News

Featured

Malaysia: Civic spaces shrinking at an alarming rate for LGBTQ persons in Malaysia

Together with over 66 organisations, we express concern over the recent raid of a social gathering in Kuala Lumpur and the shrinking civic spaces for LGBTIQ person in Malaysia.
Featured

Alaa Abdel-Fattah’s life at serious risk: demand Egypt to immediately release him now!

CIVICUS stands in solidarity with movements and civil society organisations calling on Egypt to immediately release human rights activist, Alaa Abdel-Fattah.
Featured

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS urges a peaceful transfer of power in Brazil

Brazil’s presidential election results have been declared by the country’s election authority with Luiz Inacio Lula De Silva securing 50.
Featured

Kyrgyzstan: Mass arrests of government critics in escalating crackdown on dissent

We, the undersigned organisations call on the authorities in Kyrgyzstan to immediately release and drop the charges against people arrested without credible reason in the past week after speaking out against a controversial draft border agreement with neighbouring Uzbekistan.
Featured

EU-Southeast Asia CSOs Recommendations to the 4th EU-ASEAN Policy Dialogue on Human Rights

On behalf of the CSOs[1] that participated at the 2nd EU-Southeast Asia CSOs Forum held on October 24-22, 2022 in Jakarta, and in parallel with the 4th EU-ASEAN Policy Dialogue on Human Rights, we would like to express our gratitude to the EU-ASEAN Forum on Human Rights for the space and opportunity to engage in a dialogue with civil society representatives.
Featured

COP27: Over 200 organisations call on UNFCCC Secretariat & State parties to put human rights at the centre of climate action

CIVICUS together with over 200 organisations wrote an open letter asking the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and State parties to put human rights at the centre of the energy transition at COP27.

10 human rights groups urge China to submit report to UN Committee against Torture

                                                                                         OPEN LETTER General Secretary Xi JinpingCentral Committee of the Communist Party of ChinaZhongnanhai Ximen, Fuyou StreetXicheng District, Beijing 100017People’s Republic of ChinaFax: +86 10 6307 0900; +11 10 6238 1025 Re: State Report on the Implementation of the Convention Against Torture Dear General Secretary Xi, Almost three years have passed since the due date (9 December 2019) of the PRC’s latest State party report to the UN Committee Against Torture.
Featured

Kyrgyzstan: Joint NGO report for UN Human Rights Committee review

The United Nations Human Rights Committee will review Kyrgyzstan’s human rights record at its upcoming session in Geneva, which starts on 10 October 2022.
Featured

Iran: civil society urgently calls for accountability and respect for women’s rights

The death of Mahsa Amini while in custody after she was arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict rules on  women’s dress code and the massive arrests of protesters require urgent accountability by the government and end to violence against women and women human rights defenders, global civil society organisation, CIVICUS said today.
Featured

Sudan: woman at risk of death by stoning

Mariam Tirab, 20 years old woman from Sudan was sentenced to death by stoning on June 27th, 2022.
Featured

China must protect the rights of detained human rights defenders Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing

Today, 19 September 2022, marks one year in detention for two young Chinese human rights defenders: Huang Xueqin, an independent journalist and key actor in China’s #MeToo movement, and Wang Jianbing, a labour rights advocate.
Featured

Pakistan: Government has failed to comply with UN Working Group findings to end persecution of Muhammad Ismail and family

  CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance and Front Line Defenders, call on the Pakistan government to immediately comply with recommendations of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on the case of human rights defender Muhammad Ismail and put an end to all acts of harassment against him and his family.
Featured

Belarus: CIVICUS condemns harsh verdict on human rights defenders

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, expresses serious concerns over the sentencing of Viasna human rights defenders, Maria Rabkova and Andrey Chapiuk by the Minsk City Court this afternoon.
Featured

Bangladesh: Odhikar faces another blow as government upholds de-registration decision

The decision by the Prime Minister’s Office of Bangladesh to uphold the de-registration of prominent human rights organisation Odhikar is appalling and demonstrates the government’s ongoing efforts to crush the organisation and stifle human rights work in the country, CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance said today.
Featured

Introducing the new Chair and Vice-Chair of the CIVICUS Board

    We are pleased to announce that the CIVICUS Board has elected Dylan Mathews as Board Chair and Sonia Kwami as Board Vice-Chair.
Featured

Five years since genocide, the world must act to ensure justice for Rohingya

In marking the five-year commemoration of the genocide committed against the Rohingya in 2017, 384 civil society organisations reaffirm our commitment to continue to stand in solidarity with and seek justice for the Rohingya, to ensure the full restoration of their rights in Myanmar, and to end the impunity of the Myanmar military.
Featured

Over 150 organisations demand international community stand against raids and closures of 7 Palestinian organisations

