodged about these violations.
Read HRF Op Ed on New UN Commission (Español) (English) - PDF 40KB
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04/29/08
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 Nine International NGOs Reject Stigmatization of Peruvian Defenders
In a letter to Peruvian President Alan Garcia, nine international NGOs, including Human Rights First, asked the President to retract his dangerous comments stigmatizing Peruvian human rights defenders such as Francisco Soberon.
Read the Open Letter to Garcia
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05/06/08
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 Somali Women's Rights Activist Winner of 2008 Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty
Read the Press Release
Read about the Roger N. Baldwin Award
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04/08/08
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 End Repression of Non-Violent Government Critics in Nizhny Novgorod
On March 20, 2008, police in Nizhny Novgorod - Russia's third largest city located some 300 miles from Moscow - raided the offices of the Nizhny Novgorod Foundation for the Promotion of Tolerance. The Foundation is an independent human rights organization that has been the target of a sustained campaign of persecution and harassment since 2005.
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04/09/08
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 Stop Wave of Attacks against Colombian Human Rights Defenders
A few weeks ago many of you took action demanding the protection of peaceful protesters in Colombia, including Ivan Cepeda. Unfortunately, the attacks and killings have only intensified since the protest took place on March 6.
Read joint NGO letter to President Uribe regarding the attacks (English) (Spanish)
Read Press Release (English) (Spanish)
Read HRF's Andrew Hudson's Op Ed (Spanish)
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03/19/08
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 Retain the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights Defenders
Human Rights First traveled to Geneva to participate in the meetings of the Human Rights Council to ensure that the Council retained the UN expert on human rights defenders.
Watch HRF's Andrew Hudson Speak at the Human Rights Council on Human Rights Defenders
Read HRF Statements on Importance of HRD Mandate here and here
Read HRF Statements on situation of Indonesian HRDs here and here
See details of Side Event held at Human Rights Council
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03/20/08
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HRF makes intervention on Burma to the UN Human Rights Council
Read HRF Statements here and here
Watch HRF's Andrew Hudson speak at the Human Rights Council
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03/20/08
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 Time to Release Human Rights Defenders
Read HRF Statement on Fifth Anniversary of Crackdown in Cuba
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03/18/08
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Protest Travel Ban on Iranian Women's Rights Activist
Journalist and activist Parvin Ardalan should have been in Stockholm on March 6, 2008. She was to receive the Olaf Palme Prize in recognition of her leading role in the One Million Signatures campaign for women's equality in Iran. However, on March 3, airport security officials removed her from a flight about to take off from Tehran's international airport, seized her passport, and served her with a summons to appear in court.
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03/14/08
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 Investigate Attacks on Campaigner against Mass Atrocities
Guillermo Chen is a Guatemalan human rights defender and the Director of the New Hope Foundation Rio Negro in the town of Rabinal. He has been encouraging testimony from survivors of mass atrocities committed during the country's civil war for use in court against the alleged perpetrators. Last week, on March 5, the same day that victims his organization works with were presenting evidence in court, unknown attackers shot Chen's house six times.
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03/10/08
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Protect Peaceful Protesters in Colombia
Ivan Cepeda is one of Colombia's most prominent human rights activists and the recipient of Human Rights First's Roger Baldwin Medal of Liberty in 2007. On February 4, there were worldwide protests against Colombian guerrillas (FARC). Now Cepeda and others are organizing similar peaceful marches on March 6 against human rights violations by another major party to the conflict in Colombia, paramilitary groups.
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02/20/08
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 Keep the UN's Independent Expert on Human Rights Defenders
A coalition of international organizations including Human Rights First wrote to members of the Human Rights Council urging them to retain the Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders.
Read the letter here.
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02/19/08
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Protest Closure of Iranian Women's Magazine
Last week, Iranian authorities shut down Zanan, the country's premier women's magazine. President Ahmadinejad said that Zanan showed Iranian women in a "black light" and was a threat to the psychological well being of Iranian society.
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02/12/08
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