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In Bosnia and Herzegovina, activists and protestors have recently been harassed by police forces for various reasons. In Banja Luka, they were taken in custody for “informative talks”. In Sarajevo, peaceful protestors were in custody and interrogated about the 6 June and 1 July protests in front of Parliament.

The media report that Edward Snowden, a former employee of the United States National Security Agency (NSA), has leaked information about the authorities’ involvement in the surveillance of US citizens and foreigners. Consequently, the US government has accused Mr Snowden of espionage.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus, Miklos Haraszti (right), is not able to visit Belarus and has to hold consultations with the Belarusian human rights defenders and representatives of the civil society in Vilnius. One of such meetings took place in Vilnius on 12-13 July.

Cпецдакладчык ААН па правах чалавека ў Беларусі Міклаш Харасці (на фота) не мае магчымасці наведаць Беларусь і праводзіць кансультацыі з беларускімі праваабаронцамі і прадстаўнікамі дэмакратычнай супольнасці ў Вільні. 13 ліпеня ў Вільні завяршылася чарговая такая сустрэча.

One of the winners of the competition, jointly organized by the United Nations Development Programme and the organization Human Rights Laboratory (HuRiLab) which was held in Armenia on 28-29 June was the project «Ease of Access» of a Belarusian Jan Guardian – participant of the project “Bring International Standards Home”

На конкурсе, организованном совместно Программой Развития ООН и организацией Human Rights Laboratory (HuRiLab) и проходившем в Армении 28-30 июня, одним из победителей стал проект «Ease of Access» беларуса Яна Гвардиана – участника проекта «Имплементация де-факто международных обязательств Республики Беларусь».

As from 24 June, state members of the Council of Europe may sign the new, already fifteenth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights. One of the modifications to be introduced by the new Protocol is a new time limit for lodging an application to the Strasbourg Court, which will be shortened from six to four months.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, together with the Association for Legal Intervention, addressed the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers to refer to the Polish authorities’ failure to enforce judgments of the European Court of Human Rights made in cases involving the overcrowding of Polish prisons.

Yegor Mylnikov (right), a lawyer, the graduate of ILIA project, upheld the right to freedom of speech on the Internet and defended Boris Shumilkin, who opposed the construction of the woodworking plant next to his village, in the court. However, Boris Shumilkin himself, who had been stating about the illness of the locals and environmental problems attributed to the construction of the plant, did not get the court’s decision. It was made on the day of his funeral.

Выпускник проекта ILIA, адвокат Егор Мыльников (на фото) отстоял право на свободу слова в Интернете и защитил в суде Бориса Шумилкина, выступавшего против строительства рядом с его деревней деревообрабатывающего предприятия. Однако сам Борис Шумилкин, заявлявший о болезнях жителей и экологических проблемах, связанных со строительством предприятия, решения суда не дождался. Оно было принято в день его похорон.

The European Parliament has adopted its Recommendation on the EU’s policy towards Belarus reiterating the need for the unconditional release of all political prisoners as a prerequisite for a gradual lifting of EU sanctions and for an upgrade of relations between the European Union and Belarus.

Еўрапарламент прыняў рэкамендацыю аб палітыцы Еўразвяза ў дачыненні да Беларусі, зноў заяўляючы аб неабходнасці безумоўнага вызвалення ўсіх палітычных зняволеных у якасці перадумовы для паступовай адмены ЕЗ санкцый і аднаўлення адносін паміж ЕЗ і Беларуссю.