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As a member of the Council of Europe, Republic of Azerbaijan has committed to respect basic freedoms, human rights and democracy. In spite of this commitment, human rights violations continue to be numerous and widespread and occur on a systematic basis. 16 human rights organisations welcome the thorough report of the Committee of the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe, Doc 12270 31 May 2010 and urge the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to adopt the Draft resolution.

Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights House Foundation, Norwegian PEN, English PEN, Norwegian Union of Journalists, Rafto Foundation, Index of Censorhip and ARTICLE 19 condemn the illegal confiscation of material and documentary footage from the Norwegian filmmaker Erling Borgen and the cameraman Dag Inge Dahl in Baku Airport on May 6, 2010. We call upon Azerbaijani authorities to honour Azerbaijan’s international human rights obligations and restore the seized property to the owners.

On May 3rd, the international day of freedom of expression, the members of the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders in Georgia – Human Rights Center, Article 42, Center for the Protection of Constitutional Rights and Multinational Georgia – express their deep concern over the fact that journalists represent one those groups of human rights defenders in Georgia, who most often face pressure and intimidation from the authorities.

Members of the Human Rights House Network call upon the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately execute the decision of the European Court of Human Rights from 22 April 2010 in the case ‘Fatullayev v. Azerbaijan’ (application no 40984/07), to release the journalist from detention and compensate him for the damages he has suffered.

On 14 April members of the Human Rights House Network and several other international human rights organisations sent a letter of concern on the executions of two Belarusian citizens – Andrei Zhuk and Vasil Yuzepchuk. The letter signatories condemned that the fact of execution as well as deplored the Republic of Belarus ignoring its international obligations in human rights.

14 красавіка сябры Сеткі дамоў правоў чалавека, а таксама шэраг міжнародных праваабарончых арганізацый прынялі зварот у сувязі з стаўшым вядомым фактам смяротнага пакарання двух грамадзянаў Беларусі – Андрэя Жука і Васіля Юзэпчука. Падпісанты выказваюць абуранасць як самім фактам чарговага прымянення вышэйшай меры пакарання, так і ігнараваннем Беларусі яе міжнародных абавязкаў у галіне правоў чалавека.

54 organisations have signed a statement in which they call upon President Mr. Alexander Lukashenko and the government of the Republic of Belarus, to consider the rule of law as the principle under which penal justice is executed — and to therefore fully implement the recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

Civil Rights Defenders (Kingdom of Sweden), Belarusian Human Rights House (Republic of Lithuania), Human Rights House Foundation (Kingdom of Norway and Swiss Confederation) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee condemn the detention of the activists of the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’ Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Iryna Toustsik, as yet
another case in which the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech severely restricted by the Belarusian authorities.

Сябры Сеткі Дамоў правоў чалавека і іншых праваабарончых арганізацый занепакоеныя паведамленнямі аб арыштах вядомых беларускіх праваабаронцаў, сябраў арганізацыі “Вясна”. Арышты з’яўляюцца новым інструментам запалохвання праваабаронцаў, якія адкрыта выказваюць пазіцыю непрымання смяротнага пакарання ў Беларусі, і прыцягваюць да праблемы ўвагу міжнароднай супольнасці.