Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights
@TheRWCHR
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The RWCHR is an international org. of parliamentarians, scholars, jurists, HR defenders, and NGOs, in the pursuit of justice, founded by @IrwinCotler.
Joined August 2020
Vladimir Kara-Murza (@vkaramurza) has been granted honorary #Canadian #citizenship, cementing his place among some of the world’s great human rights heroes, including Raoul Wallenberg and Nelson Mandela. He reflects the best of Canadian values.
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5 years ago, @SenLeiladeLima, a leading voice seeking justice for victims of crimes against humanity committed in Duterte’s “War on Drugs”, was detained on fabricated charges.
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Welcome back to #freedom, @vkaramurza!. This news is a tremendous relief to all those who know and love him - none more than his wife and fellow activist @ekaramurza and their three children.
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Today, our friend and Senior Fellow @vkaramurza was unjustly sentenced to 25 years in prison. His unlawful imprisonment cannot go unanswered. We must not relent until Vladimir is free. His wife and children need him free. Russia needs him free. The world needs him free. #FreeVKM
Thinking of my friend @vkaramurza, a ray of light piercing through the darkest clouds of oppression. A hero of #Russia, today he was convicted to 25 years in prison for telling the truth about #Putin crimes. His jailers already tried to kill him twice. We must secure his release.
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Canadian Government Announces #Magnitsky #Sanctions Against #Russia’s Architects of Repression . RWCHR Hosts Advocacy Day in Support of Anti-Putin Hero and Pro-Democracy Leader Vladimir Kara-Murza (@vkaramurza) . PRESS RELEASE:
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Maria Afiuni, a Venezuelan judge, was arrested 11 years ago today & now faces 5 years for fulfilling her judicial duties. She was persecuted & brutally tortured to force others to comply with the regime, known as the "Afiuni effect” in Venezuela. #FreeAfiuni #EmpowerNotImprison
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In honouring #Navalny’s legacy, our duty is clear: we must not only mourn his loss but channel our grief into resolute action. Article in @policy_mag by @Billbrowder and the RWCHR's @IrwinCotler and Brandon Silver.
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We are in #Ottawa with our close collaborator @Billbrowder to kick off the national campaign to help @vkaramurza secure life-saving honorary #citizenship.
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Securing honorary citizenship is an important victory in our advocacy efforts for @vkaramurza. Still, his unlawful imprisonment cannot go unanswered. His wife and children need him free. Russia needs him free. The world needs him free. We won’t stop until he is #free.
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“Philippine Senator Leila De Lima May be the Only Hero of the Duterte Era”. Interview with @SenLeiladeLima in @FPIF:.
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"I will do everything to save @vkaramurza's life. I will continue to fight for him in Germany, the UK, and everywhere. I tell Vladimir, we are coming to get you." - @Billbrowder
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One of the world's bravest #HumanRights and human liberty defenders, @SenLeiladeLima, has asked for the dismissal of the contempt case filed against her and her lawyer by the government. Read more here:
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The RWCHR, and Professor @IrwinCotler, joined @jvmifoundation & other NGOs and #humanrights defenders in calling on the @UN_HRC for an international inquiry re the #1988Massacre of dissidents.
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Our new #podcast is launching NEXT WEEK!. Hosted by @yonahdiamond, the first season of @ConvictionPrice brings you the story of @vkaramurza, featuring in-depth interviews with @ekaramurza, @Billbrowder, @IrwinCotler, and more. Listen to the trailer:
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Russian democratic opposition leader @vkaramurza’s health is failing. He has long stood for a brighter future for us all. Now we must stand for him. @IrwinCotler @Billbrowder @ekaramurza .
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We are very concerned about @vkaramurza's deteriorating health. He continues to suffer from the effects of two assassination attempts due to a shameful lack of treatment and the torturous conditions while incarcerated. He must be #released immediately.
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“Ethiopia #Tigray crisis: Warnings of #genocide and #famine” by Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the @WorldPeaceFdtn.
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“‘I Don’t Know If They Realized I Was A Person’: The Use Of Rape As A Weapon Of War In #Tigray”. By @EwelinaUO in @Forbes:.
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Op-ed by @Billbrowder & @IrwinCotler on addressing #Russia’s internal repression, which is deeply intertwined with its external aggression. Canada should stand up for courageous dissidents such as #AlexeiGorinov. @ovdinfo_en @OvdInfo.
