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Ending Intimidation and Reprisals Against Those Who Cooperate with the African Human Rights System

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Ending Intimidation and Reprisals Against Those Who Cooperate with the African Human Rights System Ending intimidation and reprisals against those who cooperate with the African Human Rights System Submission to the Focal Point on Reprisals of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights May 2020 1 Madeleine Sinclair, Adelaïde Etong Kame International Service for Human Rights e: [email protected], [email protected] w: www.ishr.ch ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SERVICE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS The International Service for Human Rights is an independent, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights. We achieve this by supporting human rights defenders, strengthening human rights systems, and leading and participating in coalitions for human rights change. Follow Us Facebook www.facebook.com/ISHRGlobal Twitter www.twitter.com/ISHRGlobal YouTube www.youtube.com/ISHRGlobal COPYRIGHT © INTERNATIONAL SERVICE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 2020 Material from this publication may be reproduced for training, teaching or other non-commercial purposes as long as ISHR is fully acknowledged. You can also distribute this publication and link to it from your website as long as ISHR is fully acknowledged as the source. No part of this publication may be reproduced for any commercial purpose without the prior express permission of the copyright holders. DISCLAIMER While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in this publication, ISHR does not guarantee, and accepts no legal liability whatsoever arising from any possible mistakes in the information reported on or any use of this publication. Please notify us of any errors or corrections: [email protected]. 2 I. INTRODUCTION 4 II. THE PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO COOPERATE WITH THE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM 5 III. DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM 6 IV. UNDUE RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS TO ACHPR SESSIONS 7 V. UNDUE RESTRICTIONS ON ACCREDITATION 8 VI. CASES OF INTIMIDATION AND REPRISALS 10 ANGOLA 10 BURUNDI 11 CAMEROON 12 EGYPT 15 MALAWI 17 MAURITANIA 19 VII. RECOMMENDATIONS 20 3 I. INTRODUCTION ISHR is pleased to make the following submission to the Focal Point on Reprisals of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) to inform his annual report to be presented at the ACHPR in October 2020. This submission addresses the applicable legal framework and provides details of cases of intimidation and reprisals that ISHR was made aware of during the reporting period (12 May 2014 - 12 May 2020), as well as our understanding of how these cases have been addressed by relevant States. ISHR works to bring cases of alleged intimidation and reprisals to the attention of relevant international and regional bodies and mechanisms in an effort to press for effective preventative measures and responses to alleged cases of reprisals.1 ISHR is committed to raising awareness about the issue of reprisals and encouraging a robust and consistent response from the ACHPR, which, together with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), are the primary human rights organs of the African Union. Several of the individual cases of intimidation and reprisals described below have taken place in a context of systematic harassment, threats and attacks against human rights defenders. Abuses come in many forms, including the use and abuse of laws to criminalise the work of human rights defenders, the initiation of arbitrary legal proceedings intended to hinder such work, defenders having their activities unreasonably restricted and their organisations unfairly scrutinised, being spied on or defamed, denied access to funding, or being subject to arbitrary arrest, physical violence, and death. In addition to being used punitively, reprisals often take place as a deterrent measure. Preventing and addressing cases of intimidation and reprisals is closely associated with States’ obligations to ensure a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders and other civil society actors to carry out all aspects of their work. The issue of intimidation and reprisals against individuals who seek to or have communicated or cooperated with human rights representatives, bodies and mechanisms is one of the central challenges facing regional and international human rights systems. Such reprisals violate human rights and fundamental freedoms that regional and international systems are obliged to promote and protect. They also seriously impede bodies and mechanisms' abilities to discharge their mandates effectively, threaten their integrity, and undermine the credibility of their work in the field of human rights. 1 See for example, ‘Ending intimidation and reprisals against those who cooperate with the UN in the field of human rights, Submission to the UN Secretary-General on recent developments, cases and recommendations’, May 2020, available at: https://www.ishr.ch/sites/default/files/documents/ishr_submission_to_sg_reprisals_report_2020_final.pdf 4 II. THE PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO COOPERATE WITH THE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM The right of individuals to communicate or cooperate with regional and international human rights bodies, including the African human rights system, is derived from international human rights law and, in particular, the rights to freedom of expression and association.2 The right of effective access to such bodies requires that States take all appropriate measures to protect individuals from reprisals for such communication or cooperation and from all forms of intimidation to prevent or hinder such communication or cooperation. The right of all individuals to unhindered access to and communication with international bodies with general or specific competence to receive and consider communications on matters of human rights is specifically recognised by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders).3 The Declaration on Human Rights Defenders further recognises the right of individuals who seek to or have communicated or cooperated with international human rights bodies to protection from reprisals for such communication or cooperation.4 The right to be free from reprisals that threaten an individual’s life or physical liberty can also be an aspect of 2 The Universal Declaration on Human Rights (Articles 13, 19, 20), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Articles 12, 19, 22), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 8, Optional Protocol Article 13), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Article 5(d)(i), (viii)), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Article 7, Optional Protocol Article 11), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 13), the European Convention on Human Rights (Articles 10, 11, Article 2 to Protocol No 4), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Articles 9, 10, 12), the American Convention on Human Rights (Articles 13, 16, 22), the Arab Charter on Human Rights (Article 28), the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Article 13, Optional Protocol Article 15), the Convention No 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise of the International Labour Organisation (Article 2); and UNGA Resolution 53/144 on the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 8 March 1999, UN Doc A/RES/53/144, Annex, Articles 5, 6. See also, United Nations, Commentary to the Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, July 2011, p 48. 3 UNGA Resolution 53/144 on the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 8 March 1999, UN Doc A/RES/53/144, Annex, Articles 5(c), 9(4). 4 UNGA Resolution 53/144 on the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 8 March 1999, UN Doc A/RES/53/144, Annex, Articles 2(1), 9(1), 12(2). In this submission, the term “reprisal” is used to denote any form of violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of a individual’s attempted or actual communication or cooperation with an international human rights body that amounts to a violation of that individual’s human rights. 5 the protection afforded by other international human rights, such as freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention or deprivation of liberty; torture; cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; and arbitrary deprivation of life where, as is too often the case, acts of reprisal amount to violations of such freedoms.5 ISHR further notes that international human rights jurisprudence establishes that States that confiscate passports, issue travel bans or prevent human rights defenders or representatives of NGOs from attending international meetings may contravene the right to freedom
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