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Following the visit of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on independence of judges and lawyers to Russia, we organise a side-event on the worrying situation in the country.

The right to be a human rights defender has been reinforced by the resolution adopted by consensus at the Human Rights Council. The resolution focuses on legislation affecting, restricting and criminalising the work and activities of human rights defenders.

States advocating traditional values in reality aim at raising their own cultural norms and particularities above international law and standards. Giving legal force to the concept of traditional values opens the door to a dangerous framework, where States and non-State actors can invoke this concept to justify human rights violations.

Once again, Sunday 10 March in Baku, peaceful protestors were met with police violence. Last Sunday, families and relatives of soldiers killed at the army in non-conflict situations were violently dispersed and more than 50 people were detained. Earlier this year, on Saturday 26 January 2013, 47 people were arrested for peacefully protesting in Baku.

When: Friday, 8. March 2013 12:00 To: Friday, 8. March 2013 Where: Geneva, Palais des Nations Host: Coalition of NGOs, including the Human Rights House Foundation Contact: Anna Innocenti (

As underlined by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2012, “In just two months we have seen a worrying shift in the legislative environment governing the enjoyment of the freedoms of assembly, association, speech and information in the Russian Federation. At least four new legal provisions have been made which will have a detrimental effect on human rights in the country.”

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.