http://humanrightshouse.orgenHuman Rights House Foundationniels.jacob@humanrightshouse.org (Niels Jacob Harbitz)Wed, 22 May 2013 08:20:35 GMTThu, 23 May 2013 20:14:41 GMTNoop 2.360http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19297&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19297.html&d=1The HFHR has addressed the Human Rights Defender with a formal intervention regarding limited access to public services due to the candidate’s past health issues. The intervention concerns a 37-year old man with a history of cardiovascular health condition. The person was ascribed to category “E” by a conscript medical evaluation committee (long-term and complete inability to serve in the army in the time of peace, call-up and war).Wed, 22 May 2013 08:20:35 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19296&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19296.html&d=1We have the pleasure to announce that the 13th International Film Festival WATCH DOCS. Human Rights in Film now accepts submissions of films. The festival will take place on 6-12 December 2013. The deadline for submitting films is 5 August 2013.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:18:48 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19295&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19295.html&d=1The Supreme Administrative Court will refer to the European Court of Justice a question for a preliminary ruling in the case of the Teisseyre family, heirs to a pre-war owner of assets in Lwow, a major city in then-eastern Poland.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:17:38 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19294&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19294.html&d=1The HFHR has presented an amicus curiae brief in the case of J.H. The case involves an online violation of personal interests consisting in uploading to websites the recorded conversation of J.H. with a police officer during which J.H. reports a fire set to a nearby field.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:15:33 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19293&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19293.html&d=1A joint statement by the Helsinki Committee in Poland and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights warns that the draft law “on proceedings against mentally disturbed persons who pose threat to life, health or sexual liberty of others” may infringe human rights protection standards.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:13:36 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19292&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19292.html&d=1The Court of Appeal in Warsaw has dismissed the appeal of the defendant, the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA), concerning the protection of personal rights of the claimant, journalist Bogdan Wróblewski (case file number I ACa 1002/12). The Court reaffirmed the earlier ruling by the Regional Court which had decided to maintain the claim.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:11:44 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19291&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19291.html&d=1The winners of third edition of the Best Human Rights MA thesis contest organised by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights have been announced. The board of the contest, chaired by Professor Ewa Łętowska, decided to grant three awards and one special prize.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:10:21 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19290&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19290.html&d=1Dominika Bychawska-Siniarska, director of the Observatory of Media Freedom in Poland has been awarded the Article 54 Journalists’ Prize by the Polish Journalists Association. Article 54 of Poland’s Constitution stipulates that “The freedom to express opinions, to acquire and to disseminate information shall be ensured to everyone. Preventive censorship of the means of social communication and the licensing of the press shall be prohibited”.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:08:30 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19289&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19289.html&d=1The Ministry of Justice informed HFHR that Minister Jarosław Gowin, while commenting on the allegations against Zbigniew Siemiątkowski in the investigation of secret CIA prisons in Poland in a radio interview, based his comments exclusively on his assumptions as to the possible course of the proceedings.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:07:24 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19288&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19288.html&d=1For the tenth time, the Pro Bono Lawyer Award has been given by the Legal Clinics Foundation and the Rzeczpospolita daily. During the award-giving gala of 17 April 2013, Rzeczpospolita also bestowed diplomas for individuals and firms featured in the eleventh edition of the law offices ranking.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:18 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19287&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19287.html&d=1Upon the Helsinki Foundation’s application for judicial review, the Provincial Administrative Court has reversed the decisions of the Chief Commissioner of the Police who refused to answer the HFHR’s original question about Police statistics on the use of GPS as a covert investigative method. At the same time, the Court obliged the Chief Commissioner to give an answer to this question.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:04:36 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19286&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19286.html&d=1On Thursday, 16 April 2013, the Warsaw’s Court of Appeal heard the appeal in the personal interests infringement case brought by Bogdan Wróblewski, a journalist with Gazeta Wyborcza, against the Head of the Central Anticorruption Bureau. The claimant, now the appellee, alleged that the CAB had unlawfully acquired journalist’s telecommunication data, including his phone records, for a period of six months in the years 2005–2007. The first-instance court ruled for Mr Wróblewski.