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The Human Rights Committee of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which monitors compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, recently released a new Draft Comment, No. 34, on Article 19 governing the right to hold opinions without interference and the right to freedom of expression to replace the 1983 version.

On 4 April 2011, at Warsaw University the conference “The effective criminal defense” took place. The conference was organized by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Human Rights Commission of the Supreme Council of Advocates, the Open Society Justice Initiative and the Centre for Human Rights of the Law and Administration Faculty ofWarsaw University. The conference was dedicated to effectiveness of criminal defense.

In March, 2011, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal found that the introduction of martial law in Poland in December 1981 was contradictory to the Constitution. Martial law was introduced by the authoritarian government of the Polish People’s Republic in attempt to crush political opposition to the government. The Constitutional Tribunal pointed out that the introductory decrees of martial law were promulgated by an unauthorized entity.

In February 2011 the Polish Ministry of Health presented its statement regarding the report “Monitoring of protection the patients’ rights and access to stationary treatment of addiction to drugs” published by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.The Ministry of Health emphasized that the Helsinki Foundation’s for Human Rights report is a significant contribution to appropriate recognition of current patients’ rights protection.

The Helsinki Foundation For Human Rights appealed to the Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez concerning the situation of political prisoners in Belarus. According to the Polish and international media reports, individuals being in opposition to Alexander Lukashenko, are victimized, imprisoned, put on trial. This takes place with no respect of international human rights’ protection standards, such as absolute prohibition of torture.

Since 1946, Polish law has entitled those deprived of their possession after World War II to compensation. Poland continuously failed to implement this provision. Experts believe that Poland may soon be forced to award compensation to all the persons entitled to it. The legal basis is provided for in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

On March 11, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) sent letters the Polish Ambassador in Baku and the Azerbaijani Ambassador in Warsaw asking them to take steps in order to guarantee the protection of the human rights defenders in Azerbaijan.

Back in January 2011, one of the biggest Polish dailies Gazeta Wyborcza described a case of discrimination against Rom in a restaurant in the city of Poznan. According to the daily, some of the owners did not allow Roma people to enter their restaurants. A heated debate followed the news. At the begining of March, the case reached the regional court in Poznan. The plaintiff demands an apology.

The annual demonstration called “Manifa”, took place in Warsaw two days before the International Woman’s Day. “Manifa” is a woman’s solidarity march organized by the feminist group The Women’s Agreement of 8th March. The slogan of this year’s demonstration was “Enough of the exploitation of women! We terminate the domestic service!”.