Self-protection Strategies Implemented by Grassroots WHRDs in Kenya
Protection International Kenya launches a new report Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) are targeted for who they are and as a result of their work defending human rights. Many economic, social, cultural, and geographical factors affect how WHRDs experience human rights violations, which are all connected to gender and gender expression within society. These factors […]
A one-month delay in the verdict of the 13 LUCHA defenders– release them now
9 March 2022 – We, the undersigned organizations, express our dismay that the Beni Garrison Military Tribunal has not yet announced a verdict in the case of the 13 LUCHA human rights defenders (HRDs) from Beni, North Kivu. According to legal statutes, this verdict was due within 30 days of the final court hearing, by […]
No Decision About Us Without Us!
Joint African-European Civil Society Statement to All Heads of State and Government Dignitaries attending the 6th EU-AU Summit February 2022 Today’s efforts by the AU and EU to create an equal and fair partnership are entrenched in past colonial and postcolonial cooperation. They are challenged by structural and systemic inequalities between the two parties. The […]
Celebration of the Women Human Rights Defenders Day in DR Congo
By Ephrem Chiruza “We will not stop until all human rights defenders enjoy their right to defend human rights by creating an enabling environment for this work to continue,” said Susan Muriungi, Protection International (PI) Africa Regional Director during the celebration of Women Human Rights Defenders Day held at the Dutch Embassy Liaison Office in […]
Peaceful protest is not a crime, release the 13 LUCHA human rights defenders detained in Beni, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.
JOINT PUBLIC STATEMENT [Goma (RD Congo)] 21 January 2022. We, the 35 signatory organizations, urge the Congolese authorities to release the 13 human rights defenders (HRDs) of LUCHA, arbitrarily detained in the town of Beni after having organized a peaceful demonstration denouncing the killings of civilians in this part of the Province of North Kivu. […]
Launch of the Protection Network for Women Human Rights Defenders in DR Congo
[DR Congo] On November 29, the world celebrates Women’s Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) Day. On this occasion, Protection International (PI) is pleased to explain more about the challenges that WHRDs face daily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), especially in the eastern provinces— where women and girls have continued to bear the […]
The Dire Working Environment for Women Human Rights Defenders in DR Congo
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), especially in the eastern part of the country, over two decades of armed conflict and political instability have deteriorated the working conditions for human rights defenders. In 2020, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) documented 7,909 human rights violations and abuses throughout the DR Congo. […]
Germain Rukuki: Timeline of the Case
In July 2017, the human rights defender Germain Rukuki was arrested in his home and later charged with “rebellion”, “threatening state security”, “attacking the authority of the State” and “participation in an insurrectionist movement”, although no conclusive evidence was ever presented to back the prosecution’s counts. Four years later, Germain has been released from prison. […]
Protection International and Germain Rukuki Finally Come Together, 4 Months after His Judicial Victory
As PI celebrates our friend’s newfound freedom, we wish to express our deepest gratitude to all individuals and organizations who supported us in advocating for the Burundian Human Rights Defender’s release. [Brussels, 22 October 2021] – Four months after Germain Rukuki’s judicial victory, Protection International is glad to meet the Burundian human rights defender and […]
Protection International Interviews Burundian Human Rights Defender Germain Rukuki after Judicial Victory
In July 2017, the human rights defender Germain Rukuki was arrested in his home and later charged with “rebellion”, “threatening state security”, “attacking the authority of the State” and “participation in an insurrectionist movement”, although no conclusive evidence was ever presented to back the prosecution’s counts. Four years later, Germain Rukuki has been released from […]