Search results for: “uganda”
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Degrading and inhuman treatment is not inevitable
Brussels – On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) recalls that countless people are also victims of inhuman and degrading treatment. These practices often arise from appalling detention conditions in many countries in a post-conflict situation or in transition. ASF is calling for a reduction in the use…
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ASF instrumental in launching a fund for the protection of Human Rights Defenders in East Africa
The African Great Lakes Human Rights Defenders Protection Fund is finally official! This innovative financial mechanism, the first of its kind in the region, was championed by ASF, the East Africa Law Society and regional partners. It has been designed to protect the rights and freedoms of Human Rights Defenders in the Great Lakes region…
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Transitional justice in Burundi: space for victims
ASF welcomes the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as an important step in the process of punishing international crimes committed in Burundi in the past. ASF nevertheless calls for certain conditions crucial to the proper functioning of the transitional justice process to be respected.
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International justice is everybody’s business
On Human Rights Day, ASF recalls that international criminal justice is a collective issue. International crimes affect firstly the victims of human rights violations, but also their community, lawyers, prosecutors, judges, perpetrators and society. Under the slogan “Together for international justice”, ASF’s Crossroads campaign highlights the fact that countries emerging from a crisis or conflict…
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Emergency in DR Congo: protect human rights defenders
Kinshasa, DR Congo – Supported by ASF, the Congolese civil society is reiterating the urgent need to continue efforts, in collaboration with national authorities, to strengthen the legislative frameworks for the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs). Created one year ago, the follow-up Committee of national strategies for the protection of HRDs recently presented its…
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International crimes, national courts
Brussels – Victims of human rights violations need to see justice being done to increase their confidence and participation in the justice processes. Today, International Justice Day is being celebrated throughout the world to encourage an emerging system of international criminal justice. Since 1996, ASF provides active support to the prosecution of international crimes before…
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Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa’s trial must be fair
Bujumbura – On the day before Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa’s trial, ASF is calling on the courts of Burundi to operate in strict compliance with laws and with full respect for its independence. President of the Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Incarcerated Persons (Association pour la protection des droits humains et des personnes détenues,…
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Armed groups threaten human rights defenders
Uvira (East of the Democratic Republic of Congo) – In a region where armed groups continue to commit grave human rights violations, defend human rights of former child soldiers is a high-risk activity. For example, two human rights defenders (HRDs) have been violently attacked by armed men in the office of their NGO. This incident…
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“Giving legal aid is like giving hope”
Promoting free legal aid is paramount in supporting access to justice for people living in vulnerable situations. Avocats Sans Frontières, in partnership with the Uganda Law Society, is mobilizing lawyers to defend the basic rights of Ugandans. Akello Suzan Apita is one of the 16 lawyers engaged in this endeavor.
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“We are caught between a rock and a hard place”
President of a human rights defence association, Rénovat Ninahazwe is a Burundian human rights defender at risk. As a result of serious threats, he has had to leave his country, finding temporary refuge in Uganda with the help of Avocats Sans Frontières. He and his family are being taken care of in the context of…