The objective of the campaign Stand 4 Human Rights is to get candidates for the next European Elections to sign up a manifesto, by which they compromise to actively promote human rights once elected. In order to draw support and strengthen the message that Members of the European Parliament should be more vocal on human rights issues, the website of the campaign will publish brief videos from human rights defenders from across the globe.
Five human rights defenders from five different countries participate in the Human Rights House Network contribution to “Stand 4 Human Rights”:
- Mamikon Hovsepyan, co-founder and president of PINK Armenia;
- Shahla Ismayil, Chairwoman of Women’s Association for Rational Development (WARD) in Azerbaijan and Attorney of the Azerbaijan Human Rights House;
- Anna Gerasimova, Director of the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Vilnius;
- Rohan Jayasekera, journalist, editor and online free expression advocate, member of the Human Rights House Network International Advisory Board;
- Sanja Sarnavka, President of B.a.b.e, Chairwoman of the board of the Human Rights House Zagreb and member of the Human Rights House Network International Advisory Board.
European Union: “More for more” in favour of human rights
“One year after receiving its Nobel Peace Price, the European Union has to stand more firmly and provide more leadership to show that the Union is holding those guilty of human rights violations accountable, within its Member States as well as abroad,” says Florian Irminger, Head of Advocacy and Human Rights House Foundation’s Geneva Office, on Human Rights Day.