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The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and the Association for Legal Intervention launched on Monday the monitoring of guarded centres for foreigners. The action, initiated by the Ministry of the Interior, will end on 17 February 2014. The NGO monitoring will be accompanied by internal audits conducted by the Ministry’s officials.

Last week, President of the Ukraine signed laws which curb the right to freedom of assembly, speech and religion. The country’s parliament adopted the enactments in December 2013 in contravention of legislative procedures. “The new laws make the Ukraine an authoritarian state”, warn human rights defenders.

In a week’s time, on 22 January 2014, the Act on proceedings against mentally disturbed persons who pose a threat to life, health or sexual liberty of others will enter into force. In December 2013 the President signed it into law but said he would refer the Act to the Constitutional Tribunal for review.

At the end of December 2013 the President signed the new Foreigners Act. The law does not materially change the Polish model of migration policy but several measures proposed by the legislators can be assessed positively. At first glance, the new act overwhelms with its size: it has over 500 sections and is nearly twice as long as the currently operating law.

The 10th Edward J. Wende Award has been presented to Mikołaj Pietrzak, an advocate specialising in criminal law and the chairperson of the Polish Bar Council Human Rights Committee.

In December 2013, the Circuit Court in Gdańsk acquitted Przemysław S. charged with beating a man to death. The cost of the proceedings will be paid from the state’s purse. Mr S. was fighting for his innocence before different courts for more than 15 years.

The HFHR addressed a statement to the President of the Polish Bank Association, asking if the Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) and payment terminals used by bank customers in Poland meet the needs of visually impaired persons.

The Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw denied the complaint brought by Paweł Juszkiewicz against a decision which denies the recognition of him as a Polish citizen. The decision was based on a confidential report drafted by the Internal Security Agency, inaccessible for Mr Juszkiewicz.

“No Burquas Behind Bars”, a documentary shot in Afghanistan by the Iranian Nima Sarvestani, has won the first award of the 13th International Film Festival WATCH DOCS. Human Rights in Film.