ANNUAL REPORT

2022
A boat sails along the Niger River in Mopti on March 13, 2022. © FLORENT VERGNES / AFP

ANNUAL REPORT
2 0 22
 04 President’s Letter
06 41st FIDH World Congress and 100th birthday !
08 188 Member Organisations
10 International Board
11 Priority Supporting Human Rights Defenders
19 Priority Fostering an Environment Conducive to Democracy
and Freedom
28 Priority Promoting Women’s Rights
32 Priority Fighting Impunity and Protecting
Populations from the Most Serious Crimes
40 Priority Promoting Respect for Human Rights
CONTENTS

by Economic Players
46 Organisational Development

54 List of reports
56 Financial Report 2022
57 Acknowledgements
 President’s Letter

Dear Friends,

Even during the darkest of times, one can still find a serious anti-democratic turn away from rights
reason to hope. For far too many of our member won following the Arab Spring of 2011.
organisations, for far too many human rights
defenders and activists and for far too many 2022 was marked by the invasion of Ukraine by
citizens who aspire to enjoy their freedoms, the Russia and by the serious human rights violations
past year has been another bleak one. committed in the context of the armed conflict.
Despite a renewed interest in international justice,
Around the globe, 2022 was a year which, and unprecedented accountability efforts by
once again, was marked by widespread and some States, many situations of serious
major backlashes against the Rule of Law, by international crimes, including sexual and gender-
a decline of democracy, by a degradation of based crimes, continued to be either ignored or
human rights and fundamental freedoms, by the inadequately addressed around the world.
increased influence of anti-gender and anti-rights
movements as well as the far right, by several 2022 was a challenging year for human rights,
military coups and attempted coups (Burkina on every continent. However even during the
Faso, Mali, Sudan, Peru) and by major crises most desolate of times, light can and does
(Afghanistan, Iran, and Sudan, to name a few). shine through. For me, a memorably bright
The increasingly shrunken space for civil society 2022 moment will always be the centenary
and the attacks on and criminalisation of human celebrations of the founding of our federation.
rights defenders was (and still is) part of a general 2022 marked both our 100th birthday and our
authoritarian push-back against democracy. 41st Congress. 100 years ago, rights activists
2022 was also marked by major crackdowns from countries which had been torn apart, just a
on peaceful protesters (including women as is few years earlier, decided to join forces to create
currently happening in Iran) through the lethal the first international human rights organisation.
use of violence. This, in response to demands for
freedom and democracy. Tunisia has also taken

4 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
One recognition of these battles along our journey,
is the Nobel Peace Prize which was, awarded this
year to two of our FIDH member organisations In 2022, we continued our use of regional and
- Memorial in Russia and the Centre for Civil international judicial systems as well as human
Liberties in Ukraine, as well as to our friend and rights mechanisms, to promote and protect all
former Vice-President, Alès Bialetski, from our rights, access to justice, and dignity for all. We
member organisation, Viasna, in Belarus. The contributed to some major positive impacts
Nobel Peace Prize of this year is a wonderful with the release of 57 human rights defenders
recognition of this light of hope. It is the prize under arbitrary detention, and the renewal of
of resistance. Resistance to totalitarianism. UN investigation mechanisms in Afghanistan,
For FIDH, rewarding three of our member Belarus, Burundi, Burma, Democratic Republic
organisations as well as individuals from three of Congo (DRC), Nicaragua, Palestine, Sudan and
different countries, reflects the reality of the Ukraine. A new UN mechanism on Russia has
strength which comes from collective work. been established. This is remarkable because,
When we work together, we create networks for the first time, a permanent member of the
of solidarity and resistance. We are then able Security Council is being targeted. Tougher
to do our work better and fulfil our collective sanctions have been adopted against Burma, Iran
mission of defending and protecting human and Russia. Judicial progress in cases relating
rights. For us, this prize symbolises the strength to international crimes in Syria, the resumption
of civil society. We wish to, once again, extend our of the ICC investigation into all international
congratulations to Ales Bialetski, Memorial and crimes in Afghanistan, and the verdict issued
the Centre for Civil Liberties. We are all immensely in the Chebeya-Bazana case (DRC) - are some
proud of them and overjoyed by this recognition. of the battles won in the fight for justice, which
give us strength and hope as we continue in our
This joy cannot however be complete until Ales, pursuit for the enjoyment of human rights by all.
and his companions, including our Vice-President
Vialiantsin Stefanovich, finally walk free. The In 2022, we proved, once again that no matter
trial of Ales, marked by serious violations, took how bleak the times may be, we continue to
place a few months ago. It is one among many know that‘’to act is still the best way to hope’!
indelible stains on the reputation of Belarus. I wish
to express our solidarity and support to so many
others, defenders, friends, and colleagues who Alice Mogwe,
are in danger, arbitrarily detained, imprisoned or President
persecuted for their human rights work, around
the world.

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 5
41s t FIDH World Congress
and 10 0 th birthday !

of the human rights situation in the world and in

France; to hear powerful testimonies from civil
society, and in particular from FIDH members
on the Federation's past, present and future
struggles, and to note the renewed support for the
FIDH's mission from the French Presidency, the
Paris City Council, the United Nations Secretariat-
General and the Prosecutor of the International
Criminal Court. These representatives all
reaffirmed the importance of the work of the
FIDH and its members in all regions of the world,
and the need to protect democratic space and
human rights defenders.

"At a time when we are witnessing a decline

in human rights, particularly the rights
of women and girls, your commitment is
The 41st FIDH Congress took place from 23 more necessary than ever. Your unifying
to 27 October 2022 in Paris, France. It was a model, based on cooperation and solidarity,
particularly significant moment of celebration demonstrates what the international
of the Centenary of FIDH (1922 – 2022), in community can achieve when it is united.
cooperation with FIDH's member and founding "I salute the work of the FIDH, and of all those
host organisation in France, the Ligue des droits who act daily to protect human rights and
de l'Homme (LDH). civic space throughout the world, often at the
risk of their lives. You inspire the world to act
Bringing together 160 representatives from 110 decisively to advance justice, equality and
member organisations, and nearly 200 guests human dignity, and I thank you."
and speakers, the Congress was divided into
three distinct parts. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the
United Nations.
To mark its 100th anniversary, the FIDH first
organised a Ceremony in the Paris City Hall.
More than 160 human rights defenders and This component of the event was followed by a
representative from member organisations of the Strategic and Interactive Forum attended by
FIDH and 200 guests (international and national over 400 people, who discussed key themes to
civil society organisations, French authorities, meet the objectives of connecting civil societies
diplomats, representatives of international and from around the world, learning from each other
European inter-governmental organisations, and finding innovative solutions together.
journalists, foundations, academics, artists,
donors and partners) attended the event. The To this end, four round tables were organised:
Ceremony provided an opportunity to take stock "How to make international human rights

6 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
protection mechanisms more effective", "Poverty, les droits humains", the mandate and in
inequality and human rights", "Anti-rights particular the reinforcement of the fight
movements: an offensive against the universality against the deterioration of the environment
of human rights", and "The environmental crisis and the climate, the frequency of meetings of
and human rights". A dozen "pitches" - individual the statutory bodies and their composition,
presentations based on concrete experiences the composition of its members by instituting
and allowing for more personalised exchanges a single member status and reinforcing the
with participants - completed the programme. monitoring of their situation.
• A new International Board was elected, with
12 women out of 22 members and a renewal
Finally, the 41st FIDH World Congress was rate of almost 50%.
marked by five major events :
• The FIDH's multi-annual strategy for the Thanks to a great deal of support, the FIDH
period 2023-2030 and its main lines of action Congress was given excellent visibility in Paris
were debated and supported by the member (the Hôtel de Ville was decorated in the colours
organisations present. of the FIDH Centenary, posters were hung
• The Congress debated and voted in favour throughout the city, etc.) and on social networks
of 7 geographical resolutions (Maghreb throughout the period leading up to and during the
and the Middle East, Colombia, Iran, Israel's Congress on all its accounts: Twitter; Facebook;
apartheid regime against the Palestinian LinkedIn; Instagram; YouTube; and Twitch. A total
people, Nicaragua, Syria and Vietnam), 4 of 173 posts were made, with an engagement
thematic resolutions (rights of nature, human rate of 9 716 and an impression rate of 190 430.
rights defender) and 6 emergency resolutions
(fight against anti-rights and anti-gender 2 000 journalists were contacted, 200 targeted
movements, armed conflicts in Eastern and in the end 50 registered to take part in the
Europe and Central Asia, Turkey, Iran, impact Congress' public events. 40 interviews were
of disinformation on democratic processes conducted with defenders, and 156 articles
in Latin America and military transitions on appeared in the press. Most of the clippings
the African continent). came from media based in Europe, but a large
• Six associations from Mozambique, Rwanda, proportion were produced in Spanish, which
Brazil, Ukraine, Libya and Tunisia have gave the campaign a wider reach, particularly
joined the FIDH. The number of member in Latin America.
organisations now stands at 188 in 116
countries.
• A reform of the FIDH by-laws was adopted,
mainly concerning the name of the FIDH in
French "La Fédération internationale pour

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 7
 Organisations / CHINA, China Labour Bulletin / CHINA, Human
Rights In China / COLOMBIA, Comite Permanente
188 Member

por La Defensa de Los Derechos Humanos /

COLOMBIA, Corporacion Colectivo De Abogados
José Alvear Restrepo / COLOMBIA, Instituto
Latinoamericano De Servicios Legales Alternativos
/ COLOMBIA, Organización Femenina Popular /
CONGO-BRAZAVILLE, Observatoire Congolais Des
Droits De L’Homme / CROATIA, Civic Committee For
Human Rights / CUBA, Comision Cubana De Derechos
Humanos Y Reconciliacion National / CZECH
REPUBLIC, Liga Lidskych Prav (Human Rights
League) / Djibouti, Ligue Djiboutienne des Droits
Humains / Dominican Republic, Comisión Nacional
de los Derechos Humanos / DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
OF CONGO, Association Africaine Des Droits De
L’homme / DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO,
Groupe Lotus / DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO,
AFGHANISTAN, Armanshahr/Open Asia / ALBANIA, Ligue Des Électeurs / ECUADOR, Acción Ecológica
Albanian Human Rights Group / ALGERIA, Collectif / ECUADOR, Comisión Ecuménica De Derechos
des familles de disparu(e)s en Algérie / ALGERIA, Humanos / ECUADOR, Fundación Regional de
Ligue Algérienne de défense des droits de l’homme Asesoria en Derechos Humanos / EGYPT, Cairo
/ ANGOLA, Associação Justiça Paz e Democracia / Institute For Human Rights Studies / EGYPT, Egyptian
ARGENTINA, Centro De Estudios Legales y Sociales Initiative for Personal Rights (ALMobadara) / EGYPT,
/ ARGENTINA, Comité De Acción Jurídica / Human Rights Association for the Assistance Of
ARGENTINA, Liga Argentina Por los Derechos Prisoners / EL SALVADOR, Comision de Derechos
Humanos / ARMENIA, Civil Society Institute / Humanos del Salvador / ETHIOPIA, Human Rights
AUSTRIA, Austrian League for human Rights / Council / FINLAND, Finnish League for Human Rights
BAHRAIN, Bahrain Center For Human Rights / / FRANCE, Ligue des Droits de L’Homme / GEORGIA,
BAHRAIN, Bahrain Human Rights Society / Human Rights Center / GERMANY, Internationale
BANGLADESH, Odhikar / BELARUS, Human Rights Liga Fur Menschenrechte / GREECE, Hellenic League
Center Viasna / BELGIUM, Liga Voor Menschenrechten For Human Rights / GUATEMALA, Centro para la
/ BELGIUM, Ligue Des Droits Humains – Belgique / Accion Legal en Derechos Humanos / GUINEA,
BOLIVIA, Asamblea Permanente De Derechos Mêmes droits pour tous / GUINEA, Organisation
Humanos De Bolivia / BOTSWANA, Ditshwanelo - The Guinéenne pour la Défense des Droits De L’Homme
Botswana Centre For Human Rights / BRAZIL, Justiça / GUINEA-BISSAU, Liga Guineense dos Direitos
Global / BRAZIL, Justiça Nos Trilhos / BRAZIL, Humanos / GULF, Gulf Centre for Human Rights /
Movimento Nacional De Direitos Humanos / BURKINA HAITI, Centre Œcuménique Des Droits Humains /
FASO, Mouvement Burkinabé Des Droits De L’Homme HAITI, Réseau National De Défense Des Droits De
Et Des Peuples / BURUNDI, Ligue Burundaise Des L’Homme / HAITI, Solidarite Fanm Ayisyèn /
Droits De L’Homme / CAMBODIA, Cambodian Human HONDURAS, Centro De Investigación Y Promoción
Rights And Development Association / CAMBODIA, de los Derechos Humanos / HONDURAS, Comité de
Ligue Cambodgienne De Défense Des Droits De Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos en Honduras
L’Homme / CAMEROON, Maison Des Droits De / Hungary, Hungarian Helsinki Committee / INDIA,
L’Homme / CANADA, Ligue Des Droits Et Des Libertés Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons /
Du Québec / CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, Ligue INDIA, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative /
Centrafricaine Des Droits De L’Homme / CENTRAL INDIA, People’s Watch / INDONESIA, KontraS / IRAN,
AFRICAN REPUBLIC, Observatoire Centrafricain des Defenders of Human Rights Center / IRAN, Ligue de
Droits de l’Homme / CHAD, Association Tchadienne Défense des Droits de l'Homme en Iran (Lahidji, Karim)
pour la Promotion et la Défense des Droits de l'Homme / IRELAND, Free Legal Advice Centres / IRELAND,
/ CHAD, Ligue Tchadienne des Droits De L’Homme / Irish Council For Civil Liberties / ISRAEL, Adalah - The
CHILE, Corporacion De Promocion Y Defensa De Los Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel /
Derechos Del Pueblo / CHILE, Observatorio Cuidadano ISRAEL, Association For Civil Rights In Israel / ISRAEL,

8 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
 ROMANIA, The League For The Defense of Human
Rights / RUSSIA, Anti-Discrimination Center Memorial
B’tselem - The Israeli Information Center for Human (ADC Memorial) / RUSSIA, Citizens’ Watch / RUSSIA,
Rights in the Occupied Territories / ISRAEL, Public Human Rights Centre "MEMORIAL" / RWANDA,
Committee Against Torture In Israel / ITALY, Lega Association Rwandaise pour La Défense Des Droits
Italiana Dei Diritti Dell’uomo / ITALY, Unione Forense de La Personne et des Libertés Publiques / RWANDA,
Per La Tutela Dei Diritti Dell’uomo / IVORY COAST, Ligue Rwandaise Pour La Promotion Et La Défense
Ligue Ivoirienne des Droits De L’homme / IVORY Des Droits De L’Homme / RWANDA, Observatoire
COAST, Mouvement Ivoirien des Droits Humains / des droits de l’Homme au Rwanda / SAUDI ARABI,
JAPAN, Center For Prisoners’ Rights / JORDANIA, Alqst / SENEGAL, Ligue Sénégalaise des Droits
Amman Center For Human Rights Studies / Humains / SENEGAL, Organisation Nationale Des
KAZAKHSTAN, International Legal Initiative Droits De L’Homme / SENEGAL, Rencontre Africaine
Foundation / KAZAKHSTAN, Kazakstan International Pour La Défense Des Droits De L’Homme / SOUTH
Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law / KENYA, AFRICA, Lawyers for human rights / SOUTH KOREA,
Kenya Human Rights Commission / KOWEIT, Human People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy /
Line Organisation / KYRGYZSTAN, Centre Of Human SPAIN, Asociacion Pro Derechos Humanos De Espana
Rights "KYLYM Shamy" / KYRGYZSTAN, Human / SPAIN, Federacion De Asociaciones De Defensa Y
Rights Movement « Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan » / Promocion De Los Derecho Humanos - Espana /
KYRGYZSTAN, Legal Clinic Adilet / LAOS, Mouvement SUDAN, African Center For Justice And Peace Studies
Lao Pour les Droits De L’Homme / LATVIA, Latvian / S U DA N , Sudan Human Rights Monitor /
Human Rights Committee / LEBANON, Centre SWITZERLAND, Ligue Suisse des Droits De L’homme
Libanais des Droits Humains / LEBANON, Palestinian / SYRIA, Al Marsad / SYRIA, Damascus Center For
Human Rights Organization Council / LIBERIA, Human Rights Studies / SYRIA, Syrian Center for
Regional Watch for Human Rights / LIBYA, Defenders Media and Freedom of Expression / TAJIKISTAN,
Center for Human Rights / LITHUANIA, Lithuanian Tadjik “Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law” /
Human Rights Association / MALAYSIA, Suaram TAIWAN, Covenants Watch Taiwan / TAIWAN, Taiwan
Rakyat Malaysia / MALDIVES, Maldivian Democracy Association For Human Rights / TANZANIA, The
Network / MALI, Association Malienne des Droits De Legal And Human Rights Center / THAILAND, Internet
L’Homme / MAURITANIA, Association Mauritanienne Law Reform Dialogue / THAILAND, Manushya
des Droits De L’Homme / MEXICO, Comision Mexicana Foundation / THAILAND, Thai Lawyers for Human
de Defensa Y Promocion de Los Derechos Humanos Rights / THAILAND, Union For Civil Liberties / THE
/ MEXICO, IDHEAS, Litigio Estratégico en Derechos NETHERLANDS, Liga Voor de Rechten Van de Mens
Humanos / MEXICO, Liga Mexicana Por La Defensa / TIBET, International Campaign for Tibet / TOGO,
De Los Derechos Humanos / MOLDOVA, Promo-LEX Ligue Togolaise des Droits de L’Homme / TUNISIA,
/ MOROCCO, Association Démocratique des Femmes Association de Défense des Libertés individuelles /
du Maroc / MOROCCO, Association Marocaine pour TUNISIA, Association Tunisienne des Femmes
les Droits Humains / MOROCCO, Organisation Démocrates / TUNISIA, Doustourna / TUNISIA, Forum
Marocaine des Droits Humains / MOZAMBIQUE, tunisien pour les droits économiques et sociaux /
Centro para Democracia e Desenvolvimiento / TUNISIA, Ligue Tunisienne des Droits De L’Homme
Myanmar, Altsean Burma / Myanmar, Myanmar / TURKEY, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey /
Alliance for Transparency and Accountability / TURKEY, Insan Haklari Dernegi - Ankara / TURKEY,
Myanmar, Women Peace Network / NICARAGUA, Insan Haklari Dernegi - Diyabakir / UGANDA,
Centro Nicaraguense De Derechos Humanos / NIGER, Foundation For Human Rights Initiative / UK,
Association Nigerienne pour La Défense des Droits Committee on the Administration of Justice /
de L’Homme / NIGERIA, Civil Liberties Organisation UKRAINE, Center for Civil Liberties / UKRAINE, Kharkiv
/ NORWAY, Norwegian Helsinki Committee - Den Human Rights Protection Group / UNITED STATES
Norske Helsingforskomité / PAKISTAN, Human Rights OF AMERICA, Center For Constitutional Rights /
Commission of Pakistan / PALESTINE, Al Haq / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Center For Justice &
PALESTINE, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights / Accountability / UZBEKISTAN, Legal Aid Society /
PALESTINE, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights / VENEZUELA, Programa Venezolano de Educación
PANAMA, Centro de Capitación Social de Panamá / – Acción en Derechos Humanos / VIETNAM, Comité
PERU, Asociacion Pro Derechos Humanos / PERU, Vietnam pour La Défense des Droits De L’Homme
Centro De Derechos y Desarrollo / PERU, Equidad - (Vietnam Committee on Human Rights) / YEMEN,
Centro de Politicas Publicas y Derechos Humanos / Mwatana / YEMEN, Sisters’ Arab Forum For Human
PHILIPPINES, Philippine Alliance Of Human Rights Rights / ZIMBABWE, Zimbabwe Human Rights
Advocates / POLAND, Helsinki Foundation for Association (Zimrights)
Human Rights / POLAND, Polish Society of Anti-
Discrimination Law Polskie Towarzystwo Prawa
Antydyskryminacyjnego / POLYNESIA, Ligue
Polynésienne des Droits Humains / PORTUGAL, Liga
Portuguesa dos Direitos Humanos - CIVITAS /

