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A delegation of the Human Rights House Foundation and Human Rights House Network´s members from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are taking part at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The delegation will have meetings with the country rapporteurs, the Commissioner for Human Rights and the rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in the Council of Europe.

The Human Rights House Foundation, together with partner organisations from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and the Russian Federation, took part at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation meeting in Warsaw on 25-29 September 2011. It made several interventions, addressing human rights issues in the countries, co-organised side events on Belarus and protection of human rights defenders and organised a protest campaign against the arrest of Ales Bialiatski. Maria Dahle, the Executive Director of HRHF, opened the 3rd working session on freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association, national HR institutions and HR education.

The Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) voiced its concerns about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kenya at the UN Human Rights Council session.

52 human rights organisations from 14 countries sent a joint letter of concern to the Azerbaijani authorities today, condemning the demolishing of the property of the human rights defender Leyla Yunus, which was a home for three human rights organizations in the centre of Baku.

52 human rights organisations from 14 countries sent a joint letter of concern to the Azerbaijani authorities today, condemning the demolishing of the property of the human rights defender Leyla Yunus, which was a home for three human rights organizations in the centre of Baku.

There are two news from Azerbaijan this week. The first one is negative as the authorities in Baku demolished the building, which was used by several local NGOs as offices, as part of an urban renewal project. The second one is more positive because long years jailed journalist Eynulla Fatullayev has finally received compensation from the government and has established a new human rights movement.

On June 15 journalists from Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine received awards for their constructive and devoted work for the free press in Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Belarus. The “Free Press of Eastern Europe” prize was also given to a newspaper from Dagestan and a news portal in Armenia for the work they do despite the pressure, persecution and censorship.

After four years of wrongful imprisonment, the Azerbaijani government has pardoned journalist Eynulla Fatullayev. He was released ahead of Azerbaijan’s Independence Day on 28 May. His release was welcomed by many in Azerbaijan and also by international media groups, human rights, free speech organizations that had campaigned on his behalf for years.

Chairwoman of European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Heidi Hautala sent on 18 April a letter to Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan concerning reports over human rights violations in the country. She urged the authorities to halt the violent repression of demonstrators and tackle the prevailing impunity for attacks against journalists. Read full letter below.