UN experts call for release of Burundi human rights defender Germain Rukuki
In a public statement of 25 August, a group of UN experts called for the release of Germain Rukuki, a human rights defender from Burundi who has been detained since 13 July 2017. According to the experts, the decision to maintain M. Rukuki in detention without concrete indications of guilt seems arbitrary and conflicts with the country’s criminal […]
Statement: Protection International insists on the immediate release of Germain Rukuki
Germain Rukuki, a human rights defender in Burundi, was arrested by the Service National du Renseignement (SNR, the National Intelligence Service) in Burundi on 13 July 2017. After 14 days of imprisonment in an SNR facility, he was transferred to the prison in Ngozi on 26 July. The first hearing took place on 1 August in Nogzi […]
UNSR Michel Forst visits Democratic Republic of Congo
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst made an academic visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 13 to 18 February 2017 upon invitation by Protection International (PI). He was welcomed by representatives of the Bureau Conjoint des Nations Unies aux Droits de l’Homme (BCNUDH), The United Nations […]
PI launches campaign “Voices of Defenders in DRC”
“Voices of Defenders in DRC ” denounces the shrinking space for human rights defenders (HRDs) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who struggle in the context of rising political unrest. Protection International advocates for better protection of HRDs so they can continue their activities safely. The PI team in DRC stands as a security […]
Joint Statement: EU/US: Sanction Senior DR Congo Officials
Urgent Action Needed to Deter Large-Scale Violence, Repression (Kinshasa), 9 December 2016 – The European Union and United States should expand targeted sanctions against those most responsible for recent violent repression and other serious human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a coalition of 72 Congolese and 15 international human rights organizations said […]
Letter to the UN Special Representative in DRC on the massacres of Beni
26 August, 2016 Mr Maman Sidikou United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary-General Democratic Republic of Congo Dear Mr. Maman Sidikou, We are writing to share our concerns about the security situation in Beni town and across the territory, and our recommendations as to how MONUSCO can reinforce the protection of civilians there. On Saturday, […]
Commemorating International Day of Enforced Disappearances in Nairobi
Nairobi celebrated an event to commemorate the International Day of Enforced Disappearances on 30 August 2016. The event involved a high-level panel discussion titled – Ensuring Accountability: What Kenya Must Change to End Enforced Disappearances. This was followed by a solidarity action (Candlelight vigil). This was also happening in other parts of the country. Useful quotes […]
Kenya: Set up judicial inquiry into hundreds of enforced disappearances and killings
Kenya: Set up a judicial inquiry into hundreds of enforced disappearances and killings The Kenyan government must set up a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate and bring to justice all those suspected of criminal responsibility for extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances, said 13 Kenyan and global human rights organizations today as they marked the […]
KENYA: Joint Letter to Secretary Kerry on Human Rights (August 2016)
Dear Secretary Kerry, Your forthcoming visit to Kenya scheduled to take place on 22 August 2016, comes at a time when the country is faced with significant human rights and rule of law challenges. In that regard, we undersigned human rights non-governmental organizations wish to draw your attention to the continued violation of human rights […]
The killing of Pascal Kabungulu: 11 years on and still no justice
Photo credit: TRIAL International/ CCIJ Public statement Prominent human rights defender Pascal Kabungulu was brutally murdered in 2005. On the eleventh anniversary of his death, Congolese civil society and international organizations demand that justice be finally delivered. Pascal Kabungulu was a courageous and dedicated human rights defender, who worked on behalf of victims of human […]