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“For years I believed that our greatest success was that we, the pro-democratic forces in Poland, managed to lead our country, as the first in the socialist bloc, along the path of peaceful transformation from socialism to liberal democracy. And also that we managed, relatively efficiently and quickly, to build a stable system of a democratic rule of law in the country. For some years now, this belief of mine has been put to a very difficult test.”

On 23 June 2022, Human Rights House Foundation and several international human rights organisations hosted the HRC50 virtual side event “The human rights situation in the Russian Federation: Building a bridge with civil society as human rights violations intensify”.

Watch it again: HRC50 digital side event “Human Rights in Crisis, Belarus 2022” organised on Tuesday, 14 June, 2022 by Human Rights House Foundation, PEN America and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Lithuania, Geneva.

The on-going and worsening attacks by the Belarusian authorities against civil society and human rights defenders must cease immediately and all political prisoners must be released. We call on the Belarusian authorities to comply with their international obligations in this regard. Furthermore, we call on the international community to renew its commitment to human rights in Belarus.

Human Rights House Foundation joins other international NGOs in calling on the EU to table a resolution at the upcoming 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council to mandate a Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Russia.

On 23 May 2022, a group of over 30 Russian civil society organisations and independent human rights defenders issued a public call to the UN Human Rights Council to establish a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation at the Council’s upcoming 50th session.

Human Rights House Foundation is alarmed by the latest wave of threats and violence against journalists, human rights defenders, and activists in Azerbaijan as well as credible allegations of state involvement and the authorities’ failure to promptly bring perpetrators to justice. We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure a safe environment for journalists and other human rights defenders and ensure full accountability for those responsible for threats and violence against them.

On 12 May 2022 at the 34th Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights House Foundation repeated its condemnation of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, called for every assistance to be given to the Commission of Inquiry to carry out its work, and urged the United Nations to do its utmost to protect human rights defenders and journalists working in Ukraine.

On 16 May 2022, Human Rights House Foundation and several Ukrainian and international partners hosted “Moscow Mechanism report on Ukraine: Next steps for the OSCE,” a pre-event for OSCE delegations and stakeholders ahead of the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting.