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Council of Europe institutions visit Poland
The Venice Commission and the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe are in Poland this week to meet with officials and NGOs regarding the constitutional crisis.
Statement by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti
No changes in the dismal human rights situation in Belarus since the presidential election
“Zhamchuzhny case”: KGB against the “Platform”?
The founder of the human rights organization “Platform innovation” Mikhail Zhamchuzhny was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment in a penal colony by the Vitebsk regional court in June 2015. On 23 October the judicial board on criminal cases of the Supreme Court has reviewed the cassation appeal and imposed even more severe punishment – six and a half years in prison.
The UN must address the increasingly worrying situation of human rights defenders in Eastern Europe
The UN’s effectiveness in promoting and protecting civil and political rights in Europe is in question, following the institution’s inconsistent approach in addressing human rights degradations and how independent voices and UN rapporteurs have struggled to engage with governments in the region. Florian Irminger, Head of Advocacy at Human Rights House Network, examines this in an essay for UK-based think tank the Foreign Policy Centre.
“Справа Жамчужнага”: КДБ супраць “Платформы”?
Заснавальнік праваабарончай арганізацыі “Платформ інавэйшн” Міхаіл Жамчужны ў ліпені 2015 года быў асуджаны Віцебскім абласным судом на 6 гадоў пазбаўлення волі ў калоніі строгага рэжыму. 23 кастрычніка судовая калегія па крымінальных справах Вярхоўнага суда разгледзела касацыйную скаргу і прызначыла Жамчужнаму больш строгае пакаранне – шэсць з паловай гадоў пазбаўлення волі.
Priorities in shaping the strategy for relations with Belarus
We, the representative of the Belarusian human rights organisations, note that despite certain positive tendencies over the past six months, there have been no systemic changes aimed at a comprehensive improvement of the human rights situation in Belarus. In this context, we regard further improvement of the human rights situation as a top priority for both Belarusian human rights defenders and international partners in shaping the strategy for relations with Belarus.
PACE resolutions: Why are they important for human rights defenders and NGOs?
HRHN welcomes PACE’s adoption on 28 January 2016 of two resolutions aimed at strengthening the protection and role of human rights defenders and preventing restrictions on NGOs.
The arrest of Ales Bialiatski’s property cancelled, as it was imposed “by mistake”
On 28 January, the human rights defender Ales Bialiatski received a letter from the department of compulsory execution of Minsk Partyzanski district in response to his appeal against a decision to arrest part of his Minsk apartment where he lives with his family.
Арышт з маёмасці Алеся Бяляцкага зняты, паколькі быў накладзены “памылкова”
28 студзеня праваабаронца атрымаў адказ з аддзела прымусовага выканання Партызанскага раёна г. Мінска, куды абскарджваў пастанову пра накладання арышту на долю ў кватэры, дзе ён пражывае з сям’ёй.