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On October 14 2010, Helsinki Foundation of Human Rights issued a statement concerning steps taken by the state authorities against the so called designer drugs – psychoactive drugs whose influence on the organism may be harmful. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights underscored that this statement is a result of the concern for democratic standards.

In the 2010/2011 academic year, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) launches a pilot educational program “Human Rights and Taxes” concerning the widely understood issues of tax law. The aim of this initiative is to study the problems associated with legislation and practical application of tax law regulations from the perspective of citizens – taxpayers.

Between 14 and 16 September 2010, as part of the “Strategic Litigation in the South Caucasus” project supported by the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, a group of twenty four lawyers from Republic of Azerbaijan visited the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. Among participants of the study visit was an Republic of Azerbaijan lawyer being at time an intern of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.

The issue of security regime as set for the so called „dangerous prisoners” (hereinafter the „N” regime), has recently been one of the most controversial issues in Poland’s penitentiary practice. The most concerning are the procedure of classifying prisoners as „N” prisoners and the protracted detention in the „N” units, which is often extended without duly justified reasons.

Equality Parade organised as a part of the international event “EuroPride” took place in Warsaw on the day of 17 July 2010. Ten representatives from the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights were present at the pride and were observing the course of the pride as well as actions taken by the Police.

This month Helsinki Foundation For Human Rights began its new program addressing the issues of medical care in prisons. Within the frames of a Law Clinic, run by students and supervised by professionals, interventions are planned to be taken. The program will also include lectures and seminars, as well as strategic litigation.

In response to the intervention to the pending Polish investigation on behalf of al-Nashiri, the American Civil Liberties Union called on the Obama administration to broaden its own investigation into the Bush-era torture program to include top-level U.S. government officials who may have known about and authorized such abuse.

On 21 September 2010 lawyers intervened on behalf of Guantanamo prisoner Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri in a pending Polish investigation on CIA black sites, demanding the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for his illegal transfer, detention, and torture on Polish soil.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights presented an amicus curiae legal brief in a case concerning the conformity of article 135 § 2 of penal code (ref. no. P 12/09) to the Polish Constitutional Tribunal. This regulation provides that insulting the President of the Republic of Poland in public is punishable by up to 3 years in prison.