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Год навучання адвакатаў з чатырох пост-савецкіх краін правам чалавека не прайшоў дарма. Падчас канферэнцыі ў Доме правоў чалавека ў Вільні ім уручаныя сертыфікаты праграмы “Дыстанцыйнае навучанне адвакатаў правам чалавека”. “Ідэя праекту – вярнуць прафесійных адвакатаў да сутнасці правоў чалавека”, – гаворыць Людміла Ульяшына з Фундацыі Дамоў правоў чалавека.

2010 marked several novelties as well as the continuation and strengthening of some trends observed in previous years in Georgia. The report represents the summary of work carried out mostly by Human Rights Centre in 2010. The report also relies on the work of Human Rights House Tbilisi, also the Public Defender, International Organizations as well as other partner NGOs. It covers the main points of concern regarding the dynamics of democratic transition in the country and shows that the effective execution of power achieved by the current government is used not to eliminate alarming trends in the field of basic rights and freedoms but abused in many cases to further strengthen the position of the ruling elite.

Together with a number of other international human rights NGOs, HRHF hosts this debate addressing the need for stronger institutional responses to reprisals against persons cooperating with the UN. Florian Irminger, Head of HRHF’s Geneva Office, will be on the panel, presenting cases of reprisals against lawyers and human rights organisations in Belarus.

On March 10, 2011 Georgian, Azeri and Armenian human rights defenders held a protest action in front of the UN Office in Geneva.

Azerbaijani authorities detained 50 demonstrators in Baku on Saturday. On Friday 32 people were rounded up, following the 10 March Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan order for the Human Rights House Azerbaijan to cease all activities immediately. At least five social media and opposition activists were also arrested on 4-8 March.

Two well-known Turkish writers and journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener, along with eight other writers and journalists, were detained last week. Şık and Şener were both formally charged with being members of the Ergenekon organisation, and taken to Metris Prison in Istanbul to await trial. Both are believed to be detained for their research into and writings about the Ergenekon investigation under which over 200 people are being tried on allegations of involvement in coup plots.

In a letter to the Minister of Justice of Belarus Viktar Halavanau, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) expressed deep concern in relation to cases of prosecution and pressure on Belarusian lawyers, and asked to reinstate the licences of Pavel Sapelka, Uladzimir Toustsik, Tamara Harayeva, Tatsyana Aheyeva and Aleh Aheyeu. See the full text of the letter below.

У лісце, накіраваным міністру Віктару Галаванаву, Рада адвакацкіх аб’яднанняў і юрыдычных таварыстваў Еўропы выказвае занепакоенасць у сувязі з выпадкамі пераследу і ціску на беларускіх адвакатаў і просіць аднавіць ліцэнзіі адвакатаў Паўла Сапелкі, Уладзіміра Тоўсціка, Тамары Гараевай, Таццяны Агеевай і Алега Агеева. Поўны тэкст ліста – ніжэй.

On 3 March a hearing in the trial of Oleg Orlov took place in Russia. The head of the Russian NGO Human Rights Centre Memorial is charged with slander for saying that Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov was responsible for the death of his colleague, human rights defender Natalia Estemirova, who was abducted and murdered in 2009.

The series of criminal trials for the December 19 “mass riots” have opened in Belarus. The brutality of the first sentences was shocking. However, no-one was surprised that despite having no real proof of guilt, the authorities tried to silence the lawyers by all possible means. Long-standing defender of Belarusian political prisoners Pavel Sapelka was disbarred, following his colleagues.

Human Rights House Azerbaijan, partner of the international Human Rights House Network, is forced to cease all its activities following an order of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan of 10 March 2011.

On 10 March 2011, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan ordered the Human Rights House Azerbaijan, partner of the international Human Rights House Network, to cease all activities immediately. According to the Ministry of Justice, in the future the Human Rights House Azerbaijan will be allowed to carry out activities only upon prior agreement with the State. The Human Rights House Network believes this measure is part of the escalated repression of the civil society in the last few weeks, in connection with the calls for pro-democracy demonstrations in March 2011.