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RWCHR International Chair @IrwinCotler, @ekaramurza (@4freerussia_org), and @Billbrowder in #Ottawa for a day of high-level meetings and advocacy on behalf of courageous Russian defender of democracy and human rights @vkaramurza.
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En ce jour de l'indépendance de l'#Érythrée, après 33 ans de #répression brutale et de violations flagrantes des #droitsdelapersonne, la meilleure façon de marquer cette journée est de réclamer la liberté des journalistes les plus longtemps incarcérés.
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🚨BREAKING: A #genocide against non-Arab groups in #Darfur is happening now. One year since the war in #Sudan began, this crisis must no longer be ignored. #EyesOnDarfur.
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RWCHR Founder and International Chair @IrwinCotler strongly condemns the continued persecution and prosecution of #MahvashSabet and #FaribaKamalabadi, unjustly sentenced to an additional decade in prison for nothing other than being #Baháʼí:
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A timely and important piece in the @washingtonpost by @Renew_Democracy and @HRF chairman Garry @Kasparov63 on how the Biden administration and the West can help Russians as #Putin continues to undermine free speech.
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We recently filed in four different jurisdictions targeted #sanctions against #Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and the senior Eritrean officials responsible for crimes against humanity against #DawitIsaak and his colleagues.
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Read this important @rapplerdotcom article on the case and cause of @SenLeiladeLima:. “From jail, Leila de Lima files candidacy for senator”.
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RWCHR Senior Fellow @bergersus speaks out on behalf of Swedish #politicalprisoners and #hostages abroad, and highlights the struggles their families have faced when asking the #Swedish government to help bring them home.
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As part of yesterday's #advocacy in support of @vkaramurza, Foreign Affairs Committee & International Human Rights Subcommittee @HoCCommittees hosted a major joint briefing with @IrwinCotler, @ekaramurza, & @Billbrowder to discuss the case & targeted #Magnitsky #sanctions.
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We submitted a complaint in the case of Russian opposition leader @vkaramurza. Our international coalition requests that the #UNWGAD declare his detention arbitrary and urge #Russia to immediately and unconditionally #release him.
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Thrilled that our close friend and Senior Fellow @vkaramurza is among the 16 #freed from unlawful imprisonment in #Russia. He is a hero of the #humanrights and #democracy movement in Russia and a Canadian honorary citizen. See you soon, Vladimir!.
Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza are coming home.
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One year after @vkaramurza was granted Honorary Canadian citizenship, we filed a second #sanctions recommendation to the Canadian government, naming 31 individuals directly responsible for #humanrights abuses against him.
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One year ago today, Russian pro-democracy opposition leader @vkaramurza was arbitrarily arrested for opposing Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. We must not relent until he is #free. His wife and children need him free. Russia needs him free. The world needs him free.
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Nasrin Sotoudeh, leading Iranian human rights lawyer- known as Iran's Mandela- has represented women’s rights defenders, children on death row, journalists, minorities. In her late 50s, she's serving a virtual death sentence-38 years & 148 lashes.#FreeNasrin #EmpowerNotImprison
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Today marks the 59th day of Venezuelan political prisoner Ígbert Marín #Chaparro’s #hungerstrike against his cruel, inhumane, and torturous conditions:
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Russian #humanrights hero and newest honorary citizen of Canada @vkaramurza was forcibly disappeared just before his 42nd #birthday (which is today, September 7th). @ekaramurza @Billbrowder @IrwinCotler .
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Nine years ago, Russian opposition leader #BorisNemtsov was gunned down in the streets of Moscow, just blocks from the Kremlin. The best way to commemorate this courageous advocate for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Russia is by supporting what he stood for.
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READ: "Canada should honour #MahsaAmini’s memory by sanctioning her killers". Important and timely piece from @ratnaomi, @Billbrowder, and the RWCHR's Brandon Silver.
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📢 RWCHR #PressRelease. Call to action to relocate the #Beijing2022 Winter Olympic Games so long as #China's government continues to carry out mass #atrocities against its #Uyghur population. Read about our campaign:.
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"Our planet is in such pain and anguish and too many of us move as if it is of little consequence. We need more than words and laws - we need justice." - @IntlCrimCourt Chief Prosecutor @KarimKhanQC during the 2023 Elie Wiesel Distinguished Lectureship in Human Rights
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The advocacy and solidarity on behalf of @vkaramurza, led by @ekaramurza, @Billbrowder, and Professor @IrwinCotler, had wide international resonance, and was heavily featured in national media coverage, including in the @nationalpost.