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 9
 International Board

FIDH PRESIDENT TREASURER SECRETARIES GENERAL

INTERNATIONAL
BOARD

DOMINIQUE GLORIA MARGARITA MAZEN ADILUR RAHMAN KAARI DRISSA

LEDOUBLE CANO LEGUA DARWISH KHAN MATTILA TRAORE
Ligue des Droits de l’Homme Asociacion Pro Derechos Syrian Center for Media ODHIKAR Finnish League for Mouvement Ivoirien
France Humanos and Freedom of Expression Bangladesh Human Rights des Droits Humains
ALICE MOGWE
Ditshwanelo - The Botswana Center Peru Syria Finland Côte d’Ivoire
for Human Rights
Botswana

VICE PRESIDENTS

10 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
LUCIA
GUADALUPE
MARYSE ALIDE CHAVEZ VARGAS ALEXIS
DIANA ARTIGUELONG BOUANGUI Comisión Mexicana de DESWAEF
ALZEER Ligue des Droits Observatoire Congolais Defensa y Promoción de Ligue des Droits
Alhaq de l’Homme des droits de l’Homme los Derechos Humanos Humains
Palestine France Congo Mexico Belgium

JEAN-CLAUDE
41st FIDH Congress GUISSOU KATENDE
JAHANGIRI Association Africaine GLAUCIA OLEKSANDRA FATIA
October 2022
Armanshahr/ de Défense des Droits MARINHO MATVIICHUK MAULIDIYANTI
Paris — France Open Asia de l’Homme Justiça Global Center for Civil Liberties Kontras
Afghanistan DRC Brasil Ukraine Indonesia

VALIANTSIN REINALDO REYHAN

AISSA STEFANOVIC VILLALBA YALCINDAG
RAHMOUNE Viasna Human Rights VARGAS BAYDEMIR ABDILLAHI ALI
Ligue Algérienne Center Colectivo Insan Haklari Derneg – ZAKARIA
de Défense des Belarus de Abogados  Foundation for Society Ligue Djiboutienne des
Droits de L’Homme “José Alvear Restrepo” and Legal Studies Droits Humains
Algeria CURRENTLY DETAINED Colombia Turkey Djibouti
Natalia Pinchuk (L) on behalf of her husband Nobel Peace Prize 2022 winner, jailed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, Nobel Peace Prize 2022 winner and chairman of Russian human rights
organisation Memorial, Yan Rachinsky (C), and Nobel Peace Prize 2022 winner and Head of the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties (CCL) Oleksandra Matviichuk pose with their Nobel Peace Prize
certificates and medals during the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony at the City Hall in Oslo, Norway, on December 10, 2022. Javad Parsa / NTB / AFP
PRIORITY

Supporting Human Rights Defenders

2022 was marked by unprecedented crisis structural restrictions on the work of defenders
and widespread attacks against human rights and NGOs, through the adoption of laws that
defenders and their organisations in countries infringe on freedoms of assembly, peaceful
including Algeria, Belarus, Cambodia, Chad, demonstration, expression, association, or the
China, Djibouti, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, India, use of anti-terrorism and national security laws.
Iran, Israel and the OPT, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, These laws can be used to arbitrarily detain
Nicaragua, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, defenders, restrict their freedom of movement,
Tunisia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, just to harass them judicially and administratively, and
name a few. It is against this increasingly cut off their organisations’ sources of funding,
common backdrop that the targeted and deadly with the aim of weakening or destroying their
threats waged against human rights defenders capacity for action. Furthermore, surveillance,
have increased exponentially as clear reprisals including online surveillance, and the use
for their work and support for human rights. of personal data are frequently used for
repression. In some countries also, acts of
torture against human rights defenders have
In such environments, defamation campaigns
increased, as have assassinations, particularly
and dissemination of false news are often
in connection with organised crime, such as
rife, portraying defenders as “enemies from
in Latin America. Finally, in countries under
within”, “foreign agents”, “criminals”, “traitors”
totalitarian regimes, the defence of human
or “terrorists”. This is often coupled with more
rights is almost, if not totally, impossible,

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 11
forcing defenders into hiding or exile. Earlier
in 2022, the Memorial Human Rights Defence
Center, was liquidated for non-compliance with THE OBSERVATORY
for the Protection of
one of Russia’s notorious repressive “Foreign Human Rights Defenders
Agents” laws. Furthermore, in contexts of
humanitarian crises, armed conflicts and wars
(i.e. Afghanistan, Syria) several human rights The Observatory for the Protection of Human
organisations and defenders have had no Rights Defenders: since 1997, FIDH has been
choice but urgently flee their countries. running a wide range of actions to protect
defenders in cooperation with the World
These different contexts affect all kind of Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) through
human rights defenders in all regions: they a unique partnership: the Observatory for the
can be human rights lawyers, freedom of Protection of Human Rights Defenders.
expression defenders, peace protesters when
they are actively demonstrating for human
rights, defenders of indigenous peoples, land
and environmental rights, defenders of the
rights of migrants, women’s rights defenders,
LGBTQIA+ defenders, defenders and NGOs ProtectDefenders.eu: since 2015, FIDH has
denouncing international crimes, trade union been part of a consortium of 12 international
leaders, anti-corruption defenders, members of and regional NGOs to strengthen their
the judiciary working to ensure access to fair coordination and complementarity in
and impartial justice and to protect the rights supporting and urgently assisting defenders
of victims, etc. threatened across the globe.

Various state strategies are used against our

member leagues, being labelled from “terrorist
organisations” in Palestine, to being accused
of channelling ‘’foreign funding’’(Turkey),
undergoing unfair trial processes and being
‘’liquidated’’ as is being done in Russia and FIDH is a member of the French Plateforme
Belarus. The negative narrative against human des Droits Humains, created in 2017 to
rights defenders as being anti-development, bring together various French NGOs working
terrorists, pro-revolution, etc. has also spread internationally to promote and defend human
wild and unchecked. rights. Since 2021, the Platform Secretariat
has been running a consortium project for the
Under the programmes of the Observatory for protection of human rights defenders in 10
the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and target countries, of which FIDH is a partner,
ProtectDefenders.eu, FIDH with its member alongside Agir ensemble pour les droits
organisations, responded to these challenges humains (AEDH), Tournons la Page, FIACAT
with a two-fold objective: to protect human and AF-CNDH.
rights defenders in situations of insecurity,
both online and offline, especially from
arbitrary detention and harassment, and to
strengthen human rights defenders’ capacity
to take action.

12 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
PROTECTION OF HUMAN Focus
RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN On June 23, 2022, Fredy García
Ramírez, an Indigenous Zapotec
SITUATION OF INSECURITY and spokesperson for the Comité de
Defensa de los pueblos Indígenas
Alerts – Alerts are one of the main protection (Committee for the Defence of
tools used by the Observatory for the Protection Indigenous Peoples, CODEDI),
for Human Rights Defenders. They consist of was acquitted by a trial judge of
sounding the alarm about defenders’ cases of the Superior Court of Justice of
insecurity and repression in order to mobilise the State of Oaxaca (TSJEO) and
decision-makers and potential levers to put an released a day later after 963 days of
end to these situations. arbitrary detention. He was arrested
and prosecuted under fabricated
In 2022, FIDH published 255 alerts (urgent charges as part of a major campaign
appeals, press releases and open letters to of defamation and criminalisation
authorities), involving 54 countries. Many against CODEDI, as well as systematic
of these alerts were followed by targeted attacks and criminalisation against
advocacy to raise awareness and mobilise the its members. During his arbitrary
EU and the UN’s protection mandates to call detention, he suffered ill-treatment by
for an end to harassment and for the release of prison officials and his right to due
human rights defenders, some of whom have process was seriously violated.
been detained for months, or even years (see
impacts below).
Nonetheless, many of our colleagues remained
On December 14, 2022, the Observatory arbitrarily detained such as FIDH’s Vice-
launched its website (https://observatory- President Valentin Stefanovich in Belarus,
fordefenders.org) and made its database pub- and former Vice President Ales Bialiatski. as
lic with all the alerts (urgent appeals, state- well as other Viasna’s members, Khurram
ments, open letters, press releases etc...) of Parvez from our league in Kashmir whose
the Observatory, as well as its reports on the representative Alice Mogwe, president of the
situation of human rights defenders around FIDH, had the honour of delivering the Martin
the world can be found and an interactive map Ennals Award to in February 2023 in Geneva,
showing the trends of repression. Narges Mohammadi from the DHRC in Iran,
Yuri Dmitriev from our league in Russia, and
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja from our league in
Bahrain, just to name a few. Our mobilisation
Impact: In 2022, a strong, multilayered and continues.
tireless mobilisation contributed to at least
57 releases of human rights defenders in the
following countries: Algeria, Belarus, Chad, Focus
DRC, Egypt, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, On December 10, 2022, the Nobel Peace
India, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Prize was awarded to three members
Sudan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine. We think of of FIDH: Ales Bialiatski, President of
Maria “Naty” Castro in the Philippines, Ibrahim Viasna (Belarusian organisation) and
Ezz El-Din in Egypt, Mohamed Suleiman in former FIDH Vice President, Memorial,
Sudan, Olga Gorbunova in Belarus, Bernardo a Russian organisation and the Centre
Caal Xol in Guatemala, Fredy Garcia Ramirez for Civil Liberties (CCL), Ukrainian
in Mexico, Oumar Sylla, Ibrahima Diallo et organisation. The Nobel Peace Prize
Mamadou Billo Bah in Guinea, Guapinol is one of the highest honours existing
defenders in Honduras, Elchin Mammad for activists worldwide. FIDH is proud
in Azerbaijan, as well as 6 defenders in to see 2022’s award given to three of
Chad, or various pro-democracy defenders its member organisations with whom
in Thailand. Further, in 2022, 7 defenders it has closely collaborated for years.
and NGOs from 5 countries witnessed an This award puts a shining light on their
improvement of their situation, in the form vanguard work, alerting of widespread
of acquittals, dismissal of charges, pardons, human rights violations and the
reduction of prison terms, and suspended repression faced by human rights
sentences, while at least 24 human rights defenders in those countries.
defenders from 16 different countries were
relocated.

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 13
Judicial observation of procedures Trainings to strengthen the capacity
and unfair trials against defenders – of human rights defenders to protect
In the face of legal systems being used themselves from risk of repression –
and manipulated to impede or criminalise In a context of continued online surveillance
defenders’ actions, and politically motivated of human rights defenders around the globe,
criminal cases often waged, FIDH organises FIDH organised an awareness raising session
trial observation missions to bring solidarity in Mexico with 26 human rights defenders on
and international attention to these cases to digital security. A workshop in Antalya, Turkey,
ensure the right to a fair trial is respected raised awareness among 15 human rights
defenders representing 13 CSOs working in
different fields including LGBTQIA+ rights,
Table – Trials observed in 2022 access to justice, disability rights and so
• Thailand: Trial observations of 23 on, about well-being issues and particularly
defendants, including human rights organisations’ role in supporting individual
defenders, workers, and a journalist, well-being. The workshop provided them with a
for the alleged defamation of the Thai platform to share their experiences with other
company Thammakaset. participants. Handbooks (in Turkish) were also
• Turkey: Trial observation of Oztürk disseminated on organizational well-being for
Türkdogan following the raid on IHD’s civil society organizations.
Diyarbakir office
• DRC: Observation of hearings in Emergency assistance to defenders
the trial against Thierry Michel and
Christine Pireaux concerning the
at risk in highly volatile contexts –
To respond to life-threatening situations and
broadcast of their film “L’Empire du
targeted acts endangering defenders’ physical
silence”, denouncing the impunity for
and psychological integrity, in 2022 FIDH
the crimes committed in the country
provided 31 material assistance grants to 62
defenders and their families (18 women, 42
men and 2 non-binary persons) and 6 NGOs
in the following countries: Zimbabwe, Tunisia,
Burundi, Kazakhstan, DRC, Thailand, Sudan,
Impact: Honduras: 4 trial observations, Chad, Venezuela, Yemen, Myanmar, Rwanda,
as part of an inter-NGO initiative, in 2021 Ukraine, Cambodia, Peru, Cote d’Ivoire, Algeria,
of the trial on the murder of land and Lebanon, Philippines, Russia, Maldives, Belarus,
environmental rights defenders Berta Mali, Tanzania, Nicaragua. These grants
Cáceres, and on the arbitrary detention of covered the following costs: legal action; home
Guapinol environmental rights defenders and office security; medical care including
“Guapinol eight” defending the right to water psychosocial support; etc.
and a healthy environment, eventually led to
their release in February 2022. The amicus
curiae submitted to the Supreme Court of Short-term and long-term relocation
Honduras in 2021 in support of detained land of human rights defenders at risk –
and environmental defenders contributed The temporary relocation support benefited
to the release of the Guapinol defenders in in 2022 to 75 defenders and their families,
early 2022. including from Afghanistan. Since the takeover
of Afghanistan by the Taliban on 15 August
2021, FIDH has tirelessly and devotedly worked
around the clock to respond to the human rights
crisis in the country. This response has taken
place on several different levels. In light of the
magnitude of the crisis affecting the security
of thousands of human rights defenders within
the country, concerted efforts were deployed

