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The cyclists in many countries organize “Critical Mass” ride on the last Friday of the month. By this they want to draw the attention of city authorities and force them to make the city more convenient for the bicycles. The similar ride was held in Minsk on 29 April, and it ended up in detentions and searches.

Human Rights House Tbilisi prepared a report Human Rights to the Regions – annual report about the state of human rights and basic freedoms in Georgia.
Monitoring by the Human Rights House Tbilisi (HRHT) revealed violation of civil-political and social-economic rights of citizens. Ongoing developments in the country, existing hard social and economic state, unstable state policy create problems in the field of human rights too.

У апошнюю пятніцу месяца раварысты многіх краін ладзяць масавы заезд «Крытычная маса». Такім чынам яны хочуць звярнуць на сябе ўвагу гарадскіх уладаў і змусіць зрабіць горад зручнейшым для велатранспарту. Такі ж заезд прайшоў у Мінску 29 красавіка і скончыўся затрыманнямі і вобшукамі.

On World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2016, Sports for Rights and 18 international NGOs condemn the Azerbaijani authorities’ relentless crackdown on independent media and other critical voices.

Khadija Ismayil is an independent investigative journalist in Azerbaijan. Since 5 December 2014, she is behind bars in her country, solely due to her reporting.

Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has proposed to establish a mechanism to strengthen the protection of human rights defenders in his third annual report. HRHN acknowledges and welcomes this proposal.

In June, Azerbaijan will host the Formula One European Grand Prix, despite the on-going crackdown on human rights. The Sport for Rights campaign, of which Human Rights House Network is member, urges Pharell Williams, Enrique Iglesias and Chris Brown to cancel their proposed performances connected to the event.

On 25 April the human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka has lodged a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee in a case against Ašmiany customs officers, who confiscated his laptop and printed materials during the personal search on the Lithuanian border. The activist has exhausted all domestic remedies, including the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor General.

25 красавіка праваабаронца Леанід Судаленка (на фота) звярнуўся з індывідуальнай скаргай у Камітэт ААН па правах чалавека па справе супраць Ашмянскай мытні, якая год таму правяла асабісты дагляд і канфіскавала ноўтбук ды іншыя друкаваныя носьбіты інфармацыі. Унутры краіны праваабаронца выкарыстаў усе магчымыя сродкі прававой абароны, уключаючы Вярхоўўны Суд і Генеральнага пракурора.

“I call on everyone to stand united in defending and encouraging press freedom and the right to access to information. This is essential for human rights and dignity, for our aspirations for sustainable development, for common determination to build lasting peace.” Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova
and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein

The EU is set to adopt a new Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy in June 2016. “Addressing human rights violations and the shrinking space for civil society should not be optional for the EU; it should be the fundamental basis for its foreign and security policy,” states Florian Irminger, Head of Advocacy at HRHN.

The Human Rights and Democracy Network has issued a joint statement calling for human rights to underpin the EU’s Global Strategy.