Author: Kelly Russo

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Truong Duy Nhat

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Truong Duy Nhat is a Vietnamese journalist who regularly contributes to Radio Free Asia and runs an independent blog Mot Goc Nhin Khac (Another Point of View). In January 2019, the journalist was kidnapped from Bangkok, Thailand, where he was seeking political asylum from the government of Vietnam. His whereabouts remained unknown for two months, until authorities announced that he was imprisoned in Hanoi’s T-16 jail on pending charges of “abuse of power.”

Nhat fled Vietnam in early January 2019 due to “reports that he was likely to be arrested and…a heightened police presence near his house.” On January 25, 2019, Nhat applied for asylum at the Bangkok office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The next day, unidentified men reportedly seized him in a Bangkok shopping center. Thai authorities denied involvement and claimed that they had no records of Nhat entering the country.

In mid-March, authorities notified Nhat’s wife that he was being detained in Hanoi. According to prison records, he had been arrested and sent to T-16 prison on January 28, two days after his disappearance. At a press conference on March 25, 2019, authorities announced that Nhat was under investigation for “abuse of power.” They claimed he used business connections made during his tenure at the state-run newspaper Dai Doan Ket to illegally purchase property. However, many still believe his detention is politically motivated. Human rights organizations have called on authorities in both Vietnam and Thailand to investigate the circumstances surrounding his kidnapping.

Throughout his career as an independent journalist, Nhat has faced harassment and arbitrary detention. In 2013, authorities sentenced him to two years in prison for criticizing top government officials, citing that he was “abusing democratic freedoms.” The government has also targeted Nhat, alongside several other dissidents, by “remov[ing] personal computers, cell phones, and other material from their respective homes and/or offices.”

The Cuban Patriotic Union (UNPACU)

The Cuban Patriotic Union (UNPACU) is a non-violent pro-democracy group that has consistently been the target of government repression. Due to their work, UNPACU members have been harassed and arbitrarily detained at an alarming rate since the organization’s formation in 2011. As of April 1, 2019, there are 56 UNPACU members currently detained as prisoners of conscience—accounting for over half of Cuba’s political prisoners, as identified in a list published by UNPACU.

Government authorities use a range of intentionally vague laws to imprison democracy activists. Among other laws, these include:

  • “Precriminal social dangerousness”—imprisonment on grounds that although an individual has not committed a crime, authorities believe they are likely to commit a crime in the future. This charge has carried sentences as high as 17 years.
  • “Attack”—a vague charge applied when an individual has acted in an “intimidatory” manner towards a government official.
  • “Contempt”—a charge applied when an individual has insulted or offended the “honor” of a government official.

State security forces have actively suppressed UNPACU’s right to assemble in both public and private spaces, most recently in the lead up to Cuba’s constitutional referendum on February 24, 2019. Civil society members who expressed a dissenting message, promoting #YoVotoNo (#IVoteNo), faced grave consequences, including beatings and arrests.

On February 11, 2019, security forces raided fourteen homes belonging to members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), a leader of the #YoVotoNo campaign. They confiscated laptops and cellphones and arrested any individuals who attempted to leave the homes, including minors and family members of UNPACU representatives. According to recent reports, up to 20 UNPACU members were detained during this time. In protest, 123 UNPACU members observed a hunger strike in the days before the referendum. As of February 26, 2019,–two days after the referendum had been held—police continued to “permanently surround” the homes.

The Cuban regime has a long history of repression against UNPACU and has targeted the organization in a similar manner in the past. On September 22, 2016, security forces detained 24 activists who were attempting to participate in an UNPACU meeting. Three months later, assault forces raided the homes of eight UNPACU members, arresting 22 people total. Security forces also detained 150 activists who were participating in peaceful protests across Cuba on March 27, 2016.

Jose Daniel Ferrer founded UNPACU in 2011, shortly after serving 8 years in detention for his activism during Cuba’s Black Spring—a widespread crackdown on dissidents, activists, and intellectuals in 2003. He was imprisoned in response to his work on the Varela Project—a petition to guarantee the right of freedom of assembly and freedom of speech in Cuba. The petition, which collected more than 25,000 signatures, sought to undermine the unchallenged power of the Communist Party by demanding a multi-party system with open elections.

The Cuban government has attempted to dissolve UNPACU by harassing its leadership and subjecting its rank and file members to short-term detentions, physical violence, psychological pressures, and other forms of harassment. Ferrer has been detained numerous times and subject to smear campaigns to discredit the movement.

Giyas Ibrahimov

AZERBAIJAN/ Detained May 9, 2016

Update: Giyas Ibrahimov was released by presidential pardon almost three years into his sentence on March 17, 2019, ahead of Noruz—Azerbaijan’s New Year celebration. While the presidential pardoning of prisoners is common around this time, it traditionally has not included political prisoners. Upon his release, Giyas gave an interview about how he intends to continue his activism and how he thinks the international community can help activists working under duress in Azerbaijan. Read the interview here.

Giyas Ibramihov is a student and member of the NIDA Civic Movement, a pro-democracy youth organization that has been targeted by the government. In 2016, Giyas was arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison along with fellow activist Bayram Mammadov.

On May 9, 2016, the two students painted an anti-government message on the statue of Haydar Aliyev, the former President of Azerbaijan and the father of current president Ilham Aliyev. They posted photos of the graffiti on social media. The following day, both were kidnapped and taken to the police station, where they were brutally tortured and asked to publicly beg forgiveness and confess to serious drug crimes. After Bayram and Givas refused to plead guilty, police officers allegedly planted drugs at their apartments and arrested them on fabricated drug charges.

In December 2017, Giyas Ibrahimov and his father were accused of contempt of court, after they spoke out against the judge’s treatment of Giyas during a sentencing hearing. As a result, Giyas’s imprisonment was extended for three more months while his father, Hasan Ibrahimov, was sentenced to eighteen months of correctional labor with a 20-percent reduction of his salary. Both of them received death threats during their imprisonment.

In the beginning of 2019, Giyas took part in a hunger strike alongside various other Azeri political prisoners to protest the additional charges being brought against Mehman Huseynov, another Azeri activist who has been imprisoned since March 2017.

Baku Police Chief Mirgafar Seyidov, who tortured Bayram and Giyas in a police station, was included in a list of candidates for targeted sanctions by United States in the framework of Global Magnitsky Act. Amnesty International also highlighted their cases in its campaign for the release of political prisoners.

On March 17, 2019, Giyas was released by presidential pardon ahead of Noruz, Azerbaijan’s New Year celebration. While it is common for prisoners to be pardoned around this time, the amnesty has traditionally not extended to political prisoners. Giyas had spent nearly three years in prison.

Upon Giyas’ release, he gave an interview about his imprisonment and how he intends to continue his activism. He noted that “recognition and support by international community (sic) would be helpful for those continuing activism under risk.”

Bayram Mammadov

UPDATE: Bayram Mammadov was released on April 29, 2019 after serving a 30-day term in prison. Along with his prior term in prison from May 9, 2016 to March 17, 2019, Bayram was detained for almost three years.

Bayram Mammadov is a student and member of the NIDA Civic Movement, a pro-democracy youth organization that has been targeted by the government. In 2016, he was arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison along with fellow activist and NIDA member Givas Ibrahimov.

Both were released almost three years into their sentence on March 17, 2019, ahead of Noruz—Azerbaijan’s New Years celebration. It is common practice for the Azerbaijani president to issue pardons for prisoners during Noruz, but the pardons are generally not extended to political prisoners.

On May 9, 2016, Bayram and Givas painted an anti-government message on the statue of Haydar Aliyev, the former President of Azerbaijan and the father of current president Ilham Aliyev. They posted photos of the graffiti on social media. The following day, both were kidnapped and taken to the police station, where they were brutally tortured. They were asked to publicly beg forgiveness and to confess to serious drug crimes. After Bayram and Givas refused to plead guilty, police officers planted drugs at their apartments and subsequently arrested them on fabricated drug charges. In June 2017, Bayram went on a hunger strike to protest his imprisonment conditions.

Baku Police Chief Mirgafar Seyidov, who tortured Bayram and Giyas in a police station, was included in a list of candidates for targeted sanctions by the US under the Global Magnitsky Act, a 2016 law that sanctions foreign government officials for human rights violations. Amnesty International also highlighted their cases in its campaign for the release of political prisoners.

Bayram was released on March 17, 2019, after three years in prison. However, he was rearrested just two weeks later on March 30, 2019 and sentenced to 30 days in prison. Although Bayram was officially charged with “disobedience to law enforcement,” many believe that he was arrested in retaliation to his outspoken criticism of the government on social media and his pledge to fight for the rights of all Azeri political prisoners. According to Human Rights Watch, “a day before he was rearrested, Mammadov gave an interview to a local online media outlet criticizing the authorities.”

Bayram was denied access to lawyers and relatives for four days following his re-arrest. During his trial on April 2, 2019, he alleged that the police had tortured him, showing the court the bruises on his face and his swollen nose and ears. Witnesses reported that Mammadov had “received serious traumas on his head and is dizzy all the time.” Although the judge ordered an investigation into Bayram’s torture, an Azerbaijani political prisoners’ advocate reports that “no one is punished for torture, because the very possibility of inhuman and cruel treatment is rejected.”

 

Lucia Pineda Ubau

NICARAGUA // Detained December 22, 2018

UPDATE: Lucia Pineda Ubau was released on June 11, 2019, along with 56 other political prisoners. The release follows the Nicaraguan National Assembly’s recent passage of a new law granting amnesty to all protesters and police officers who were involved in the 2018 uprising against President Daniel Ortega.

Lucia Pineda Ubau is a prolific Nicaraguan journalist and the news director at 100% Noticias, where she has worked for over ten years. Pineda was arrested on December 22, 2018, when police and paramilitary forces raided the office of 100% Noticias and took them off air. She was charged with “fomenting, planning and conspiring to commit terrorist acts” for the outlet’s coverage of protests against the government. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the raid and arrest as an “unacceptable escalation of the Nicaraguan government’s crackdown on the country’s independent media.”

On January 26, 2019, World Movement Steering Committee member Ana Gomes joined a European Parliament Special Mission to observe the status of political prisoners in Nicaragua, including Lucia Pineda. Members of European Parliament on the mission interviewed Pineda about her arrest and conditions. For the first month of her imprisonment in El Chipote prison—an interrogation center widely condemned for its use of torture—reports indicate that Pineda was kept in an underground cell where she “slept on the floor or had a bunk without a mattress, suffered from constant mosquito bites, [was] in unhealthy conditions, had skin problems and [was] not allowed to receive sunlight.” She was also not allowed to receive visits from family members.

Around February 1, 2019, Pineda was transferred to La Esperanza women’s prison, where she was finally able to receive a visit from her cousin. However, she is detained in an isolation cell without a toilet. She reports being denied access to sunlight and can only leave her cell to use the bathroom.

