URGENT APPEAL- THE OBSERVATORY
PAK 001 /9901/ OBS 023
Death threats
Pakistan-13th April 1999.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Pakistan.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has been informed by an international coalition of women's organisations of death threats made to prominent Pakistani human rights defender, Ms. Asma Jahangir.
According to the information, members of the Peshawar Chamber of Commerce in Pakistan and a section of religious groups have demanded that she be arrested and hanged, claiming that she "takes the small problems of Pakistan to international forums and creates a bad name for Pakistan." Furthermore, they also argue that she encourages women and girls to rebel against their families.
These groups have warned that if the government of Pakistan does not take action, they will kill her themselves. Moreover, it is alleged that they have announced a monetary reward for anyone taking her life.
Asma Jahangir is at the forefront of human rights work in Pakistan and in addition to her work for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (an affiliate of FIDH), she is UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary and Summary Executions. She also runs a shelter for women, « Dastak » headed by her sister Ms. Hina Jillani. It is believed that it was her involvement, as a lawyer, in the case of the murder of Ms. Saima Sarwar (one of the phenomenon of « honour killings » - killings carried out by the family of the victim to protect the honour of the family) - see OMCT case Violence Against Women case 120499 - that has brought events to a head.
Ms. Asma Jahangir is currently attending the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, where she presented her first report as UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary and Summary Executions. The Observatory is gravely concerned about the safety of Ms. Asma Jahangir when she returns to Pakistan because of this threat and the fact that she has previously been the victim of other such threats.
Action Requested :
Please write to the authorities urging that they :
i take appropriate measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Asma Jahangir and those organisations and individuals working with her, including her sister and head of « Dastak » Ms. Hina Jillani ;
ii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9 1998 (Declaration concerning the rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and institutions to promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental liberties ) in particular its Article 1 which provides that « Every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level. »
iii. guarantee the effective respect of fundamental human rights and freedoms in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the universal and regional Pacts and Covenants ratified by Pakistan.
Addresses:
Office of the President, Islamabad, Pakistan.Fax : + 92 51 811 390
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Office of the Prime Minister, Islamabad, Pakistan Fax : + 92 51 920 889 /92 1545
Pakistan Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Fax : 0041 22 734 80 85
Geneva- Paris 13 April 1999.
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of the present appeal.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
1998 Human Rights Prize of The French Republic.
PAK 001 /9901/ OBS 023
Death threats
Pakistan-13th April 1999.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Pakistan.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has been informed by an international coalition of women's organisations of death threats made to prominent Pakistani human rights defender, Ms. Asma Jahangir.
According to the information, members of the Peshawar Chamber of Commerce in Pakistan and a section of religious groups have demanded that she be arrested and hanged, claiming that she "takes the small problems of Pakistan to international forums and creates a bad name for Pakistan." Furthermore, they also argue that she encourages women and girls to rebel against their families.
These groups have warned that if the government of Pakistan does not take action, they will kill her themselves. Moreover, it is alleged that they have announced a monetary reward for anyone taking her life.
Asma Jahangir is at the forefront of human rights work in Pakistan and in addition to her work for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (an affiliate of FIDH), she is UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary and Summary Executions. She also runs a shelter for women, « Dastak » headed by her sister Ms. Hina Jillani. It is believed that it was her involvement, as a lawyer, in the case of the murder of Ms. Saima Sarwar (one of the phenomenon of « honour killings » - killings carried out by the family of the victim to protect the honour of the family) - see OMCT case Violence Against Women case 120499 - that has brought events to a head.
Ms. Asma Jahangir is currently attending the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, where she presented her first report as UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary and Summary Executions. The Observatory is gravely concerned about the safety of Ms. Asma Jahangir when she returns to Pakistan because of this threat and the fact that she has previously been the victim of other such threats.
Action Requested :
Please write to the authorities urging that they :
i take appropriate measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Asma Jahangir and those organisations and individuals working with her, including her sister and head of « Dastak » Ms. Hina Jillani ;
ii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9 1998 (Declaration concerning the rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and institutions to promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental liberties ) in particular its Article 1 which provides that « Every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level. »
iii. guarantee the effective respect of fundamental human rights and freedoms in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the universal and regional Pacts and Covenants ratified by Pakistan.
Addresses:
Office of the President, Islamabad, Pakistan.Fax : + 92 51 811 390
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Office of the Prime Minister, Islamabad, Pakistan Fax : + 92 51 920 889 /92 1545
Pakistan Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Fax : 0041 22 734 80 85
Geneva- Paris 13 April 1999.
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of the present appeal.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
1998 Human Rights Prize of The French Republic.
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