Rights On The Line

Topics covered: - How the situation unfolded since the suspicion of an initial hack and breach- How the announcement of the 6 organisations deemed as‘’terrorist’’ linked to the unfolding investigation- Who NSO Group is and what Pegasus is- How the devices were confirmed to be infected, and what happens when spyware is installed on a device- Recommendations on the situation and what the international community can do.Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinedefenders/

In this episode, we talk about human rights defenders in Africa experiencing challenges in the digital space, on social media platforms and more. Ronald shares his insights as the Digital Protection Coordinator for the Africa region at Front Line Defenders, as well as very NB tips on how HRDs can protect themselves in the Digital space. Abdifatah, and HRD from Digital Shelter in Somalia, talks about a recently released report by Digital Shelter on how HRDs in Somalia and Africa are targeted digitally, as well as how it might be remedied. Alex talks about how LGBTI+ Rights Ghana was challenged when their social media accounts were shut down without warning in relation to their work, and how they went about dealing with that.Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinedefenders/

Zambias national elections will be held on the 12th of August 2021. This comes against a dangerous background of the country veering towards dangerous authoritarianism. Human rights defenders (HRDs) in Zambia face arrests, violent threats, intimidation tactics, surveillance, and smear campaigns as the government persecutes civil society and challenges the legitimacy of HRDs who speak out against the crack down on freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, and other core civil and political rights. HRDs worry that elections will not be free and fair, and that the state of authoritarianism will only worsen. Listen to our guests share different insights:MUSIC: TATWASHUPA BY HRD ARTIST PILATO Linda Kasonde: 01m54sPilato: 15m04sLaura Miti: 32m04sEuegene Mulenga: 44m34s Mbototo: 01h03m04sFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinedefenders/

Front Line Defenders Rights on the Line podcast, presenting the voices, perspectives and experiences of human rights and human rights defenders (HRDs) across the globe. In this episode, we chat to two HRDs who were a part of the SEA-EYE 4 ship crew, which rescued 408 people from five different refugee boats in distress in May 2021. Sophie Weidenhiller is from the German NGO Sea-Eye, who works for the rescue of fleeing people in the central Mediterranean Sea. Sara Cincurova is a Slovakian HRD journalist who writes on issues ranging from migration, to human rights, humanitarian issues, and women's rights. She has reported from about fifteen different countries, and has been published by BBC and The Guardian, among others.Sara and Sophie will speak on Sea-Eyes most recent heart-wrenching humanitarian mission aboard the Sea Eye 4 ship, as well as their experiences being targeted as human rights defenders for the their sea-rescue efforts and work.Music: Soft Instrumental Hip-hop by jorikbasovFollow us on Inst

In the last two weeks, unwarranted violence against Palestinians by Israeli authorities has increased. Palestinians on the ground have resisted, and in turn, Israeli forces have since used repeated excessive force on Palestinians. As Airstrikes continue, Israel is cracking down on media with strong censorship of Palestinian content, and the recent targeted bombing of Al-Jazeera and Associated Press building. Israel is using its connections and influence with social media companies to censor content and expression online. Today we speak to 3 Palestinians to shed light on the situation on the ground, what Palestinians need to support their struggle, and what the reality of the struggle is for palestinians.Our guests today include Fayrouz Sharqawi, the director at Grassroots Jerusalem, a platform for Palestinian and international activists and organizations in Jerusalem. Afaf Al-Najjar is in Khan Younis in Gaza, and is a writer with We Are Not Numbers. Lastly, Mona Shtaya is a Communicator, campaigner, Digital/

We discuss the challenges faced by human rights defenders working on gender and LGBTI issues, in light of the recent withdrawal of Turkey from the Istanbul Convention. We chat to Aslıhan Tekin, the EU Representative /Alternate Board Member of the European Women's Lobby Coordination for Turkey, as well as Yildiz Tar, Media and Communications Program Coordinator at Kaos GL, an organisation which aims to advance the rights of the LGBTIQ community in Turkey. Our guests will shed light on the pushback against gender issues in Turkey, and how the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention impacts women, and women human rights defenders, and LGBTI rights defenders and the LGBTI community.Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinedefenders/

In this episode, we discuss the findings of the Front Line Defenders Global Analysis report 2020, focusing on the impact of Covid-19 on the work of human rights defenders, especially in terms of digital security and lockdown regulations. Guests include: Ed O' Donovan, Head of Protection at Front Line Defenders; a HRD from Zambia, an HRD from the Colombian organisation ''Somos Defensores'' speaking on the killings in Colombia, and Bestang Sarah Dekdeken from the Philippines speaking about the impact of Covid-19 on indigenous rights defenders in the Philippines.Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinedefenders/

This is a special episode, produced by the Coalition for Human Rights in Development. in collaboration with Front Line Defenders.Ahead of the upcoming Finance in Common Summit in Paris, we speak with defenders in Kenya, Guatemala and India, about the human rights impact of projects imposed in the name of developmentFrom the 9th to the 12th of November, all public development banks in the world will be together for the first time ever. Over 450 finance institutions and heads of governments will meet to discuss their response to global challenges such as climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic.Under the flag of "sustainable development", these banks often present themselves as the world's saviours. But their investments come at a high price. Activities they finance have been linked to thousands of human rights violations. Human rights defenders who oppose harmful projects are being accused of being “anti-development” and they are being threatened, attacked and killed. Indigenous Peoples are seei