The Nicaraguan government terminated broadcasts of 100% Noticias shortly after Mora’s arrest. “100% Noticias was the only independent 24-hour news network that covered the country’s deepening political unrest,” notes a news report. Employees of the station have been arrested or forced into exile for their work with the program.

Other independent media outlets such as Radio Dario, El Confidencial, and Canal 10 have been raided and subject to intimidation by security forces and supporters of the government. The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH) denounced the government’s actions as an “evident criminalization of the freedom of expression and an infringement on independent journalism to silence critical voices.”

Miguel Mora Barberena

Miguel Mora Barberena

NICARAGUA // Detained December 22, 2019

UPDATE: Miguel Mora was released on June 11, 2019, along with 56 other political prisoners. The release follows the Nicaragua National Assembly’s recent passage of a new law granting amnesty to all protesters and police involved in the 2018 uprising against President Daniel Ortega.

Miguel Mora is a well-respected journalist and director of the news outlet 100% Noticias. He was arrested on December 22, 2018, alongside news director Lucía Pineda, when police and paramilitary forces raided the office of 100% Noticias and took them off air. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the raid and arrest as an “unacceptable escalation of the Nicaraguan government’s crackdown on the country’s independent media.”

Mora was charged with “promoting and inciting hatred, violence and death” due to the program’s coverage of the protests and criticism of the government. His charges also include kidnapping, murder, and torture—allegations widely applied to protest leaders that guarantee lengthy prison sentences. Mora denies all allegations as a government sanctioned smear campaign. He remains detained in La Modelo men’s prison, where he is allowed only two visits a month. On February 23, 2019, Mora began a hunger strike to protest the denial of a visit by his wife in February. After 10 days without food, he ended the strike at the request of his family.

The Nicaraguan government terminated broadcasts of 100% Noticias shortly after Mora’s arrest. “100% Noticias was the only independent 24-hour news network that covered the country’s deepening political unrest,” notes a news report. Employees of the station have been arrested and harassed for their connection with Mora.

Other independent media outlets such as Radio Dario, El Confidencial, and Canal 10 have been raided and subject to intimidation by security forces and supporters of the government. The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH) denounced the government’s actions as an “evident criminalization of the freedom of expression and an infringement on independent journalism to silence critical voices.”

On January 26, 2019, World Movement Steering Committee member Ana Gomes joined a European Parliament Special Mission to observe the status of political prisoners in Nicaragua, including Miguel Mora. She remarked on Twitter, “All MEPs who visited journalist Miguel Mora in El Chipotle prison, #Nicaragua, 3 days ago, were shocked with the conditions they found him in, extremely weak, for 35 days confined in a dark hole. All he did ask for was … light & a bible. Stop the torture, Pres. Daniel Ortega!”

Mora spent 40 days total in solitary confinement in an underground cell and “has suffered intestinal infections and episodes of trembling due to the unhealthy conditions in that dungeon and the lack of potable water,” noted another Member of European Parliament. “During the visit, we asked the prison’s director to take Miguel Mora out into the sunlight. He needs sunlight, vitamin D. He’s almost blind from being in the dark.” The delegation interviewed Mora, who said his critical opinion of the government remains steadfast despite the continued threat he faces for speaking out.

Irlanda Jerez


NICARAGUA // Detained July 18, 2018

UPDATE: Irlanda Jerez was released on June 11, 2019, along with 56 other political prisoners. The release follows the Nicaragua National Assembly’s recent passage of a new law granting amnesty to all protesters and police involved in the 2018 uprising against President Daniel Ortega.

Irlanda Jerez, a dentist by profession and civil society organizer,  was detained on July 18, 2018 and sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “fraud” and “swindling.” It is widely believed that Jerez is being punished for organizing a civil disobedience campaign in the country’s largest market, Mercado Oriental. Beginning on June 4, 2018, Jerez and other shop owners refused to pay taxes to the government to protest its disregard for human rights. “Irlanda always had a patriotic ideology, she does not have the color of any political party. . . .On April 19th when we went out and [security forces] attacked us again, she decided to be one more voice demanding  our rights. Her principles are unbreakable,” says her husband, Daniel Esquivel.

On July 18, 2018, National Police stopped Jerez and her husband at a traffic light. The police claimed her car had been involved in a robbery, and arrested Jerez without a warrant. The next day, the Supreme Court published a statement that Jerez had been convicted of “fraud” and “swindling.” However, she was immediately placed in a cell with eight women, all convicted of “terrorism,” a common charge for those who participated in protests. Her husband, a lawyer, notes that those convicted of common offences—including fraud and swindling—are jailed separately from those accused of criminal offences —including terrorism. She is imprisoned in La Esperanza women’s prison, where she currently shares a cell with 17 other women. While imprisoned, she has faced torture for continuing acts of peaceful resistance and for making political statements.

Jerez is being held in inhumane conditions, as are many arrested since the April 2018 protests. A report by Confidencial—a news outlet raided and ransacked by government forces in December 2018—details her holding conditions. “Irlanda Jerez has been for 54 days in an eight by four meters’ cell, in La Esperanza women’s prison along with nine other prisoners…In the room light filters through small slits the size of a concrete block. In 54 days, Jerez has been out in the open for just one hour and has lost 20 pounds.” Since the report, she was transferred to a larger cell holding 19 women total.

