MEDIA ADVISORY – 10/14/2024
CONTACT : Bren Fawson, brenfawson@gmail.com, cc ichrpus@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
American human rights activist barred from entering the Philippines, set to hold press conference on October 17th
PORTLAND, OR – On Thursday October 17th, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines US Chapter (ICHRP-US) will hold an online press conference with human rights activist Copeland Downs, who was recently barred from entering the Philippines while traveling to attend the National Congress of Philippine human rights group Karapatan.
As chairperson of the Portland Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (PCHRP), Copeland Downs arrived in Manila on October 6th but was held by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for hours at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. His luggage was searched and his passport was held. Downs was told that he could not enter the Philippines because he is on a blacklist for “attending a political rally in 2022” in the Philippines; he was sent back on a flight to the US without further explanation.
Downs was in the Philippines during the 2022 national elections as part of the International Observers Mission (IOM) organized by ICHRP Global, though he did not participate in any rally. While the IOM’s findings exposed corruption and violence associated with the election process in 2022 that deemed Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the winner of the Philippine presidency, this blacklisting is clearly retaliation for Downs’ participation in this human rights advocacy work.
On Thursday 10/17, ICHRP-US will host an online press conference to draw attention to the continued repression of human rights defenders in the Philippines and from amongst the international community by the Philippine government under Ferdinand Marcos Jr. :
WHO: Speakers include Copeland Downs, as well as Brandon Lee of ICHRP-US, Joe Iosbaker of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Atty. Maria Sol Taule of Karapatan Alliance and the National Union of People’s Lawyers, and Peter Murphy (Chairperson of ICHRP’s Global Council).
WHAT: Global Press Conference (Online), Media Q+A
WHEN: Thursday October 17th, 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time, 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, (October 18th 8:00 AM Manila, Metro Manila Philippines)
WHERE: Zoom registration link : https://tinyurl.com/10-17-ICHRP-PRESS
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