Amid Israel’s escalating attacks targeting their work, a group of more than 150 Palestinian, regional, and international organisations express our full solidarity with the designated seven leading Palestinian civil society organisations, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al-Haq Law in the Service of Man (Al-Haq), Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P), Health Work Committees (HWC),the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC).
Featured

Malaysia: Ismail Sabri’s government is undermining fundamental freedoms

One year after Ismail Sabri took over as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, ARTICLE 19 and CIVICUS are concerned about systematic attempts by his government to restrict and undermine fundamental freedoms, especially freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Featured

Joint Letter to Bahrain King: Free 400-day hunger striker Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace

King of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamad bin 'Issa Al Khalifa Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa Your Majesties, We, the undersigned, are writing to you concerning Dr.
Featured

Guinea: Release human rights defenders and lift restrictions on freedom of assembly

The use of violence and the killing of demonstrators to disperse ongoing protests in Guinea entrenches impunity and is a major setback for the fragile transition, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today.
Featured

FIJI: Contempt proceedings over highlighting spelling mistake inject climate of fear

Amnesty International and CIVICUS call on the Fiji government to drop contempt charges against a lawyer in Fiji for the exercise of his right to freedom of expression.
Featured

Uganda: Reverse the suspension of LGBT organisation

CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organisations and activists dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world is seriously concerned about a recent decision by the Ugandan authorities to suspend the operations of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an organisation that has for years championed the rights of LGBT people in Uganda.
Featured

Sri Lanka: end government crackdown on peaceful protesters

We, the undersigned organizations, condemn the Sri Lankan authorities' violent crackdown and increasing reprisals against peaceful protesters in Sri Lanka.
Featured

28 CSOs condemn the continued blocking of Al-Manassa’s website and dozens of other news websites

The undersigned civil society organisations condemn the blocking by the Egyptian authorities of three links to access the Al-Manassa website within approximately 72 hours, starting from Thursday, 14 July.
Featured

Joint statement: the European Union must address reprisals against human rights defenders in India

The joint European Union (EU)-India press release, which provides a summary of the topics discussed during the 10th EU-India human rights dialogue which took place on 15 July 2022 in New Delhi, fails to adequately address pressing issues of security and reprisals faced by human rights defenders in India, five human rights organisations said today.
Featured

Myanmar: Execution of four democracy activists highlights junta’s brutality

We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the execution carried out by the military junta against four pro-democracy activists in Myanmar.
Featured

Malawi: respect human rights and allow peaceful protest

The government of Malawi must stop the clampdown on peaceful protests and respect the rights of its citizens to voice concerns which is in line with the country’s national and international human rights obligations, said the global civil society alliance CIVICUS, today.
Featured

Maldives: amend provision in the evidence act that compels journalists to reveal sources

The undersigned 10 organizations call on the government of Maldives to repeal or amend the deeply problematic provision in the Evidence Act (Act No.
Featured

CIVICUS calls for the release of Eswatini MPs before the anniversary of their detention

Calls for the release of Eswatini MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube 25 July marks their one-year anniversary in detention  MPs feature in  #StandAsMyWitness global human rights campaign Regional SADC conference to address political unrest postponed Global civil society alliance CIVICUS calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Eswatini members of parliament Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube ahead of their one-year anniversary in detention.
Featured

Sri Lanka: Brutal attack against peaceful protesters by security forces

Joint Statement Five human rights organizations strongly condemned the brutal attack against unarmed peaceful protesters by Sri Lankan forces in Colombo in the early hours of 22 July 2022 .
Featured

Sri Lanka: State of emergency must not be used to curtail fundamental freedoms

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, is concerned with the declaration of a state of emergency by the prime minister’s office in Sri Lanka on 13 July and again by the Acting President on 18 July.
Featured

Indonesia: Draft law of criminal code negatively impacts fundamental freedoms

Statement in Indonesian Joint statement: Hold public consultations on the revised draft of the Criminal Code and repeal restrictive provisions We, the undersigned organizations, are alarmed by provisions in the draft amendments of the Indonesian Criminal Code, recently made public, that will negatively impact civic space and fundamental freedoms in the country.
Featured

Egypt: Uphold rights to free expression at environmental summit

Arabic 36 organisations urge Egyptian authorities to end crackdown on civil society organisations and peaceful protests for a successful COP27 Egyptian authorities should ease their grip on civic space and uphold the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly to enable a successful climate summit, known as the COP27, in Egypt, 36 organisations said today.
Featured

Sierra Leone: stop violence against peaceful protesters and respect democratic rights of citizens

The government of Sierra Leone must stop the brutal repression of peaceful protests and respect the rights of its citizens to engage in demonstrations which is in line with the country’s international human rights obligations, said the global civil society alliance CIVICUS today.
Featured

India: Halt harassment and release human rights defender Teesta Setalvad

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, condemns the recent arrest of Teesta Setalvad and calls on the government of India to stop targeting human rights defenders.
Featured