Episodio SP 2 - Defender Derechos En Tiempos De COVID - 19Una conversación con Sandra Patago, Front Line Defenders; Guillermo Rodríguez García. Oficial de incidencia del programa para México y centroamérica del Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL); Argentina Casanova, codirectora ejecutiva de la RNDDHMX; Waquel Drullard, facilitadore de proyectos en Artículo 19 en la oficina de Mx y Centroamérica y colabora en la facilitación del Espacio OSC en México; María Martín, coordinadora de incidencia de la IM-Defensoras; y Lesly Guerrero, encargada área legal internacional de UDEFEGUA (Guatemala).Además del fuerte impacto que ha tenido la crisis sanitaria generada por la pandemia de COVID-19 en el acceso a derechos y servicios básicos, esta ha resultado también en una profundización de la crisis democrática y de derechos humanos en la región mesoamericana. Como respuesta a la pandemia, algunos Estados de la región han implementado acciones de carácter punitivo, como toques de queda, estados de e

Interview with Palestinian artist and human rights defender Hafez Omar for Cypher 02:https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/sites/default/files/cypher02.pdfFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinedefenders/

Episode 9 - Watched & Monitored: Protecting HRDs from Surveillance- FLD Intro: 00:00 - 01:20- Hussein Radhi, Bahrain: 01:20 - 04:38- BIll Marczak, The Citizen Lab, Canada: 04:39 - 16:11- Tahir Imran, Pakistan: 16:12 -30:02- Zehida Bihorac, Bosnia & Herzegovina: 30:03 - 36:02Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinedefenders/

Episode 8 - HRDs & Wellbeing: Rest & Respite For Resiliency- FLD Intro: 00:00 - 01:50- Abdifatah Hassan Ali, Somalia: 01:50 - 13:05- Anna Sharyhina, Ukraine: 13:05 - 18:41- Atziri Avila, Mexico: 18:42 -24:50With the global pandemic continuing to impose social distancing and other changes to our lives, human rights defenders are increasingly dealing with new types of stress, on top of the regular barrage of threats, harassment and smearing, among other risks and threats.In this episode we go a bit behind the scenes with three human rights defenders to discuss how they deal with the impact of the work on their lives and wellbeing.One of the supports that Front Line Defenders offers to HRDs for their wellbeing and stress management is the Rest & Respite Programme. The programme provides an opportunity for HRDs who are exhausted, experiencing burnout or facing temporary safety issues to take some time out from their work and the stressful environment in which they are working. Front Line Defenders has

Season 2, Episode 7 - HRDs Defending Digital Space- FLD Intro: 00:00 - 01:18- Rabah Nouami, Morocco: 01:18 - 09:42- Larisa Schmillevitch, Brazil: 09:43 - 22:45- Asan 'AJ', South Sudan,: 22:46 - 29:31- HRD, Sri Lanka: 29:32 - 39:54In this episode of the Front Line Defenders podcast Rights on the Line, we’ll hear from human rights defenders in Morocco, Sri Lanka, South Sudan, and Brazil talk about the unique online threats to their work and when the significance of digital protection can mean the difference between life and death. Through the global pandemic, we are all making adaptations to new modes of working. Many of us are now work remotely, in different physical and emotional environments. But for those human rights defenders whose work always posed threats to their wellbeing and safety, the crisis has no doubt been abused to further repress their activities. Defending digital safety has never been more urgent.Since the outbreak of Covid-19, governments around the world have introduced and imple

Season 2, Episode 6 - Hong Kong MomentThis episode takes us to Hong Kong, where citizens are facing an unprecedented crisis brought on by China’s announcement that it would introduce new national security legislation to control the territory. Hong Kong saw a massive uprising of protest in 2019 against what was seen as moves by the Chinese government to infringe on the basic freedoms enjoyed in the city-state. It was the second mass movement in the decade, following the Umbrella Movement a few years before.Yet now, with the world focused on dealing with a global health pandemic, Chinese authorities are moving to consolidate power in what is seen as an existential crisis for Hong Kong and its people.Front Line Defenders discussed the situation and what it might mean for the future of human rights in Hong Kong with human rights defenders and journalists. Joining us for this episode are Mabel Au, a long time human rights campaigner, working on labour and gender rights; Lee Cheuk-yan, General Secretary of the Hong

