While some people struggle for Olympic Gold, others struggle for survival, defending the rights of others

While some people struggle for Olympic Gold, others struggle for survival, defending the rights of others.

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After an unfair and politically motivated trial, Azimjan Askarov was found guilty of killing a policeman during violent clashes in the south of Kyrgyzstan.  He has worked for years against police abuse in the country.

 

Biram Dah Ould Abeid rescues children from forced slavery in Mauritania.  For working to abolish slavery in his country, he has been repeatedly imprisoned and harassed by the authorities, including being brought to court.

 

Yacine Zaid is a leading human rights defender and labor rights organizer in Algeria. Despite promises of reform in the country, Yacine has recently been targeted for his human rights work and faces a trial on trumped up charges.

Osman Işçi is a trade unionist working to promote and protect freedom of expression and association in Turkey. He has recently been targeted and imprisoned by the authorities for his stance for the full respect for the rights of the Kurdish people.

After joining striking oil workers in Kazakhstan, human rights defender Roza Tuletaeva was arrested and put on trial by the authorities. She was sentenced to7 years after an unfair trial and has suffered torture while imprisoned, and she still is on trial in a separate case.

 

After investigating allegations of abuse against members of China’s religious minorities, lawyer Gao Zhisheng was harassed, detained and disappeared for over two years. He is now imprisoned in a remote part Xinjiang province.

 

Temogen Tulawie, a Filipino human rights defender, is currently imprisoned and is facing charges of terrorism. He was targeted by authorities for his human rights work for the minority Muslim community in southern Philippines.

Juan Vásquez  has been shot at for his human rights work in Honduras.  He campaigns to call attention to the plight of the indigenous peoples who are struggling for the communal rights and rights to their lands.

 

Alexandre Anderson de Souza works for the rights of fisherfolk working in Rio de Janeiro. For over 2 years he has faced death threats and assassination attempts because of his work.

 

Working as a lawyer to protect the rights of prisoners in Venezuela, Marianela Sánchez Ortiz has faced harassment and direct threats, in addition to having death threats issued against her family.

Though fellow lesbian and gay human rights defenders in Uganda have been killed and attacked, and though she faces daily threats, Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera continues her work to challenge politicians, religious and community leaders to promote equality and the rights of the LGBTI community.

Magodongo Mahlunga is a leading woman human rights defender in Zimbabwe and in Africa.  Despite countless nights spent in jail and non-stop efforts to silence her, she continues to act to secure political, social and economic rights for the people of Zimbabwe.

Samar Badawi is a leading woman human rights defender in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She participated in the ‘right to drive’ campaign and registered to vote in Saudi elections, both of which prompted authorities to act against her and generated threats and harassment.

Habiba Al-Hinai is a leading woman human rights defender in Oman, who is currently facing trial for her human rights work.  Omani authorities continue to take action against human rights defenders, using imprisonment and public defamation as a means of intimidation.

 

Kavita Srivastava has been working tirelessly for the rights of the poor, including minorities, in India. Authorities targeted her for this reason and have directed threats against her and raided her home.