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Pavel Sapelka, right, a well-known Belarusian lawyer disbarred by the authorities last month, attended a seminar of the programme “International Law in Advocacy” at the Human Rights House in Vilnius on 8-10 April. The defender of political prisoners stated he is not going to give up the human rights activism, and expressed his gratitude towards the international community for support.

More than 100 activists detained, three well-known critics of authorities arrested in last month in China. Famous China’s artist Ai Weiwe and prominent blogger Yang Hengjun were detained in the airports. Prominent pro-democracy activist Liu Xianbin was jailed for 10 years for writing articles critical of the government. Is this a new wave of crackdown on dissidents, a new kind of internet dissidents called ‘netizens’?

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.

The Human Rights Committee of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which monitors compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, recently released a new Draft Comment, No. 34, on Article 19 governing the right to hold opinions without interference and the right to freedom of expression to replace the 1983 version.

Вядомы адвакат Павел Сапелка (на здымку), месяц таму пад ціскам уладаў пазбаўлены ліцэнзіі, у якасці эксперта наведаў семінар праграмы “Прымяненне міжнароднага права ў праваабарончай дзейнасці” 8-10 красавіка ў Доме правоў чалавека ў Вільні. Абаронца палітвязняў запэўніў, што ён не збіраецца адмаўляцца ад праваабарончай працы, і падзякаваў міжнароднай супольнасці за падтрымку.

On 4 April 2011, at Warsaw University the conference “The effective criminal defense” took place. The conference was organized by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Human Rights Commission of the Supreme Council of Advocates, the Open Society Justice Initiative and the Centre for Human Rights of the Law and Administration Faculty ofWarsaw University. The conference was dedicated to effectiveness of criminal defense.

On April 6 of 2011 the problems of eco-migrants and the victims of natural catastrophes was discussed at the round table in Tbilisi Human Rights House. The members of the Civil Coalition on Migration Issues talked about the problems that the eco-migrants and the suffered population face as a result of legislative shortcomings and the absence of state strategy in this sphere.

Fifteen human rights organisations jointly call upon the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to request an opinion of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission) stating whether the July 2009 amendments to the Law on Non-governmental Organisations (public unions and foundations), and the new regulations issued on 17 March 2011 in Azerbaijan are in line with the European Convention of Human Rights.

We, the undersigned members and partners of the Human Rights House Network (HRHN), condemn the recent repression of peaceful demonstrations in Tbilisi and call upon the Georgian authorities to fully ensure the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in practice and by law.

On April 1st, Human Rights House Tbilisi hosted the round table on Freedom of Speech and Expression in Georgia. The following NGOs made presentations in the round table: Human Rights Center, Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) and Article 42 of Constitution. The journalist Ia Antadze moderated the discussion. The cases on violations of freedom of expression were discussed at the round table as well as the right to freedom of expression during demonstrations and on social networks.

Dozens of opposition supporters have been arrested in the Azerbaijani capital on 2 April as they tried to stage an anti-government rally in downtown Baku. Protesters were beaten and arrested. Four of them have been charged.

Detentions, interrogations, trials – the journalists keep being oppressed in Belarus. The authorities shut down popular FM-station for contrived reasons. Not only the local journalists, but the foreign ones are at risk too. Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) expressed its deep concern for the situation and released a statement to condemn the growing pressure on journalists.