SOUTHERN AFRICA

SOUTHERN AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS NETWORK

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 Angola | Botswana |  Lesotho | Malawi | Mozambique | South Africa | Zambia | Zimbabwe

The Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network (Southern Defenders) is the regional human rights defenders (HRD) network comprising of representatives from human rights organisations in ten countries in Southern Africa. It was established in February 2013 with the primary mandate to coordinate the protection and security of HRDs in the region, and to enhance their ability to work in their particular countries, in the face of state-driven or supported repression. The secretariat of Southern Defenders is hosted by the South African office of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), an organisation defending human rights and the rule of law worldwide.

regional map south africa

Coalitions

Human Rights Defenders Coalition – Malawi

LATEST UPDATES

24
Jan
2023

SouthernDefenders Strongly Condemns the Heinous Assassination of Renowned Human Rights Lawyer Thulani Maseko, Calls for a Swift and Thorough Investigation and Urges SADC to Urgently Act on the Escalating Political Crisis in Eswatini

28
Feb
2022

REPORT OF THE 2021 SOUTHERN DEFENDERS SUMMIT

In a first for the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (Southern Defenders), the 2021 Southern Defenders two-day annual summit was hosted in a city outside its headquarters in Johannesburg and was taken to the capital city of Mozambique, Maputo. The Southern Defenders in partnership
02
Feb
2022

Media release on the arbitrary detention and torture of student leaders in Eswatini

Political activism has long been suppressed in the Kingdom of Eswatini through the implementation of repressive laws and the normalization of police brutality in response to protests. In recent months these factors have led to the killing and brutalization of the people of Eswatini whose only crime is to seek a better future.
16
Aug
2021

STATEMENT BY THE SOUTHERN AFRICA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS NETWORK (SOUTHERN DEFENDERS) ON ELECTIONS IN ZAMBIA

In line with the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Election Guidelines, the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (Southern Defenders) has deployed an Election Observation Mission (the Mission) to observe the general elections scheduled to take
24
May
2021

The Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, Mosaiko, and the Angolan Protection Desk condemn the killing of protesters and the continuous unlawful detention of GodinhoCristóvão, Joana Janja and Ermenengildo Teotonioi in Angola.

This statement was first published by the Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network   The Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN or the Defenders Network), Mosaiko and the Angolan Protection Desk condemns the killing of at least 10 protesters[1] and the arbitrary arrest and detention
20
Apr
2021

Zimbabwe Human Rights Defenders Assets and Needs Assessment Report

Source: The Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network The Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN) conducted an Assets and Needs Assessment for Human Rights Defenders in Zimbabwe (the assessment or ANA) between July and December 2020. The assessment occurred during and was impacted by