Defending Existence: LGBTIQ+ HRDs Under Siege in Africa and MENA

The recording of this session will be uploaded to Youtube - please click on the button on this page or visit the official OMCT Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@omct9148

Across the globe, LGBTIQ+ individuals and the courageous Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) who advocate for their right to exist face escalating threats, including criminalization in over 60 countries, state-sponsored and societal violence, smear campaigns that dehumanize them, and severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression, particularly within increasingly restricted civic spaces fueled by authoritarianism and anti-rights movements; this critical online panel, featuring defenders from Africa and MENA, aims to highlight these lived realities and challenges, fostering international solidarity and exploring strategies to bolster their protection, visibility, and resilience in the face of immense personal risk.

Languages spoken: English & Arabic
Interpretation available: EN / AR

Speakers

Saif Ayadi
Queer activist and human rights defender Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH)
Masafu Okwara
Senior Programme Officer-Litigation & Strategy National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission-Kenya (NGLHRC)
Gurchaten Sandhu Nanoo
Director of Programmes Ilga World
Isabel Rosales
Director of the Human Rights Defenders Programme OMCT