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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!”.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights appealed to Vassilios Skouris, President of the Court of Justice of the European Union, in reference to the lack of the increase in the number of Advocates-General in the Court. Although a significant amendment of the procedure for altering the number of Advocates-General was introduced, no such change has taken place.

In February 2011 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights appealed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski in the case of Sayed Mussa, an Afghan citizen. According to The New York Times (5 February 2011) the Afghanistan state authorities conduct criminal proceedings against Sayed Mussa, who is charged with conversion to Christianity, an offence punishable with death.

On February 28, 2011 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights sent a letter addressed to the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk concerning the recent news about the pressures on the Polish Press Agency (PAP). This is a reaction to the situation described by a polish journalist Tomasz Machała the previous day. The Foundation appealed to stop the pressuring of the public media.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights appealed to the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Parliament in reference to resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe regarding the implementation of judgments of the ECHR. According to the resolution, Poland is one of the countries having serious structural problems in an implementation of ECHR judgments.