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On the sidelines of HRC60, Human Rights House Foundation urged the UN Human Rights Council to maintain scrutiny on Georgia, arguing that continued reporting from the High Commissioner is essential, alongside robust engagement with authorities to repeal repressive laws, end politically-motivated prosecutions, and ensure accountability for violations.

Human Rights House Foundation strongly urged the renewal of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Russia at HRC60, calling the mandate indispensable. Outlining the situation for human rights in the country, HRHF raised “foreign agent” legislation and its destructive impact on civil society, as well over 1000 political prisoners as recognised by Memorial.

In an interactive dialogue with the Belarus Group of Independent Experts during HRC60, Human Rights House Foundation welcomed the Expert’s conference room paper, as well as highlighted the situation for over 1000 political prisoners in the country, including Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Labkovich, Valiantsin Stefanovic, Marfa Rabkova and Nasta Loika.

Human Rights House Foundation and several international human rights organisations express profound concerns regarding the Georgian government’s all-out assault on human rights and civil society organisations in the country and call on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally end all persecution of civil society and media groups for their peaceful and legitimate work. The European Union, its member states and the broader international community should take urgent and coordinated measures to respond to and end this crackdown.

Human Rights House Foundation and several international NGOs call on UN Human Rights Council member and observer states to support the renewal of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation during the Council’s 60th session.

With human rights crises unfolding in neighbouring Azerbaijan and Georgia, Armenia remains the story of hope for human rights and freedoms in the South Caucasus, but civil society in the country faces many challenges. In this interview, HRHF spoke to Arpy Manusyan, President and Research Director of Socioscope NGO (a member organisation of Human Rights House Yerevan), on issues ranging from the apathy in society following the second Nagorno-Karabakh war, to increasingly disappointing rhetoric surrounding next year’s elections, and what role Armenian civil society can play in reconnecting with the public.

After four years of legal struggle, Moldova’s first independent medical workers’ union wins a landmark Supreme Court case as a result of sustained capacity building and advocacy support.

“There may soon be no one left in Azerbaijan to write these stories, to document these abuses, to bear witness,” argued Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla (Free Voice Collective), addressing the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. The statement was delivered following the Committee’s request that HRHF suggest experts to speak at a hearing on 26 June regarding the situation for human rights defenders and journalists in Azerbaijan.

Four years after the detention of Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic and Uladzimir Labkovich, over 40 international human rights organisations urge the Belarusian authorities to uphold the rule of law and to immediately and unconditionally release all human rights defenders arbitrarily detained in Belarus.