14 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
to enhance the security of, or facilitate the the UN Human Rights Council Session, where
relocation of, several dozen defenders at FIDH and partners issued joint statements
risk, in close cooperation with other NGOs calling for stronger accountability measures by
and coalitions, and thanks to the support of the UN Human Rights Council, and for special
a dedicated grants officer. In 2022, FIDH has attention to be dedicated to the issue of Human
provided protection support to 51 targeted and Rights Defenders. FIDH supported several
high-profile human rights defenders. Support Afghan human rights defenders in present their
to Afghan human rights has ranged from position directly to EU and UN stakeholders.
providing ad-hoc grant support to facilitate Although an independent investigative
internal relocations and personal protection mechanism was not adopted by the UNHCR,
measures in the face of emergencies, to the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur
coordinated, holistic action to facilitate was renewed with a stronger accountability
defender’s access to the ProtectDefenders.eu component.
Canadian Resettlement Scheme and right to
seek and enjoy asylum from persecution. FIDH
has successfully referred 24 Afghan human
rights defenders and their families to the
STRENGTHENING DEFENDERS
resettlement scheme, which in total represents POWER FOR ACTION
98 people.
Fact-finding documentation on
In parallel, as part of global advocacy strategy
for Afghanistan in cooperation with FIDH’s defenders’ working environments and
Afghan member organisation, Open Asia/ the human rights violations they face –
Armanshahr, FIDH continued to serve on the In 2022, The Observatory for the Protection of
Core Group the Afghanistan Human Rights Human Rights Defenders published 4 reports.
Coordination Mechanism (AHRCM) alongside
Freedom House and other NGOs, and co-chairs
the Advocacy Working Group. The mechanism Table - Reports published in 2022
serves to raise awareness on the ongoing • Global: In September 2022, the
protection needs of HRDs and Afghans at risk Observatory launched its report on
both inside and outside of Afghanistan, and Human Rights Defenders and Covid-19
to coordinate advocacy activities amongst with a dedicated website (https://
partners, including members of Afghan civil observatoryfordefenders-reports.org/
society, by sharing information and creating joint covid-19/), demonstrating through
advocacy opportunities and tools. The AHRCM mapping how the global health crisis
has dedicated a concerted effort to conducting affected the work and the situation
advocacy at the EU and UN levels and organized of human rights defenders around
8 meetings between key stakeholders in 2022. the world. It analyses the impact of
The mechanism has produced key policy the extraordinary measures taken by
recommendations to share with international the governments in response to the
stakeholders. FIDH also conducted advocacy Covid-19 pandemic, some of which
within the Protectdefenders.eu Consortium have been misused by the authorities
and participated in advocacy missions, such to undermine human rights work and
as to Geneva in September 2022 ahead of fundamental freedoms. A number of
repressive trends have been identified,
including abusive restrictive measures,
an increase in arbitrary and illegal
detentions, a muzzling of the media
and civil society organisations, and an
increase in physical attacks on human
rights defenders, which go unpunished.
• Guatemala: An Unpaid Debt: Citizens
in Resistance. The Observatory
published this report jointly with
UDEFEGUA. The document is an update
with additional recommendations to
national authorities and international
stakeholders of a full report dated
January 2021, which outlines
that the high levels of territorial

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 15
conflict, sponsored by the extractive Advocacy for a favourable working
development model chosen by environment for defenders – The urgent
Guatemalan authorities, has led to alerts and reports and their recommendations
a total of 179 attacks on peasant were used by FIDH and its member
farmers and indigenous land and organisations for advocacy at national, regional
environmental rights defenders. and international levels.
It also analyses the patterns of
criminalisation against those who The COVID-19 report was presented in Brussels
defend these rights. in September 2022 during the 10th “Inter-
• Turkey: Drowned in Procedure, mechanisms” meeting, gathering mandate
Sentenced to Fail: Administrative holders with specific focus on human rights
Harassment Against Civil Society in defenders from the United Nations, the Inter-
Turkey. Published in June 2022, the American Commission for Human Rights,
report sheds light on the crackdown the African Commission on Human and
against human rights defenders, People’s Rights, OSCE, the Council of Europe,
civil society actors, and independent the European Union, the Fundamental Rights
voices in Turkey. It demonstrates Agency. The so-called “inter-mechanisms”
that State bodies use administrative meetings aim at providing a space for in-depth
proceedings and sanctions to silence reflections and exchange of experience on
and stigmatise human rights defenders emerging issues in the protection of human
and non-governmental organisations rights defenders, as well as to promote
in Turkey in retaliation for their articulation and coordination between inter-
human rights work. The Observatory governmental stakeholders that have different
published this report jointly with mandates, activities, and working methods.
FIDH’s member-organisation IHD.
• Brazil: Threats to Environmental and The report on the situation in Brazil, to which
Human Rights Defenders in Brazil. the Observatory is a co-signatory, called
Legal and policy gaps. Environmental on the OECD to require Brazil to adopt all
and human rights defenders in Brazil measures necessary to reinforce capacity
are under serious threat. According and effectiveness of human rights defender
to data gathered by Global Witness, protection programmes, ensure access to
Brazil has remained the deadliest justice for harm, and address the root causes
or one of the top four deadliest of violence.
countries in the world for land and
environmental defenders from 2002 to The Observatory also warned about the risks
2020. Unfortunately, the government of the draft law of the Kyrgyz Republic “On
is a key driver of this situation, Non-Profit Non-Governmental Organisations”
facilitating extractive, infrastructure, that if adopted, would restrict the freedom of
and agriculture activities - often in association in Kyrgyzstan, including for human
legally protected territory - without rights groups. The Observatory also expressed
ensuring consultation, consent, and its deep concern over the threat posed by a draft
human rights protections for impacted amendment of the decree-law on associations
communities. When activists speak and called on the authorities of Tunisia.
out to seek accountability for harm,
they face threats and violence. The alerts directly contributed to at least 15
Meanwhile, failures of enforcement resolutions from the European Parliament
yield impunity for perpetrators. (Bahrain, Belarus, Brazil, Cambodia, Egypt,
Guatemala, Hong Kong, Iran, Nicaragua,
Philippines, and Turkey), and at least 55
communications or statements from the UN
Special Rapporteurs urging to protect and
to stop the harassment of human rights
defenders at risk (Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Belarus, Chili, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt,
Haiti, Honduras, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea,
Iraq, Israel, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mexico,

16 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
 Mr. Parvez has since been prosecuted under
Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, multiple trumped-up charges related to criminal
Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, conspiracy and terrorism, his fundamental
Togo, Turkey, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam). rights to due process and a fair trial have
constantly been violated, and reprisals against
Establishing the State and individual JKCCS members are ongoing.
responsibility in emblematic cases
involving violations of defenders’
Impact: DRC: Verdict issued in the
rights – FIDH runs legal action and quasi- Chebeya-Bazana case. On May 11, 2022, the
judicial actions before national courts and
High Military Court sitting in Ndolo prison in
regional and international human rights
Kinshasa sentenced in appeal two of those
protection mechanisms:
who carried out the double murder of human
rights defender Floribert Chebeya, executive
FIDH is working in the framework of a joint civil
director of the Voix des sans-voix (VSV), and
society initiative composed of several NGOs
Fidèle Bazana, his driver and also a member
and lawyers to submit several complaints to
of the VSV, on June 1, 2010 in DRC. These
the United Nations Committee against Torture
convictions are the culmination of more than
on behalf of human rights defenders in Western
twelve years of struggle by FIDH, alongside
Sahara. In 2022, a complaint has been filed as
Congolese civil society organisations and
part of a collective efforts of NGOs to which
the families of the victims, for justice and
FIDH was actively engaged.
against impunity in this case, as well as for
adequate reparations.
On November 22, 2022, marking the first-year
anniversary of prominent Kashmiri human
rights defender Khurram Parvez’s arrest and Material and capacity building
detention in India, FIDH and three other human support – FIDH made 4 capacity building
rights organisations submitted a complaint to grants in 2022 to strengthen NGOs capacities
the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary to cover training sessions; and to grant
Detention. Khurram Parvez, the Program financial and operational assistance to NGOs
Coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition persecuted for their activities. They benefited
of Civil Society (JKCCS) and the Chairperson to 26 HRDs in the following countries :
of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Cameroon, DRC, Ivory Coast, and Uganda.
Disappearances (AFAD), was arbitrarily Capacity-building grants went mainly to HRDs
arrested on November 22, 2021 by National and NGOs organisations members of FIDH (3
Investigation Agency (NIA) officers following out of 4). These institutional grants have also
14-hour raids on his house and the JKCCS enabled the FIDH to consolidate its relations
office in Srinagar, during which his electronic with member or partner organisations.
devices and several documents were seized.

Brazilian indigenous leader Sonia Guajajara takes part in a protest of indigenous people of different ethnic groups
demanding the demarcation of their lands and against the government of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, outside
the National Foundation of Indigenous People (FUNAI) in Brasilia, on June 16, 2021. © Sergio Lima / AFP

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 17
FIDH mobilisation against the detention of Human Rights Defenders, October 2022. © fidh

18 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
This UGC image posted on Twitter reportedly on October 26, 2022 shows an unveiled woman standing on top of a vehicle as thousands make their way towards Aichi cemetery in Saqez, Mahsa
Amini's home town in the western Iranian province of Kurdistan, to mark 40 days since her death, defying heightened security measures as part of a bloody crackdown on women-led protests.
A wave of unrest has rocked Iran since 22-year-old Amini died on September 16 following her arrest by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly breaching the country's strict rules on hijab
headscarves and modest clothing. UGC / AFP
PRIORITY

FOSTERING AN ENVIRONMENT
CONDUCIVE TO DEMOCRACY AND
FREEDOM
Around the globe, 2022 was marked by penalty, and to support the protection of
widespread and major backlash against the Rule populations in conflict and crisis situations.
of Law, a decline of democracy, a degradation
of human rights and individual freedoms, the
increased influence of conservative groups and Mobilisation to obstruct
right wing movements, several military coups authorities in their freedom-
and attempts (Burkina Faso, Mali, Peru, Sudan)
and major crisis (Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, destroying, arbitrary, and anti-
Sudan etc.). The closing space for civil society democratic initiatives
was and still is part of a general authoritarian
push-back against democracy.
ASIA
In this context, FIDH and its member Asia is a region where large-scale and
organisations continued to monitor human sustained protests have increasingly occurred
rights violations with tireless efforts to counter in restrictive political contexts. 2022 was
authoritarianism, to support the fight against marked by the major crackdown in Iran of
terrorism while respecting human rights, peaceful protesters, especially women, facing
to promote universal abolition of the death lethal use of violence for voicing wide ranging
demands for freedom and democracy.

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 19
 Impact: In Iran, FIDH and its member In March, FIDH and UCL published the first ever
organization, the League for the Defense comprehensive and independent annual report
of Human Rights in Iran (LLDHI), have produced by a human rights organization on
conducted public and targeted advocacy prison conditions in Thailand for the year 2022.
in response to the deadly crackdown It highlights the government’s inadequate
on the protests since September 2022. response to COVID-19 and sub-standard
FIDH called for the ‎establishment of conditions in the country’s correctional facilities
an independent, international inquiry to despite a decreasing prison population and
address the ‎atrocities committed since encouraging steps towards policy reform.
16 September 2022 and the other most
serious ‎crimes under international law and In Cambodia, as part of the CCPR review, FIDH
gross human rights violations ‎committed submitted a shadow report that documents
in Iran.‎ FIDH’s mobilization during the UN the numerous and serious violations of key
Human Rights Council Special Session on civil and political rights committed by the
Iran in late November 2022 contributed authorities since the previous review by the
to the establishment of a UN-mandated CCPR in March 2015. The violent attacks,
independent international Fact Finding arbitrary arrests, and politically motivated
Mission, tasked with probing human rights prosecutions of political opponents ahead
violations related to the protests. of local and national elections in 2022, and
the continued crackdown on freedom of
expression of unions, activists, independent
Following two regional capacity building media, and government critics were among the
workshops on the right to freedom of peaceful key concerns.
assembly with civil society representatives
from six countries (Cambodia, Hong Kong, AFRICA
India (including Kashmir), Pakistan, Thailand, FIDH and its member organisations in the
Singapore, Vietnam), a handbook on how to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), namely,
observe the right to assembly was launched Association africaine de défense des droits
in June 2022 and made public. This resource de l'Homme (ASADHO), Groupe Lotus, and
provides the basis for the upcoming creation Ligue des Electeurs, conducted a research
and functioning of a roster of public assembly and advocacy mission to Kinshasa from 7 to
observers in Asia, made up of representatives 11 March 2022 where various national and
of our member organizations in the region. In international stakeholders met to discuss
February, we published the first ever report the human rights situation in the country
produced by a human right organization prior to the release of a joint report on 7 June
on the repression of the right to freedom 2022. The report (a briefing note) highlights
of peaceful assembly in Singapore, titled the progress and setbacks with regard to
Cornered - Repression of the right to freedom the fight against impunity, international and
of peaceful assembly in Singapore. The release regional cooperation, women's rights, the
of the report was viewed 120 000 times on Rule of Law , as well as to democratic space
YouTube. In September 2022, in the wake of and public libertiessince the inauguration of
Sri Lanka’s protest movement, FIDH and our President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi in 2019. Our
partner organization CHRB, conducted a fact- recommendations and concerns pertaining to
finding mission to the country to investigate the restriction of democratic space and the
the authorities’ serious violations of the right fight against impunity were addressed in the
to freedom of peaceful assembly. The findings run-up of the March parliamentary session. In
of the investigations were published in a report September 2022, FIDH and a representative
released in January 2023, which received of its DRC member organisations conducted
very good media coverage in Sri Lanka and an advocacy mission in Geneva, ahead of
formed the basis for subsequent international the Human Rights Council 51. NGOs, UN
advocacy. representatives and diplomats were brought

20 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
together to discuss the security situation in the violations to the human right to food in
East and the democratic space in the run-up of Venezuela. FIDH’s and Provea’s report,
the general elections scheduled for December titled Food is Not a Game: Serious Violations
2023, based on a note published earlier in June to the Human Right to Food in Venezuela,
2022. This was then followed by two joint letters demonstrates how the institutional and
signed by FIDH and its member organisations democratic deterioration of the Venezuelan
in the DRC, denouncing the support of the M23 State, as well as the State's public policies,
armed group by Rwanda in December 2022 have resulted in serious violations to the right
and ahead of President Macron visit to the DRC to food since 2016.
in March 2023.
In Nicaragua, where FIDH and its member
The regime in Rwanda, which isdominated organisation, CENIDH, have been monitoring,
by one party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front documenting and accompanying victims
(RPF), continued to violate human rights by of repression since 2018, the organisations
intensifying its economic and political control published a report Call for an International
and by further restricting civic and democratic Mechanism against Impunity in Nicaragua
space. Inside or outside the country, any citizen summarising the main human rights violations,
who wishes to use their freedom of opinion, whose impunity has allowed violations to
freedom of expression, or defend individual worsen and increase to the detriment of
rights is subject to the authoritarian model Nicaraguan civil society. They therefore call
imposed by the regime. FIDH denounced both on the international community, represented
RPF and its attacks on fundamental rights, in the United Nations, to respond forcefully
including individual freedoms, as well as the and to strengthen measures to pressure the
complicit silence of Rwanda’s international Ortega regime to cease repression against civil
partners who condone these abuses. In a new society and to offer alternatives for justice to
paper, titled Democratic space held hostage by the thousands of victims of the regime.
the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) (in French
only), the FIDH denounced the muzzling of
civil society and the repression suffered by the Impact: The Deras case where FIDH and its
rare dissidents attempting to make their voices member organisation Cofadeh represent the
heard. Since taking the reins of power, FPR victims of the state of Honduras, a judgment
has imposed a single narrative and is coercing in October by the Inter-American Court of
anyone who opposes it. Human Rights found the state responsible
for the extrajudicial execution of the political
During the 73rd African Commission of Human leader and trade unionist Herminio Deras,
and People’s Rights Session, FIDH presented for the violation of his right to life, personal
two oral statements on the rights of human integrity, freedom of thought and expression,
rights defenders and on the general human freedom of association, and his political
rights situation in Africa. The representatives rights.
from Ivory Coast and Mauritania also presented
oral statements on the human rights situation The Court also concluded that several of
in their countries while also responding to the Mr. Deras García’s relatives were, for over
state reports by their countries on progress 30 years, the object of a deliberate attack
made to implement rights in the African through persecution, illegal detentions,
Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and ill-treatment and torture, raids on their
the Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women. homes, and destruction of their property.
FIDH submitted four resolutions for onward These events caused the disintegration of
transmission to the African Commission for the family and the exile of some. Besides
adoption including 2 country resolutions (Mali, individual reparation, the Court ordered the
DRC) and two thematic resolutions on military State to design and implement a national
transitions and the fight against impunity in policy on archives and memory and to
Africa. The 73rd ACHPR adopted the resolution incorporate into the educational curriculum
on Military Transitions submitted by FIDH. of primary and secondary education, "the
history of the period of violence of the 80s".
AMERICAS
FIDH and its member organisation in Venezuela,
the Venezuelan Program for Education and
Action on Human Rights (Provea), released
a report in March 2022 denouncing serious

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 21
Eastern Europe and Central Asia of Russia’s notorious “Foreign Agents” laws.
FIDH has been active in responding to Russia's FIDH’s report Chronicle of a Death Foretold:
aggression against Ukraine. As one of the very the Liquidation of Legendary Human Rights
few organizations that responded to the crisis Organisations in Russia published in July
prior to re-invasion of Ukraine, FIDH issued 2022 finds that the liquidation, which began
a statement condemning Russia's violation in November 2021 and ended when all
of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter by virtue of appeals were exhausted in April 2022, violated
accumulation of military force on the border freedoms of association and expression of the
areas with Ukraine and recognition of two organisations, and were discriminatory and
non-State entities. FIDH also issued several politically motivated. The forced closure of the
statements condemning Russia's aggression, two Memorials is bound to have devastating
welcoming the opening of the investigation by repercussions for victims of ongoing human
the ICC and drawing attention to the abduction rights violations and for all who seek justice for
of activists in Ukraine territory occupied by the Soviet-era abuses in Russia.
Russian Federation. During the the OSCE Human
Dimension Implementation Meeting organized Nevertheless, FIDH and Memorial managed
by Poland and held in Warsaw of October 2022, to continue their work and published another
FIDH organized a side-event on forced transfer report titled Overcoming the Past : An Overview
of civilians from Ukraine to Russia alongside of Memorial’s Transitional Justice Jurisprudence
its member organizations Center for Civil in Russia to offer a detailed account of litigation
Liberties and Kharkiv Human Rights Protection efforts undertaken by Memorial to help children
Group. Greater cooperation with them in 2022 of Gulag detainees to return to the homes of
facilitated further documentaton of atrocities their exiled parents and to facilitate access to
and drafting of analytical reports regarding archives in the history concerning Soviet-era
violations of international humanitarian law repressions. The report also details Memorial’s
and human rights law. efforts to further transitional justice for the
victims despite the formidable political and
FIDH also conducted advocacy on the domestic legal obstacles they face in today’s Russia.
situation in the Russian Federation. Earlier
in 2022, two of Russia’s most authoritative Middle-East and North Africa (MENA)
human rights organisations, International While the space for civil society intervention has
Memorial and Memorial Human Rights Center, been increasingly restricted, many regressions
were liquidated for non-compliance with one of and threats against rights and freedoms

Detention of an activist protesting against the liquidation of the Memorial by the Supreme Court of Russia © Memorial HRC

22 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
 Impact: Echoing FIDH’s calls, in September
2022 the European Parliament adopted a
have taken place in the region. Tunisia has historic resolution concluding that Hungary
taken a serious anti-democratic turn with the can no longer be considered a democracy
Constitutional referendum organized in 2022 and urging the EU Council to act. In
that threatens rights won since revolution November, member states held discussions
and which marks a radical break with the on the situation and recent developments
parliamentary system and drastically weakens in Hungary under Article 7.1 of the Treaty
the judiciary. The backdrop of civil and political on European Union (TEU). As always, FIDH
rights has been seen alongside increased and partners briefed member states and
inequalities in access to economic and social provided information and materials to feed
rights not only in Tunisia but in the region as the debate. In December, the EU Council
a whole. – acting on a proposal by the European
Commission - voted to suspend EU funding
In view of the attacks targeting FIDH member to Hungary pending reforms that would
organisations in different countries of the restore the Rule of Law under a new
region, FIDH activated its support levers to regulation linking EU funding to the respect
its threatened member organisations and for the Rule of Law.
multiplied its solidarity missions. Thus,
following the Israeli army's raid on the premises
of Alhaq in Palestine, a political mission led by In Poland, the geopolitical context impeded the
FIDH Honorary President Souhayr Belhassen Article 7.1 TEU procedure’s progress. Indeed,
was organised in October 2022. The meetings member states appeared reluctant to take
with FIDH’s member organisations in Palestine action against the country given its strategic
and Israel, the press conference held at Alhaq's position in the Russian-Ukranian conflict.
premises and the various meetings with Yet, the situation has steadily deteriorated
diplomatic representations have reassured in 2022. Although judicial independence has
our organisations of FIDH's unfailing political been fatally compromised, to the point where
support and its capacity to mobilise its the European Commission launched a new
network,its advocacy and communication infringement proceeding on the politically
levers to defend their free action. In order to captured Constitutional Tribunal’s consistency
give more visibility to the different resolutions with EU standards, the Council failed to take
adopted by the FIDH on the systemic ongoing accountability processes forward
segregation suffered by the Palestinians, to and green-lighted recovery money’s release to
shed light on the apartheid policy implemented Poland.
by the occupying power and to support our
Israeli and Palestinian member organisations In this context, FIDH organized a conference
in their quest for impunity in this international in cooperation with its member organization in
crime, on the fringes of the FIDH congress, a France, the Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH),
hearing was organised in the French Senate on the Rule of Law in the EU. The conference
and allowed us to present the analyses and brought together about 40 civil society actors
recommendations of our organisations. from Hungary, Poland and France to raise
awareness among civil society in France
WESTERN EUROPE about the situation in those countries and
As France took up the EU Council’s rotating draw a parallel with the Rule of Law situation
presidency in 2022, FIDH stepped up efforts in France. It also aimed to provide a space for
to advocate for immediate and effective EU mutual learning between civil society actors
action in response to continued attacks against across sectors and borders, with a view to
the Rule of Law and human rights in Poland strengthening the pro-democratic coalition and
and Hungary. FIDH continued to engage with exploring opportunities for future collaboration.
the EU institutions in close cooperation with
local and international partners, and demand Following consultations with civil society in
accountability for violating Union’s values. EU countries to inform this year’s European
Commission’s annual Rule of law review cycle,
FIDH took the lead - along with Liberties.eu,
on coordinating input by the Human Rights &
Democracy Network. An open letter was issued
detailing our position on the matter. It followed

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 23
up on and provided input to the process leading launched at a press conference held in Dakar
to the 2022 Rule of Law report by the European a fact-finding mission report on violations
Commission. and grave crimes committed in the context
of the conflict against the civilian population
FIDH also closely monitored and reacted to the in central Mali between June 2018 and June
Italian parliamentary elections in September 2022. The report In Central Mali, Victims and
2022 which saw a far-right coalition come to Perpetrators Live Side by Side reveals both the
power through an op-ed published in Italian scale of the crimes perpetrated, sometimes
media Domani. The article alerted on the involving the responsibility of the authorities,
risk that the elections could pave the way for and the slowness of judicial proceedings. The
democratic and human rights backsliding in report received extensive media coverage,
Italy. at regional and international levels, while the
situation in Mali continues to worsen.

Promotion of the respect

of human rights in the fight Promotion of universal abolition
against terrorism of the death penalty

Threats posed by the fight against terrorism To mark the 20th World Day Against the Death
and extremist violence for civilians in various Penalty, FIDH and its member organisation,
regions of sub-Saharan Africa continued to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
impact human rights. (HRCP) joined the World Coalition Against the
Death Penalty by publishing a briefing note
The People's Coalition for the Sahel, to which on the use of capital punishment in Pakistan.
FIDH is a member, launched in April 2022 a World Day on 10 October 2022 was dedicated
report titled “The Sahel: what has changed ? : to reflect on the relationship between the
Progress Report of the People’s Coalition for use of the death penalty and torture or other
the Sahel”. It analyses what has changed cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or
for civilians since 2020, measures progress punishment.
on each of the eight benchmark indicators
identified as critical to implement a new On 14 July 2022, FIDH and its member
response to the crisis that will more effectively organisation, Center for Prisoners’ Rights
protect civilians, and formulates updated (CPR), made a joint submission for the fourth
recommendations for Sahelian policy-makers Universal Periodic Review of Japan, which is
and their international partners. expected to be held in early 2023. The joint
submission focuses on developments related
In Mali, the conflict that has already lasted to detention conditions and the use of the
10 years was particularly deadly in 2022. death penalty since Japan’s third Universal
Community self-defense groups, jihadist Periodic Review in November 2017.
insurgents, but also the Malian armed forces
and their international partners in the Russian Hosted in Berlin, in November, the 8th World
paramilitary group Wagner continued to Congress Against the Death Penalty, organised
commit grave crimes, fuelling the cycle of by the World Coalition against Death Penalty
violence in the country, to the detriment of the to which FIDH is a member to consolidate
Malian population. On 24 November 2022, FIDH the involvement and empowerment of young
abolitionist actors and to strengthen the
intersectional dimension of the international
fight against the death penalty by including
other human rights activists.

24 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
 We have continued to work to respond to the
ongoing human rights crisis in Afghanistan by
releasing statements in February to mark six
months since the Taliban’s violent takeover of
the country and participating in March at the
Impact: In October 2022, FIDH and its
UN Human Rights Council. In March, FIDH
partners called on Sudanese authorities
was also one of the founding members of the
to overturn the sentence of Amal, a young
Alliance for Human Rights in Afghanistan, a
woman sentenced to the death penalty
new consortium of nine international human
by stoning for the crime of adultery. The
rights organizations working to to collectively
Sudanese Court of Appeal decided to
monitor the dire human rights situation in
overturn the 20 years old Sudanese woman’s
Afghanistan and advocate for the protection
sentence to death by stoning on procedural
of human rights and accountability for all
grounds and to sentence Amal to six months
violations and abuses.
imprisonment.

Impact: On 10 March 2022, the European

Protection of civil populations Parliament adopted an urgent resolution
on the situation in Myanmar one year after
in the context of crises and the coup of 1 February 2021 which marked
conflicts the beginning of a drastic deterioration of
the human rights situation in the country. In
response to this situation, the EU adopted
FIDH's delegations continued to involve human several rounds of sanctions against
rights defenders and member and partner individuals and entities for their involvement
organisations in the strategic mobilisation in serious human rights violations in
to influence the UN, the AU and the EU, with Myanmar. The latest round of February
sustained international advocacy dedicated 2022 added MOGE (Myanmar Oil and Gas
to country-specific monitoring/safeguards Enterprise), a state-owned enterprise that
mechanisms, and/or individual sanctions. has fallen under the control of the military
since the coup, as one of the listed entities—
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, we have following a long-standing recommendation
also been active in advocacy at the EU and UN by civil society, including FIDH.
levels, participating in high-level briefings for
the EU Commission human rights committee,
alongside Nobel Prize Laureate Dmitry In response to multiple ongoing crises in Asia,
Muratov. We have lobbied the UN GA and we have continued to engage with UN and EU
UN HRC for the adoption of resolutions on mechanisms on a number of country situations
Ukraine. In addition, we conducted extensive including on India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri
outreach to different delegations in support of Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, and China.
the State's Joint Statement against Russian
aggression in Ukraine - delivered by Poland
during the general debate of the HRC49. FIDH
also supported advocacy in support of the
General Assembly resolution which called for
the suspension of Russia's membership of
the UN Human Rights Council. On April 2022,
a two-thirds majority of States at the United
Nations General Assembly voted in favour of
suspending Russia's membership.

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 25
 Impact: The HRC49 established a group of
three human rights experts about the human
rights situation in Nicaragua. The mandate
(inter alia) of the group is to investigate into
all alleged human rights violations in this
country. FIDH played an important role for
a successful outcome of this initiative. We
FIDH also promoted the adoption of a participated actively during the informal
resolution on Belarus and advocated in order consultation forming and strengthening
to raise awareness about the necessity of the the language of the draft resolution. We
mandate of the OHCHR examination of the advocated for the adoption of the resolution
human rights situation in Belarus. and we held number of meetings with
diplomats, based in Geneva.
In February and March 2022, FIDH and its
member organisations in Sudan, The African
Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) After 8 years of being banned from entering
and the Sudan Human Rights Monitor Egypt, in the margins of COP 27 and in
conducted a series of advocacy meetings coordination with Human Rights Watch,
with the French authorities (Cabinet of the Amnesty International and the EMHRN,
President and Ministry of Foreign Affairs). They FIDH participated in a solidarity mission with
also organised two sessions of an interactive Egyptian organisations subject to numerous
dialogue on the human rights situation and on attacks since the 2013 coup. This mission
the fight against impunity in Sudan through provided an opportunity to exchange with
the lens of three human rights defenders, members and partners working in Egypt on
with participants from the ACHRP as well as the challenges they face and their needs in
representatives from the EU. A resolution on terms of support. As a follow-up, a European
Sudan, based on a project submitted by FIDH Parliament resolution on the human rights
and its member organisations, was adopted by situation in Egypt was adopted with a majority
the ACHRP. of 326 votes presenting recommendations to
other European Union institutions, EU Member
States and the Egyptian authorities on the
closure of the civil society space.

Activists Roy Ngerng (C) and Han Hui Hui (R) speak at the Return Our CPF protest rally at Speakers’ Corner in Hong Lim Park on 27
September 2014. © Lim Sin Thai / ST / Singapore Press Holdings via AFP

26 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
Convicts are delivered to the Court of Appeal in the Rwandan capital Kigali on April 4, 2022 by guards from the Rwanda Correctional Services (RCS).
© Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 27
People protest in front of the Los Angeles City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, on June 25, 2022, a day after the Supreme Court released a decision on Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health
Organization, striking down the right to abortion. Abortion rights defenders fanned out across America on June 25 for a second day of protest against the Supreme Court's thunderbolt ruling, as
state after conservative state moved swiftly to ban the procedure. © Apu GOMES / AFP
PRIORITY

PROMOTING WOMEN’S RIGHTS

While women continued to suffer violence and change, which were repressed by Iranian security
discrimination around the world, the year 2022 forces, hundreds of them were killed, many arrested
was particularly marked by serious attacks from and others fled the country. Dozens of women
conservative and reactionary authorities and were thrown in prison in El Salvador for having
blatant attempts by the rise of so-called "anti- a miscarriage, being accused of purposefully
rights and anti-gender" movements to strike at terminating their pregnancies and therefore having
and reverse women’s rights. These movements are abortions which is completely prohibited.
composed of individuals and institutions affiliated
with religious fundamentalisms, nationalisms In Poland, the adoption of a near-total ban on
or ultra-nationalisms, white supremacy, ultra- abortions in early 2021 has had disastrous
conservatism and other oppressive ideologies and consequences, particularly in the context of the
movements, and seek to undermine the rights of war in Ukraine that has led Ukrainian women
women and LGBTQI+ people. seeking to abort in Poland or access their sexual
and reproductive rights in general. In Senegal,
In Afghanistan, as soon as the Taliban took the legalisation of abortion in situations covered
power in August 2021, they began a systematic by the Maputo Protocol is still not adopted
segregation and persecution of women and girls. and the bill to legalise medical abortion is at a
In Iran, at the beginning of September 2022, in standstill. Worldwide, the access of women, girls,
response to the death of Mahsa Jina Amini who adolescents and marginalised populations to
was arrested by the morality police that enforce sexual and reproductive health and rights is under
Iran’s mandatory dress code laws, women initiated threat, as the 2022 reversal of US Supreme Court
protests demanding social freedom and political rulings has shown.

28 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
 Mobilization denouncing
Fighting violence and discrimination against women
2022 was marked by the unprecedented repression
discrimination against women, against women in Iran. In several statements,
in time of crisis and of peace FIDH called on the international community to
put pressure on the Iranian authorities to end
Throughout 2022, FIDH continued to support its the gender-based persecution and repression
member organisations and partners to strengthen of peaceful protesters who face lethal violence.
their collective capacities to document and
denounce sexual and gender-based violence. In the MENA region, where women face unequal
access to economic and social rights, a regional
Building the capacities to act seminar on the situation of economic and social
rights was held in Tunis in May 2022 which
To insure compliance with international current gathered more than 120 participants from 10
best practices on documenting sexual and gender- countries and 18 member organisation from
based crimes and violence, several workshops the region. It enabled discussion and exchange
took place for both FIDH International Secretariat of experiences notably on inequalities between
members and representatives of organisation women and men in countries of the region. These
members. These workshops were, and continue discussions allowed to propose alternatives to
to be delivered based on FIDH’s new methodology the growing inequalities and proved the need
to document sexual and gender-based crimes to connect more actors at the regional level to
and violence, in line with the Murad Code and the mobilize in a coordinated way. Following this
Peace Model, emphasizing the principle of "do seminar, an expert Group was set up to analyse
no harm" and placing the survivor at the center. inequalities, including between women and men, in
Following a first workshop in English in 2021, the region and to draft policy briefs on inequalities
a second workshop was held in 2022 with 35 in access to water, health, social protection and
participants (including 22 women), including employment.
member organisations based in Senegal, Côte
d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali and Tunis. Another workshop As women’s equal participation and leadership
was also held in Kampala for member and partner in political and public life are essential to peace,
organisations working on the situation of Burundi a workshop was held in Chad, in N'Djaména, by
(17 participants), either from Burundi or in exile FIDH, some member organisations and the Comité
in the region. de Suivi de l'Appel à la Paix et à la Réconciliation
(CSAPR), for women civil society leaders. The
The FIDH Glossary A to Z on sexual and participants learned about advocacy techniques
gender-based violence has been translated in and solidarity-based activist strategies in the
Ukrainian in 2022 for dissemination and use in aim to fight against structural barriers to their
the documentation work of member and partner representation in local and national governance in
organisations in Ukraine documenting such Chad, and to establish a strong network of women
violence. The Glossary and is now available in for further sharing and exchange.
7 languages (English, French, Russian, Spanish,
Arabic, Ukrainian and Farsi). The glossary contains Impact: On 26 June 2022, the Kosti Criminal
61 terms and an annex with relevant regional and Court, Sudan, sentenced “Amal”, a 20-year-
international instruments. It helps identify and old woman, to death by stoning for the crime
clarify key definitions that practitioners should be of adultery. FIDH, its member organisations
well-acquainted with when working on issues of and partners in Sudan have launched an
sexual and gender-based crimes or violations, and international campaign to overturn this
when engaging victims and witnesses of these sentence and amend Sudan’s laws that
crimes. It has been widely disseminated to our has the purpose or effect of discriminating
member organisations and has been used by them against women. For this purpose, FIDH
as advocacy tools. Member organisations from also called citizens to sign a petition that
Afghanistan and Mexico organised campaigns gathered over a million signatures in just a
around the 8th of March publicizing all 61 terms. few days in October 2022. Following which,
The Glossary has become a reference tool for in December 2022, the Sudanese Court of
FIDH, its members working on this area as well Appeal decided to overturn sentence and
as translators and interpreters working closely the State Court turned it into 6 months
with FIDH. prison. The FIDH continues the campaign to
urge the Sudanese authorities to guarantee
Amal’s immediate and unconditional release.

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 29
 Promotion and protection of
sexual and reproductive human
rights
For many years FIDH has been advocating for
sexual and reproductive rights to be recognised and
safeguarded. While successes have been recorded, a
number of these rights are still not effective in 2022.
Advocacy for greater normative The retrograde step represented by the decision in
protection of women from violence the United States to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling
provided us an opportune moment to review the
and discrimination
global situation on abortion rights from restrictions
to criminalisations, available on FIDH’s website.
In Januar y 2022, FIDH and its member
organisation in Kenya, the Kenya Human Rights In February 2022, FIDH, together with Amnesty
Commission (KHRC) released their joint report International, the Center for Reproductive Rights,
on "Sexual Violence as a Political Tool During Human Rights Watch, the International Commission
Elections in Kenya. State Actions Needed Ahead of Jurists (ICJ), the International Planned
of the 2022 Polls” during a launch event in Nairobi. Parenthood Federation European Network, Women
This event brought together representatives of Enabled International, Women's Link Worldwide and
national authorities and civil society, as well as the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
survivors of election-related sexual violence and filed three amicus curiae with the ECHR, arguing
has marked the beginning of a series of preventive that the Polish law on abortion does not comply
and advocacy activities in the run-up of the with the European Convention on Human Rights.
national elections in August 2022.
FIDH, together with local and global women’s rights,
In March 2022, the report We'll settle this within human rights and sexual and reproductive health and
the family, the barriers to effective care for victims rights organisations working in Hungary, Moldova,
of sexual violence in Côte d'Ivoire was launched Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine, called on
during a seminar organised in Abidjan in the decision makers across Europe and the broader
presence of FIDH’s Vice-President, Hafidha international community to take swift, effective and
Chekir, FIDH’s Secretary General Drissa Traore coordinated action to protect the human rights and
and with representatives of various ministries, address the sexual and reproductive health needs
institutions and civil society organisations. The of women and girls and marginalized populations
event was organized around two round tables: affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
one oncare for victims and survivors of SGBV
and another on access to justice for victims and Focus
survivors of sexual violence. The report received During the 41st World Congress and Centenary
national and international media coverage and its of FIDH, a round-table was specifically organized
recommendations were brought to the Special on anti-rights and anti-gender movements
Rapporteur on the rights of women in Africa at and their offensive against the universality
the ACHPR. of human rights in national governments,
European institutions and the United Nations.
The round-table brought together key note
Impact: The Ivorian government has taken speakers : the former UN Special Rapporteur
into account the advocacy work and the on Cultural Rights, the executive Director of
recommendations made by FIDH on the care the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual
of victims of sexual violence by adopting law and Reproductive Rights the senior Advocacy
n° 2021-894 of December 21, 2021 and its Advisor of the Sexual Rights Initiative and former
circular n° 005/MJDH/CAB of December 23, member of the Coalition of African Lesbians
2022. and an expert from the Center for Legal and
Social Studies in Argentina. They highlighted
the rhetoric and strategies of these anti-rights
At the regional level, on 19 October 2022, in and anti-gender movements to undermine the
the margins of the 73rd session of the African rights of women and LGBTQI+ people. In order
Commission, FIDH and Amnesty International to renew the commitment of the whole FIDH
organised a side event with the Special Rapporteur to women's rights, several resolutions were
on Women's Rights at the ACHPR on "Exploring a adopted by all FIDH member organisations
survivor-centred approach to addressing sexual on this priority: resolution condemning the
violence in Africa", where FIDH's recommandations U.S. Supreme Court’s devastating decision to
on Côte d'Ivoire and Kenya were highlighted as well overturn the constitutional protection of the
as the Guidelines on combating sexual violence constitutional right to abortion and resolution
and its consequences in Africa. on the fight against anti-rights and anti-gender
movements.
30 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
A feminist activist holds a placard reading "No to rape culture" during a demonstration against the television channel Nouvelle Chaine Ivorienne (NCI) following a
shocking programme on rape, at the NCI headquarters in Abidjan on September 1, 2021. © Sia KAMBOU / AFP

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 31
Relatives of the victims of the September 2009 massacre gather inside the new courthouse in Conakry on September 28, 2022 during the opening of the trial. The trial of former Guinean dictator
Moussa Dadis Camara and other former officials over the September 28, 2009 stadium massacre opened on Wednesday in the capital Conakry.
Cellou BINANI / AFP
PRIORITY

Fighting Impunity and Protecting

Populations from the Most
Serious Crimes

In 2022, despite a renewed interest in international Establishing the facts and

justice and unprecedented accountability efforts
by States in reaction to the full-scale invasion
determining the responsibilities
of Ukraine by Russian armed forces and the regarding the most serious crimes
serious human rights violations committed in
the context of the armed conflict, many situations The documentation of serious international crimes,
of serious international crimes (including crimes aiming to find facts, and to determine responsibility
against humanity, war crimes, genocide, torture, for the most serious crimes, continued to play
and enforced disappearances) continue to be a central role in FIDH’s efforts. FIDH seeks to
either ignored or inadequately addressed. This build capacity of its members, and carry out
illustrates that there is still a long way to go before documentation missions with a view to raise
we can speak of a truly universal, complete and awareness, produce fact-finding reports, and/or
meaningful justice for victims and survivors of feed judicial proceedings.
serious human rights violations around the world.
An online training on international accountability
In this context, FIDH engaged in 2022 in a number frameworks was organized early 2022 with 11
of activities contributing to the fight against civil society representatives from five countries
impunity for international crimes, and victims’ in Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia,
access to justice. Myanmar and the Philippines). It focused on using
audio-visual technology in the documentation of
international crimes, in particular in contexts that
are difficult to access, focusing on building cases
at an international criminal law standard.

32 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
Regarding the situation in Palestine, a mentorship- decision of the Central African Special Criminal
type of support that lasted from November 2021 Court scheduled on 31 October 2022.
to April 2022 relating to the investigation of the
International Criminal Court (ICC)) into Palestine In The Hague, Ms. Lucy Diaz, coordinator of the
was provided to Public Committee Against Torture Solecito Collective, a coalition composed by
in Israel (PCATI), FIDH member organisation relatives of disappeared persons in Veracruz,
in Israel. This close support enabled PCATI to presented in October 2022 a public version
raise its understanding of ICC processes, NGOs of the report "Hasta encontrarlos: enforced
submissions and interactions with the Court, and disappearances by security forces in Veracruz
how victims can access the ICC at this early stages constitute crimes against humanity". This 56
of proceedings, while practically gaining expertise pages report was elaborated by FIDH, one of its
on how to draft an Article 15 communication to Mexican member organisations, Litigio Estratégico
the ICC on the basis of existing documentation. en Derechos Humanos AC (IDHEAS), and Solecito.
It gives an account of the context of violence,
Regarding the situation in Burundi, 15 Burundi criminality and corruption which prevailed in the
civil society representatives, based in Rwanda, State of Veracruz during the mandate of former
Burundi and Uganda, participated in a workshop governor Javier Duarte de Ochoa (December
that was held in Kampala, Uganda, in April 2022 2010 - October 2016). It mainly presents the results
to exchange experiences and technical expertise of investigations carried out by the signatory
on documenting international crimes, with a focus organisations on 41 cases of disappearance of
on sexual and gender-based violence. persons that occurred in the state of Veracruz.
The state of Veracruz, an epicentre of violence,
Concerning Côte d’Ivoire, in July 2022, FIDH, the corruption and organised crime, contains the
Ligue ivoirienne des droits de l’Homme (LIDHO) two largest clandestine graves in Latin America,
and the Mouvement ivoirien des droits Humains with over 600 bodies. FIDH and civil society
(MIDH), published and presented a report entitled organisations in Mexico and abroad called on
Côte d’Ivoire: From Justice Sacrificed in the Name the ICC to investigate.
of “Reconciliation" to Justice Exploited as a Political
Instrument. Informed by continuous monitoring and
information gathered during a mission to Abidjan Strategic litigation for
in December 2021, the report sheds light on the international crimes and support
worrying state of justice in the country since the
2010-2011 crisis, the lack of prospects for justice to victims’ access to justice
at the international level, and the expectations of mechanisms
victims and survivors of international crimes in
the face of persistent impunity.
Through a multidimensional, multi-regional, and
Regarding the Central African Republic, a fact- multi-jurisdictional approach, FIDH collaborates
finding mission on national justice efforts and with a wide variety of actors – from local partners
complementarity between the ICC, the Central working on the ground to international criminal
African Special Criminal Court and national lawyers – to strengthen its involvement in strategic
ordinary criminal tribunals was conducted litigation proceedings. Every year FIDH seeks to
remotely between June and July 2022. After improve its approach to better support victims
extensive desk research over the course of 2020 and affected communities. Based on effective
to 2022, and preliminary exchanges with various documentation of human rights violations, FIDH
stakeholders, FIDH conducted remote interviews is adapting, together with its Litigation Action
of 21 individuals spanning fromrepresentatives of Group (LAG), its strategy and methodology to
local and international civil society, including FIDH explore all available legal and judicial avenues
member organisations, journalists, academics, to end impunity in partnership with its member
lawyers, judges, and prosecutors, to other staff of organisations
relevant judicial institutionson their views about
the various actors involved in accountability efforts In December 2022, FIDH was engaged in
for international crimes committed in CAR, and on 81 strategic litigation proceedings relating to
the complementarity existing between them, both violations committed in 33 countries. This
in theory and in practice. A report entitled “What includes 10 new proceedings since December
prospects for justice in the Central African Republic? 2021. Together with lawyers from the LAG as
Complementarity between national and international well as FIDH member and partner organisations,
mechanisms: status and challenges” was published FIDH supports about 2400 victims, human rights
in October 2022, between the opening of the first defenders and NGOs worldwide in their search for
ICC trial against the ex-Seleka and the first ever

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 33
 a majority of cases relating to crimes committed
in Rwanda, and in Syria (30%). A large majority
of these legal proceedings initiated by FIDH are
before courts in France.
justice and reparation and judicially represents
1046 victims. Litigation before national courts
(both extraterritorial and territorial) makes up the Impact: Former Gikongoro prefect sentenced
majority of FIDH’s judicial cases (59%), followed by in France for 1994 massacres of Tutsis: After
litigation before regional courts (27%). Litigation a two-month trial, the Paris Court of Assizes
before the ICC in 11 situations makes up 14% of sentenced on 13 July 2022 Laurent Bucyibaruta
all judicial cases. to 20 years’ imprisonment for complicity in
genocide and crimes against humanity for
Before national courts his involvement in the massacres committed
in spring 1994 in the prefecture of Gikongoro,
Civil society, victims, and affected communities where he was prefect. FIDH and the French
continue to face a considerable shrinking space Human Rights League (Ligue des droits de
for accountability. However, FIDH continued l’Homme, LDH) alongside civil parties, dozens
to support member organisations in litigation of victims, and other associations, welcomed
efforts before national courts in countries where this decision, which takes into account the
crimes were committed. Judicial missions were voice of the victims who have been waiting for
for example conducted in July 2022 in Mali and in nearly 30 years for justice.
Guinea Conakry, composed of LAG lawyers from
different countries supporting national lawyers in
their representation of victims in ongoing criminal Impacts: Developments in cases relating to
proceedings, including at the reparation phase. international crimes in Syria : On 31 March
2022, following many contributions by civil
parties, the French investigating judge in
Impact: On 28 September 2022 the trial of charge of the Dabbagh case concluded the
the 28 September 2009 massacre opened investigation opened following the arrest and
in Guinea Conakry. FIDH, the Guinean detention by Syrian Air Force intelligence agents
Organisation for Human Rights and the of Franco-Syrian nationals Mazzen Dabbagh
Association of Victims, Relatives and Friends and his son, Patrick in November 2013. In
of the 28 September 2009 massacre welcomed October 2016, Obeida Dabbagh, (Mazzen’s
the beginning of the legal proceedings. Our brother), FIDH and LDH had filed a complaint,
organisations urged the Guinean authorities with the active support of the Syrian Center
to ensure a fair, impartial and transparent trial, for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM).
respecting the rights of all parties at all stages On 8 October 2018, the investigating judge
of the proceedings. Since 28 September 2022, had issued three international arrest warrants
the civil parties’ lawyers, supported by FIDH and against Ali Mamlouk and Jamil Hassan for
its Litigation Action Group, have attended the complicity in crimes against humanity, and
hearings and represent 600 victims. against Abdel Salam Mahmoud for complicity
in crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Before national courts applying

universal or extra-territorial On 4 April 2022, the Investigating Chamber
of the Paris Court of Appeal ruled that French
jurisdiction courts have jurisdiction over the case involving
Majdi Nema, the former spokesman for Jaysh
Before national courts, FIDH and its member al Islam (a Syrian Islamist rebel group) charged
organisations also continued to suppor t with war crimes and complicity in torture and
victims’ access to justice through universal and enforced disappearances committed in Syria
extraterritorial jurisdiction. In December 2022, between 2013 and 2016. Following a complaint
FIDH was engaged in 30 proceedings involving lodged by FIDH, LDH and SCM against Jaysh
the exercise of universal or extraterritorial al Islam for the crimes committed by the
jurisdiction, which represents a little over 1/3 of group, Majdi Nema had been indicted for these
FIDH’s strategic litigation activities. These cases crimes by the War Crimes Unit of the Paris
relate to the perpetration of international crimes Judicial Court, following his arrest in Marseille
in 11 countries, across Africa, the Middle East, the in January 2020.
Americas, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, with

34 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
On 9 February 2022, the Moscow City Court effective justice mechanisms at the national
upheld the decision of January 2022 of the level, urging the Court to conduct meaningful
Basmanny Court in Moscow, which considered investigations and/or prosecutions in a consistent
the inaction of the Investigative Committee of manner.
the Russian Federation concerning the brutal
2017 murder of Syrian Mohammed Elismail by FIDH and its member organisation in Israel,
alleged members of the private military company the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
Wagner in Syria lawful.  FIDH, the Syrian Center for (PCATI), presented on in June 2022 a joint
Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) and the Article 15 communication to the Office of the
Memorial Human Rights Centre, had facilitated the Prosecutor of the ICC denouncing alleged crimes
filing in March 2021 of a petition against Russian committed by Israeli Security Agency against
actors who allegedly tortured and killed Mohamed Palestinian detainees. The communication sheds
Elismail. SCM, Memorial, and FIDH assisted in light on Israeli authorities’ systematic policy of
the preparation of the complaint. In the face of torture, inhuman treatment, and forcible transfer
the Russian courts’ repeated refusal to open of Palestinians, amounting to war crimes and
an investigation, and after having exhausted all demonstrates that Israeli security agents and
domestic remedies, in June 2022 FIDH, SCM and other state officials have systematically tortured,
Memorial prepared a complaint against Russia degraded, and inhumanely treated Palestinian
before the European Court for Human Rights individuals suspected of involvement in national
regarding its blatant violations of articles 2 and security crimes. In May 2022, a public hybrid event
3 of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Hague brought together more than 100
in this case. participants from Palestinian and international
NGOs, scholars, and senior officers, to shed light
In the case against two French ISIS members, on the ongoing perpetration of war crimes and
investigated in France for genocide and crimes crimes against humanity, and publicly denounce
against humanity committed in Syria and Iraq the lack of effective measures taken by the ICC.
against Yazidis, FIDH continued working closely Its aim was to call upon all stakeholders to invite
with its partner organisation Kinyat to contribute the Prosecutor to ensure that accountability in
to the ongoing investigation. Palestine is pursued without any further delay.

Before the International Criminal In December 2022, FIDH and its member
Court organisation, the Center for Constitutional Rights
in the USA, sent an urgent letter to ICC Prosecutor
Before the International Criminal Court, FIDH and Karim Khan, who had opened an investigation in
its members submitted Article 15 communications March 2021 into alleged crimes in Palestine,about
and amicus curiae observations, and continued the mistreatment of Salah Hammouri, a
their engagement with Court and the Office of Palestinian-French human rights lawyer. The
the Prosecutor in particular concerning different joint letter called upon the Prosecutor to take any
situations where victims were unable to access and all appropriate measures, including issuing

20th Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, held from 6 to 10 December 2021 in The Hague. © ICC-CPI.

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 35
 Impact: Ukraine: ICC Prosecutor opens full
investigation: On 2 March 2022, eight years
a preventative statement, to halt his unlawful after the initiation of a preliminary examination
deportation from the occupied Palestinian territory and seven days after the military invasion
by Israeli authorities, and to end his arbitrary of Ukraine by Russia, the ICC Prosecutor
detention. opened an investigation into international
crimes committed in Ukraine since November
2013. An unprecedented 41 States Parties
Impact: Afghanistan: ICC judges authorise referred the situation to the ICC. FIDH and its
Prosecution to resume investigation into all Ukrainian member organisation the Center for
international crimes: After over a year long Civil Liberties (CCL) welcomed this important
wait, FIDH and its member organisations step towards accountability for past and
OPEN ASIA | Armanshahr and the Center for ongoing international crimes committed in
Constitutional Rights welcomed the ICC’s the country, and called for ICC States Parties
decision on 31 October 2022 to resume its to fully cooperate and support the Court.
investigation into all alleged war crimes and Together with Ukrainian non-governmental
crimes against humanity related to the armed organisations, FIDH submitted several Article
conflict in Afghanistan. The judges considered 15 communications to the ICC Office of the
that no genuine investigation into the alleged Prosecutor over the past seven years, asking
crimes was being carried out, and that the the Court to open an investigation. The last
Taliban had shown no interest in pursuing the two focused on war crimes and crimes against
deferral request. The long-awaited decision for humanity committed against prisoners in
which FIDH and its member organisation in detention, and on conflict-related sexual crimes
Afghanistan have called with tireless advocacy committed in illegal detention facilities in eastern
to resume the ICC investigation gives the Ukraine. CCL and other Ukrainian human rights
Prosecutor the green light to investigate all defenders are actively documenting ongoing
crimes, committed by all parties, as contained crimes that may amount to war crimes, to lay
in the Prosecutor’s original request. the groundwork for accountability.

FIDH, the European Center for Constitutional, and FIDH, together with FIDH’s member and partner
Human Rights and Lawyers for Justice in Libya organisations, participated in a workshop organised
have also conducted several advocacy missions by Ukrainian civil society groups on the sideline of
between March and May 2022 to meet with EU the ministerial conference on accountability for
representatives, State delegations as well as key Ukraine (Ukraine Accountability Conference). The
NGOs and UN bodies to present their findings and civil society workshop, organised on 13 July in The
engage in dialogue on how to address this situation Hague, gathered representatives of Ukrainian civil
of continuous and extensive violations of human society organisations as well as international NGOs
rights in Libya. The Article 15 communication to discuss lessons learned, develop coordinated
submitted to the ICC at the end of 2021 contains strategies, and identify recommendations for
a very detailed, factual, and legal analysis of the meaningful justice efforts shared with State and
crimes committed against migrants and refugees institutions’ representatives gathered on 14 July in
during their journey in Libya, characterising them The Hague. A short exchange with ICC Prosecutor
as crimes against humanity and identifying a Karim Khan and Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs
list of 19 alleged perpetrators. In his April 2022 Wopke Hoekstra was also organised during the
report to the UN Security Council, ICC Prosecutor civil society workshop. The exchanges during
Karim Khan dedicated a section on crimes against the civil society workshop fed into Ukrainian civil
migrants, explicitly recognising for the first time society recommendations that were conveyed at
that these crimes may amount to crimes against the Ukraine Accountability Conference.
humanity and war crimes.

36 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
On 4 February 2022, together with a coalition Advocacy towards strengthened
of 10 Ugandan and international organisations,
FIDH requested the ICC to centre Ugandan victims justice mechanisms for
in the ongoing reparations proceedings in the international crimes
case of Dominic Ongwen by way of a third-party
intervention (also called “amicus”). Last year, the In 2022, using its fact-finding reports and the
ICC found Dominic Ongwen, a former commander information collected during its work monitoring
of the Lord's Resistance Army, guilty of war crimes key accountability mechanisms for international
and crimes against humanity, including sexual and crimes, FIDH conducted advocacy activities
gender-based violence ranging from rape to sexual to push for the strengthening of national and
slavery, enslavement and forced pregnancy. Over international justice mechanisms.
4,000 victims participated in the trial, and many
more are expected to participate in the reparation Towards a strengthened and victim-
phase, making the Ongwen reparation proceedings centred ICC
the largest and potentially most complex ever
considered by the ICC. Around the 20th anniversar y of the ICC
establishment and the 17th of July 2022
international criminal justice day celebrations, six
Impact: Colombia: International Criminal video portraits of FIDH staff, members, and allies’
Court orders Prosecutor to justify closing were developed and disseminated, highlighting
preliminary examination: In a decision their vital efforts and personal commitment to
published on 22 July 2022, Pre-Trial Chamber victims and international justice, and their main
I of the ICC rejected a request submitted in recommendations for the years to come.
April 2022 by the International Federation for
Human Rights (FIDH) and the Corporación Ahead of the 21st Assembly of States Parties to
Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo Rome Statute of the ICC, held in The Hague from
(CAJAR) on behalf of victims to review and 5 to 9 December 2022, FIDH issued its position
reverse the Prosecutor’s decision to close the paper containing six key recommendations to
preliminary examination of the situation in States Parties. The Assembly, attended by States,
Colombia. However, the Chamber found that, intergovernmental organisations, ICC and civil
based on Article 15(6) of the Rome Statute and society representatives, was an opportunity to
Rule 49 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, convey FIDH and its member organisations’ views
the Prosecutor does have an “obligation to and recommendations towards a strengthened
promptly inform”. This includes informing Court, during plenary sessions, side events
about the reasons for his decision to close including four FIDH sponsored side events, and
the preliminary examination in Colombia to parallel meetings. FIDH contributed to discussions
victims, organisations, or others who provided on many critical topics, including the ongoing
information during the 17-year preliminary Review process of the Court, elections of ASP and
examination. ICC officials, cooperation of States with the Court
and the issue of the protection of human rights
defenders at risk because of their accountability
In the framework of the Sudan/Darfur situation work, as well as the adoption of the 2023 budget.
before the ICC, FIDH facilitated the engagement
of its Sudanese member organisations with the Towards a meaningful
ICC during a visit to The Hague in April 2022. implementation of victims’ rights at
This interface was organised in the context of the
opening of the case against Ali Muhammad Ali the ICC
Abd-Al-Rahman who is accused of 31 counts of As the ICC judges prepared to meet again for
war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly their judicial retreat of September 2022, FIDH
committed between August 2003 and at least April recalled how important it is to improve victim
2004 in Darfur. This visit and further advocacy participation, as highlighted in FIDH 2021 judicial
events and briefings with State representatives handbook on victims' rights at the ICC. After their
were aimed at pushing for effective measures to be retreat, ICC Judges announced reforms, and the
taken to end impunity and enable victims’ access setting up of a working group of judges on victims’
and meaningful participation in accountability participation and reparations. FIDH will continue
efforts. to follow these developments closely. Among
the four side events sponsored by FIDH during

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 37
ASP 21, in December 2022 FIDH hosted an
interactive panel discussion entitled, What will it
take to make victims’ rights meaningful at the ICC ? Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights,
which allowed facilitated discussions on the way and REDRESS, FIDH used this year’s Universal
forward together with Ireland, REDRESS, and the Jurisdiction Annual Review in its advocacy work
Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC). towards stronger UJ legislations and practice.
With illustrations from Afghanistan, Democratic This year’s report highlighted the additional efforts
Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Venezuela, and the needed to bring justice to victims of conflict-related
United States of America, the discussion focussed sexual violence.  
on victim participation and reparations at the ICC
from the perspective of local and international Towards a meaningful
victims’ rights experts. Speakers made concrete implementation of the principle
recommendations to the Court and States on
what is urgently needed to address some of its of complementarity between
key challenges. accountability mechanisms

In 2022, FIDH joined efforts with other NGOs to FIDH organised its 41st Congress with the Ligue
push for the revival of the Victims Rights Working des droits de l’Homme (LDH) in Paris, France,
Group (VRWG). The VRWG was a network of from 23 to 27 October 2022. For the occasion,
national and international civil society groups and hundreds of human rights defenders from all
experts created in 1997 under the auspices of the over the world came together in the name of
Coalition for the International Criminal Court. It was the same struggle. The ICC Prosecutor Karim
created by several international NGOs and experts Khan addressed the participants at the opening
but over the years has evolved to include NGOs ceremony. The debates and joint working sessions
from a wide array of countries including those continued throughout the week and FIDH had
countries most affected by the ICC, such as the internal strategy meetings with members to
CAR, the DRC, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Libya, Sudan, strengthen ways to ensure access to justice
and Uganda. This work will continue in 2023. for victims of international crimes, at the ICC
and beyond, assessing the implementation of
The ICC resumed the reform of the legal aid the principle of complementarity, as well as the
system and policy in 2022, organising an different international independent investigation
online consultation through questionnaires to mechanisms in place and the pros and cons of
be submitted in May, and a high-level seminar a potential standing IIIM.
with States, ICC organs, and select NGOs
and practitioners on 30-31 May 2022. FIDH Finally, based on its fact-finding reports on different
participated in both processes, being one of the situations and the assessment of justice efforts
few NGOs present during the seminar. FIDH has at national and international levels, FIDH and/or
called for this reform in order to achieve a legal its member organisations conducted in-country
aid policy that is accessible, effective, sustainable, advocacy activities, including in CAR, Côte d’Ivoire
and credible, especially for victims.  and Guinea, as well as advocacy towards EU
member states, including through the participation
Towards stronger universal and extra- in the EU Genocide network’s bi-annual meetings.
territorial legislations and practice
FIDH supported the drafting and publication in April
2022 of the 2022 Universal Jurisdiction Annual
Review, which describes the main developments in
universal jurisdiction (UJ) cases around the world,
and advocates for meaningful and effective victim-
centered UJ proceedings. In collaboration with
TRIAL International, Civitas Maxima, the Centre
for Justice and Accountability, the European

38 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
“Trees of Pain” (Árboles de dolor) displayed in the Zocalo of Veracruz in December 2020, with the faces of victims of enforced disappearance. “We have nothing to
celebrate, but it is important to maintain the presence of our absent loved ones. Until we find them! (Hasta encontrarlos)». © Colectivo Solecito

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 39
European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders (L) and European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton give a joint press conference on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence
draft law at the EU headquarters in Brussels on February 23, 2022. The EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence draft legislation aims at making companies accountable for environmental and
human rights violations in their production chain. © JOHN THYS / AFP
PRIORITY

PROMOTING RESPECT FOR HUM AN

RIGHTS BY ECONOMIC PL AYERS

PROMOTING CORPORATE impacts of specific projects on human rights and

ACCOUNTABILITY the environment and how to best tackle them etc.

The methodology to document the real and

Strengthening network relationships potential impacts of economic activities and
among members and partner investment projects, with the participation of
affected communities, called “Community-Based
organisations on corporate Human Rights Impact Assessment” (COBHRIA) was
accountability for human rights revamped by OXFAM and the Lexis-Nexis Rule
abuses of Law Foundation with support of the FIDH and
PODER in order to integrate a gender lens. Two
The exchanges of experiences and expertise, in person trainings were organized by FIDH for
newsletters, briefings continued to be essential about 35 participants from member and partner
in 2022. FIDH facilitated a thematic cross- organisations on the updated methodology.
regional working group with about 80 member
organisations which met remotely on a regular Direct engagement with companies
basis to discuss issues such as activities and
developments in their respective countries on FIDH continued to have regular bilateral meetings
corporate accountability, legislative developments with companies (such as Carrefour, Michelin,
at the national, regional and international levels, Total) in order to reinforce their work on protecting
opportunities for joint advocacy, and on the and respecting human rights.

40 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
In Brazil, FIDH and its member organisation,
Justiça nos Thrilos (JnT) documented human
rights and environmental abuses associated
with the iron and steel value chain originating
in mines of Brazil’s Carajás corridor leading
to a report Heavy metal: From abuse-ridden
mines to global consumer goods, the journey
of Brazilian iron. It sheds light on how industry a solid basis of direct exchange with authorities
giants such as Arcelor Mittal or TataSteel source on the situation on the group and was also the
their iron from abuse-ridden mines in Brazil, occasion for human rights and environmental
and how the steel they produce ends up in organisations to align their demands and present
consumer goods around the world. To launch a united front.
the report, on February 24th 2022, a webinar
took place with speakers from JnT, OECD Centre In Asia, the FIDH continued to monitor and
for Responsible Business Conduct, Reporter disseminate information on the human rights
Brasil, ECCJ, Conectas Brazil. The webinar was and environmental impacts of China’s Belt and
attended by 63 participants among those there Road Initiative projects in recipient countries
were representatives of institutional investors, across Asia through a dedicated webpage titled,
donors, representatives of States delegations “the Belt and Road Initiative and Human Rights”.
at the OECD and OECD staff.
Strategic litigation
In 2022, FIDH, OECD Watch and Conectas
also held the discussion event: Using the OECD Strategic litigation, in close collaboration with
accession process to address environmental and FIDH’s Litigation Action Group (LAG), contributes
human rights challenges in Brazil, where five directly to the prevention of companies’
research papers were presented proving that the implication in human rights violations. In 2022,
country still has a long way to go to improve its FIDH and its member organisations followed
track record on climate change and deforestation, up the five legal actions launched in 2021 to
environmental degradation, Indigenous peoples’ hold multinational corporations accountable
rights, protection of environmental and human for violating human rights, ensuring the right
rights defenders, and labour rights. In 2022, OECD to a healthy environment, and for contributing
published the accession roadmaps of Brazil, to climate change in three countries (Ecuador,
establishing a blueprint for strong requirements to Chile, Colombia).
protect the environment, human rights defenders,
and Indigenous peoples. The roadmap echoed
civil society’s concerns, including from FIDH, Impact: In Chile, the lawsuit contributed
Conectas, OECD Watch, Justiça Global, and in part to the company’s commitment to
Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos. reduce its polluting emissions caused by
excess generation power. It also managed
On 28 June 2022, FIDH and its Armenian member to draw the attention of the judiciary to the
organisation the Civil Society Institute, and CEE need for the environmental authority to have
Bankwatch Network released a report “Amulsar: the necessary due-diligence protocol in the
Human Rights Violations and Environmental control of polluting companies such as AES
Negligence in the Search for Gold” on the multiple Andes, formerly AES Gener. The decision
human rights and environmental abuses linked also had a subsequent political impact with
to the Amulsar gold mine project in Armenia. the announcement by the Minister of the
The report shows that for 15 years, two of the Environment, Maisa Rojas, of the forthcoming
world’s largest development banks financed an closure of all polluting industries in the Bay.
Armenian gold mine that harmed the environment
and the rights of local communities. The report
was launched with a press conference in Yerevan
followed by a closed door round-table discussion
between authorities and civil society. The launch
of the report provided Armenian civil society with

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 41
 Impact: Recognition of the right to a healthy
environment: On 28 July 2022, months after
a similar initiative from the Human Rights authoritarian regime of Muammar Gaddafi.
Council, the United Nations General Assembly On 19 October 2011, the FIDH and its member
adopted a resolution recognising a universal organisation in France, the Ligue des droits de
right to a clean, healthy and sustainable l’Homme (LDH), lodged a complaint against
environment. The resolution is the result of the company AMESYS in this regard. In 2013
a several year long fight led by thousands and 2014, six Libyan victims became civil
of movements, people affected by climate parties to the case, along with the FIDH and
change and organisations, including FIDH the LDH.
and its members. It is a landmark decision
to advance legislation towards better
environmental protection and accountability of
polluting actors in the future. This recognition Impact: Judicial investigation opened
also reinforces the argument that victims of regarding Salah Hammouri case: Following
human rights violations resulting from climate their joint complaint filed in April 2022, FIDH,
impacts can use climate litigation at both the Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH), and
national and international levels. French-Palestinian human rights defender and
lawyer Salah Hammouri received confirmation
at the beginning of July 2022 that the Paris
During 2022, legal assistance was also provided Prosecutor had opened a judicial investigation
in criminal cases against companies and their into Israeli cyber intelligence company NSO
executives. In the BNP Paribas case, assistance Group’s illegal infiltration of Mr Hammouri’s
was provided to four Sudanese victims providing phone.
evidence as civil partiesto the French war crimes
unit in the ongoing judicial investigation into
French bank BNP Paribas’ alleged role in crimes Strengthening the normative
against humanity, genocide, and torture in Sudan framework on business and human
between 2002 and 2008. On 18 May 2022, the
French Court of Appeals confirmed that the rights
French cement factory Lafarge will, in addition
to charges of terrorism funding and endangering In 2022, FIDH with its member organisations
the lives of others, face charges of complicity continued its efforts to ensure corporate
in crimes against humanity for paying off the accountability and improve victims’ access to
Islamic State and other armed groups, and trading justice for abuses caused by business activities
materials with them during the Syrian civil war. In including by strengthening the national, regional,
this procedure, FIDH’s LAG has accompanied its and international normative framework on
member organisation in Syria, SCM, in joining the business and human rights.
ongoing proceedings as a civil party in order to
enable SCM to provide the judges in charge of the At the European level, FIDH is part of the informal
case with its impressive documentation on Syria. Core Group of European NGOs working on the
European Commission’s initiative on Corporate
Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDDD), which
Impact : Surveillance and torture in Libya: includes a proposal for a mandatory human
The Paris Court of Appeals confirmed in rights and environmental due diligence directive
2022 the indictment of Amesys and its in the EU. The proposed directive published
executives. It also ordered the continuation by the European Commission in March 2022
of the investigation, promising sign for the civil contains some of the suggestions made by FIDH
parties. Throughout the months of June and and the Core Group. Since then, FIDH and 22 of
July 2021, AMESYS and four of its executives its member organisations published a position
had been indicted for complicity in torture paper addressed to European policy makers. It
in Libya between 2007 and 2011, for having
provided surveillance technology to the Libyan

42 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
analyses the lack of clarity and the weakness Responsible investment
of certain articles of the CSDDD proposal and
includes key recommendations to ensure that the FIDH continued its work to ensure that public
text marks a real step forward for the protection development banks engage more proactively in
of human rights and the planet. human rights-based development and respect
the principle of community-led development and
At global level, FIDH also published an updated the rights of indigenous peoples.
position on the draft UN binding treaty on
business and human rights and made many In 2022, FIDH, jointly with other organisations,
oral statements during the 8 th session of the pursued their efforts to see the European
intergovernmental group in charge of drafting a Investment Bank adopt progressive and
binding treaty, providing substantive comments protective Environmental and Social Sustainability
and textual suggestions on the draft. The session Framework (ESSF). The new ESSF, finally
ended with the adoption of the final report for adopted in February, contains some positive
the eighth session. commitments and procedures to protect human
rights that will apply to all new projects as of
At national level, in September 2022, FIDH and 1st March 2022. The policy recalls the human
its member organisations in Brazil, Chile and Peru rights based approach, its zero tolerance policy
Started a joint project on legislative proposal on reprisals against civil society and human
to strengthen the corporate accountability rights defenders and the commitment of the
framework in those countries but also at the bank to “only support[ing] operations that do not
regional level in Latin America. significantly harm the environment, do not impinge
on the sustainable use of natural and living resources
FIDH continued working to strengthen the and respect human rights''. In June 2022, FIDH
protection of human rights in the context of published a new position paper on EIB Global, the
international trade and investment agreements EIB's new development branch, signed by 23 civil
(Vietnam, South-Korea) whichthe EU negotiates society organisations. It outlined 11 principles and
and concludes with third countries, and continued demands formulated by civil society which future
to advocate to strengthen human rights on the EIB Global operations must adhere to if the bank
occasion of the review of Global EU General is to transform into a true development bank.
System of Preference (GSP) trade mechanisms.
On June 2022, the European Commission In partnership with La Banque Postale Asset
published 20 action points to better protect Management since 2001, FIDH has developed
the environment and human rights in its trade a specific methodology to measure and monitor
relations with third countries, echoing many key the human rights performance of commercial
recommendations made by FIDH. enterprises (equity) and States (bonds) in the
SRI Human Rights Fund. In 2022, FIDH updated
its methodology by including specific criteria
Impact: A new and separate complaint to tackle modern slavery and forced labour in
mechanism in the context of international different sectors such as tourism, construction,
trade agreements: Based on the complaints food and beverage, and apparel and textile.
that the European Ombudswoman received
from civil society and FIDH last year, the In January 2022, FIDH published the French
Ombudswoman opened a strategic initiative to version of the report From Policies to Impacts:
assess how the Commission ensures respect Analysing modern slavery risks in Portfolio
for human rights in the context of international Companies, that gives investors tools to identify
trade agreements. Echoing FIDH’s demands, and address human rights risks, including modern
she recommended on July 2022 to set up slavery risks, in their investment portfolios,
a new and separate complaint mechanism from the perspective of an international human
for alleged human rights abuses, specifying rights organisation working with members
that "accessibility, citizen-friendliness and and communities around the world to protect
transparency are key principles when setting human rights from corporate abuses. This work
up and implementing complaints mechanisms".

