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In the early weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv (EHRHC) was damaged during an attack in the area by Russian forces. Attacks in the Chernihiv region left many injured and dead, and severe damage to the local community. Since then, and in partnership with other civil society actors, EHRHC has been working tirelessly to repair the House and to assist the healing process in the community as Russia’s military aggression continues.

We, non-governmental organisations – members of the international Civic Solidarity Platform, condemn the decision of the authorities of the Russian Federation to liquidate the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), a member and one of the founders of our network.

On 30 January 2023, members of the Human Rights and Democracy Network issued a joint letter urging the European Parliament to reconsider the recent decision to enforce a strict 5oo-word limit for all urgency resolutions. 

If Ales [Bialiatski] had not received the [Nobel] Peace Prize, images of a Belarusian human rights defender locked in a cage in court would never have made international headlines.

On 20 December 2022, The Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN) issued a joint letter to the European Parliament raising concerns over recent debates and proposals to freeze all activities of the European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee (DROI) and to stop all urgency resolutions. HRDN members including HRHF urge that Parliament instead recommits to and doubles down on its efforts to speak up louder and stronger in the face of abuses, including those committed by any government who might have tried to exert undue influence on Parliament activities.

On 15 December 2022, Human Rights House Foundation delivered a statement on Ukraine at the UN Human Rights Council, highlighting enforced disappearances and the situation for civil society in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On Saturday 10 December, this year’s Nobel Peace laureates received their awards at a ceremony in Oslo’s town hall. Human Rights House Foundation once again offers its sincerest congratulations to these brave human rights defenders: Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine), Memorial (Russia) and Viasna’s Ales Bialiatski (Belarus).

Over the course of several months in 2022, young Armenians explored the importance of human rights in Armenia’s constitution and other issues in society through 30 short films produced as part of a project organised by “Open Platform for Art” NGO and PEN Armenia.

Human Rights House Yerevan is close to completing the renovation of its premises – the home of Armenia’s human rights defenders – and you can help by donating today.

Dzmitry Kubarau is UI/UX designer from Minsk. Known as ‘Dima’ to his friends, he likes tattoos, fashion, and chess. Dzmitry was accused of “calling people to actively participate in mass riots, organising them himself and participating in them” from 9 to 12 August 2020. He was detained on 11 August 2020 and taken to the KGB pre-trial detention centre. That same night, he signed a confession while in the hands of the KGB. At trial, Dzmitry pleaded not guilty and reported the torture that led to his ‘confession.’ On 24 March 2021 he was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony under part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code (“Organisation of riots”).

On 15 November 2023, Human Rights House Foundation hosted a conversation between Polish civil society representatives reflecting on the recommendations given by delegations immediately following the conclusion of Poland’s Universal Periodic Review process at the United Nations in Geneva. More than 240 recommendations were made by around 80 delegations on the human rights situation in Poland over the last five years.

At the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) continued its work alongside the network of Human Rights Houses & other civil society partners in calling on the Council to address human rights challenges and support human rights defenders across Eastern Europe and beyond.