Join us for an urgent discussion on Human Rights in Pakistan, Particularly the education sector crisis. This event will highlight how ideological influences and rising intololerance threaten fundamental rights, limit access to education, and jeopardize academic freedom
At the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, UN experts and civil society have highlighted the gravity of the situation in Sudan and reiterated the urgent necessity of ensuring respect for principles of international law. As the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk stated “The continued and deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, as well as summary executions, sexual violence, and other violations and abuses, underscore the utter failure by both parties to respect the rules and principles of international humanitarian and human rights law”. [1]
On 3 March 2025, during the 58th Human Rights Council, Fundacion Vida hosted a side event introduced by Thierry Valle, President of CAP Freedom of Conscience, on Unprecedented Human Rights Violations in Tunisia: The Persecution of Political Opponents and the Targeting of Sub-Saharan Migrants.[1] This side event took place following a strong statement issued by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on 18 February 2025 calling the Tunisian authorities to “bring an end to the pattern of arrests, arbitrary detentions and imprisonment of dozens of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, activists and politicians”, the statement also highlighted that members of civil society are often accused of illegally sheltering Sub-Saharan migrants, with individuals denouncing racism and the situation of migrants being arrested.[2] The side event was attended by the delegations of the European Union, Antigua, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Austria.
CAP Liberté de Conscience and the International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) are ringing the alarm bells over the continuing erosion of religious freedom in Pakistan. In a recent joint report submitted to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, these organizations continued to highlight the systematic and widespread violations of the rights of religious minorities with a focus on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. The report shows that international intervention is desperately required to prevent the further persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan, a community that has been persecuted for its beliefs for years.
The statement documents state-sponsored persecution, particularly targeting political opposition and sub-Saharan migrants. According to Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2025, over 80 individuals were detained on political grounds by November 2024, including political opponents, activists, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders. The electoral process has been severely compromised, with 14 out of 17 presidential candidates either arrested or disqualified, leaving only three candidates—including Saïed himself—approved by the increasingly controlled Independent High Authority for Elections. UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor has condemned these actions, describing the detentions as “a grave violation of international human rights conventions,” and urging Tunisian authorities to create a safe environment for legitimate human rights work.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has called for contributions from all over the world on the topic of religious freedom for migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees. This initiative is aimed at the increasing problems faced by people and communities who have been forced to leave their homes on account of religious persecution. The Special Rapporteur’s report provides a general picture of systemic violations of religious freedom affecting primarily vulnerable populations such as asylum seekers and IDPs.
Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, Sudan has descended into what has been
described as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Reports from the UN Fact-Finding
Mission on Sudan revealed widespread destruction, mass killings, and sexual violence,
with civilians suffering the gravest consequences.
This international conference highlights the human rights situation in Tunisia under Kaïs Saïed’s regime. Families of political prisoners testify to systematic violations of fundamental freedoms: arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, and opposition repression. The speakers, including lawyers and relatives of detainees, denounce the loss of judicial independence and call on the international community to act in defense of the rule of law and human rights in Tunisia.
