human rights

On November 27, 2012, the Inter-District Court of Bishkek dismissed a complaint brought to the court by Tolekan Ismailova, Director of WLP Kyrgyzstan/Human Rights Center-“Citizens Against Corruption” and the human rights Bir Duyno Film Festival.

WLP Kyrgyzstan/HRC Citizens Against Corruption held their annual Bir Buino Film Festival in Bishkek from September 24-28. On the last day of the festival the organizers were set to screen the independently directed film, ‘I Am Gay and Muslim’, a film that features young Moroccan men speaking about their sexual and religious identities.

The Sixth Annual International ‘Bir Duino’ (‘One World’) Documentary Film Festival on Human Rights is in session in Kyrgyzstan this week. WLP's Kyrgyzstan partner Human Rights Center/“Citizens Against Corruption” hosts this annual competition to recognize films that give an honest and powerful depiction of issues such as gender based violence, drug addiction, homelessness, and migration.

As published on Persian2English.com, human and women's rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh has been repeatedly denied in-person visitation with members of her family. If denied again, Sotoudeh promised to launch a hunger strike.

On June 11, 2012, Iranian activists circulated a clip of One Million Signatures campaign member and human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh visiting with her children during a prison visit to raise awareness of her plight.

Sotoudeh is currently serving a six-year prison term and is banned from practicing law for ten years for acting against national security, charges she denies. In this clip, a cheerful Sotoudeh talks with her five-year-old son, while her daughter cries in the background.

On September 27, WLP Kyrgyzstan/Human Rights Center “Citizens against Corruption” (CAC) celebrated the opening of its fifth annual One World International Human Rights Documentary Film festival in Bishkek. The event featured documentary films from a broad range of countries, including Afghanistan, Israel, Iran, South Africa, India, Great Britain, Ethiopia,Canada, as well as several from Kygyzstan.

WLP has just received the following appeal from our colleagues in Bahrain:

Civil society organizations in Bahrain are appealing for support, as developments in the country today have led to serious safety risks for citizens who have been protesting for democratic change since February 14.

After ten successful years as executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Thoraya Ahmed Obaid will leave that post January 1 and become Chair of WLP's Board of Directors. As the first Saudi Arabian woman to head any UN agency and a longtime crusader for women's rights and political empowerment, Dr. Obaid is no stranger to WLP's goals and approaches. We asked her a few questions about her new position.