Geneva, October 10, 2007: On October 4, 2007, Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations, became the new President of the Foundation supporting the World Organization against Torture (OMCT). Kofi Annan has always demonstrated a strong commitment to human rights and has stated his total opposition to torture. In accepting to become the new President of the Foundation supporting OMCT, he expressed his wish to be actively involved in initiatives defending human ...

OMCT ACTION FILE (IND 180808.ESCR) - INDIA

Your action is called for to stop violent supression of pacific protest by the police

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has received reliable information concerning ongoing tensions and police harassment of members of local adivasi community following the breach by the Agricultural University of Kerala of conditions attached to a transfer of land from the adivasi community to the University for the construction of a veterinary college. These conditions were intended to compensate the indigenous community ...

13 August 2008,

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) express great satisfaction with the Views adopted on 24 July 2008 by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) in the Case of Andreas Kalamiotis v. Greece. The related Communication No. 1486/2006 was submitted to the HRC by OMCT and GHM. According to the HRC, Greece violated Article 2 paragraph 3 (right to an effective ...

Case SDN 120808/ SDN 120808.CC
URGENT CAMPAIGNS/ CHILD CONCERN
Alleged torture/ Unfair Trial/ Death penalty

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Sudan.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT), a member of OMCT SOS-Torture network, that 30 individuals, including a minor, (see names below) on trial in Sudan’s Special Courts for their alleged involvement in the Justice and ...

Paris – Geneva, August 8, 2008 - The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), express their utmost concern over the increasing intimidation against Ms. Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize and Secretary General of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), since she has decided to defend in court seven members of the Baha’i minority[1]

Antananarivo-Brazzaville-Bujumbura-Geneva-Khartoum-Kinshasa-London-Lusaka-Nairobi-N’jamena, 31 July 2008. African Women’s Day gives us the opportunity to remember that gender-based violence is one of the most serious and widespread violations of the basic rights of women, particularly on the African continent. Gender discrimination is both one of the causes and an aggravating factor of the consequences of violence against women, thus contributing to the perpetuation of impunity of such cases.

The signatory organisations call on African States to ratify the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and ...

Paris-Geneva, August 6th, 2008. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) strongly condemn the execution on August 4th, 2008 of Mr. Yaghoub Mehrnehad.

Mr. Yaghoub Mehrnehad was a social activist in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan and journalist for the Mardomsalari (Democracy) newspaper. He was also the Executive Director of Voice of Justice Youth Association, a local NGO registered with the authorities since 2002.

“This execution follows a blatantly unfair trial held behind closed ...

french

Geneva-Paris, June 19, 2008. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), which supports, monitors and protects human rights defenders throughout the year, is publishing today its 2007 Annual Report. The report focuses on the year-round fight for human rights and includes contributions from Hina Jilani, Desmond Tutu, ...

The abduction and torture of a Ugandan HIV/AIDS activist who faces trial for holding a peaceful protest reveals the danger to those who challenge the government’s policies, Human Rights Watch and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders said today. The three human rights organizations (the Observatory is a joint program of the World Organisation Against Torture and the International Federation of Human Rights), called on the Ugandan authorities to investigate the abduction and torture and sanction those responsible. They also urged that the charges against all three human rights defenders on trial for the protest ...