News
Kyrgyzstan: Mass arrests of government critics in escalating crackdown on dissent
Freedom Now and 10 international human rights organizations call on Kyrgyzstan to immediately release and drop the charges against people arrested in the past week after speaking out against a controversial draft border agreement with neighboring Uzbekistan.
Kazakhstan: U.S. Senators Call for Investigation Into January 2022 Events
Today, four U.S. Senators issued a letter to Secretary Blinken expressing their concern about the absence of accountability for serious human rights abuses which took place in Kazakhstan following the unrest in January 2022.
Kazakhstan: Freedom Now Condemns Sentencing of Labor Activist Erzhan Elshibayev
Freedom Now strongly condemns the sentencing of labor rights activist Erzhan Elshibayev.
Azerbaijan: Freedom Now Condemns Detention of Lawyer Elchin Sadigov and Journalist Avaz Zeynalli
Freedom Now strongly condemns the detention of lawyer Elchin Sadigov and journalist Avaz Zeynalli. We call for their immediate release and all charges against them to be dropped.
Kazakhstan Should Comply with UN Decision and Quash Activist’s Conviction
The Clooney Foundation for Justice and Freedom Now have issued a letter requesting information on the implementation of a UN decision regarding human rights activist Alnur Ilyashev
Afghanistan: Dispatch from the Taliban’s War on Women
The Taliban’s conquest of Afghanistan has been a chaotic affair, yet a year later one constant remains – intolerance for women’s rights.
Saudi Arabia: Authorities Must Release Women’s Rights Activist Salma al-Shehab
Freedom Now joins 34 international human rights organizations in calling on Saudi Arabia to release women’s rights activist and academic Salma al-Shehab, who was recently sentenced to 34 years in prison
Kazakhstan: Civil Society Groups Call for Investigation into January 2022 Events
Six months after the deaths of over 240 people and hundreds were allegedly subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, there has been no accountability for the victims and their families. To ensure justice the Kazakhstani government needs to take urgent action to set up a fully independent investigation with the input of recognized independent international experts.
Iran: Freedom Now Petitions UN on Behalf of Women’s Rights Activists Saba Kord Afshari and Raheleh Ahmadi
On June 29, 2022, Freedom Now and Dechert LLP filed a petition with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Iranian women’s rights activists Saba Kord Afshari and Raheleh Ahmadi.
Saudi Arabia: President Biden Must Set Preconditions for Meeting with Saudi Crown Prince
Freedom Now and 12 organizations call on President Biden to secure genuine progress on human rights in Saudi Arabia before meeting with the Crown Prince
Afghanistan: Open Letter to Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States to the UN Human Rights Council
Freedom Now and 24 organizations call on UN Members to allow an urgent debate at the upcoming Human Rights Council meeting on the women’s rights crisis in Afghanistan.
Turkmenistan: UN Declares Detention of Lawyer Pygamberdy Allaberdyev to be a Violation of International Law
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found that the Turkmenistan violated international human rights law by detaining lawyer Pygamberdy Allaberdyev.
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