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From emerging democracies in transition, illiberal governments have rapidly transformed Hungary and Poland into ill democracies, have attempted to do so in Croatia, and are slowly and carefully entertaining an illiberal platform in Serbia, according to the new case study Resisting Ill Democracies in Europe.

Discover how we, the Human Rights Houses and Human Rights House Foundation, protected, empowered, and supported human rights defenders and advanced human rights in 2016.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has raised concerns and issued recommendations to the Serbian authorities. These relate to discrimination, torture and ill-treatment, refugees and asylum seekers, administration of justice, and freedom of expression.

“There is a shrinking space for the debate about human rights and fundamental freedoms in Serbian society. Also, there is less and less public scrutiny of the Government that has a negative effect on the human rights situation in Serbia.”

Each Human Rights House presented and discussed their work, and then the focus expanded to joint activities, specifically the Network campaign to protect and support human rights defenders in Azerbaijan. Discussions then turned to opportunities for partnership with donors, and how donors and civil society can address State restrictions on foreign funding.

Human rights defenders from Human Rights Houses in Eastern & Western Europe, the Caucasus and the Balkans will soon gather in the Serbian capital, at Human Rights House Belgrade, for the 2016 Assembly of Human Rights Houses.

Human Rights House Belgrade will welcome human rights defenders from other Houses to the city next week for the 2016 Network Assembly. Just ahead of that, it’s a good time to take a look at the House, and read a little about the organisations working there.

The report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Judges and Lawyers will be presented to the UN General Assembly today, 21 October 2016. The report gives clear recommendations on the actions States and bar associations should take to ensure the independence of lawyers.

Civil society was at the centre of a dialogue on the 12th of July as the third segment of the day’s programme at the UNGA’s high-level thematic debate “UN@70: Human Rights at the centre of the global agenda”.