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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.

Civil Rights Defenders (Sweden), Belarusian Human Rights House (Lithuania), Human Rights House Foundation (Norway) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee condemn the detention of three activists of the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’. “They were supposed to have applied for permission to assembly, but since the organisation they represent has been denied oficial registration severa times, the application would not have been granted. In practice their right to assembly is severely restricted” says AneTusvik Bonde, Regional Manager at the Human Rights House Foundation.

The South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture – OMCT and the International Federation for Human Rights – FIDH), Human Rights House Foundation, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Front Line and ARTICLE 19 condemn the pressure and intimidation exerted by Georgian authorities against leading investigative journalist Vakhtang Komakhidze, and denounce a continuous defamation campaign against Mr. Komakhidze.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In spite of the Republic of Azerbaijan being a member of the Council of Europe for almost ten years the lack of democracy, a fair judicial system, free media and a free civil society is imminent. Several national and international human rights organizations draw the attention to the serious human rights violations taking place in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

On January 22, 2010 journalist Saba Tsitsikashvili, regional correspondent of Human Rights Center and the editor of a regional newspaper “Kartlis Khma” (Voice of Kartli) was subjected to abuse and harassment by regional security guards in Shida Kartli. The guards abused Tsitsikashvili physically and verbally and obstructed him from carrying out his professional activities.

The South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders strongly condemns the actions of law enforcement organs of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic against peaceful civilians. On December 27, 2009, during a religious ceremony, the residents of Julfa district Bananiyar village in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic were subjected to physical pressure by the police.