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October 10 – World Day Against the Death Penalty. The office of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” in Minsk hosted final press conference of “Human rights defenders against the death penalty in Belarus” campaign.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is now at the centre of the attention, following its elections on 12 October, the preparation of its review at the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the publication of the European Union progress report. It has a chance to take concrete steps to improve its human rights record. Little hope comes from the elections however on such steps.

10 кастрычніка — Сусветны дзень супраць смяротнай кары. У офісе праваабарончага цэнтра «Вясна» ў Мінску адбылася выніковая прэс-канферэнцыя кампаніі «Праваабаронцы супраць смяротнай кары ў Беларусі».

Several days ago in Vilnius (Lithuania), the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House held graduation ceremony of students of the educational project “Bring International Standards Home. De facto implementation of international obligations of the Republic of Belarus in the field of civil rights and freedoms” of the “International Law in Advocacy” program. The program is implemented by several member organizations of the Human Rights House Network and aimed at increasing the knowledge and skills of human rights defenders and their support.

Archangel Michael Medical-Pedagogical School-Kindergarten in Borjomi street, Tbilisi was founded in 1994. According to the website of the education institution, it aims to create good environment for the education, grow up and development of children, adults and youth with physical and intellectual disabilities for their further integration into society.

Future European Union High Representative for Foreign Policy was questioned about the EU’s stand on human rights in Azerbaijan, amongst many other issues. She said the EU has to put rights before other interests.

Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe was, from its beginning, a problem: the country was not showing enough efforts to improve its human rights record and true willingness to implement recommendations made by Council of Europe mechanisms. Since it acceded to the chairmanship in May 2014, the record became even worse, with an unprecedented repression of civil society on-going in Azerbaijan.

On 26 September the photo exhibition “Revolution of dignity – in the heart of the events” was opened at the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House. Photojournalist Marianna Hardy (right) who presented pictures of Kiev protests of the late 2013- early 2014, told those, who were present, about her experience and what she saw there, answered the question and even showed rubber bullets, that were shot at protesters and the press.

Villages – Plavi, Plavismani and Kveshi are located near the ABL, adjacent to the occupied South Ossetia. The road finishes with wire-fence 150 meters away from the Georgian blockpost. The 150 meter distance is a risky zone, where person can be kidnapped and taken to Tskhinvali for alleged “violation of the border” and keep you in prison before paying 2 000 Russian rubles. De-facto authority of South Ossetia calls it “administrative fine.” Nobody is secured from the so-called “blind shooting” in the direction of the Georgia controlled area from the 150-meter zone.