The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights together with the Horizon Group Against the Death Penalty called President Alexander Lukashenko to pardon Dmitry Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalyov, the two men sentenced to death for bombing the underground railway in Minsk. According to the organisations such a ‘humanitarian gesture’ would be ‘worthy’ of the nation led by Mr Lukashenko.
The authors of the appeal say that the pardon would be a sign of power rather than weakness of Belarus.
‘We assure you, Mr President, and the victims of the bombing alike, that we condemn the deed but for fundamental reasons we consider the death penalty contrary to human rights’, reads the statement.
On the sidelines of the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights House Foundation underlined several concerns related to freedom of expression in Serbia including Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), the misuse of the Law on the Prevention of Money-Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism to target civil society organisations, and inadequate protection mechanisms for journalists and the persistent impunity for crimes against them.
On the sidelines of the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights House Foundation argued that Anar Mammadli’s detention should be understood as a direct reprisal for his legitimate election observation efforts and human rights work, and comes in the context of a dramatic deterioration in the human rights situation in Azerbaijan.
On 10 July 2024, Human Rights House Foundation delivered a statement at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, welcoming the release of Nariman Dzhelal, repeating calls for the release of Server Mustafayev, and raising concerns about the situation for forced transfers of Ukrainian civilians within the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and to the Russian Federation.
