Side Event: #PACEwinter2016

Human Rights House Foundation joins Belarusian and international human rights organisations, independent trade unions, and civil society initiatives have issued a joint statement on the systemic crisis of human rights in the labour sector in Belarus.

“There is no safe life for LGBTIQ+ people in the North Caucasus, and even private existence can trigger violence, detention, or forced return to families.” This publication is based on the personal testimony of David Isteev, a human rights defender working in exile with North Caucasus SOS (NC SoS). In his testimony, Isteev outlines the situation for LGBTIQ+ people as well as how the organisation continues to coordinate life-saving support from outside the country, relying on volunteers and trusted partners still inside Russia.

Shrinking or closing civic space is not a new phenomenon for the OSCE region. Civil society across the region has been raising the alarm about attacks on democracy, rule of law, and human rights for decades.