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Heroic #Russian dissident and RWCHR Senior Fellow @vkaramurza is being moved to an unknown location. Now more than ever he and his family need our support. Demand his immediate and unconditional #release. We won’t stop until he is free. @ekaramurza @Billbrowder @IrwinCotler.
My thoughts are with heroic Russian dissident & Canada’s newest honorary citizen @vkaramurza. We just learnt he is being secretly transported to an unknown location, punished for his continued opposition to #Putin regime, even from prison. Stand in solidarity & demand his release.
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« C'est un moment historique pour @vkaramurza, tous les autres détenus et leurs familles, ainsi que pour la démocratie et l'espoir. Nous nous réjouissons avec @ekaramurza, Vladimir et leurs enfants que cette horrible épreuve d'emprisonnement injuste ait pris fin. » - @IrwinCotler.
Bon retour à la #liberté, @vkaramurza!. Cette nouvelle est un immense soulagement pour tous ceux qui le connaissent et l'aiment, en particulier sa femme et collègue militante @ekaramurza et leurs trois enfants.
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@kovaliv_y @HerasymchukD @aagjeieven @avalaina @drshellywhitman @LZaburanna @MasseyCollege @GP_Ukraine @GAC_Corporate @UKRinCAN "Russian troops deliberately destroy residential buildings, they attack recreation corridors, they organize forcible deportations, they arrest parents and give their children for adoption to Russian families, and they carry out the policy of forced reeducation." - @avalaina
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On this day in 1912, Raoul Wallenberg was born in Sweden. A diplomat during the Holocaust, he saved the lives of 100,000 Hungarian Jews, leading the UN to describe him as “the greatest humanitarian of the 20th century.” We think of his courage every day, especially today.
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"Most people disregard injustice and move on but Cotler (@IrwinCotler), the Kara-Murzas (@vkaramurza & @ekaramurza), and Browder (@Billbrowder) are exceptional because they recognize the responsibility that comes with freedom.".
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Delighted to speak with all-party champions of @vkaramurza's case and cause, including MPs @jamesbezan, @marty_morantz, @JohnMcKayLib, @anitavandenbeld, and others. Working alongside @Billbrowder to advance honorary citizenship to help save his life.
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Today, we are thinking of Ekpar Asat, a tech entrepreneur and model citizen who turned 35 in isolation, his 3rd year in solitary confinement, and 6th year in China's internment camps for nothing other than being #Uyghur. #FreeEkpar
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On this #WorldPressFreedomDay, we stand in solidarity with #journalists and #media professionals worldwide. A free press safeguards human rights, social justice, and democracy.
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Important statement from Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI):.
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Leila De Lima is a Philippine Senator & leading voice seeking justice for the victims of Duterte’s “War on Drugs.” Detained for nearly 4 years on trumped-up charges, she’s undergoing a protracted trial & facing up to life in prison if convicted. #FreeLeilaNow #EmpowerNotImprison
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Today is @raif_badawi's birthday, his first since being released after spending a decade of his life in prison for nothing other than promoting #humanrights, free expression, and social reforms in #SaudiArabia.
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Our Director of Policy Brandon Silver on #ParliamentHill with an important message about @vkaramurza. Calling for protective spotlight of honorary #Canadian #citizenship. We will not relent until he is #free.
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As the anniversary of downed Ukrainian Flight PS752 approaches, more must be done to hold Khamenei's Iran accountable for the tragic bombing and murder of the innocent onboard. Read more here:
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That's a wrap on our week of #advocacy in #Ottawa on behalf of our Senior Fellow, detained Russian dissident @vkaramurza. Our focus was on advancing a case for his honorary #Canadian #citizenship. We won’t stop until Vladimir is free.
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Today, Dr. Wang Bingzhang turns 73 in solitary confinement, where he has languished 18 years for dedicating his life to democracy, human rights & the rule of law in China. Today, we celebrate his monumental accomplishments and lament what could have been.
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After spending a decade of his life in prison, we welcome the news that renowned Saudi blogger #RaifBadawi has been #released. Read the full statement here:
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RWCHR's @IrwinCotler, alongside @ekaramurza and @Billbrowder, met with @melaniejoly, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs @CanadaFP, to discuss the case and cause of @vkaramurza and implementation of #MagnitskySanctions against Russia’s architects of repression.
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Beautiful & moving @cbcasithappens interview with @ekaramurza on her husband @vkaramurza's recent Pulitzer Prize- awarded for his brilliant writing from the confines of a Russian jail cell. We MUST NOT let this brilliant man -#Canada’s Honorary Citizen - languish behind bars.
