Latest

On 5 February the Committee for Justice and Human Rights and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Polish Sejm unanimously appointed the permanent subcommittee for the enforcement of European Court of Human Rights judgments.

On February 3rd, the Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT) presented the EC funded project – Helping those who suffer in silence – ensuring civic engagement to raise awareness on domestic violence and sexual abuse of women and children in Georgia.

District Court in Bydgoszcz today acquitted W.K., an employee accused of defaming his former employer who called the latter’s company a “Polish work camp”. The court held that the expression used by the defendant was his opinion which could not be prosecuted under article 212 of the Criminal Code. The court said that only statements about facts could be defamatory.

Miklós Haraszti (right), UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, is still not allowed to enter the country. However, the Belarusian authorities are ready to invite a number of special rapporteurs and discuss only certain questions.

Marcin K. has filed a lawsuit against Zbigniew R., the Kołobrzeg-Koszalin Diocese and St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Parish. The claimant requests an apology in the national edition of the Gazeta Wyborcza daily newspaper and Newsweek magazine and PLN 200,000 as compensation for moral damages caused by a priest’s sex abuse.

Спецдакладчыку па сітуацыі з правамі чалавека ў Беларусі Міклашу Харасці (на фота) па – ранейшаму не дазваляюць прыехаць у Беларусь. Аднак улады Беларусі гатовыя запрасіць некалькіх тэматычных спецдакладчыкаў і абмеркаваць толькі асобныя пытанні.

18-19 февраля 2014 года в Великом Новгороде пройдет конференция «Бесплатная правовая помощь: вызовы и формы реализации» для практикующих адвокатов и юристов из Азербайджана, Беларуси, Молдовы, России и Украины. Конференция будет проходить в Малом зале Новгородской областной филармонии им. А.С. Аренского, по адресу: Великий Новгород, Кремль, 8.

In Georgia (84th, +17), the 2013 presidential election was less tense that the previous year’s parliamentary elections, which were marked by physical attacks and hate campaigns against journalists. Thanks to political cohabitation and then a change of government through the polls, Georgia has recovered some of the terrain lost in recent years as the Saakashvili administration’s reforming zeal ran out of steam. Media polarization will nonetheless continue to be a challenge in the coming years.

Statkevich, presidential candidate during the 2010 elections, has once again confirmed that he would not seek a pardon from Aliaksandr Lukashenka. He stated so in the letter that he sent to his wife Maryna Adamovich. Political prisoner wrote: “In regard to another suggestion “to ask for pardon” it is likely that required “appeal” can be written on my behalf.”

Мікалай Статкевіч, кандыдат у прэзідэнты Беларусі на выбарах 2010 года, чарговым разам пацвердзіў, што не мае намеру звяртацца па памілаванне да Аляксандра Лукашэнкі. Пра гэта гаворыцца ў лісце, які ён даслаў сваёй жонцы Марыне Адамовіч. Палітвязень напісаў: “У сувязі з чарговай прапановай “папрасіцца” ёсць імавернасць таго, што патрэбнае “прашэнне” могуць напісаць за мяне”.

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has published a report on ‘Access to data protection remedies in the EU Member States’. The report, which is based on social fieldwork research, shows the most important problems concerning the access to redress mechanisms in cases of data protection violations.

On January 27 a photo of a group of fans of the Belarusian football club BATE (tenfold national champion), holding a white-red-white flag and posters: “Hold on, Ukraine, we are with you!” and “Glory to Heroes!” appeared on the Internet. A few days later, two fans were convicted, and the police is still looking for the others.