Singapore: Drop investigations and cease harassment against human rights defenders

Seven (7) human rights organisations urgently call on the Singaporean authorities to drop their criminal investigations of human rights defenders Kirsten Han and Rocky Howe and cease harassing them through legal processes for their work.
Featured

Ecuador: Human rights at risk as protests are violently repressed

The use of violence to restrict ongoing protests in Ecuador and the refusal of the government to heed the demands of the protesters further threatens fundamental freedoms, Global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today.
Featured

Civil Society holding the line in contested times: 2022 CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report

Published at the halfway point of 2022, the State of Civil Society Report shines a light on a time of immense upheaval and contestation.
Featured

Brazil: Ensure justice for Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips and act to protect Indigenous rights defenders

Portuguese Authorities in Brazil must thoroughly investigate the brutal murders of Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips in the Javari Valley (Amazonas state) and act to protect Indigenous territories and defenders, global civil society alliance, CIVICUS said today.
Featured

Egypt: Mohamed El-Baqer: 1000 days of arbitrary detention

Arabic Human rights defender Mohamed El-Baqer must be released immediately and unconditionally, stated 19 human rights organisations.

Open call to all international actors: Do more to stop internet shutdowns shrouding torchings and killings in Myanmar

Content note: this statement contains references to violence, murder, and potential war crimes.
Featured

India: Joint statement on the deteriorating health of G. N. Saibaba in Nagpur Central Jail

Seven human rights organisations expressed concerns about the deteriorating health of the activist and Delhi University professor Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba in Nagpur Central Jail, Maharashtra State, and called on the Indian authorities to provide urgent access to health care.
Featured

European Commission work programme 2023: The need to include the development of a European Civil Society Strategy

 CIVICUS joins call to the European Commission for the development of a European Civil Society Strategy Ms Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission cc: Ms Vera Jourova Vice-President of the European Commission Mr Didier Reynders Commissioner for Justice We, civil society organisations acting at local, national and European level, call on the European Commission to include in the work programme of 2023 a proposal for a European Civil Society Strategy1.
Featured

Zimbabwe: Release abducted activist Obert Masaraure immediately

CIVICUS calls on the Zimbabwean authorities to immediately release Obert Masaraure, an activist and human rights defender.
Featured

Philippines: Government must stop judicial harassment against human rights groups

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, is alarmed by the ongoing judicial harassment against members of three human rights groups that have been accused of perjury for seeking legal protection from the Supreme Court against government harassment and intimidation.
Featured

Kazakhstan downgraded as civic freedoms deteriorate

Russian / Русский Failure of authorities to independently and impartially investigate the Bloody January' 2022 protests, when 200 people were killed and thousands injured Widespread allegations of arbitrary detentions of peaceful protesters, torture and ill-treatment and due process violations in connection with the January events The January events used as a pretext by authorities to target civil society activists, opposition supporters, and journalists Kazakhstan has been downgraded from Obstructed to Repressed  by the CIVICUS Monitor.
Featured

Bangladesh: Arbitrary de-registration of prominent human rights group Odhikar another blow to civil society

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) are extremely alarmed by the decision of the government to arbitrarily revoke the registration of Odhikar, a leading human rights organisation in Bangladesh.
Featured

Thailand: Government must immediately and unconditionally drop royal defamation charges against youth activists

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Asia Democracy Network are alarmed by the ongoing judicial harassment against youth pro-democracy activists in Thailand for exercising their rights to expression and peaceful assembly.
Featured

Malaysia: Two years on, still no protection & accountability for Rohingya HRD Zafar Ahmad from harassment and threats

We, the undersigned organisations, are deeply concerned about the situation of stateless Rohingya refugee and human rights defender Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani, President of Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization (MERHROM), who has been vilified and has received death threats since April 2020 after he was falsely accused of demanding Malaysian citizenship and equal rights for the Rohingya in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Featured

Hong Kong: Chow Hang Tung remains in detention for one year since her arrest

Today, we mark a year since the arrest of human rights defender and lawyer Chow Hang Tung.

Sign up for our newsletters

Our Newsletters

civicus logo white

CIVICUS is a global alliance that champions the power of civil society to create positive change.

brand x FacebookLogo YoutubeLogo InstagramLogo LinkedinLogo TikTokLogo BlueSkyLogo

Johannesburg Hub

25  Owl Street, 6th Floor

Johannesburg
South Africa
2092

Tel: +27 (0)11 833 5959


Fax: +27 (0)11 833 7997

UN Hub: New York

CIVICUS, c/o We Work

450 Lexington Ave

New York
NY
10017

United States

UN Hub: Geneva

11 Avenue de la Paix

Geneva

Switzerland
CH-1202

Tel: +41 (0)79 910 3428