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In March 2013, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the protection of human rights defenders. It establishes principles and standards for States to create an enabling environment for human rights defenders. One year after its adoption, the Human Rights House Network calls upon States to implement this resolution.

In many parts of the Balkans, Caucasus and Eastern Europe human rights defenders face threats and violence, slander and intimidations, and are the targets of new laws restricting their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and simply to work to defend human rights.

Project “Bring International Standards Home. De facto implementation of international obligations of the Republic of Belarus in the field of civil rights and freedoms” (BISH) gave participants the opportunity to get information about the work of the bodies and structures of the United Nations from the Belarusian and international experts.

On 3 March representatives of the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian HRH participated in the protest against the intervention of the Russian army in the territory of Ukraine. On 5 March representatives of the Belarusian HRH handed an appeal to the representatives of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Lithuania. The appeal on behalf of the Belarusian HRH calls to avoid further escalation of the conflict.

Economic and social rights are as systematically violated as civil and political rights in the Republic of Belarus.

On 18-19 February Veliky Novgorod hosted a conference of the project “Electronic Human rights “, which graduates and experts from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine were able to discuss the implementation of forms of free legal aid in the participating countries.

Miklós Haraszti (right), UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, is still not allowed to enter the country. However, the Belarusian authorities are ready to invite a number of special rapporteurs and discuss only certain questions.

Statkevich, presidential candidate during the 2010 elections, has once again confirmed that he would not seek a pardon from Aliaksandr Lukashenka. He stated so in the letter that he sent to his wife Maryna Adamovich. Political prisoner wrote: “In regard to another suggestion “to ask for pardon” it is likely that required “appeal” can be written on my behalf.”

On January 27 a photo of a group of fans of the Belarusian football club BATE (tenfold national champion), holding a white-red-white flag and posters: “Hold on, Ukraine, we are with you!” and “Glory to Heroes!” appeared on the Internet. A few days later, two fans were convicted, and the police is still looking for the others.