Many in the international community fear for Jerez’s safety in La Esperanza prison. Twice, unidentified men have attacked Jerez and her cellmates. On October 26, 2018, a group of armed men broke into the cell containing 17 prisoners with the intent to harm Irlanda Jerez over her refusal to be interrogated several hours before. One woman was left unconscious for three hours, and none received medical care. Prison officials informed Jerez that she had accrued 21 infractions while in La Esperanza and that they intended to transfer her to permanent solitary confinement. “My mom has a record of ‘inappropriate behavior’ for praying, singing the anthem, drawing the national flag, talking to the other prisoners about the corrupt government,” says her daughter. Jerez was returned to the group cell after women in the prison tirelessly campaigned for her return.

On January 26, 2019, World Movement Steering Committee member Ana Gomes joined a European Parliament Special Mission to observe the status of political prisoners in Nicaragua. She interviewed Irlanda Jerez, alongside her cellmates. Jerez testified about being drugged while in holding at El Chipote prison—an interrogation center widely condemned for its use of torture—and the attack she suffered in October.

On February 10, 2019, 20 guards attempted to take three prisoners from a cell containing Jerez. Women in the cell resisted the transfer and were severely beaten by the guards. Two women were eventually taken to an unknown location, where they were incommunicado for at least two days.

Join us in demanding the government free Irlanda by sharing this solidarity Tweet!

Amaya Coppens

NICARAGUA // Detained September 10, 2018

 

UPDATE: Amaya was released June 11, 2019, along with 56 other political prisoners. The release comes shortly after the Nicaraguan National Assembly passed a new law granting amnesty to all protesters and police officers involved in the 2018 uprising against President Daniel Ortega.

Amaya Coppens is a Belgian-Nicaraguan medical student and youth leader detained since September 10, 2018 on charges of kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms, and terrorism. Coppens was “a key figure in the student movement, attending to the injured and bringing food to protesters amid a violent clampdown.” Coppens was taken without a warrant in a raid on her temporary residence by about 20 armed security forces. She was held incommunicado for 9 days in the infamous El Chipote prison—an interrogation center widely condemned for its use of torture.

The 23-year old was a fifth-year student and a member of the student group “Coordinadora Universitaria Democracia y la Justicia,” or University Coordinator for Democracy and Justice. Prior to her arrest, she faced sustained harassment by civilian pro-government mobs and paramilitary forces. In two separate incidents, the message “plomo, plomo” (“lead, lead,” referring to bullets) was written on the exterior of her house, and petrol was pointedly spilled in front of it. In April 2018, she was beaten by pro-government mobs and received death threats on social media. For these reasons, she was forced to move out of her house and continuously move residences for fear for her life.

Coppens remains in pre-trial detention, but her lawyer expects her to be found guilty and sentenced to at least 20 years. “These are political trials. Even if you have the best lawyer in the world, our kids will be found guilty and sentenced. The only way out of this is a change in government,” says her mother in an interview.

While imprisoned in La Esperanza women’s prison, Coppens and her 17 cellmates were attacked by 20 masked and armed men on October 26, 2018. The attack was reportedly in retribution against her cellmate’s refusal to be taken for interrogation four hours prior to the attack. One woman was left unconscious for three hours, and none received medical care for their injuries.

On January 26, 2019, World Movement Steering Committee member Ana Gomes joined a European Parliament Special Mission to observe the status of political prisoners in Nicaragua. She interviewed Coppens about her arrest and imprisonment.

Abdel Moneim Aboul-Fotouh

© 2012 World Economic Forum, Some Rights Reserved

Former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul-Fotouh was arrested on February 14, 2018 following an interview he conducted days prior with Al Jazeera in London. In the interview, Aboul-Fotouh criticized the president’s crackdown on opposition ahead of March elections and called for a boycott of elections with “political candidates being pressured into stepping down and their lives being threatened.” He was later charged with “communicating with a banned group,” and “incitement to topple the government” and added to an official terrorism list.

Although his pre-trial detention has lasted nearly a year, Aboul-Fotouh has not formally been sentenced. A letter issued by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and cosigned by 9 other human rights organizations condemns the inhumane prison conditions of Aboul-Fotouh as a “death sentence” for the 67-year old. Since his imprisonment, his health has rapidly deteriorated, according to reports by his family. As of May 9, 2018, they report that he had suffered four heart attacks while in custody at Tora Prison. The letter notes that, for this period, Aboul-Fotouh had been kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.

Aboul-Fotouh is a well-known figure in Egyptian politics. He is a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood and the founder of the Egypt Strong Party. In the elections following the fall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, he ran as an independent and won nearly a fifth of the vote in the first round. A profile of Aboul-Fotouh during the election notes that: “Of all the presidential contenders, Mr. Aboul Fotouh has been the most outspoken about full civilian control of the military, the protection of civil liberties and government spending on health care and education.”

Hisham Geneina

Hisham Geneina is the former head of the Egyptian Central Auditing Organization and campaign deputy to presidential candidate Sami Anan. Geneina was arrested for an interview he conducted with Huffington Post Arabi and sentenced to five years by a military court.

Hisham Geneina (also Genena and Genina) was arrested on February 13, 2018 and later sentenced to five years in a military court on charges of “spreading news that harms the armed forces.” Geneina is the former head of the Egyptian Central Auditing Organization. He was dismissed from the position in March 2017 after President Abdel Fattah al-SiSi accused him of overestimating the cost of corruption in Egypt. Immediately prior to his arrest, he worked as a campaign deputy to presidential candidate Sami Anan. Anan had been arrested a month earlier, just four days after announcing his plans to run in the presidential elections*.

