Latest

As underlined by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2012, “In just two months we have seen a worrying shift in the legislative environment governing the enjoyment of the freedoms of assembly, association, speech and information in the Russian Federation. At least four new legal provisions have been made which will have a detrimental effect on human rights in the country.”

Priorities of the Human Rights House Network at this session: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, and human rights defenders and peaceful protests.

In meetings in Kyiv from the 18 to 20 February 2013, the Special Rapporteur on Belarus had the occasion to meet international and Belarusian media experts as well as human rights defenders and victims of human rights violations in Belarus.

A court in Lidzbark Warmiński ordered prosecutors to continue the investigation in a case of men beaten by officers at a police station. The court instructed the prosecution to interview a new witness in the case.Krystian Jacyno and Kazimierz Wołkowski had been beaten while interrogated at the District Police Headquarters in Lidzbark Warmiński.

The HFHR requested Justice Minister Jarosław Gowin to name information or circumstances which allowed him to assess the evidence collected in the investigation of CIA secret prisons in Poland on the basis of which a decision on indicting former Head of Intelligence Agency Zbigniew Siemiątkowski was taken.

The ECtHR found that Poland violated the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment in respect of a disabled inmate. The Court proclaimed judgement in the case of D.G. v. Poland. The applicant was detained in 2001. He is paralysed and claims that he developed serious health problems in detention. Because of that it was absolutely necessary to provide him with adequate personal hygiene products and medical accessories such as a catheter, which, as the applicant argues, were given to him too rarely considering his needs.

Poland’s legislators continue to work on the draft new Foreigners Act. In November last year the HFHR presented its remarks to the bill. In late January 2013 the Ministry of Interior hosted a consensus conference to discuss the remarks made by NGOs.

Liubou Kavaliova, the mother of Uladzislau Kavaliou, who was executed for Minsk metro bombing, was declared the “Person of the Year 2012 in Vitsebsk”. Vitebsk is a Belarusian city, where Uladzislau Kavaliou and Dzmitry Kanavalau, both accused of the terrorist act organization, grew up.

Любоў Кавалёва, маці пакаранага смерцю па справе аб выбуху ў мінскім метро Уладзіслава Кавалёва,прызнаная “Чалавекам года Віцебска -2012”. Віцебск – беларускі горад, у якім выраслі расстраляныя па абвінавачанні ў арганізацыі тэракту Уладзіслаў Кавалёў і Дзмітры Канавалаў.

The ECtHR decided to lift the secrecy in the proceedings pending in the case of al-Nashiri v. Poland. The case was communicated to the Polish Government in July 2012. The applicant claims that in years 2002-2003 he was tortured in a secret CIA prison in Poland.

HRHW 2013 tries to convey and illustrate the complexity of human rights issues through documentaries. By melding unconventional elements participants gain a better understanding of the complex array of legal, political, social, and cultural issues involved in human rights and human wrongs. Hence every day during the festival, different focal points are shared in the selected movies and seminars.

The Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Festival (HRHW) is organised by The Human Rights House Oslo and
Oslo Dokumentarkino (the Oslo Documentary Cinema).

Member of the European Parliament Marek Migalski (right), who initiated the campaign of solidarity with two political prisoners – the leader of the “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich and former presidential candidate in the 2010 elections Mikalai Statkevich,- appealed to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a request to meet with them in prison.