ISHR’s report Ending Reprisals: The role of national laws and policies in protecting those who cooperate with the United Nations puts forward arguments for a legislative response by individual States by which the right of unhindered access to and communication with international bodies is clearly protected in national law.
A 2012 panel discussion of the Human Rights Council recommended, amongst other things, that a study be carried out on good practices in addressing reprisals, including through national legislation. The examination in this report of the extent to which States have tried to address this issue in emerging national laws and policies on human rights defenders, and the conclusions and recommendations drawn from their consideration, (Section VI) are presented as a contribution to that aim.
On Tuesday 16 April 2024, ISHR delivered to both Geneva’s Administrative Council and its legislative counterpart, the Municipal Council, physical copies of the more than 1000 signatures collected in support of a memorial honouring Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli.
13 April 2024 marked one year since the Chinese authorities arbitrarily detained prominent human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife, woman defender Xu Yan. As their health steadily deteriorates, 30 rights groups and the European Union have renewed their call for their prompt release.
In a series of groundbreaking rulings in early 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court of Colombia set new precedents that significantly enhance protections for human rights defenders across Latin America.
