Fashion designer and LGBTI activist Barbaros Şansal remains in pre-trial detention since 3 January for allegedly ‘inciting the public to hatred or hostility’, despite a court rejecting the indictment drawn up in his case. He must be freed immediately and unconditionally.

Human rights lawyer Emil Kurbedinov was released on 5 February in Simferopol, Crimea, having served 10 days in administrative detention to which he was sentenced as reprisal for his human rights work. Kurbedinov vowed to continue his work.

Human rights activists Salman Haider, Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed, and Ahmed Raza Naseer returned home between 27 – 29th January after being subjected to a suspected enforced disappearance in early January by security forces in Pakistan.

Iranian academic specializing in disaster medicine Dr Ahmadreza Djalali, a resident of Sweden detained in Iran since 25 April 2016, has been threatened with the death penalty.

Loghman Sawari, an Iranian refugee, faces criminal charges in Papua New Guinea for allegedly using false information to obtain a passport to seek asylum in Fiji.

Additional charges were brought against Paulin Makaya on 6 January in connection with a shooting at the central prison of Brazzaville on 29 December 2016, while six of his acquaintances were visiting.

Four Papuan political activists have been detained since 19 December 2016 in Manado, North Sulawesi Province for “rebellion” (makar).

Residents in several hamlets in or near the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó in north-western Colombia continue to report the presence of paramilitaries.

Pastor Evan Mawarire, a human rights defender and leader of the #ThisFlag movement in Zimbabwe, was arrested again on 1 February on arrival at Harare International Airport.

Rayees Ahmad Mir and Waheed Ahmed Gojree have been released after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court quashed their detention orders on 6 and 31 December 2016 respectively.