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Priorities of the Human Rights House Network at this session: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, and human rights defenders and peaceful protests.

On 6 December Kazbek Gekkiyev, a journalist on the local TV station, was murdered in the North Caucasus republic of Kabardino-Balkaria on his way home. His death coincided with the launch of the Speak Justice Campaign. Its aim is to break the terrible cycle of murder and impunity currently experienced by journalists around the world.

On 29-30 September a regional HRHN conference “Freedom of Speech and Association: From Theory to Practice” was held in Moscow, Russian Federation. The conference was attended by lawyers, human rights defenders, journalists and experts from five countries – Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine.

29-30 сентября 2012 года в Москве состоится региональная конференция «Свобода слова и ассоциаций: От теории к практике» для адвокатов, правозащитников и экспертов из Азербайджана, Беларуси, Молдовы, Украины, России.

Various NGOs, including members of the Human Rights House Network, have together reacted against the verdict against the members of the Pussy Riot. We call for Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich of the music band Pussy Riot to be released.

Three members of a feminist punk band Pussy Riot were sentenced this week to two years in prison for performing a song against President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral in February.

Russia’s Parliament has recently passed a number of new bills aiming to restrict freedom of action of civil society and to silence critical voices. Last week the Russian State Duma adopted a new law which limits freedom of information on the Internet.

A new Russian law would brand all foreign-funded organisations as foreign agents.

“The Eurovision Song Contest ended in Baku but in Azerbaijan repression continues,” Human Rights House Foundation said at the United Nations Human Rights Council.