Human rights activists barred from travel, arrested

EIGHT activists invited to attend a human rights gathering in Ireland this week have been barred from travelling or are being held in prison in their home countries.

One woman, an activist in Uzbekistan, was arrested last Friday and appeared in court yesterday on finance-related charges that the organisers of the conference believe are fabricated.

Frontline, an organisation set up three years ago to offer protection to defenders of human rights worldwide, has asked the Irish government to make representations on behalf of the eight activists.

Andrew Anderson, Frontline’s deputy director, said the Department of Foreign Affairs has promised to investigate the cases.

Frontline has organised a three-day conference to be attended by over 100 human rights defenders from 70 countries.

They include 24-year-old Charm Tong, who has exposed the exploitation and sexual violence perpetrated against the minority Shan women of Burma.

It will also be attended by Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, from Sudan, who was prevented from receiving the inaugural Frontline award for his work in the east African state. He was arrested just hours before he was due to board a flight to Ireland to collect his award.

It has emerged Ireland has begun offering fast-track visas to individuals under constant threat and who need respite for a short period of up to three months.