On @CBC Canada talking about @vkaramurza winning the Pulitzer Prize for his columns about Russia under Putin’s rule
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Today is @vkaramurza's birthday - his first since being unjustly imprisoned for daring to speak truth to power. He is the face of courage in #Russia and a hero of the #humanrights and #democracy movement. We will not relent in our efforts until he is free. #FreeVKM
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On October 18, 2022, at 5:00 PM the RWCHR will host a #screening and #discussion of My Duty to Not Stay Silent, a film by imprisoned leading Russian opposition figure and RWCHR Senior Fellow Vladimir Kara-Murza @vkaramurza. Register here:
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RWCHR Senior Fellow @vkaramurza: “The Kremlin must be held accountable now, not after it succeeds in killing another political opponent.” Alexei @navalny is slowly being assassinated and the international community must prevent that from happening.
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As Nasrin Sotoudeh – the heroic #HumanRights Lawyer – ends day 29 of hunger strike, we must continue to stand in solidarity with her and those who she risks her life for. It is our individual and collective responsibility, we must act, and we must not relent until she is free.
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Coalition of global experts concludes that #Russia is in breach of the 1948 #Genocide Convention. Report with @NewlinesInst definitively concludes there is a serious risk of genocide in #Ukraine. Read the full report here:
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Powerful piece from @Billbrowder calling on the newly elected #UK government to save @vkaramurza's life and secure his release. As a #British national, they must prioritize his #freedom before it is too late.
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We strongly condemn the latest wave of persecution of the #Baháʼí in #Iran, which has included more than 180 documented incidents in a matter of weeks, including the arrest of #JamaloddinKhanjani. @CanadaBahai @BahaiBIC .
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Today, the Day of Solidarity with #PoliticalPrisoners in #Iran, is an important moment of remembrance and reminder, of bearing witness and taking action to secure justice for the victims and accountability for the violators who perpetrated these horrific mass executions.
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Today marks the 18th anniversary of the unjust imprisonment of Alexei Pichugin, "Russia's longest-serving #politicalprisoner." #FreePichugin #EmpowerNotImprison. Read about his case and cause:
Alexei Pichugin, Russia's longest-serving political prisoner. Incarcerated for 18 years as of today, in violation of two rulings by the ECHR, for refusing to bear false witness. His and other names must never be forgotten. More on Pichugin's case here:.
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Documentary screening at @mbamtl of "First to Stand: The Cases and Causes of Irwin Cotler". Featuring @Billbrowder, @NatanSharansky, @shaparakshjr, @miss9afi, @AlinejadMasih, and more. 📅 December 10th and 11th at 7:30 PM. Tickets on sale:
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@kovaliv_y @HerasymchukD @aagjeieven @avalaina @drshellywhitman @LZaburanna @MasseyCollege @GP_Ukraine @GAC_Corporate @UKRinCAN "Russia uses war crimes as a message of fear. When the invasion started, we were faced with unprecedented war crimes, the victims of which were children." - @avalaina
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REMINDER! #Film #screening and #discussion of My Duty to Not Stay Silent by imprisoned leading Russian opposition figure and RWCHR Senior Fellow @vkaramurza. Featuring @4freerussia_org's @ekaramurza and Professor @IrwinCotler. Last chance to register:
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Happy birthday to @NSotoudeh, a leading #humanrights lawyer and political prisoner. She is languishing in #Iranian prison for representing women's rights defenders and children on death row. We will not relent in our struggle until she is freed.
Today May 30 is Nasrin's 58th birthday. We cannot wish her a "happy" birthday, because she is still in prison. We do wish to honor & celebrate her and all that she has done to defend and uphold the rights of women, children, and people of all religions and gender/sexual choice.
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Le gouvernement canadien annonce la mise en œuvre des #sanctions #Magnitsky contre les architectes #russes de la répression. CRWDP organise une journée de plaidoyer en faveur du héros anti-Poutine et leader pro-démocratie Vladimir Kara-Murza (@vkaramurza).
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After #22years, Dawit Isaak, Seyoum Tsehaye, Amanuel Asrat, Dawit Habtemichael, and their colleagues are still in jail. Their families have come together to ask the #Eritrean government and the international community to take action. #HearTheirVoices.
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L'administration #Biden doit accélérer les efforts pour #libérer @vkaramurza, dirigeant de l'opposition emprisonné en #Russie. Nous sommes fiers de soutenir l'appel mené par @freedomhouse aux côtés d'une coalition de défenseurs des #droitsdelapersonne.
