10.11.11

Reprisals against Human Rights Defenders are Worsening across Eastern Europe and Central Asia

- This was the expert conclusion of the programme “Human Rights Defenders’ Rights Observatory”, (a joint Programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)). In a new 6-minute documentary human rights defenders from different countries talk about hard conditions, under which they are compelled to carry out their activity and disseminate information about human rights violations.
All participants of the documentary have met at the OSCE Conference “On Human Dimension” in autumn 2011. At the conference an action was launched in support of Ales Belyatski, Vice-President of FIDH and the Head of the Belarus Human Rights Centre “Vyasna” (Spring) unlawfully detained in conjunction with his human rights activity.

Currently a criminal trial is being held against him in Minsk. He faces jail. Solidarity and commitment to the principles of Universal Declaration of Human Rights unites human rights defenders of different countries and they call for the liberation of their colleague.

Every so often human rights defenders face discrimination and reprisals. Authorities of many countries infringe the freedom of assembly and freedom of association, impede registration and funding of the NGOs, declare the unregistered non-governmental organizations’ activity illegal, subject the human right defenders to arbitrary arrests and detention and persecute them through courts.

We offer to your attention a documentary film, which tells about reprisals against human rights defenders.

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