Geneina was arrested for an interview he conducted with Huffington Post Arabi, in which he said that the Anan campaign possessed documents that implicated the Egyptian army in stirring additional social unrest after the 2011 uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak. He stated that if a threat came to Anan’s life, the campaign would release the documents. The reporter who conducted the interview was also arrested. Many have decried Geneina’s trial by military court, saying that his controversial statement does not warrant a military trial.

Only a few weeks before his arrest, Geneina was attacked by a group of three unidentified men as he was leaving his home in east Cairo. The attack left him with a fractured foot and multiple wounds to the face. It is believed that this attack was related to his work as an adviser to Anan.

*Current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi went on to secure 97% of the vote, with only one contender, who had already officially endorsed Sisi and even organized events to help nominate the former military commander during his re-election campaign.

Shady Ghazaly Harb

Shady Ghazaly Harb is a doctor and lawyer detained on charges of “joining a group established in violation to the provisions of the law and the constitution with the aim to disrupt state institutions, spread false news, and humiliating the President” for comments he made on Twitter.

On May 15, 2018, Shady Ghazaly Harb (also, Shadi al-Ghazali Harb) presented himself to the Office of the General Prosecution in Giza after receiving a summons over critical comments he made about the government on Twitter. Harb, a doctor and activist, was subsequently detained and was granted release upon payment of bail. According to his lawyer Mohamed Sayyad, Harb was transferred to Dokki Police Station to process his release. However, when Sayyad appeared to ensure Harb’s release, he learned that Harb had been transferred to the Supreme State Security Prosecution for further investigation.

On May 16, the State Security Prosecution formally ordered his detention for a 15-day period while under investigation for charges of “joining a group established in violation to the provisions of the law and the constitution with the aim to disrupt state institutions, spread false news, and humiliating the President.” Harb has remained in detention since.

According to a report by the International Federation for Human Rights: “Dr. Shadi al-Ghazali Harb is being detained in solitary confinement at Qanater prison, where he does not have regular access to his family and lawyers. During the first fifteen days of his detention, he was denied access to a bed and he was not allowed to go outdoors.” On July 15, 2018, it was reported that the conditions of Harb’s imprisonment had once again deteriorated following his transferal to a new cell within Qanater prison that was “very dirty, hot, and no ventilation is available.”

Although a surgeon by profession, Harb is popularly known for his role as a youth activist in the 2011 protests against the regime of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak. In 2010, he was arbitrarily detained by security forces while attempting to board a flight to London. He was blindfolded throughout his 30-hour detention and questioned by unidentified figures about his political activities as a member of the opposition Democratic Front Party (DFP), of which his uncle was the leader.

Shady Abu Zeid

Shady Abu Zeid

Shady Abu Zeid is a comedian with a “diminutive physical stature and an outsized persona” who uses his platform to explore Egyptian traditions and society with humor. He is charged with “spreading false news” and “joining a banned group.” Despite these catchall charges, it remains relatively unclear as to why Abu Zeid was arrested given his lack of political activism.

UPDATE: On October 19, 2020, Shady Abu Zeid was released and acquitted by Cairo Criminal Courts.
The Cairo Criminal Court ordered the conditional release of Egyptian comedian Shady Abu Zeid on January 13, 2019. However, the order was appealed by the prosecution and upheld. Shady is to remain in jail while pending investigation of charges.On April 8, 2019, his detention was renewed for another 45 day period.

Abu Zeid, a satirist and former TV personality, has been detained since May 6, 2018. Abu Zeid was charged with “spreading false news” and “joining a banned group” under Case 621/2018—the same case under which journalist Wael Abbas, women’s rights activist Amal Fathy, and surgeon Shady al-Ghazaly Harb, among others, have been detained. Despite these catchall charges, it remains relatively unclear as to why Abu Zeid was arrested given his lack of political activism.

Reports by his family state that on May 6, around 20 plainclothes state security agents raided their home, confiscating laptops and cellphones and taking Abu Zeid to an undisclosed location. His whereabouts remained unknown until a lawyer familiar with the comedian identified him at the State Security Prosecutor’s office the following day. On January 13, 2019, Abu Zeid was briefly allowed to attend his father’s funeral. Repeated requests made by his lawyers to allow Abu Zeid to see his ailing father in months preceding his death were denied.

As a comedian, Abu Zeid is most well-known for his satirical take on Egyptian society and social structures. Abu Zeid produces a show called The Rich Content. A piece on the blogger notes that his videos “have a way of questioning and probing into Egyptian society, laying bare its most absurd norms in a distinctive style. His work takes on topics like masculinity, classism, religion, tradition, xenophobia, family power structures and gay rights, to name a few.”

Haitham Mohamedeen

Haitham Mohamedeen is an activist and labor rights lawyer who has faced harassment and unwarranted detention throughout his lifetime. Most recently, he was detained for five months before being released.

On October 10, 2018, the Criminal Chamber of the Fifth Compound Courts Complex ordered the conditional release of Haitham Mohamedeen (also Haytham Mohamadeen), an activist and labor rights lawyer, who was arbitrarily detained for five months. Following the order for his release, Mohamedeen was disappeared from prison by the State Security Prosecution. For 18 days, his whereabouts and condition were not made known to his family or his lawyer.

Front Line Defenders notes that “this only one example of how the State Security Prosecution systematically bypasses judiciary rulings in Egypt; several human rights defenders who were released by court rulings have been disappeared from prisons.” Mohamedeen continues to face judicial harassment from the Egyptian government, requiring him to appear twice weekly to a police station on “precautionary measures.”

Mohamedeen was arrested from his home on May 16, 2018, but his location remained unknown until he was brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on May 19, 2018. The prosecution ordered a 15-day detention period while he was investigated for charges of “joining a terrorist organization” and “inciting protests.” Mohamedeen was charged and continues to be harassed under case No. 718/2018—a case brought against 20 individuals involved in protests over a hike in metro fares. Reports note that Mohamedeen did not take part in these protests.

As a vocal activist, Mohamedeen has faced harassment and unwarranted detention by the Egyptian government throughout his lifetime. In 2016, he was arrested alongside 152 other activists and detained for six months for calling for protests over Egypt’s transferal of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. In 2013, he was arbitrarily detained at a military checkpoint while en route to meet with factory workers who requested his legal counsel. He was released after two days without charge or explanation.

Amal Fathy

Amal Fathy is women’s rights activist and a former member of the April 6 Youth Movement. She was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for posting a Facebook video about rampant sexual harassment in Egypt. She also faces charges under a separate case, in which she was questioned about her husband’s non-governmental organization. 

Amal Fathy was arrested on May 11, 2018 for posting a video on Facebook in which she denounced the Egyptian government for failing to protect women against sexual harassment. She remained in pre-trial detention for six months until she was released on bail and kept under house arrest on December 27, 2018. Her two-year sentence was upheld three days later, and she remains at risk of being arrested and put in prison at any moment. On February 9, 2019, Amal’s house arrest was lifted on the condition that she continue to visit the local police station twice a week for four hours.

Amal is a former member of the April 6 Youth Movement—a nonviolent movement formed in 2008 that led protests against the Hosni Mubarak regime. The group was banned in 2014 by the government of Abdel Fattah al-SiSi. She is currently a member of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF)—an NGO that provides free legal assistance to prisoners of conscience, among other advocacy work. Her husband Mohamed Fathy is the founding director of the ECRF and has also faced harassment by the Egyptian government.

On May 9, 2018, Amal posted a 12-minute video on Facebook describing her experience with sexual harassment in Egypt. She described two incidents from that occurred within hours of each other, when “a taxi driver groped her” and “a bank guard grabbed his crotch as he made lurid comments about her.” In the video, she condemns the government for creating an environment in which sexual harassment thrives. The following day, Amal received “a wave of harassment and threats on social media, including gender-based insults and calls for her arrest,” according to Amnesty International.

On May 11, 2018, security forces raided her home. Amal and Mohamed Fathy were detained and transferred to Maadi Police Station, along with their three-year old son. Authorities released her husband and son shortly thereafter. The Maadi prosecutor ordered her detention for a 15-day period for investigation on charges of “broadcasting a video on social media to incite the overthrow of the Egyptian Regime,” “publishing a video on social media to spread false rumors” and “the misuse of social media” under criminal case No. 7991 of 2018. She was subsequently transferred to Qanater women’s prison.

On May 13, 2018, Amal was questioned by the State Security Prosecution about the April 6 Youth Movement and her husband’s human rights work. The State Security Prosecution brought additional charges against her under case No. 621 of 2018 for “joining a terrorist group and using the Internet to call for terrorist acts” and “spreading false news and rumors to disrupt public security and harm national interests.” Authorities have not made clear why these charges were leveled against her at this point in time, according to her husband.

On September 29, 2018, Amal was sentenced to two years in prison for “spreading false news” and “sharing indecent material” in relation to her Facebook video. Although she was granted the option to pay a bail of 20,000 Egyptian pounds for her release until the sentence was upheld, she remained imprisoned due to the second case. The sentence was upheld on December 30, 2018.

Amal’s health has deteriorated significantly since her detention began in Qanater women’s prison in Cairo. According to her psychiatrist’s testimony, Amal already suffers from chronic depression. On July 1, 2018, the prison’s doctor diagnosed her with paralysis of the left leg—a condition that continued for two weeks. The doctor asked that Amal be permitted to see a psychiatrist—it is unclear whether this request was granted. Per a report by the ECRF, Amal has also suffered from frequent panic attacks while in detention.

Wael Abbas

“The question is why was he arrested in the first place? He is a prisoner because of his opinions, and he has lost seven months of his life,“ Abbas’s lawyer Gamal Eid says.

Wael Abbas is an internationally regarded activist and award winning journalist who was imprisoned for seven months. Abbas has documented deteriorating individual freedoms and police brutality in Egypt through his Misr Digital blog, for which he received the prestigious Knight International Journalism Award.

On December 1, 2018, the Giza Criminal Court ordered the conditional release of Wael Abbas, an internationally regarded activist and award-winning journalist, on probation terms that include appearing at a police station twice a week and in court every 45 days. His release was immediately appealed by the state security prosecution, but was upheld on December 3. Abbas was officially released on December 12, 2018.

Abbas was held for six months in pre-trial detention after “heavily armed officers raided [his] home in Cairo overnight and took him away blindfolded to an unknown location,” on May 23, 2018. His arrest occurred amidst a wider government crackdown on journalists and civil society members in Egypt following the re-election of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in March 2018. Like many others arrested during this period, Abbas was charged with unfounded allegations of joining a banned group–a likely reference to the Muslim Brotherhood–and spreading false news. Just hours prior to Abbas’s arrest, fellow #SetThemFree prisoner Ismail Alexandrani was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a military court.

