Issues related to the rights of LGBT people are rarely a research subject in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The LGBT community seems to have ‘disappeared’ from the public discourse since the violent attacks against the organisers of the Queer festival in 2008, according to a legal analysis we published recently.

“Ales just did his job, and when human right activists in Belarus today do their job they will end up in prison” said Joanna Kurosz from Civil Rights Defenders when speaking during a manifestation in support of Ales Bialiatski, in Stockholm on January 31 2011.

On January 24, the Minsk city court upheld the 4.5-year verdict against Ales Bialiatski, Chair of Human Rights Centre Viasna. ”The Belarusian regime is using the process against Ales Bialiatski to silence human rights defenders in the country, said Joanna Kurosz, Programme Director at Civil Rights Defenders.