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Targeted for Activism: Hossam Bahgat Faces Escalating Charges in Egypt’s Crackdown on Dissent
Hossam Bahgat, a leading figure in Egypt’s human rights movement and founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), continues to face systematic state harassment. Over the years, Bahgat has been targeted with legal challenges and punitive measures for his outspoken advocacy for civil liberties and democracy. Most recently, in January 2025, he was…
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Enduring Injustice: The Ordeal of Alzheimer’s Patient Ibrahim Gungor in Turkish Prison
Ibrahim Gungor, an 72-year-old Alzheimer’s patient, has been subjected to severe human rights violations during his imprisonment in Turkey. Despite his advanced age and deteriorating health, Gungor remains incarcerated, highlighting the Turkish authorities’ disregard for the well-being of critically ill prisoners. Reports indicate that he has been denied access to adequate medical care, exacerbating his…
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Lawyer Dilek Ekmekci is facing Judicial Repression in Türkiye
Update: Dilek Ekmekci’s hunger strike that began on the 18th November ended on the 28th December. Her next court hearing is on the 10th of January. Dilek Ekmekci, a Turkish criminal lawyer, has been arrested in Türkiye. Since 2020, she has been working on the sexual exploitation of children in state care. In the case…
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Review of Turkey’s Human Rights Record
Regarding the UN Human Rights Committee Review Session in Geneva, November 2024 The UN Human Rights Committee reviewed Turkey’s human rights record in Geneva in November 2024. Rights Defenders Initiative attended the session with a representative and had the privilege to give a speech to the Committee based on the report they prepared and submitted.…
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Natalya Filonova
Natalya Filonova is a 61-year-old pensioner and a dedicated veteran human rights activist and journalist who has been advocating for social justice since the 1990s. She initially worked as a correspondent for a regional newspaper and later launched her own publication, “Vsemu naperekor” (Despite everything), to voice her concerns. On September 26, 2022, Natalya was…
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Exile and Resistance: The Trial and Punishment of Sergei Lukashevsky
Sergei Lukashevsky, a prominent Russian human rights advocate and director of the Sakharov Center in Moscow, was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison by a Russian court in November 2024. The charges stemmed from his outspoken criticism of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including posts and broadcasts alleging misconduct by Russia’s armed forces. These…
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Democracy on Trial: The Harsh Sentences of Hong Kong’s 45 Advocates
In a landmark case under Hong Kong’s controversial National Security Law, 45 pro-democracy figures were convicted on November 19, 2024, for “conspiracy to commit subversion.” The charges stemmed from their involvement in an unofficial primary election in 2020 aimed at securing seats in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. This primary, deemed illegal under Beijing’s crackdown on…
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Lawyer Dilek Ekmekci is facing Judicial Repression in Türkiye
Dilek Ekmekci, a Turkish criminal lawyer, has been arrested in Türkiye. Since 2020, she has been working on the sexual exploitation of children in state care. In the case of assassination of Sinan Ates, former leader of the far-right party Grey Wolves (Turkish: Ulku Ocaklari), she has been investigating the involvement of the state members.…
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Abduction and Forced Return of Turkish Asylum Seekers from Kenya
On October 18, 2024, seven Turkish asylum seekers were abducted in Nairobi, Kenya by unidentified individuals. The people kidnapped were identified as Mustafa Genç, Abdullah Genç, Hüseyin Yeşilsu, Necdet Seyitoğlu, Öztürk Uzun, Alparslan Taşçı, and Saadet Taşçı. These individuals were registered refugees in Kenya and believed to be followers of the Gülen movement, a significant…
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Trial of the Girls – Weaponising Terrorist-Defence Laws Against Children
On September the 23rd 2024, the highly controversial trial of 15 minors (aged 13-17) began in Turkiye. The charges, like many similar cases, are that of ‘terrorist actions’. These actions involve studying, organising educational programs, and supporting children affected by the government’s emergency decrees (KHK). The source of the controversy is that the actions are…
