human rights defender – Page 4

Cuban independent journalist Yoel Suárez with his wife and son.

Al Exilio: Yoel Suárez

Posted on 12/07/202313/07/2023 by cswpress in Al Exilio, Cuba ES, español, Latin America ES

Se cree que más de 300.000 personas han huido de Cuba desde que las protestas a nivel nacional arrasaron el país el 11 de julio de 2021. Muchos de ellos son líderes religiosos, periodistas, defensores de los derechos humanos y otras personas que no tuvieron más opción que abandonar la isla bajo la intensa presión de el gobierno cubano. La serie Al Exilio de CSW cuenta algunas de sus historias.

Yoel Suárez es un periodista independiente que ha escrito extensamente sobre temas de derechos humanos y libertad de religión o creencias en Cuba. Ha trabajado con medios de comunicación no estatales en la isla desde 2014.

Como era de esperarse, su trabajo provocó la ira habitual del gobierno cubano, que sometió al Sr. Suárez y su familia a años de hostigamiento, multas, prohibiciones de viaje y amenazas, incluida la amenaza de que el gobierno se haga cargo de la custodia de su hijo pequeño.

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Silenciados por defender a los oprimidos: defendiendo a los presos de conciencia de Vietnam

Posted on 17/04/2023 by cswpress in Asia ES, español, Vietnam ES

El Partido Comunista de Vietnam viola continuamente los derechos civiles y políticos de su pueblo. El derecho a la libertad de expresión, opinión y expresión está estrictamente restringido y reprimido, con poco o ningún espacio para la voz de la sociedad civil. El gobierno vietnamita encarcela regularmente a personas por su trabajo de derechos humanos, esto incluye la denuncia de la corrupción, la oferta de asistencia legal, la organización de protestas pacíficas y el uso de las redes sociales para abogar por cuestiones sociales y denunciar las injusticias sociales.

Muchos defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos arriesgan su propia seguridad para defender a las víctimas de violaciones de derechos humanos, incluido el derecho a la libertad de religión o de creencias. Quienes hablan con frecuencia se enfrentan al acoso, la intimidación, la vigilancia intrusiva e incluso a el encarcelamiento por parte del gobierno vietnamita.

Seis de estos activistas son Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thu Ha, Nguyen Trung Ton, Nguyen Bac Truyen, Pham Van Troi y Truong Minh Duc. El 5 de abril de 2018, fueron juzgados acusados de “llevar a cabo actividades destinadas a derrocar al gobierno”, y recibieron penas de prisión de entre siete y 15 años.

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Silenced for defending the oppressed – standing up for Vietnam’s prisoners of conscience

Posted on 05/04/2023 by cswpress in Asia, Vietnam

The Communist Party of Vietnam routinely violates the civil and political rights of its people. The right to freedom of expression, opinion and speech is tightly restricted and suppressed, with little or no space for the voice of civil society. The Vietnamese government regularly imprisons individuals for human rights work including exposing corruption, offering legal assistance, organising peaceful protests, and using social media to advocate on social issues and speak out against social injustices.

Many human rights defenders risk their own safety to stand up for victims of human rights violations, including the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). Those who speak out frequently face harassment, intimidation, intrusive monitoring and even imprisonment by the Vietnamese government.

Six such activists are Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thu Ha, Nguyen Trung Ton, Nguyen Bac Truyen, Pham Van Troi and Truong Minh Duc. On 5 April 2018, they stood trial under accusations of ‘carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the government’, receiving prison sentences of between seven and 15 years.

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Indian human rights activist John Dayal.

‘Freedom of expression and the courage to express oneself go hand in hand’ – an interview with John Dayal

Posted on 09/12/202212/12/2022 by cswpress in Asia, India

Indian human rights activist, senior journalist and former president of the All India Catholic Union John Dayal is this year’s winner of the prestigious annual Louis Careno Award for Excellence in Journalism, awarded to an individual or institution for their outstanding contribution to the press by the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA). Dayal has spent over four decades as a champion of minority rights and the right to freedom of religion or belief in India and is a household name within the Indian Christian community.

The award will be conferred by the ICPA on 10 December, Human Rights Day, which follows International Human Rights Defenders Day, during the 27th National Convention of Christian Journalists in Chennai. The ICPA described Dayal as “a prophet of our times who is among India’s foremost voices against human rights violations, particularly on the persecution of religious minorities.”

Last month, CSW spoke to Dayal about his early years as a journalist, the state of freedom of religion and belief in India today, role of the press and more.

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International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances – Stories from China

Posted on 30/08/202215/09/2025 by cswpress in Asia, China

Gao Zhisheng has been kidnapped, tortured and detained on and off by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime since 2006. In 2019, his wife Geng He told the International Service for Human Rights that being disappeared has become “the norm in his life”.

In that same interview, she added, “My children and I have never experienced the common happiness of united families… We only have one wish, which is that Gao Zhisheng is alive and that he can come back home alive.”

Ms Geng, who has been in exile along with her and Gao’s children since 2009, has just marked another sad anniversary: the fifth anniversary of her husband’s most recent disappearance.

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