16th session of the Human Rights Council: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders: Joint oral statement

Human Rights First, OMCT andFIDH

Intervention Presented by PamelaKling Takiff

Thank youMr. President.I am speaking on behalf of Human Rights First, OMCT and FIDH.

HRF has worked for manyyears to reverse the tide of hate crimes and religious and other forms ofdiscrimination by offering positive recommendations to governments to confronthatred while respecting freedom of expression. In that regard, we welcome thereport of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Although we recognize a globalproblem of hostility, discrimination and violence targeting persons on accountof their religion or belief, we have opposed the concept of “defamation ofreligions” as counterproductive to efforts to protect individuals from thesehuman rights abuses.

The recent outbreak ofreligiously motivated violence - including the assassinations of GovernorTaseer and Minister Bhatti in Pakistanand the incidents of mob violence in Indonesia - serve as a tragicreminder of the dangerous and sometimes deadly consequences of nationalblasphemy laws. HRF has documented over 70 recent cases from 15 countriesdemonstrating how blasphemy laws have also been used to stifle discussion anddissent and settle private disputes.

HRF urges CouncilMembers to vote against any resolution which refers to “defamation"or "denigration" of religions” and to focus instead on theimplementation of existing obligations to combat discrimination and violence.

HRF, OMCT and FIDH wish tothank the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders for her report on womenhuman rights defenders and defenders working on women's rights and genderissues. We hope the mandate continues to have a gender specific approach in theyears to come. The brutal killing last January of David Kato, a Ugandan humanrights defender working on LGBTI issues, shocked the community of defenders. Wecall for an immediate and transparent investigation into his killing and allattacks against defenders working on women’s rights and gender issues.

We are alarmed by the increaseof violations committed by non-State actors against human rights defenders.

We are also concerned aboutrecent attacks on defenders in the Middle East and urge you to continue torequest country visits to Egyptand Tunisiaduring this crucial transitional phase.

We see opportunities forprogress for defenders in some countries in the region, and call for animmediate end to repressive legislation that undermines their work, an end toarbitrary detention and torture, and meaningful progress on constitutionalreform to protect them.

We note that in Iran that womenhuman rights defenders active in the "One Million Signatures"Campaign seeking to end discriminatory laws against women face constantharassment, and some remain arbitrarily detained.

A member of Mothers for Peace,Ms. Haleh Sahabi has also recently started to serve a two-year sentence. Othershave faced abusive judicial proceedings. New charges have also been broughtagainst the spokesperson of the Defenders of the Human Rights Centre (DHRC).

We call upon the SpecialRapporteur to provide technical assistance, which includes a gender dimension,to those countries which are in the process of drafting national protectionmeasures such as Mexico and Brazil.

Thankyou