World Activists Call for Restoration of Democracy and Respect

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PUBLISHED ON November 12, 2007 AT 1:27 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AS-262-2007
November 12, 2007

A Joint Statement from a group of NGOs that attended the seventh
International Colloquium on Human Rights in Sao Paolo, Brazil,
organised by NGO Conectas

WORLD: Activists call for the restoration of democracy and respect
for human rights in Pakistan

We the undersigned wish to express our grave concern regarding the
ongoing political and human rights crisis in Pakistan. As we meet in
Sao Paolo, Brazil for the seventh International Colloquium on Human
Rights, organised by NGO Conectas, which aims to strengthen human
rights in the South, we note with shock the ongoing crackdown in
Pakistan, in which our colleagues are being targeted and fundamental
rights have been suspended. Please click here

to download the statement prepared by Conectas in English and
Portuguese.

On November 3, 2007, General Musharraf unconstitutionally imposed a
state of emergency in Pakistan, three days before the Supreme Court
risked ruling against the validity of his October 6 presidential
election victory. General Musharraf claims that emergency rule was
required to curb terrorism and control an unruly judiciary.
Parliamentary elections scheduled for January could now also be
delayed by up to a year.

Under a Provisional Constitutional Order replacing the country’s
constitution, fundamental rights have been suspended, notably: the
right to security of the person; the freedoms of movement, expression
and assembly; and the protection from indefinite detention without
charge. Those arrested can be denied access to lawyers. The Supreme
Court has been banned from rescinding the emergency order.

An estimated 3500 lawyers, 500 human rights defenders, 100 political
workers and 12 journalists have been arrested during raids on courts,
lawyers’ homes and NGOs, and the repression of demonstrations.
Pakistan’s Chief Justice, Mr. Iftekhar Choudhry, was forcibly
removed from the Supreme Court and is under house arrest, as are 14
Supreme Court and 46 high court judges. The press is being severely
censored, with at least two major FM radio stations and four
television channels having been attacked and prevented from
broadcasting. At least 15 prominent political leaders have also been
arrested. Around 70 human rights activists from the Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan were arrested during a meeting in Lahore,
while some 30 activists have been beaten in Islamabad. Ms. Asma
Jahangir, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the freedom of
religion or belief, is under house arrest for 90 days. Ms. Hina
Jilani, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the
situation of human rights defenders, has been threatened with arrest
if she returns to the country. There are significant fears that
further arrests, ill-treatment and bloodshed will follow against all
those that continue to resist the illegal actions of the military
government.

We hereby express our solidarity with Pakistan’s people at this
difficult time and strongly condemn the illegal, unconstitutional and
brutal actions being taken by General Musharraf. We call for the
immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency, for the release of
all persons arrested during this crisis, for the constitution,
fundamental freedoms and the judiciary to be restored, and for the
holding of free and fair elections as planned in January 2008. We
elcome the Netherlands’ decision to halt aid to General
Musharraf and urge all actors, notably the United States, the
European Union and the United Nations, to take the necessary measures
required to ensure that democracy and the protection of human rights
are immediately guaranteed in Pakistan. In particular, we urge the
United Nations’ General Assembly to suspend Pakistan from the
organisation’s Human Rights Council.

Akemi Kamimura, Conectas Direitos Humanos, Brazil
Amita Dhanda Nalsar, Hyderabad University of Law, India
Basil Fernando, Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong
Carla Marina da Paixão Félix Magalhães,
Acção Humana, Angola
Carlos Andres Perez, CEDHUL, Colombia
Catharina Nakashima, Conectas Direitos Humanos, Brazil
Cecília Gregória Cassapi
Augusto,Associação Construindo Comunidades,Angola
Chinelo Chinwe-Ekene Aroh, Public and Private Rights Watch, Nigeria
Cristian Hernán Gómez Navarro,Corporación para
el Desarrollo del Oriente Compromiso,Colombia
Darío Esteban Abdala, ANDHES, Argentina
Denise Conselheiro, Conectas, Brazil
Ermelinda Lucrecia K. Muachiteca, Associação
Construindo Cominidades, Angola
Estella Libardi de Souza,Sociedade Paraense de Defesa dos Direitos
Humanos (SDDH),Brazil
Florentino Joaquim Inácio, Associação Luta pela
VIHda, Angola
Gabriela Yapor,Instituto de Solidaridad y Desarollo (ISODE),Uruguay
Gerardo Saravia López de Castilla,Instituto de Defensa Legal
(IDL),Peru
Godinho Cristóvão, Associação
Justiça, Paz e Democracia (AJPD), Angola
Gugu Ngobese Thabethe, Institute for Democracy in South Africa
(IDASA), South Africa
Isabel Coral Cordero,Centro de Promoción y Desarrollo
Poblacional (CEPRODEP),Peru
Isabella Henriques, Instituto Alana, Brazil
Itai Zimunya, Open Society - OSISA, Zimbabwe
Javier Palummo,Comité de Derechos del Niño -
Uruguay,Uruguay
Jeudy Oeung,Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC),Cambodia
José Rosario Marroquín Farrera ,Centro de Derechos
Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez A.C,México
Juana Kweitel, Conectas Direitos Humanos, Brazil
Julie Gromellon, FIDH, Switzerland
Julie Middleton,CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen
Participation,South Africa
Jureuda Duarte Guerra,Movimento de Luta Antimanicomial (MLA),Brasil
Lucas Muntingh, CSPRI, South Africa
Maira Solange Hari, Fórum Mulher, Mozambique
Mariana Parra, Conectas Direitos Humanos, Brazil
Marysol Francogoes, Conectas Direitos Humanos, Brazil
Michael Anthony, Asian Legal Resource Centre, Hong Kong
Nana Ngema, SA Treatment Action Campaign, South Africa
Nermine Wally,Euromed Role of Women in Economic Life,Egypt
Neusa das Dores Pereira,Centro de Documentação e
Informação Coisa de Mulher,Brasil
Noé Dias Mateus ,Rede Nacional de Pesoas Vivendo com o
VIH,Angola
Nusair Samara,Agricultural Development Association (PARC),Palestine
Raphael Garcia, Conectas Direitos Humanos, Brazil
Renata de Sauza, Brazil
Rodrigo Salvador Lachi, ILANUD,Brasil
Rosa Beltran, Conectas Dereitos Humanos, Brazil/US
Rosario Irupe Gonzales Icaza,Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL),Peru
Santosh Babu Sigdel, Freedom Forum, Nepal
Severine Catca, France
Sharad Sharma,World Comics India,India
Thamsanga Ngenya, Centre for Public Participation, South Africa
Valcirana Vieira da Maia, Coletivo de Mulheres Negras
Esperança Garcia, Brazil
Vinicius Anave Rodrigues Pinto, Conectas Direitos Humanos, Brazil
Zeka Alberto,Legal Assistance Centre,Namibia

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional
non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights
issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984. The
above statement has only been forwarded by the AHRC.

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World Activists Call for Restoration of Democracy and Respect

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