For over a decade, Abbas has uncovered police brutality, torture, and corruption on his blog, Misr Digital. Most famously, Abbas published a video in 2006 that led to the conviction of two police officers “in a rare case of security forces members being sentenced for abusing detainees.” For this and his prior work, Abbas was awarded the prestigious Knight International Journalism Award in 2007 and was voted CNN’s 2007 Middle East Person of the Year. Abbas has been detained and harassed multiple times for his work. In addition to this, he has faced several hacking attempts of both social media platforms and email accounts.

With over 350,000 followers, he used Twitter frequently to update his audience on the state of affairs inside of Egypt. Since December 2017, his account has remained suspended without explanation, prompting widespread outrage at the social media platform. In response to his account’s suspension, “Egyptian human rights activist Sherif Azer described Abbas’s account as ‘a live archive to the events of the revolution and till today one of few accounts still documenting human rights abuses in Egypt.’” Prior, Abbas faced account suspensions by Facebook, YouTube, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail–all of which have been restored.

Alarming Number of Arbitrary Arrests During Crackdown in Nicaragua

Alarming Number of Arbitrary Arrests During Crackdown in Nicaragua

Nicaragua: The World Movement is gravely concerned about the continuing crackdown on members of civil society in Nicaragua. As protests continue over state-sponsored violence against its citizens, international organizations have recorded an alarming number of forced disappearances and arbitrary arrests. For more on the crisis in Nicaragua, read our most recent DemocracyAlerts concerning targeted attacks on civil society leaders and violence against protesters.

Azerbaijan Targets Father of Political Prisoner

Azerbaijan Targets Father of Political Prisoner

On July 27, 2018, Zafar Ahmadli, the father of #SetThemFree political prisoner Fuad Ahmadli, was taken from his apartment and charged with “disobeying the police.” Human rights groups believe that his arrest was politically motivated due to his recent criticism of authorities on social media concerning political imprisonments. His son Fuad was arrested in 2016 and was later sentenced to four years in prison on charges of “abuse of power” and “conducting an unauthorized operative-search” shortly after helping to organize an opposition protest. Learn more about Fuad’s story here and share this Tweet to alert your community about Zafar’s unreasonable detention.

Azeri Opposition Leader and Political Prisoner Freed

The World Movement was glad to hear that Azerbaijani political prisoner Ilgar Mammadov was freed after serving five years of his seven-year sentence. Join us in sharing the good news and continuing to call for the government of Azerbaijan to release its many political prisoners! Read more about Azerbaijan’s poor record of silencing dissent and imprisoning human rights defenders: https://bit.ly/2BeQepB

Freedom for Chinese Photographer Liu Xia

On July 10, 2018, government authorities in China allowed Liu Xia, a photographer and human rights advocate, to leave the country following constant international calls for her release. Liu Xia is the widow of Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel Peace Laureate who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2008 for “inciting subversion” after coauthoring “Charter 08,” a statement signed by over 350 Chinese intellectuals and civic leaders that demanded democratic reform in China. Liu Xia has been detained under house arrest since 2010 without charge or trial simply for supporting her husband. Through advocacy of Chinese rights activists and international community, she was finally released to receive medical care in Germany following reports that her mental health had increasingly declined throughout her detention, due to isolation from the outside world and restricted contact with friends and family. Learn more about Liu Xia’s story here.

Latin American Youth Network for Democracy Launches the #Libérenlos Campaign

As governments in Latin America increasingly utilize arbitrary detention as a means of silencing dissent, the Latin American Youth Network for Democracy (JuventudLAC) launched its new #Libérenlos campaign on June 7, 2018 in Caracas, Venezuela. The campaign, in collaboration with the World Movement’s #SetThemFree campaign, intends to bring awareness to arbitrarily detained activists by spreading awareness of these political prisoners. Currently, the campaign carries a focus on political prisoners in Venezuela to bring awareness to President Nicolás Maduro’s longstanding repressive policies. Learn more about their campaign.

Egypt Targets Civil Society

As President Al-Sisi prepares to take another term in office, international organizations are seeing one of the most severe crackdowns on political dissidents and journalists in Egypt since Al-Sisi first took office. The Project on Middle Eastern Democracy (POMED) released a fact sheet detailing the high-profile arrests of human rights lawyers and journalists, including World Youth Movement’s essay contest winner Ismail Al-Iskandrani. POMED warns that the arrest of prominent democracy advocates previously left alone by the regime signals Al-Sisi’s intention to further transform Egypt from an environment that “limits independent political space” to one that “wants to eliminate it entirely.”

Responding to the recent developments, the European Union External Action (EEAS) office released a statement noting that “sustainable stability and security can only go hand in hand with the full respect of human rights and fundamentals freedoms . . .[and] those standing for fundamental rights and democracy should not be fearing reprisals.” Learn more about POMED’s advocacy efforts here.

Political Cartoonist Freed from Prison in Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea: Ramón Nsé Esono Ebalé, a political cartoonist previously imprisoned on false charges, was finally able to leave Equatorial Guinea on May 28, 2018. Esono Ebalé was arrested on September 16, 2017 on charges of counterfeiting local currency. After six months, he was released due to lack of evidence and pressure from the global #FreeNseRamon movement. However, he was under a travel ban and barred from leaving the country by the government. Learn more about his story and the #FreeNseRamon movement here.

Ethiopia Pardons 745 Political Prisoners

Ethiopia: Ethiopia pardoned 745 political prisoners on May 26, 2018, ahead of prospective plans to reform “anti-terrorism” laws. Political parties met on May 30 to amend the vague laws which have largely been used to target human rights defenders, political opponents, and journalists for exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. Learn more about Ethiopia’s political prisoners.

Wael Abbas

Wael Abbas

“The question is why was he arrested in the first place? He is a prisoner because of his opinions, and he has lost seven months of his life.” Gamal Eid says.

On December 1, 2018, the Giza Criminal Court ordered the conditional release of Wael Abbas, an internationally regarded activist and award-winning journalist, on probation terms that include appearing at a police station twice a week and in court every 45 days. His release was immediately appealed by the state security prosecution, but was upheld on December 3. Abbas was officially released on December 12, 2018.  

Abbas was held for six months in pre-trial detention after “heavily armed officers raided [his] home in Cairo overnight and took him away blindfolded to an unknown location,” on May 23, 2018. His arrest occurred amidst a wider government crackdown on journalists and civil society members in Egypt following the re-election of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in March 2018. Like many others arrested during this period, Abbas was charged with unfounded allegations of joining a banned group–a likely reference to the Muslim Brotherhood–and spreading false news. Just hours prior to Abbas’s arrest, fellow #SetThemFree prisoner Ismail Alexandrani was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a military court.

For over a decade, Abbas has uncovered police brutality, torture, and corruption on his blog, Misr Digital. Most famously, Abbas published a video in 2006 that led to the conviction of two police officers “in a rare case of security forces members being sentenced for abusing detainees.” For this and his prior work, Abbas was awarded the prestigious Knight International Journalism Award in 2007 and was voted CNN’s 2007 Middle East Person of the Year. Abbas has been detained and harassed multiple times for his work. In addition to this, he has faced several hacking attempts of both social media platforms and email accounts.
With over 350,000 followers, he used Twitter frequently to update his audience on the state of affairs inside of Egypt. Since December 2017, his account has remained suspended without explanation, prompting widespread outrage at the social media platform. In response to his account’s suspension, “Egyptian human rights activist Sherif Azer described Abbas’s account as ‘a live archive to the events of the revolution and till today one of few accounts still documenting human rights abuses in Egypt.’” Prior, Abbas faced account suspensions by Facebook, YouTube, GMail, and Yahoo Mail–all of which have been restored.

Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia Freed!

The World Movement celebrates the release of Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia from prison. He was freed on May 16 after receiving a royal pardon. The pardon was filed on the basis of a “miscarriage of justice.” Due to what many believe were politically motivated charges, Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader, faced three prison sentences and 11 years in jail. Ibrahim’s release immediately follows the elections in Malaysia last week, which resulted in a loss for the ruling party coalition that dominated Malaysia’s politics for 61 years.

Ibrahim spoke at the World Movement’s Fourth Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey, in April 2006, and the Sixth Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia, in April 2010. In his opening address at the Jakarta Assembly, he said “We can make diversity in culture and religion a source of strengthen and richness, and the shared history of oppression and political enslavement a further impetus to solidarity. The flame that fires the passion for freedom and democracy must not be left to flicker, let alone die out. To keep it burning, we must remain resolute in our conviction to fight for freedom and democracy and to defend it with courage, honor, and dignity.”

Read more about Ibrahim’s Jakarta speech.

Ukrainian Filmmaker Imprisoned in Russia Begins Hunger Strike

Ukraine: The World Movement for Democracy expresses its solidarity with Oleg Sentsov, the Ukrainian filmmaker, activist, and political prisoner who has been on a hunger strike since May 14, 2018. Sentsov’s goal is to bring attention to the 64 Ukrainian political prisoners imprisoned by the Russian government and to mobilize the international community to pressure Russia for their release. Help by sharing our Democracy Alert.

Ethiopian Bloggers Freed from 12-Day Detention

Ethiopia: We were glad to learn that Befeqadu Hailu and Mahlet Fantahun were freed on April 5, 2018, along with 9 other journalists. After 12 days in detention for violating vague State of Emergency laws which prohibit unauthorized gatherings, the journalists and bloggers were released without charge. Their release comes on the heels of the inauguration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who gave a promising speech which addressed the violent crackdown on activists under the State of Emergency. While we were heartened to hear this, Ahmed must understand that the world will be watching to ensure his words become actions and policy. Join us in spreading this message to him.

Vietnam Sentences 6 Activists to 7+ Years

Vietnam: On April 5, 2018, the Supreme People’s Court in Hanoi sentenced six peaceful activists to sentences ranging from 7-15 years in prison, with additional years of probationary detention. They were all charged with “activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s government.” Two of the activists, Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thu Ha, were held in pre-trial detention for over two years before the one-day trial. The U.S. Department of State issued a statement calling on Vietnam “to release all prisoners of conscience immediately, and to allow all individuals in Vietnam to express their views freely and assemble peacefully without fear of retribution.” We join them in telling the government of Vietnam to #SetThemFree.

Bahrain Sentences 58 Political Activists

On January 30, a Bahraini criminal court sentenced 58 political activists charged with terrorism by the government. Nineteen received life sentences while 37 others received sentences ranging from 5-15 years. Two activists received death sentences, joining 19 others prisoners on death row – the largest number since courts were established in 1923. In addition to the harsh sentences, 47 of the activists were stripped of Bahraini citizenship.  World Movement joins the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights in condemning the death sentences of Bahrainis exercising their rights to freedom of assembly and association and urges the Bahraini government to release the activists and reinstate their citizenship. Help us share their story.