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This #CanadaDay, leaders from across the political spectrum have come together to celebrate Canada’s newest honorary #citizen, @vkaramurza, and to shine a spotlight on his continuing incarceration. We pay tribute to his courage and welcome him to the #Canadian #family.
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RWCHR Director of Policy & Projects Brandon Silver and @ekaramurza at the @UN_HRC engaging in a range of international advocacy on behalf of @vkaramurza. Meeting with embassies, high-level diplomatic officials, and @UN officials related to Vladimir's case and cause.
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Breaking #news! The #UnitedNations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calls for #release of #DawitIsaak, the longest detained journalist in the world, following sustained advocacy by RWCHR-led coalition.
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Day of high-level meetings/advocacy with Chairs of House & Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs & Subcommittee on International Human Rights, leaders of Canada’s major political parties, @DeputyPM_Canada @cafreeland, & Minister of Justice & Attorney General @DavidLametti & others.
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Russia continues to hold @vkaramurza in a punishing cell, ruthlessly endangering his life. Vladimir is held by the same people who poisoned him twice, all for spreading the truth about the war. Demand he get the medical attention he needs. Be his #voice. Share his #story.
Deeply concerned with deteriorating health of unjustly imprisoned Russian hero Vladimir Kara-Murza (@vkaramurza). We condemn the ongoing arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of Kara-Murza, an @TheRWCHR Senior Fellow, and now a political prisoner.
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The RWCHR and @IrwinCotler stand with @vkaramurza – arbitrarily arrested for criticizing #Putin’s #criminal aggression in #Ukraine, and who now faces an additional unjust charge of “treason”: #FreeVKM
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"Following the call made. by a #UN Special Rapporteur for an independent inquiry into the #1988Massacre and the role played by President-elect Ebrahim Raisi, JVMI is urging the #OHCHR launch a Commission of Inquiry into the mass killings and to hold #Raisi accountable.".
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Important and timely piece in the @washingtonpost by RWCHR Senior Fellow @vkaramurza:. "It isn’t difficult to win elections when one’s opponents are not on the ballot.".
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RWCHR spearheads international coalition calling for targeted Magnitsky #sanctions against senior #Eritrean officials involved in gross #humanrights violations against Dawit Isaak and his colleagues. #PressRelease:
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The RWCHR and @IrwinCotler co-signed @jvmifoundation's open #letter calling on the Council on Foreign Relations to #cancel its event with #Iranian President Ebrahim #Raisi, who oversaw the extrajudicial executions of #dissidents during the #1988Massacre.
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Joint statement of concern with @PGAction on the rise in anti-Bahá'í propaganda:. #Bahai #Bahais #StopHatePropaganda .
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A letter to #Canadians from @vkaramurza on being granted honorary #citizenship and what it means to #Russia's #politicalprisoners and all those defying the Putin regime to denounce its war against Ukraine.
1/ 🇨🇦 My dear Canadian friends,.I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the incredible honour you have bestowed on me by making me an honorary citizen of Canada.
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“#Afghanistan: Taliban responsible for brutal massacre of #Hazara men - new investigation” . Via @amnesty:.
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There is a clear pattern and practice of persecution targeting Baha’is stemming directly from Iranian authorities. We cannot ignore their pain and plight.
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Today, on the 6th anniversary of his forced disappearance, we are thinking of Ekpar Asat, a tech entrepreneur and model citizen who is suffering a 4th year in solitary confinement in China's internment camps for nothing other than being #Uyghur. #FreeEkpar
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It is great news that Nasrin Sotoudeh was recently released from prison on temporary Furlough due to her grave medical state. But this is not enough. We must #StandUp4Nasrin and demand her immediate, unconditional and permanent release! #FreeNasrin
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Join us TOMORROW!. Protecting #Uyghurs: Legal and Policy Avenues. High-level panel hosted by @TheRWCHR, @UyghurCongress, @Uyghuradvocacy, and @WallenbergGroup. Featuring leading #Uyghur and #humanrights defenders @Dolkun_Isa, @ZumretErkin, @MehmetTohti, and @yonahdiamond.
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We join the outcry over the situation of the Baha'is in Ivel. Watch & share this video of Canadian MPs @Alduceppe, @AliEhsassi, @cathayw, @MayElizabeth, & @LeahGazan as they denounce this horrendous situation and call for justice for the Baha'is.
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