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:02:22 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19285&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19285.html&d=1The HFHR applied to the Minister of Transport, Construction and Maritime Economy, stressing the need to elaborate provisions of the Tenant Protection Act. Under current regulations, a debtor who raises objections as to the standard of housing offered to them by municipal authorities faces a risk of being evicted into the streets.Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:34 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19284&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19284.html&d=1At the end of February and in early March 2013, more than ten secondary school graduates lodged constitutional complaints with the Constitutional Tribunal requesting the constitutional review of the law not allowing for any appeal against a decision to annul secondary school leaving examination.Wed, 22 May 2013 07:58:10 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19283&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19283.html&d=1On 28 March 2013, the Supreme Court adopted a seven-judge resolution holding that an assessment of the excessive length of judicial proceedings covers the entirety of the litigation. It means that courts adjudicating cases initiated by a complaint for an excessive length of proceedings must review the entire procedural course of the case, covering the period starting with the case filing until its final resolution, regardless of the case procedural stage at which the excessive length complaint has been actually filed.Wed, 22 May 2013 07:56:27 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19282&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19282.html&d=1An Azerbaijani court ordered detention of another human rights activists in this country. They have been charged with illegal possession of arms. According to local human rights advocates and NGOs, the arrests are related to the protests organised in March.Wed, 22 May 2013 07:55:03 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19281&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19281.html&d=1In late March, the Lublin City Council resolved, “in consideration of the Christian traditions” of the city, to cease the municipal financing of “the works and events contrary to public morale or promoting scandalous content”. The HFHR brought the matter to the attention of the Mayor of Lublin.Wed, 22 May 2013 07:52:50 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19280&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19280.html&d=1The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has received the application brought in the case of Abu Zubaydah vs. Poland. This is yet another case related to human right infringements that allegedly happened in the secret CIA prison in Poland.Wed, 22 May 2013 07:49:44 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19279&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19279.html&d=1Precisely seven years after two Pruszków psychiatrist had been detained pending trial, the Warsaw Circuit Court discontinued the proceedings against Urszula L. citing the negligible social harm presented by the alleged offences. The Court also affirmed the lower instance’s acquittal of other defendant, Andrzej S. The judgement is final.Wed, 22 May 2013 07:48:32 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19278&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19278.html&d=1The HFHR urged Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski to spare no effort, both in the bilateral relations with Russia and at the level of international organisations, to counteract threats to the functioning of the civil society in that country. The HFHR responded to thorough inspections of Russian non-governmental organisations carried out by the country’s authorities in the last several weeks.Wed, 22 May 2013 07:46:10 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19275&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19275.html&d=1On 13-15 of May Vilnius hosted the final conference of the Human Rights House Network's project "International Law in Advocacy. The Electronic Human Rights Education for Lawyers". The participants of this conference were the best lawyers and advocates from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. During the year they were studying online, performing tasks, discussing the problems of legal protection on the forums and at the same time practicing their skills of applying the international standards into professional activities.Mon, 20 May 2013 22:36:57 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19264&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19264.html&d=1A group of former Belarusian lawyers, who have been persecuted by the authorities, addressed their Ukrainian colleagues with words of support. They sent a letter to the Higher Qualification and Disciplinary Bar Commission of Ukraine.Tue, 14 May 2013 09:55:07 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19260&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19260.html&d=1On 17 April the representatives of the Belarusian Human Rights House organised a lecture on human rights for schoolchildren of Vilnius. The organizers introduced fundamental rights and freedoms to high school pupils through interactive exercises.Sat, 11 May 2013 14:59:43 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19251&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19251.html&d=1On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, Freedom House has published an annual report where Belarus was once again among the worst countries in the world in the field of freedom of speech. The organization "Reporters Without Borders", in turn, condemned the persecution of Belarusian journalists.Thu, 09 May 2013 09:19:29 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19250&d=1http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/19250.html&d=1On 5 May 2013, FIAN International celebrates the coming into force of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OP-ICESCR). Under the Protocol, victims of violations of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR), such as the right to food, health, education, and housing, who are unable to seek relief for their claims within their own country, can seek redress at the international level by filing a complaint with the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in those countries that have ratified.Wed, 08 May 2013 12:51:05 GMT