IHF Statement on Human Rights Defenders

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Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 11:20:28 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: IHF Statement on Human Rights Defenders

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: International Helsinki Federation <[email protected]>

IHF Statement on Human Rights Defenders



Statement of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
(IHF) on HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Commission for Human Rights, 55th Session, Geneva

It is generally believed that times are better for human rights in
Europe defenders since the fall of the Berlin wall. But in most
Central and East European States and Central Asia, intimidation;
physical violence; abusive surveillance; arbitrary arrests; unfair
trials; threats to personal freedom or that of family members;
restrictions to freedom of movement; life threats-- let alone
defamation campaigns or insults-- are part of the life of many
individuals working on behalf of the principles of human rights.

It has become routine for human rights defenders to be accused of
�damaging the image of the state� when reporting on human rights
violations. Countries seeking membership in NATO, the European Union
or the Council of Europe are prompt to blame whoever criticizes their
government's human rights record for the reputation of the state,
which itself is damaged by such attacks on the freedom of civil
society. 

Human rights activists in most countries of the former Soviet Union
face prosecution on fabricated charges. Physical assaults by
unidentified persons (which are never duly investigated or elucidated)
and beatings by members of law enforcement forces are common problems
in the region. NGOs frequently face hardship in meeting deliberately
rigorous registration procedures. Various "soft" tactics are used by
authorities to interfere with the work of human rights NGOs, such as
police raids; abusive financial controls; illegal confiscation of
documents, computers and other office appliances; cutting off
telephone lines; etc. Many human rights defenders will choose to work
privately--rather than in association with others--, in order to
attract less attention from the authorities.

Media campaigns against human rights defenders are frequent. Also,
nationalist regimes, such those in Serbia or Croatia, are more likely
to harrass human rights defenders, invoking justifications based on
national security.


In Serbia, possibilities for civil society have been increasingly    
restricted during the past several years under the "red-black"    
coalition. In September 1998, well before NATO actions, Vice President
Seselj said in Parliament that "if we cannot shoot down every NATO
plane, we shall eliminate a more reachable target, our domestic
traitors... (such as) the Helsinki Committee".

Since the declaration of a state of emergency in connection with
numerous other measures, such as the adoption of the capital sentence,
the martial law and summary courts, human rights work is impossible.
The courts are not functioning, and at the same time anybody can be
taken to prison without any procedure. Most representatives of NGOs
and media are daily interrogated by the Security people. There reigns
an atmosphere of terror in which one risks his or her life on account
of opinions critical of the State expressed in the past and today.


In Turkmenistan, no one is authorized to criticize autocratic
President Niyazov and his policies. No political opposition is
tolerated, and the rights to freedom of expression and association are
nonexistent.


In Belarus, the Belarusan Helsinki Committee (BHC) recently received
three warnings from the Ministry of Justice, all of them threatening
the BHC with closure. The latest warning ordered changes in the
statutes of the organization as to abide by the law of the Republic of
Belarus "On Public Associations", ordering that the BHC protect the
human rights and fundamental freedoms of its members only. The
Helsinki Federation fears that the warnings set the stage for
deligitimizing this important group.


Kyrgyzstan. In October 1998 two pro-governmental newspapers (Utro
Bishkeka and Slovo Kyrgyzstana) reported that the Ministry of Justice
had revoked the registration of the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights,
citing alleged procedural errors during the founding assembly of the
organization. However, it seemed clear that this was done to hinder
the KCHR from observing the October referendum. The de-registration
was one more act of harassment which the KCHR had been experiencing
for some time, including accusations of financial mismanagement of
funds given to KCHR by foreign donors � although the donors had never
made such claims - and verbal threats to KCHR Chairman, Ramazan
Dyryldaev.


IHF 1999 Annual Report documents attacks on human rights defenders in
numerous other European countries.

We welcome the adoption of the UN Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders and encourage all possible concrete actions to help improve
the conditions under which those who fight for the human rights of
their follow citizens can carry out their work.


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