These are reports, and alternative reports to different UN Committees. The reports are written and compiled by Civil Rights Defenders, or in collaboration with our partners, and cover various human rights issues.
One year after Eurovision in Baku, the persecution of dissidents in Azerbaijan escalates. The abuse goes on without much criticism from the outside world. On May 14, Civil Rights Defenders publishes the report, “No sweet songs for human rights defenders’ showing that repression of civil society has reached new lows.
In Russia the recently introduced regional laws on the so-called “promotion of homosexuality among minors” have been condemned by the human rights community. According to a report by Civil Rights Defenders partner, the Russian LGBT Network, they are also in conflict with the federal legislation. Read more in the report that also includes an overview of discrimination and hate crimes.
Drastic deviations from European standards on freedom of expression and media exist in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A new report by Civil Rights Defenders, and local partners Press Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina and BH Journalists’ Association, reveals. The report is the first comprehensive analysis of the media scene in the country.
Only 4 of the European Council’s 27 principles for press freedom have been fully implemented in Serbia, the first comprehensive report on the media situation in the country: Serbian Media Scene VS European Standards, suggests. Free press is a cornerstone for democratic development; in this report the challenges lying ahead of the Serbian media scene become evident. This report is a result of a yearlong cooperation between Civil Rights Defenders and local partners.
The situation of press in Moldova has improved in the past year, as a positive effect of a general improvement of the legal and political situation in the country. That is the conclusion of the media report that we are publishing together with Independent Journalism Centre.
The right to a fair hearing and access to court are the most frequent problems regarding the right to fair trial in Serbia, according to a report published by Civil Rights Defenders in collaboration with Youth Initiative for Human Rights.
Almost twice as many people are crammed in Serbian prisons as the buildings are designed for, Civil Rights Defenders and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia write in a new report. This leads to problems for both inmates and staff.
According to a newly released report, the behaviour of the Belarusian authorities after the Presidential election in December, 2010, shows that the Belarusian Government does not fulfill the country’s obligations regarding freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
Even though the state-owned media became more accessible to the candidates compared to previous elections; the attention was still focused on one candidate, the incumbent, and other candidates and parties were marginalized according to the latest report of the Belarusian Association of Journalists’ (BAJ) report.
EU could positively influence relations with Belarus and improve the image of the Dialogue Period among Belarusian citizens by providing more feedback on what is going on, and thereby making the dialogue process more transparent, says a group of NGO:s.
Fundamental civil and political rights remain seriously restricted. The persecution of independent journalists and human rights defenders will most likely intensify on the eve of the Presidential elections, according to our latest report.
Serbian authorities are still not doing enough toward ensuring implementation of recently enacted laws and enabling unobstructed operation of independent institutions, according to findings in a report by Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Civil Rights Defenders.
Together with YIHR in Kosovo we released a report which scrutinizes parts of Kosovo governance structures. Robert Hårdh, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders, attended the presentation of the report in Pristina.
A year after Belarus imposed a law regulating mass media the legal basis for free media to act in Belarus is decisively weakened. The positive changes in the media field were neither systematic nor definitive.
During 2009, the regime has once again imprisoned political prisoners. The authorities continue to deny state registration to political parties and non-governmental organisations and foreign journalists are refused accreditation.
In Macedonia, Roma children are placed in special classes and the segregation is widespread in many areas, Macedonian Helsinki Committee says in its latest monthly report on the human rights situation in the country.
Systemic violations do not exist in the area of human rights in Montenegro, according to the report by Youth Initiative for Human Rights in cooperation with Civil Rights Defenders. However, there are problematic aspects related to freedom of expression and discrimination, among other.
Read more about the human rights situation in Belarus in the report from the human rights organisation Viasna.
Despite an extremely vulnerable security situation in the North Caucasus, there are courageous people who dare to stand up for the rights of others – without a thought of their own safety. Read about the situation in North Caucasus in: Human rights at risk in North Caucasus
In the fourth report about the human rights situation in Belarus, Belarusian and international organisations urge the EU to prolong the temporary cancelation of sanctions in order to achieve permanent changes.
The Belarusian government’s policies have remained largely unchanged since the last monitoring report was released in March 2009. While isolated concessions were made to the political opposition and civil society that allowed them carry out some activities without harassment, repressive measures remained in place and continued to be enforced on a selective basis. No changes [...]
5 900 complaints about hate crimes were made in Sweden last year. Seven out of ten complaints were hate crimes with racist motives, says the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (BRÅ) in their report for 2008. The number of complaints are according to BRÅ’s report roughly the same as in 2007. Hate crimes with [...]
The minor changes made since the EU started a dialogue with Belarus, have not altered the fundamental problems of civil society in Belarus, says the Swedish Helsinki Committee, together with a group of NGO:s, in a report on the human rights developments in the country. Read the latest report describing the human rights situation in [...]
The society’s strongest weapon against hate speech is the criminalisation of incitement to racial hatred, which limits the freedom of expression by prohibiting threatening and disdaining comments. This is a report by Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee) about national and international legislation and practice in cases of incitement to racial hatred (in Swedish). [...]
Alternative report to “Comments by the Government of Sweden on the Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee”. The report is prepared by Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights) and the Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights. Download the report.
Regarding Sweden’s fourth periodic report, April 2002. Participating organisations: Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee), Save the Children Sweden, Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights, Swedish Red Cross and the Swedish Section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. Download the report.
With respect to Sweden’s commitments under the International Convenant on civil and political rights. The report is prepared by the Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights and Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights). Download the report.
The EU meeting in Gothenburg in 2001 attracted a huge media attention. What was meant to be peaceful demonstrations turned into fierce riots with extensive destruction of personal property and attacks towards the police. There were also examples of police acting surprisingly harsh. Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee) closely followed the legal consequences [...]
In the fight against crime it is probably not possible to completely avoid the use of secret surveillance, but it is an absolute necessity to provide reliable guarantees of the citizens’ legal rights. Civil Rights Defenders’ (formerly the Swedish Helsinki Committee) report (publ. 2000) shows that the present Swedish legislation lacks such guarantees. (in Swedish) [...]
Natasha Jevtic Esbjörnson
Phone: +46 76 576 27 62
His burnt body was returned to the family in a plastic bag. The European Court has found Russia responsible for human rights violations in the North Caucasus, in more than one hundred cases, as a result of our work.
(Photo: Joanna Kurosz)
Bambuser
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube