Latest

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights appealed to the General Prosecutor in the case of two journalists of Gazeta Giełda Parkiet newspaper. The intervention concerns investigation conducted by the District Prosecutor in Warsaw in the case of two former journalists of Gazeta Giełda Parkiet newspaper. The prosecutor ordered the Presspublica Company, a publisher of Gazeta, to secure and deliver data from email accounts of these journalists.

Нягледзячы на міжнародную крытыку, у Беларусі працягваюць выносіць жорсткія прысуды ўдзельнікам акцыі пратэсту, што адбылася пасля прэзідэнцкіх выбараў 19 снежня 2010 году і выганяюць з краіны прадстаўнікоў Міжнароднай назіральнай місіі. На фоне пагрозы закрыцця незалежных газет міліцыя ўваходзіць у смак поўнай беспакаранасці.

The representatives of media and NGOs expressed protest against the action of the bailiff Giorgi Inasaridze at the round table on freedom of expression held in Tbilisi Human Rights House. According to the participants of the meeting, the bailiff exceeded his authority when he composed the act of administrative violation against the math teacher Lali Kiknadze that gave rise to her dismissal.

On May 13, at 13:00 the Lithuanian Parliament is hosting the opening of a photo exhibition dedicated to the events of 19 December, 2010 in Belarus, that initiated unprecedented wave of repressions. The exposition contains the photos from after-election protest demonstration in Belarus. At the same time, you will have a chance to visit a press-conference on the occasion of 15th anniversary of Human Rights Centre “Viasna”.

13 траўня ў Літоўскім Сойме адбудзецца адкрыццё фотавыставы, прысвечанай падзеям 19 снежня 2010 году ў Беларусі, што распачалі беспрэцэдэнтную хвалю рэпрэсій. Выстава адкрыецца ў ходзе адкрытых слуханняў у Літоўскім Сойме. Перад адкрыццём выставы адбудзецца прэс-канферэнцыя з нагоды 15-годдзя найбуйнейшай беларускай праваабарончай арганізацыі “Вясна”.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights appealed to the Chairman of the Sport Main Commission of the Polish Speedway Association. According to press reports of March 2011, women still meet difficulties in access to speedway trainings and championships. Two years ago the regulations were altered to allow women to compete in all forms of speedway. Therefore, the Foundation appealed for actions promoting the principle of equality.

On May 3 the twentieth anniversary of the press freedom day was celebrated around the world. According to Freedom House’s Freedom of Press index, Georgia is still “partly free.” Human Rights House Tbilisi and its member organizations dedicated different events to the press freedom day: flash mob action with people holding the newspapers upside down in front of the Parliament and a film and subsequent discussion at the Human Rights House Tbilisi.

The Human Rights House Network is deeply concerned about the actions taken by the Belarusian authorities, police, KGB, and judicial system against human rights defenders and their organisations, lawyers, journalists, students, and other citizens of the Republic of Belarus.

The Jury of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA), meeting in Geneva, has selected Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, right, as the Laureate for 2011 for her work for LGBT rights and marginalised people in Uganda.

Confrontation between groups of students at Tbilisi State University took place on April 15 at a presentation held by the initiative group “Translate”, which was followed in the next few days by physical and verbal abuse. The victims claim that they were physically assaulted because of the criticism they leveled at the university administration and the body of student self-government at the university. The students’ self-government denies any kind of connection with the incident and says that the incident took place on a private basis. The confrontation between these two sides now continues online over social networking sites.

March brought nothing new to the grey side of art. Artists around the world were censored mostly because of politics, sexual content and religion. A new “Artist alert” published by free speech and human rights organisation Article 19 highlights cases in the Middle East region, Western Europe, USA and China.

Amnesty International together with some 270 other non governmental organizations across Europe, among them the Human Rights House Foundation, has signed a petition opposing the imposition of fees on applicants seeking justice in the European Court of Human Rights. After an inter-governmental conference examining proposed reforms to the Court. European Amnesty International said leaders must protect the independence and integrity of the Court.