Hina Jilani in 2007.
Uzbekistan
Yusuf Jumaev: Jumaev is a well-known Uzbek poet who was arrested on charges of "insult" and "resisting arrest" after he called for President Islam Karimov's resignation before the December 2007 presidential election. He was sentenced to five years in prison and has already faced torture by prison guards. Originally held in a minimum-security facility, he was transferred to the notorious Jaslyk Prison in July 2008.
Kazakhstan
Yevgeny Zhovtis: The founding director of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, Zhovtis has fervently advocated for freedom of religion and assembly, as well as democratic reform. He was convicted of manslaughter in September in what international observers saw as a farcical trial: His lawyer was not permitted to enter any evidence or call witnesses to testify on Zhovtis's behalf. He was sentenced to four years in prison.
Pakistan
Hina Jilani: Jilani and her sister Asma Jahangir have been warriors for human rights in Pakistan since the 1980s when they were arrested for protesting gender-discriminatory legislation. Jilani, an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, has warned that a return to military rule could start a process of Balkanization in Pakistan. During her career, she has held numerous positions with international organizations and served as the U.N. secretary-general's special representative on the situation of human rights defenders from 2000 to 2008.
BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images


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