...

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 43
continues to nourish the spaces of dialogue that rights. It facilitated analysis on the situations
FIDH has created and maintains with investors, in the different countries of the region, taking
especially French investors providing them with into consideration the impacts of Covid-19 on
material for analysis and reflection. inequalities. It also allowed a further examination
of the power dynamics and the specific impacts
In September 2022, the Don’t Buy into Occupation on women and youth. It allowed to develop
Coalition published an updated report on the strategies to build a power of change and a
financial relationships between businesses common space for solidarity and networking
involved in the illegal Israeli settlement enterprise in order to push for greater economic and social
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and equality in the region.
European Financial Institutions. More than 700
financial institutions have economic ties with In 2022, FIDH also stepped up its advocacy
companies active in the illegal settlement of the around the sale of arms and surveillance
Palestinian territories - among them are major equipment by French companies to countries
French banks. The Coalition is a joint project like Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the United
between 25 Palestinian, regional and European Arab Emirates—where French-made arms
organisations based in Belgium, France, Ireland, are used to commit grave, systematic human
the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United rights violations and international crimes. A
Kingdom, including FIDH and its member leagues masterclass on French arms sales took place
Al-Haq and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights. in Paris in July 2022. The event was attended by
On 31 May 2022, the US-based company General FIDH member organisations in the region that
Mills, announced that it had sold its stake in its are willing to start or intensify their work on the
joint venture in an illegal Israeli settlement. issue of French arms. The member organisations
are: Al-Qst from Saoudi Arabia; the GCHR from
the Gulf region; CIHRS from Egypt; Collectif des
Promotion of the justiciability of Familles des Disparus en Algérie from Algeria;
economic and social rights and Defender Center from Libya.

In 2022, FIDH and its member organisations Impact: Following a complaint lodged in August
continued to promote the protection of human 2022 by the FIDH with five other organisations
rights, in particular economic, and social and (Privacy International; Access Now; the Border
cultural rights, by promoting accountability of Violence Monitoring Network; Homo Digitalis;
States for human rights violations linked to and Sea-Watch), the EU Ombudswoman
economic policies and business activities via opened an inquiry and concluded that the
economic policy. European Commission did not take the
necessary measures to carry out prior human
A regional seminar on the situation of economic rights risk and impact assessments in relation
and social rights was organized in Tunis in May to its technical assistance engagement with
2022 with FIDH and its member organisations non-EU countries, such as capacity building
in MENA, Al-Haq (Palestine), EIPR (Egypt), and training in surveillance techniques, the
ADFM (Morocco), FTDES (Tunisia), and CLDH transfer of surveillance equipment as well as
(Lebanon). This event was attended by more any other related support.
than 120 participants: academicians, experts,
leaders of social movements from 10 countries
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, Libya, Tunisia,
Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and Palestine, and 18
member organisations from the MENA region
were represented. It enabled discussion and
exchange of experiences among activists, social
movements, human rights groups, and experts
interested in the issue of economic and social

44 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
Members of the community of Piquiá de Baixo observe the steel industry operating near their homes. ©Marcelo Cruz

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 45
 Organisational
Development

A series of 7 university conferences were

held on the rights of the future, of which 6
The year 2022 was marked by major events with Sarclay University and the Sorbonne
for the development of the FIDH involving its and 1 with the Geneva Law Center in Geneva
3 pillars: its member organisations, governing aimed mainly at students (6 available on our
bodies and international secretariat. YouTube channel). 2 public consultations were
organised with the City Hall of Paris for 15-25
year-olds on climate issues.
BEING A VISIBLE, VIBRANT AND
FORWARD-LOOKING FIDH These activities were aimed at a wide range
of target groups, particularly youth. They
• Capitalizing on the Centenary of the were highly forward-looking, and focused
FIDH to enhance its positioning on innovative themes such as the rights of
nature, reinventing the rights of the future, and
FIDH developed a campaign "To Act is the universal freedom of movement.
Best Way to Hope" that circulated on the social
networks and with paper and/or digital posters • A Congress, a driver event
in Paris, Geneva and Brussels. A special
website dedicated to the centenary was The 41st FIDH Congress took place from 23 to
created. FIDH also developed an exhibit with 27 October 2022 in Paris, France, in cooperation
the agency Magnum on the rights of the future with host FIDH member organisation, the
in two languages with 20 photos illustrating 10 Ligue des droits de l'Homme (LDH). It brought
rights of the past and the future. The exhibition together 160 representatives of 110 member
ran throughout the entire duration of the FIDH organisations, and nearly 200 guests and
Congress at the Paris City Hall, then at the speakers. The Congress was the cornerstone
Geneva Law Center, and finally at the Agence of FIDH's centenary celebrations. It aimed at
française de Développement (AFD) in February connecting civil society worldwide to discuss
2023. The AFD and several sections of the the challenges of today and tomorrow, learning
French Human Rights League purchased this from each other, finding innovative solutions
exhibit to continue showing it. A Manifesto together to face common challenges.
was produced on the 10 rights of the future for
the next 100 years, shared with the member As explained above, the Congress took
organisations and accompanying the photo place in 3 phases: the Centenary Ceremony,
exhibit on the rights of the future. the Human Rights Forum and the FIDH
Internal Congress. The following events were

46 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
organised: 4 roundtables on topical issues, 12
interactive exchange sessions based on the
concrete mobilization experiences of member
organisations, 7 thematic workshops with
members of the FIDH network, and advocacy
activities with the French authorities, including
a meeting of 8 human rights defenders from because, for the first time, a permanent member
Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Bangladesh, Palestine of the Security Council has been targeted.
and Burma with the President of the Republic Sanctions were strengthen in response to the
of France. situations in Burma, Russia and Iran.
Highlights of the Congress: At the national level, the resumption of
advocacy missions has enabled the FIDH and
- Solidarity with human rights defenders of the its members to meet with the authorities once
entire world (tributes to defenders in arbitrary again to voice their concerns: the authorities in
detention, to Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in France, Belgium, Mali, Guinea, Palestine, Peru,
2022 - all 3 are FIDH members and represented Colombia, the DRC, Tunisia, Guatemala and
in Paris - organisation of a demonstration of Honduras have all been approached.
solidarity in front of the Town Hall of the 20th
District); FIDH also developed its advocacy on
- Presence and testimony of high-level specific situations with Carrefour, Michelin,
personalities and experts (such as the TotalEnergies; began a new round of
President of the Republic of France, UN discussions with EDF and Vinci; developed
Secretary-General, Prosecutor of the ICC, new spaces for dialogue with investors via the
several United Nations rapporteurs); Responsible Investment Fund, of which FIDH
- Renewed and committed governance with the is a member of the Board of Directors and
adoption of the main orientations of the new with public development banks, notably the
FIDH strategy (2023-2030), the inclusion of 6 European Investment Bank. FIDH participed
new members from Mozambique, Rwanda, in the Public Bank Summit (Abidjan, October
Brazil, Ukraine, Libya and Tunisia, the renewal 2022).
of more than 50% of the members of the
International Board and the adoption of a 2022 also allowed FIDH to strengthen its
reform of the statutes of FIDH. lobbying of the EU for the protection of human
rights in the context of international trade and
investment agreements. Last but not least, the
• Amplifying the FIDH's voice among OECD's roadmap for Brazil's accession includes
decision-makers, partners and civil the FIDH's human rights recommendations,
society following our contribution.

FIDH continued its advocacy efforts before FIDH also initiated or strengthen dialogue
regional and international inter-governmental with new partners from civil society. Various
organisations such as before the UN, the programs underway or initiated in 2022 have
European Union, the African Union with positive enabled us to develop new partnerships,
outcomes in 2022 such as the renewal of UN such as with Transparency International
investigation mechanisms in Ukraine, Belarus, on corruption, with feminist organisations
DRC, Burundi, Sudan, Palestine, Afghanistan, including the International Planned Parenthood
Burma and Nicaragua. A new mechanism on Federation (IPPF), and with the French Human
Russia has been set up, which is remarkable Rights Platform in the field of human rights
protection of human rights defenders.

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 47
 Stronger press relations
As part of our advocacy activities, we continue During 2022, the FIDH's press relations were
to work in a coalition with actors from civil restructured, with the arrival of a new Head of
society, for example with Crisis Action on press and the hiring of a press relation officer
Yemen and the Sahel, with Amnesty and HRW dedicated to the English-speaking media. This
on the organisation of a solidarity mission to new organisation resulted in a significant
Palestine and COP 27 in Egypt, and with the increase in the distribution of press releases, up
ECCJ Coalition for the European Due Diligence to 187 against 75 in 2021 and in proportionally
Directive. more clippings.

In addition to its 188 member organisations, High quality articles

the FIDH regularly works with over 500 partners FIDH also published over 320 articles in English
to complement and/or buttress its expertise. and over 250 in French on its website. Despite
FIDH's new strategy reflects the scale of this an ageing site, visitor numbers remain high, with
collective work. a total of about 1,5 million page views in 2022.

• Communication in action to reach

the agents of change
COMMUNICATION
In 2022, FIDH communication was marked OVERVIEW OF THE YEAR
by two major events: FIDH Centenary and its
triennial Congress. The Communications team
was hence mobilised to implement the three ON THE WEB
FIDH also published over 800
initiatives devised for the centenary throughout articles (In English, French and
800
the year : a global communications campaign Spanish) on its website. Visitor
articles
numbers remain high, with a
in French, Spanish and English, designed total of about 1,5 million page
with French famous agency Rebellion (pro- views in 2022.

bono); a series of lectures at university on the

human rights of the future, aiming at young ON PAPER
lawyers; and a photo exhibition in partnership In 2022, the FIDH also published 37
with Magnum agency in Paris and Geneva. 37 reports, information notes
reports
and position papers in different
Communications also created a dedicated languages.
website to centralise the campaign and collect
comments from the public, rallying all member
organisations and the public around the motto: ON THE NEWS
187 press mailings sent out to
“To Act is the Best Way to Hope”. Together with media listings, countless direct
187 press
mailings
the Congress, this event enabled FIDH to raise messaging and individual
mailings, over 170 interviews
its profile on social networks and to mobilise
the press.

The Congress, which was held in Paris in

SOCIAL MEDIA 5281

October, brought 156 clippings - +566 % ON RISE posts

compared with the previous Congress in 725 (Stories and posts)

= + 2000 followers
Taipei - and allowed the press team to reach 4000 tweets = + 5k followers
more than 2 000 journalists. It also allowed 191 Facebook = + 3500 followers
365 linkedin = + 11k followers
+41K
followers
our member organisations to talk to the press
(over 40 interviews in total were conducted),
and to focus attention on issues that would
otherwise have gone under the radar, like the
crisis in Chad.

48 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
The two major editorial successes (over 4,000
views) are :
All our social networks gained new followers in
- Four articles (two in English and two in 2022. Our English language Facebook account,
French) during the Amal Campain (see below) for instance, added over 3,200 followers with
with a total of 9,301 views in October. a total of and 50,700 engagements over the
- An article published in December about M23 year. FIDH’s three Twitter accounts (English,
in Rwanda, with 7,469 views in French alone French and Spanish) gained in total about 2
(this is the article with the most views that 000 followers and led to 64,000 engagements.
year in a single language). Instagram (+ 2,500 followers) and LinkedIn
(+11 000) are also on the rise.
Other articles with at least 2,000 views include
a report on sexual violence in Kenya (January) Some highlights in terms of communication
with 2,098 views in English; a report on the RPF
single party in Rwanda (July) with about 2,000
views in French and English and a statement Fact-finding Report: Food is Not a Game:
on executions in Iran (December) with over Serious Violations to the Human Right to
2,200 views in both French and English. Food in Venezuela

On the whole, the most frequently consulted In March 2022, FIDH and its member
articles are educational articles and fixed pages organisation in Venezuela, the Venezuelan
in sections that will have to be updated to meet Program for Education and Action on
visitor demand for information. To be noted: Human Rights (Provea), released a report
rather than news articles, our readers favour in- denouncing serious violations to the human
depth articles and dossiers that convey FIDH’s right to food in Venezuela. A webinar was
expertise. dedicated to the launch of the report.
On social media, two campaigns were
In 2022, FIDH also published 37 reports, orchestrated with Provea: one in March for
briefing notes and position papers in various the publication of the report, the second
languages : 19 in English, ten in French, three in in June with the release of a 2'41 video
Spanish, two in Russians, one in Turkish, one in and an infographic on the report's main
Armenian and one in Portuguese. The release findings. It gave great visibility to the report,
of each report is accompanied at the very least beyond South and Central America. As it
by an announcement on social networks and, is now possible to share links in stories on
most of the time, by the mobilisation of press Instagram, FIDH shared the video in English
relations, particularly in the countries or region and Spanish, allowing followers to watch the
concerned (see examples below). full video with one click via FIDH's YouTube
channel. On Twitter, FIDH contacted 12 Latin
Social networks on the rise American influencers via direct messages,
which help dissemination in the region.
FIDH total followers by December 2022: Additionally, the report was published in our
Facebook: 200,000 April newsletters in Spanish, English and
Instagram: 4,000 French, and the video in the July Newsletter
Twitter: 100,000 (Spanish version only): A total of 32,661
LinkedIn: 30,000 subscribers were reached. Finally, press
relations led to over 22 press clippings in
South America.

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 49
 visible and shared by many, including
two major influencers, Azza Slimene and
Taieb, which explains the high number of
impressions (nearly 142,000). A single tweet
in October obtained 25,000 impressions
and 1,500 engagements (including 550
likes). FIDH also published a dossier on
its website, detailing the context in Sudan
and Amal's case. In the press, FIDH's work
Mobilization campaign: Solidarity with was mentioned by major news outlet (RFI,
Amal, a young Sudanese woman sentenced BBC, La Croix, etc.) and in 14 publications in
to death by stoning Arabic.

Alongside its Sudanese leagues ACJPS

(African Center for Justice and Peace
Studies) and SHRM (Sudan Human Rights
Monitor) and six partners - Darfur women
action group USA, Nora organisation for
combatting violence against women's and Fact-finding Report: In Central Mali, Victims
girls, No to women's oppression, Redress, and Persecutors Live Together
Strategic initiative for women in the horn of
Africa (Siha Network) and Sudanese women FIDH published a fact-finding report on
rights action (Suwra) – FIDH launched an violations and grave crimes committed
international campaign in support of Amal, against civilians in central Mali between
a young Sudanese woman facing death by June 2018 and June 2022. The report reveals
stoning. To mark the launch of the petition both the scale of the crimes perpetrated,
for Amal, FIDH set up a digital campaign sometimes involving the responsibility of
on all its social networks between October the authorities, and the slowness of judicial
and November 2022. The visual identity of proceedings. The report also highlights the
the campaign was designed by the FIDH's impunity of those responsible for these
graphic designer, and messaging was done violations of human rights and international
with the support of FIDH. The main objective humanitarian law in the country, including
of this campaign was to raise awareness self-defence groups, jihadist insurgents,
of Amal's conviction in order to pressure but also the Malian armed forces and
the Sudanese authorities to review their Wagner, the Russian paramilitary group.
judgement by collecting signatures on a FIDH held a press conference in Dakar on
petition. For the first time FIDH worked in 24 November 2022 resulting in over 50
association with Avaaz, which launched the press clippings in media across Europe,
petition in September and obtained over a Africa, and South America. The launch of the
million signatures. On its social networks, report was accompanied by 25 publications
FIDH published about 30 posts in total, on FIDH social networks, including 3 posts
including a video, texts and images. On on Instagram that registered 130 likes and
Instagram, our communication was highly about 35,000 impressions.

50 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
 VIDEO SERIES “FIDH EXPLAINS” : The War
in Ukraine

As Russian troops invaded Ukraine, FIDH

created a series of short videos with the
Director of FIDH's Eastern Europe and Central
Asia desk explaining the legal aspects of the
war. An initial video summarising Russian- treatment of different States) and a resolution
Ukrainian relations was published prior to condemning the US Supreme Court's decision
the series. The first four episodes, published calling into question the right to abortion.
in autumn 2022, cover the following topics:
"Dispelling three myths surrounding the war During the FIDH Congress: 7 geographical
in Ukraine", "Forced subscriptions in Russian- resolutions were adopted on North Africa and
occupied territory", "Attacks on critical the Middle East region, Colombia, Iran, Israel's
infrastructure", "Russia's use of mines and apartheid regime against the Palestinian
other explosives in Ukraine". Although the people, Nicaragua, Syria and Vietnam; 4
videos have not been widely viewed (around thematic resolutions were adopted on the
1,200), FIDH believes that this innovative rights of nature and its interdependence
format, which addresses the public at large with human rights, human rights defenders,
in Russian and English should be continued and the fight against impunity; 6 urgent
and supported through sponsorship in order resolutions on the fight against anti-rights and
to raise awareness on international law anti-gender movements, armed conflicts in
related to armed conflicts. Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Turkey, Iran,
the impact of disinformation on democratic
processes in Latin America and military
transitions on the African continent. These
ENABLING THE FIDH TO ADAPT resolutions, shared with all members and
relayed on our website and social networks,
TO, TO RESPOND TO HUMAN highlight key political positions/orientations
RIGHTS CHALLENGES AND and include recommendations for States and
the international community. In this respect,
MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS the resolutions on the right of nature and the
MEMBER ORGANISATIONS one on Israel's apartheid policy are particularly
important for the FIDH's future actions and
• Strengthening the strategic strategies.
positioning of the FIDH among
Also during the Internal Congress, 7 strategic
the member organisations, the
exchange workshops were organised to enable
International Board (IB) and the staff discussions among members on trans-regional
topics such as: "Women's rights: Faced with
Several moments were dedicated to strategic conservatism, populism, fundamentalism
discussions among the three pillars of the and anti-rights and anti-gender movements,
FIDH, whose main recommendations have levers and strategies for defending women's
been integrated into the new FIDH strategy. rights"; "International Justice, and in particular
The three meetings of the International Board the question of setting up an international,
were an opportunity to adopt new resolutions impartial, independent and permanent
linked to current events, such as a resolution mechanism for investigating and preserving
on the war in Ukraine (addressing the issue evidence"; "Corporate responsibility for human
of double standards and the need for equal rights violations", "How can we continue to work

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 51
 orientations were debated and supported by
the member organisations present.
for human rights from abroad and in exile?";
"Justice for international crimes in Ukraine". Overall, the Strategy 2030 Leading Together
the Fight for Human Rights focuses on two
Participants praised the quality of the debates struggles: the universality and interdependence
and the presentations and found it useful of human rights, and the participation of civil
to share experiences. All that feeds into the society organisations in public policy to ensure
FIDH strategy. For example, on women's justice, protection and promotion of human
rights, 3 key ideas emerged from the various rights.
meetings and were subsequently examined
by the International Board in April 2023 and, The strategy clearly sets forth the FIDH's
they will be acted on in 2023-2024: specifically, identity and values, and emphasizes its
developing plan of action on a crosscutting priorities that will foster change in law and
gender approach within the three pillars of specific objectives to strengthen and empower
the FIDH (Member organisations, IB and the FIDH movement.
International Secretariat), making a priority of
deconstructing the negative anti-gender and More specifically, under the second goal
anti-rights narrative and developing litigation “Promote human rights for all by addressing
on these issues at the level of regional bodies. present and future challenges”, the strategy is
In that same vein, discussions emerged on broken down into 6 priorities: the protection
the need for a new FIDH-driven approach and empowerment of human rights defenders,
focusing all reflection concerning new justice the promotion of an environment conducive
mechanisms on the voice of victims. to effective and inclusive democracy, the
empowerment of economic players with regard
In addition, as part of the centenary to human rights and the right to a healthy
celebrations, a Manifesto on the rights of the environment, and the promotion of international
future for the next 100 years was drawn up by justice as a pillar of the rule of law. In addition
a working group with representatives from the to these 4 priorities, there are two crosscutting
IB and the IS. The Manifesto, translated into priorities: the promotion of women's rights
three languages, was presented and distributed and gender equality, and the strengthening of
during the centenary and at the Magnum/FIDH international levers and mechanisms for the
photo exhibits. protection of human rights.

Finally, the drafting phase of the 2023-2030 • Stepping up interactions with

strategy was very inclusive. Numerous
member organisations at the
exchanges took place among the three pillars
of the FIDH. institutional level

To achieve this objective, several "calls to action"

• Designing a new FIDH strategy have been made to member organisations
(2023-2030) to serve as a compass (notably on Palestine in the summer of 2022).
for the three pillars of the FIDH

The design of this strategy began in 2021

with an intensive participatory process. It
was presented at the FIDH Congress. Its main

52 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
The FIDH's working group on "business and
human rights" expanded from 55 to 80 member
organisations in 2022, and met three times.
In addition, 7 specific meetings relating to
the #Seeyouincourt Project regularly brought
together up to 11 organisations from 11
countries.
In addition, to facilitate the interactions as a
network, the Congress provided an opportunity
Numerous fora were organised to promote
to set up management and discussion tools for
strategic reflection with and among member
members, which will continue beyond the event.
and partner organisations. In particular, two
An online tool (Azavista) was chosen to collect
regional meetings brought together member
data from FIDH Congress participants and
organisations from approximately 10 countries
track their participation (information site with
in the Middle East and North Africa region to
program and practical information, information
discuss issues of economic and social rights
e-mail, follow-up e-mail, registration, invitations,
(with over 120 participants), and arms sales
etc.). A closed, secure online discussion
by France to various countries in the region.
platform (TalkSpirit) was also set up in June
Several training courses using the peer-to-peer
2022 to coordinate work on the Congress
method or sharing of experience were also held,
within the International Secretariat, and share
bringing together member organisations on the
information with members of the International
topic of protection of human rights defnders
Bureau and representatives of FIDH member
(Mexico, Turkey) or how to document sexual
organisations. Its main functions are:
and gender-based violence. Last but not least,
document sharing, a calendar, news feed and
advocacy sessions with intergovernmental
chat. Groups that contain all these functions
organisations, alongside and by our member
have been organised by session to enable
organisations. These are all instances of
participants to find relevant discussions and
interaction, whether at European level (for
documents. A total of 233 people (staff and
example, as part of negotiations on a draft
members) joined the discussion on TalkSpirit
European directive on due diligence), before
to discuss the congress. In October 2022, the
the United Nations Human Rights Council, the
number of people connected to the platform
African Commission on Human and Peoples'
exceeded 90% of the members active on
Rights, or the Assembly of States Parties to the
TalkSpirit.
ICC, held in The Hague in December 2022.
One of this year's challenges was holding a
Member organisations were heavily involved
Congress where participants were physically
in both the organisation of the Congress
present and it was a main focus of interactions.
(setting the criteria and modalities for
member participation) and its content (active
participation in the various working sessions
organised, see above), as well as in the
preparation of the FIDH's new strategy.

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 53
 Country/region Title Authors Date Languages

Argentina Civil society guide to influencing the OECD FIDH, OECD watch, Connectas Human 07/03/2022 EN ES POR
accession process rights

Armenia Amulsar : Human Rights violations and FIDH, Civil Society Institute, CEE 28/06/2022 EN FR ARM
environmental negligence in the search bankwatch réseau
for gold

Belarus Supplying the Means for Repression FIDH, Viasna Human Rights center 13/01/2022 EN
in Belarus : Transfer of crowd-control
List of reports

weapons (mis)used to crack down on

human rights

Brazil Bridging Brazilian Governance Gaps : FIDH, OECD watch, Connectas Human 22/03/2022 EN
Leveraging environmental and human rights, OMCT
rights reform via the OECD accession
process

Brazil "Heavy metal" : From abuse ridden mines FIDH 24/02/2022 EN POR
to global consumer goods, the journey of
Brazilian iron

Central African What prospects for justice in the Central FIDH, OCDH, LCDH 03/10/2022 EN FR
Republic African Republic : Complementarity between
national and international mechanisms:
status and challenges

Côte d’Ivoire From justice sacrified in the name of FIDH, LIDHO, MIDH 14/07/2022 FR
"Reconciliation" to justice exploited as a
political instrument

Côte d’Ivoire On va régler ça en famille : les obstacles à FIDH, LIDHO, MIDH 08/03/2022 EN FR
une prise en charge effective des victimes
de violences sexuelles en Côte d’Ivoire

Europe Eu and UN instruments must work in FIDH, CIDSE, ECCJ, ECCHR, Fian, Amis de 13/10/2022 EN
tandem to guarantee justice la terre Europe, Somo

Global Human rights defenders and COVID-19 The Observatory (FIDH, OMCT) 22/09/2022 EN FR ES

Global When it comes to Sexual and Gender- FIDH 25/11/2022 UKR

based violence, words matter

Global Universal Jurisdiction Annual Review 2022 FIDH, TRIAL, Civitas Maxima, CJA, ECCHR, 04/04/2022 EN
Redress

Global FIDH recommendations 21 st Session FIDH 23/11/2022 EN

of the Assembly of States Parties to the
Rome statute of the International Criminal
Court

Guatemala Una deuda sin saldar : Ciudadania en The Observatory (FIDH, OMCT) 24/06/2022 ES
resistencia ante el desmantelamiento
del estado de derecho

Americas Derechos humanos y actividades

empresariales chinas en latinoamérica

Israel/ Exposing the financial flows into illegal FIDH, Don't buy into occupation 05/12/2022 EN
Palestine Israeli settlements

54 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
Country/region Title Authors Date Languages

Mali Centre du Mali : Victimes et bourreaux FIDH 24/11/2022 FR

vivent ensemble

Mali Note on the persistence of the practice of FIDH, AMDH, ASFC 19/08/2022 EN FR
descent-based slavery in Mali

Mali Note on the human rights situation in the FIDH, amnesty international, lawyers 24/08/2022 EN
context of the conflict and the transition without borders
in Mali

Mexico " H a s t a e n c o n t r a r l o s " : e n f o r c e d FIDH, Idheas, collectif Solecito 18/10/2022 ES

disappearences by security forces in
Veracruz crimes against humanity

Pakistan Briefing note on the death penalty FIDH, Human rights commission of 10/10/2022 EN
Pakistan (HRCP)

RDC Democratic Republic of the Congo : Hopes FIDH, ligue des électeurs, ASADHO, Groupe 07/06/2022 EN FR
and concerns Lotus

Russia Chronicle of a Death Foretold : the FIDH 20/07/2022 EN FR RU

liquidation of Legendary Humans Rights
Organisations in Russia

Russia Overcoming the past : an overview FIDH, Memorial International 20/12/2022 EN RU

of Memorial's Transitional justice
jurisprudence in Russia

Rwanda L'espace démocratique otage du Front FIDH 21/07/2022 EN FR

patriotique rwandais : Violations des droits
humains en 2022

Singapore Cornered. Repression of the right to FIDH 22/02/2022 EN

freedom of peaceful assembly in Singapore

Thailand Annual prison report 2022 FIDH, UCL 24/03/2022 EN TH

Turkey Drowned in Procedure, Sentenced to Fail: The Observatory (FIDH, OMCT) 27/06/2022 EN TR
Administrative Harassment Against Civil
Society in Turkey

Venezuela Food is not a game : Serious violations FIDH, Provea 15/03/2022 EN ES

to the human right to food in Venezuela

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 55
 INCOME STATEMENT
Amounts in Euros
2022 2021

Operating income
Contributions from members and affiliates 61 056
FINANCIAL report 2022

Revenues from third-party funders 8 478 143 7 049 409

Contributions from public and operating grants 2 514 300 1 775 513
Funds from generosity of the public 126 672 128 296
Of which: donations 126 672 128 296
Designated grants 5 837 171 5 145 599
Write-backs of depreciation, provisions and transferred charges 452 199 365 197
Other income 30 374 61
TOTAL I 8 960 716 7 475 723

Operating costs
Purchase of goods 98 365 98 008
Other external services 5 068 759 3 969 199
Taxes, levies and similar payments 273 505 274 203
Personnel costs 2 313 309 2 072 146
Social security contributions 960 055 855 131
Depreciation 29 608 58 594
Provisions - 37 592 10 099
Other current operating costs 122 463 57 176
TOTAL II 8 828 472 7 394 556
OPERATING RESULT (I - II) 132 244 81 167

Financial income
From other short-term investment securities 1 740 635
Write-backs of provisions 23 621 165
Exchange gains 42 22
TOTAL III 25 403 821

Financial charges
Depreciation, amortisation and provisions 7 900 23 621
Interest and similar charges 19 653 18 551
Exchange losses 15 300 11 711
TOTAL IV 42 853 53 882
FINANCIAL RESULT (III - IV) - 17 450 - 53 061
CURRENT RESULT (I - II + III - IV) 114 794 28 106

Extraordinary income
On operating transactions 4 496 30 583
Provisions 29 949
TOTAL V 34 445 30 583

Extraordinary charges
On operating transactions 25 145 13 570
Write-backs of provisions 36 091 29 949
TOTAL VI 61 236 43 519
EXTRAORDINARY RESULT (V - VI) - 26 791 - 12 936
Total income (I + III + V) 9 020 564 7 507 128
Total charges (II + IV + VI) 8 932 561 7 491 957
PROFIT OR LOSS 88 003 15 171
VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS IN KIND
Contributions in kind 259 431 46 800
TOTAL 259 431 46 800
CHARGES ON VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS IN KIND
Contributions in kind 259 431 46 800
TOTAL 259 431 46 800

56 — F I D H A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2
Acknowledgements

The International Secretariat is the engine-room

of our Federation. It is responsible for turning
strategy into the action that will make a real, and
lasting, difference to our member organisations Individual supporters
and other partners around the world.
FIDH wishes to thank the regular givers and the
FIDH is grateful for the generous and diverse more than 1 300 individual donors and investors
support of the following funders and donors in its ethical fund, SRI Human Rights (formerly
whose belief in our network and approach Libertés & Solidarité).
enabled us to drive change in 2022.
Corporate supporters
International and national institutions
Carrefour; La Banque Postale Asset Management
The European Commission; Swedish International (LBPAM); Michelin VO2 Group; Champagne
Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); Lelarge Pugeot; Resource Alliance.
Rockefeller Brother Foundation (RBF); Agence
Française de Développement (AFD); Ministry for In-kind supporters
Europe and Foreign Affairs of France (MEAE);
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Rébellion; Thompson Reuters Foundation
Netherlands; Irish Aid; National Endowment for (TrustLaw); Trends; The Swiss Embassy in France;
Democracy (NED); Paris city hall; International VO2 Group; City of Paris; City of Brussels; City
Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF); The Swiss of Geneva; Rumeur Publique and Électricité de
Embassy in Bangkok; Ministry of Foreign Affairs France (EDF).
Belgium; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Taiwan;
Embassy of Portugal in France.
FIDH would also like to thank:
Foundations, associations and other institutions • its interpretors, translators, interns, and other
volunteers.
Open Society Foundations; Open Society Initiative • its members and partners – our actions are
for Europe (OSIFE); Oak Foundation; Bread for driven by our members and partners who are the
the World (BFTW); Rockefeller Brothers Fund heart and soul of our network. We thank them
(RBF); Freedom Fund; ClimateWorks Foundation; for their solidarity, courage, and tenacity in our
SAGE Fund; Pan American Development Fund collective effort to create a fair and just world.
(PADF); Fondation de France (FdF); Fondation
Nicolas Puech; Freedom House; Fondation Yo
et Anne Marie Hamoud; Fonds de renforcement
institutionnel et organisationnel (Coordination
Sud); Laudes Foundation; Avocats Sans
Frontières (ASF); French Democratic Federation
of Labour (CFDT).

FIDH A NNUa L Re P O RT 2 0 2 2 — 57
 FIDH is an international human rights NGO federating

188 organisations from 116 countries

FIDH
1 7, pa ssa ge de l a Mai n d’Or - 7 5 0 1 1 Pa r i s - Fr a n c e
Ph one: + 33 (0 )1 4 3 5 5 2 5 1 8
Fa cebook.com/ FIDH. HumanRi ght s/
Tw itter: @fidh_e n / @ f i dh_f r / @ f i dh _es
ww w.fidh.o rg