New Human Rights House in Vilnius ‘an island of liberty’

On the 30th of January, a Lithuania-registered Human Rights House was opened in the capital of Vilnius. – We hope it will be a safe, creative and constructive contribution to the important work of the human rights and democracy movement in Belarus and Lithuania, Maria Dahle, E.D. of the Human Rights House Foundation said in her opening speech. – An island of liberty, said Ales Bialiatski (below, right) from Belarus, where most human rights organisations are banned. (31-JAN-07)

Text: Borghild Tønnessen-Krokan, HRHF
Photos: Ane Tusvik Bonde, HRHF

Since 1994 Belarus´ President Alexander Lukashenko, often referred to as Europe´s last dictator, has ruled the country with an iron fist. Most human rights organisations have been banned. In year 2000, eight Belarusian non-governmental organisations and the Human Rights House Foundation in Norway joined forces to set up a Human Rights House. It proved to be a very difficult task, due to the political climate. In 2006 it was officially registered by the Lithuanian Republic in Vilnius. The House was officially opened yesterday, on the 30th of January.

– An island of liberty
– In the present situation, the existence of the Human Rights House is very necessary for the development of human rights movement in Belarus, said the Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialiatski who participated at the opening.

Bialiatski, who was awarded both the Homo Homini Award by People in Need Foundation and the Sakharov Prize from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, explained why it has been necessary to set up a Human Rights House in the neighbouring country Lithuania:

– During the last years the situation of human rights in Belarus has rapidly deteriorated. Human rights organizations don’t have any possibility to hold seminars and meetings on the territory of Belarus. The Belarusian authorities and the KGB persecute NGOs, disrupt events and harass participants. That’s why in cooperation with the Norwegian Human Rights House Foundation a number of Belarusian NGOs united in one Human Rights House decided to open such an island of liberty in the neighboring country, democratic Lithuania, Bialiatski said.

Braveness and persistence
Executive Director Maria Dahle (right) of the Human Rights House Foundation was also in Vilnius together with human rights defenders from Belarus, Russia and Lithuania.
 
– This is an emotional day for many of us. On one hand, we are proud and glad to participate in establishing a Human Rights House together with the Belarusian human rights movement and partners in Lithuania. On the other hand, the exile house is a consequence of the sad and deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus. We hope this Human Rights House will be a safe, creative and constructive contribution to the important work within the whole human rights and democracy movement in Belarus and Lithuania, Dahle said in her opening speech . She praised the Belarusian human rights defenders for their braveness and persistence, and thanked the Lithuanian authorities and other partners for their support.

Broad international support
The Human Rights House Foundation, established in 1989 to set up new Human Rights Houses, has facilitated funding for the Human Rights House in Vilnius from the Freedom of Expression Foundation in Norway, the Swedish Helsinki Committe, National Endowment for Democracy (USA), the Civic Belarus by the Czech Republic, and the Dutch government.

In addition to human rights organisations from Belarus and Lithuania, number of foreign embassies, foundations, NGOs as well as the Lithuanian ministry of foreign affairs were present.

– This is a great day, we have worked hard to achieve this, said Baris Zwozkau ( far left) from the new Human Rights House in Vilnius in his opening speech. He underlined the importance of the broad international support.

Work without fear
The new Human Rights House received greetings from other members of the Human Rights House Network, including Oslo and Moscow:

–  I hope you will be able to work in Vilnius without fear, and that the House can be a focal point for activities for the Human Rights House Network, said Liubov Vinogradova, head of the Russian Research Center for Human Rights in Moscow, one of the first Human Rights Houses that was established after the Berlin wall was teared down.