Episodio SP 1 - COVID-19, Respuestas de los Gobiernos & Las Defensoras de Derechos Humanos en América Latina- FLD Intro: 00:00 - 02:52- Sara García Gross, El Salvador: 02:52 - 07:52- Manuela Roya, Chile: 07:52 - 15:41- Miriam Miranda, Honduras: 15:41 - 31:04- María Ciro: 31:04 - 40:28Front Line Defenders presenta una edición especial del podcast Rights on the Line, enfocándose en las defensoras de derechos humanos en América Latina con el episodio completo en español.Hasta el momento, la pandemia de la COVID-19 ha afectado a América Latina en menor medida que a otras regiones del mundo, con la notable excepción del Brasil, pero esto no significa que la región esté a salvo, ni que algunas medidas que han tomado los gobiernos se ajusten bien a sus poblaciones, en particular a los grupos más vulnerables, especialmente los pueblos indígenas.El Salvador fue el primer país que aplicó las medidas más estrictas de la región para hacer frente a la crisis, pero éstas no estuvieron exentas de controversia política,

Season 2, Episode 5 - The COVID-19 Crisis & Prisons in Iran- FLD Intro: 00:00 - 02:02- Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Prize Winner & Lawyer: 02:03 - 05:03- Roya Boroumand, Executive DIrector, AB Center: 05:03 - 20:44(including testimonies from Iranian prisoners)This episode of Rights on the Line focuses on the prison situation in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is a collaboration between Front Line Defenders and the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, a non-governmental non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran.In its documentation of human rights defenders cases in Iran, Front Line Defenders has often drawn attention to the poor health conditions in the prisons. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center has also documented these conditions, most recently in its April 2020 report, “COVID-19 Fear in Iran’s Prisons”, available on the Center’s website, www.iranrights.orgThe first COVID-19 cases were reported in Iran on February 19th in Qom. A month lat

Season 2, Episode 4 - COVID-19, HRDs & Government Response: Focus on India- FLD Intro: 00:00 - 04:22- Gayatri Khandhadai, Tamil Nadu: 04:22 - 24:48- Anindya Hajra, West Bengal: 24:48 - 37:25- Sadam Hanjabam, Manipur: 37:25 - 50:32- HRD, Kashmir: 50:32 - 1:08:58India has not been hit as hard by the COVID-19 pandemic as other countries, at least not in official statistics. While undercounting might be due to lack of available testing, the steps the Indian government took, including a 21-day lockdown may have proven effective in staving off worst-case scenarios.However, that does not mean the government's response has been welcomed in the country. And the measures the Modi government has taken have been widely seen as fitting into a larger trend characteristic of its Hindu-nationalist policies. From the earliest days of the crisis, the Muslim minority has been blamed for the spread of the virus. While the blaming of minorities or marginalized groups is not unique to India, the fact that this comes so so

Season 2, Episode 3 - When COVID-19 Cleared the Streets:What Next for Social Protests in Chile, Iraq & Algeria?- FLD Intro: 00:00 - 01:38- Interview Manuela Royo, Chile: 01:38 - 09:49- Interview with Mariam Al-Ashbal, Iraq: 09:49 - 16:23- Interview with Leila Chaimaa Souama, Algeria: 16:23 - 21:53Across the globe, 2019 was the year of packed squares and swarming streets, as tens of thousands of people gathered or marched to protest against deep economic inequality, call for greater civil and political rights, speak up against rampant corruption, and fight for a better future. From Chile to Iraq, demonstrations were largely peaceful. Yet, the crackdown was brutal. Human rights defenders, who were often at the front lines of those protests – documenting violations, assisting those who were arrested or organising peaceful actions – were particularly targeted. Despite the violent repression, mass protests seemed unstoppable. But the coronavirus outbreak has now succeeded where governments had failed. Social d

Season 2, Episode 2 - COVID-19 & HRDs: Defending the Marginalized - China, Poland & Rohingya In Bangladesh- FLD Intro: 00:00 - 02:07- Interview with Lu Pin, China: 02:07 - 16:03- Interview with Karolina Wieckiewicz, Poland: 16:04 - 27:01- Interview with Rohingya HRD, Bangladesh: 27:02 - 31:52Across the world, human rights defenders are adapting to life under the COVID-19 pandemic and working to both continue their regular work and also to provide additional support to groups who were already vulnerable and marginalized.In this episode of the Front Line Defenders ‘Rights on the Line’ podcast, we continue to learn about the impact of the health crisis on the work of HRDs on the front lines.In China, even as the complete closure of Wuhan was still in full effect, human rights defenders and organizations reported spikes in the number of cases of domestic violence being called in to hotlines. What has now emerged as a consequence of the stay at home policy in numerous countries is that the virus has left w

www.frontlinedefenders.orgSeason 2, Episode 1FLD Intro: 00:00 - 02:51Interview with Yara Hawari, Palestine: 02:51 - 12:48Interview with William Amanzuru, Uganda: 12:48 - 26:36Interview with Sara García Gross, El Salvador: 26:36 - 33:03As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the globe, and communities seek to protect themselves however they can, governments are being challenged to respond. While the vast majority of governments have not done well in initial responses, some have been transparent, direct and engaged with their citizens – and the global community. Others, particularly those with authoritarian features or tendencies, are engaged in responding to the crisis that puts political and economic interests out front, crafting policy and decree accordingly. The declaration of emergency rule in too many countries only solidifies what was already there in practice, and leaves many people scared not only of the virus itself, but what may come next when life returns to what we now call normal.Human rights defe