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In a letter addressed to Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, NHC expresses concern with recent developments in the Russian Federation related to the on-going crackdown against opposition leaders and human rights activists, as well as the adoption of restrictive legislation on public rallies. President Putin pledged to inspire “greater participation of citizens in public affairs” and to have “more consultations with different sectors of society about legal reforms” on the day of his inauguration, Secretary Bjørn Engesland says. Recent developments stand in sharp contrast to these words.

On 12 June, the Human Rights House Foundation organised a conference on the human rights situation in the Republic of Belarus. The conference exposed the systemic nature of human rights violations by the Belarusian Government.

On the night of 16 June the first president of the Belarusian Human Rights House, a well-known Belarusian human rights defender, co-founder of Association “Legal Initiative”, “Belarusian human rights defender of the year-2008”, Barys Iharavich Zvozskau passed away after a long illness at the age of 63.

Ales Bialiatski (right), Head of the Belarusian human rights center “Viasna” who is now serving a 4.5-year sentence in Babruisk colony, has been transferred to the category of “persistent violators”. This raises doubts that he might be released as a result of the 3 July amnesty.

У ноч з 16 на 17 чэрвеня пасля працяглай хваробы ва ўзросце 63 год пайшоў з жыцця першы прэзідэнт Беларускага Дома правоў чалавека, вядомы беларускі праваабаронца, адзін з заснавальнікаў аб’яднання “Прававая ініцыятыва”, “Праваабаронца года Беларусі-2008” Барыс Ігаравіч Звозскаў.

On 15 June two Kazakh activists were arrested in Almaty. They are charged with incitement of social discord leading to the riots in Zhanaozen in December 2011. On 13 June five Russian journalists were detained in Moscow due to new regulations on demonstrations. They took part in a protest in support of a threatened colleague.

Адміністрацыя перавяла Алеся Бяляцкага (на фота) ў разрад «злосных парушальнікаў», што ставіць пад сумнеў магчымасць выкарыстання ў адносінах да яго амністыі, якая рыхтуецца на 3 ліпеня.

The European Court of Human Rights released the judgment in the case Grzywaczewski v. Poland. Once again, ECtHR found that Poland had violated Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, prohibiting the use of torture or other inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.

During a session in Geneva the United Nations Human Rights Council made an evaluation of the Poland’s record of compliance with the country’s human rights obligations under the Universal Periodic Review, UPR. The Council issued as many as 124 recommendations to Poland.

Human Rights House Foundation calls for the immediate and unconditional release of photographer Mehman Huseynov.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese opposition leader, the 1990 Rafto Prize laureate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 1991, is visiting Norway (Oslo and Bergen) from 15-18 June. On 29 May, Suu Kyi started her travels abroad visiting Thailand, her first trip overseas in 24 years.

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee participated in a picket in front of the Ukrainian Embassy in Oslo, passing on a statement to Counsellor Vitalii Pantus. The statement comes as a reaction to the recent violent attacks on a peaceful demonstration organized by Ukrainian LGBTI organizations, where several activists were victims of violence.