Sonya Merkova

Human Rights Consultant. Former UNAMA Human Rights Officer; and Amnesty International-Pakistan and Afghanistan Team.

[Gina Romero @Ginitastar]

Thanks to Civicus for building the Global Protest Guide. And you, have you read it yet? ⬇️

[Gina Romero @Ginitastar]

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📣 Call for inputs! I'm preparing my next report for the UN General Assembly on youth activism and GenZ movements. Young activists are reshaping how the rights to assemble and associate are exercised globally, and paying a high price for it.
#YouthActivism #CivicSpace

[Gina Romero @Ginitastar]

This #HumanRightsDay, we honor the resilience of civil society and the many people who continue defending rights despite difficult contexts. Their courage inspires global progress and strengthens our shared freedoms.
#CivilSociety #DefendDefenders

[Release Idris Khattak @taliakhattak]

Today at 8pm Pakistan time

Join us today in solidarity with human rights defenders and all political prisoners as we come together to remember, honour, and call for justice for Idris Khattak.

#ReleaseIdrisKhattak

[Amnesty MENA @AmnestyMENA]

🚨 Today’s decision by an Israeli court to extend Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s arbitrary detention for another six months without charges or trial is yet another outrageous injustice. Dr. Hussam should have never been detained in the first place, let alone subjected to this ordeal of torture and abuse. We, at Amnesty International, refuse to be silent and will continue to demand his immediate and unconditional release and that of all other Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel.

⚠️ Act now: https://t.co/knAoQFFrXt

#FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya

[UN Special Procedures @UN_SPExperts]

#Germany: UN experts urge the government to end police violence & the apparent suppression of legitimate Palestine solidarity activism.

https://t.co/K5iml0VcIj

[Gina Romero @Ginitastar]

8️⃣ 🎥 Watch the video:
Hear directly from @Ginitastar on why defending civic space is essential — and what urgent steps the world must take.
👇 https://t.co/g94mLHi8bV

🔗 Read the full report: https://t.co/JpPGFrNGeV

#HumanRights #CivicSpace #UN #FreedomOfAssociation

[UN Special Procedures @UN_SPExperts]

#Palestine: Any peace plan must respect international law, beginning with self-determination and accountability, urge UN experts.

"The Israeli occupation must end immediately, totally and unconditionally, with due reparation made to the Palestinians".

https://t.co/ltqHPJBBu1

[Amnesty International @amnesty]

The EU’s refusal to suspend its agreement with Israel is a cruel and unlawful betrayal – of the European project and vision, predicated on upholding international law and fighting authoritarian practices, of the European Union’s own rules and of the human rights of Palestinians.

[Sonya Merkova @SonyaMerkova]

All eyes on brave Freedom Flotilla! Any attack on the Flotilla will be a war crime! Governments must protect it from repetition of such attack and facilitate achieving its humanitarian mission of delivering critical lifesaving humanitarian aid to Gaza! For the sake of humanity!

[Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt @FranceskAlbs]

Stay safe, my friends. I am painfully aware of the risks you are taking on behalf of all of us—of Humanity.

Diplomats & politicians around the world: The Flotilla Giants are taking the heavy lift. PLEASE make sure they are protected, will you? This is the least you can do.

[Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt @FranceskAlbs]

What is left to say, really.

[Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt @FranceskAlbs]

Concentration camp 2025
Starving people forced to walk miles
under scorching heat.
Lined up like animals,
only a few are fed.
Some are arrested,
Some are shot at.

New Israel US joint venture.

The worst humanity is capable of from the bastions of Power.

We.
Must.
Stop.
This.

[Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt @FranceskAlbs]

Thank you, Secretary General.

Let’s call a spade a spade: the two-state solution has been buried under a mountain of crimes—from annexation to apartheid—and decades of unchallenged impunity.

What’s "at risk of dwindling to the point of disappearance" is Palestinian life in lands the ICJ ordered Israel to stop occupying. Let this be our starting point.

[Agnes Callamard @AgnesCallamard]

The staged clash was no doubt intended to humiliate Zelensky and Ukraine. It is also one more demonstration of a dangerous coalition of two superpowers - against the UN Charter, international law and international justice.

President Putin has been charged by the ICC for crimes against humanity. He is also responsible for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

@amnesty has documented for the last three years an incalculable number of atrocity crimes: civilians and civilian infrastructures have been bombed, civilians have been extrajudicially killed, and abducted by Russian security services, prisoners of war tortured and unlawfully convicted, civilians including children forcibly transferred to Russia.

In Russian-occupied Ukraine Children have been threatened for studying Ukrainian online, teachers in subjected to forced labour in schools reopened under a Russian curriculum, and Crimean Tatars and other minorities face brutal suppression as Russia seeks to alter the demographics of occupied territories.

President Trump's crass attempt to rewrite history is and will be defeated. We are millions the world over who knows the truth and who believes in the truth. Millions who want and fight for a rule-based international order. Millions more who have resisted and will continue to resist.

https://t.co/mg2mV3wyU2

[Zahra Nader @ZahraYusufi]

It takes something more than courage to go out on the streets of Kabul when your face and voices are banned and chant against your oppressor.

The women of Afghanistan will not submit to darkness and will fight for light.

More power to them.

[Sonya Merkova @SonyaMerkova]

Hear Afghan women who continue to resist and raise their voice despite the brutal oppression by Taliban regime

[Lindsey Hilsum @lindseyhilsum]

Bread, Freedom, Education! Work, Freedom, Education! #AfghanWomenSummit

[Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt @FranceskAlbs]

I hope that more diplomats will follow the brave lead of Mark Smith and speak up against the enablers of Israel's atrocities.
#DiplomatsAgainstGenocide

[Heather Barr @heatherbarr1]

“As an academic who researched extensively racial/gender equality, I fully support broadening the definition of the crime of apartheid to include gender. This is necessary given the persistence/ubiquity of structural discrimination/violence against women.” https://t.co/D7AYuUAFh0

[Gina Romero @Ginitastar]

Nothing about them without them.
I share the concern from #CEDAW about the exclusion of women and girls from the 3rd UN meeting on Afghanistan. Only wide participation of women groups and leaders the can lead to recognition and respect of their rights
https://t.co/zQhgtGzpL1

[Habiba Sarabi @SarabiHabiba]

My statement regarding civil society meeting in Doha: