Press Release Dec 16, 2016 HRF to UN: Inquire into Arbitrary Detentions in Cuba; “El Sexto” should be released The prominent Cuban artist and activist was beaten and taken from his home in Havana on November 26, the day after Fidel Castro’s passing.
Press Release Dec 16, 2016 HRF to Cuba: Allow El Sexto to Meet With His International Lawyer Yesterday, Motley tried to visit Maldonado at his last known detention site, Havana’s El Combinado del Este maximum security prison. Motley was barred from seeing Maldonado, and was denied access to basic information regarding official charges.
Press Release Dec 16, 2016 Kimberley Motley, El Sexto’s Lawyer, Arrested in Cuba, and Taken to Unknown Location A recent journalistic investigation revealed that a group of intelligence agents from the Strategic Center for the Security and Protection of the Homeland (CESPPA), acting under direct instructions from President Nicolás Maduro, has unlawfully wiretapped phone conversations, and hacked text messages and email communications of prominent opposition figures such as Henrique Capriles, María Corina Machado, Henry Ramos Allup, and Julio Borges.
Press Release Dec 15, 2016 HRF to UN: “El Sexto” Should be Released This Monday, Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted an individual complaint to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), requesting that they initiate proceedings to investigate the arbitrary arrest and ongoing detention of Danilo Maldonado Machado, also known as El Sexto.
Press Release Dec 12, 2016 Canada, U.S., Estonia: HRF Supports Legislation to Reject Dictatorship Enablers The Magnitsky Law, if adopted, will allow Canada to sanction foreign officials who commit gross human rights abuses abroad by restricting their entry into the country and freezing their assets.
News Nov 2, 2016 Javier El-Hage writes in El País about the “coup” in Venezuela El presidente de Venezuela viene acusando a la oposición de planear un golpe de Estado en su contra “como los que fueron perpetrados contra Zelaya en Honduras, Lugo en Paraguay, y Roussef en Brasil”.
Press Release Oct 24, 2016 HRF Urges Democratic Countries not to Elect Dictatorships to UN Human Rights Council Governments seeking election to the U.N.’s top human rights body this year include China, Cuba, Egypt, Iraq, Malaysia, Russia, Rwanda, and Saudi Arabia.
Press Release Oct 5, 2016 HRF to UN: Do Not Elect Dictatorships to the Human Rights Council “This year, five notorious dictatorships are running for reelection at the world’s top human rights body. By gaining these highly coveted seats, which they have consistently used to exercise a heckler’s veto, they seek to shield themselves from any significant exposure of their horrendous human rights records,” said HRF Chief Legal Officer Javier El-Hage.“
Press Release Sep 9, 2016 Venezuela: HRF Condemns Imprisonment of Opposition Leader Over Picture-Taking Drone Pugila was arrested after he brought a small commercial drone for aerial photography to a mass pro-democracy demonstration that took place in Caracas on September 1.
Press Release Aug 31, 2016 Venezuela: HRF Condemns Arbitrary Arrest of Opposition Leader HRF calls on Venezuela’s government to stop fabricating absurd evidence on prodemocracy activists, to provide information on Goicoechea’s whereabouts and to release him immediately.
Press Release Aug 18, 2016 Venezuela: HRF Condemns Court Proceedings; Requests Release of Political Prisoner Human Rights Foundation (HRF) reiterates its February 2014 designation of López as a prisoner of conscience and calls on Venezuela’s authoritarian regime to release him immediately.
Press Release Aug 4, 2016 Nicaragua: HRF Condemns Arbitrary Dismissal of Opposition Congressmen Last Friday, the National Assembly enforced a decision issued by the Supreme Electoral Council on July 25, which ordered the dismissal of 16 principal and 12 alternate opposition congressmen belonging to the main opposition party.
News Jul 22, 2016 HRF Commemorates the Fourth Anniversary of the Death of Cuban Dissident Four years after Payá’s death in a mysterious car accident, his family is still searching for the truth. Today marks the fourth anniversary of the death of Cuban pro-democracy dissident Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas.
Press Release Jul 13, 2016 HRF to Rafael Correa: Stop Muzzling the Media According to a recent investigation by Fundamedios, Ecuador’s most prominent free press watchdog, the country’s 2013 Organic Law of Communications (LOC) has so far led to hundreds of legal proceedings against independent journalists and media outlets.
Press Release Jul 11, 2016 Infographic: Repression in Venezuela Violence is rampant, the media is censored, members of the authentic opposition are in prison, corruption is out of control, there is a historic food and supply shortage, blackouts occur daily, the currency has been destroyed by hyperinflation, and a militaristic regime has slowly taken over all key functions of government and civil society.
Press Release Jun 30, 2016 Nicaragua: HRF Condemns Court Ruling Leaving Ortega As Sole Presidential Candidate Callejas was the only presidential candidate competing against President Daniel Ortega for the general election, which is scheduled for November 6.
Press Release Jun 24, 2016 OAS: HRF Welcomes Long-Overdue Session Assessing Venezuela’s Democratic Erosion During his opening remarks, Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the OAS, lamented: “The people of Venezuela are faced with a government that is no longer accountable to them.
Press Release Jun 21, 2016 Cuba: Activists Arrested After Meeting With OAS Secretary General Both activists were detained for six hours last week at José Martí Airport in Havana when returning to the country after taking part in meetings with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro.
Press Release Jun 17, 2016 HRF Met with OAS Chief in the Dominican Republic El-Hage praised Almagro’s moral courage and congratulated him for activating the Inter-American Democratic Charter’s (IADC) 2001 democracy clause, which could lead to the suspension of the government of Venezuela from participation in all organs of the OAS.
Press Release Jun 13, 2016 HRF to Cuba: Stop Harassing Dissident Doctor In March, Herrera — a surgeon at the Calixto García University Hospital in Havana and a deputy editor for the Hablemos Press independent news agency — was barred from leaving the country to attend a human rights conference in the Czech Republic.
