MINELRES: MIRIS Newsletter no. 8

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Constantin Sergiu <Sergiu.Constantin@eurac.edu> 


Dear colleagues and friends,

This is the eighth MIRIS newsletter which contains some of the most
relevant documents that have been stored recently in the Minority Rights
Information System (MIRIS). Please, open the attached file and click on
the blue titles of the documents in order to see the full text.

At the moment, almost 4000 documents on national minorities, from 35
European countries, are stored in MIRIS and can be easily accessed on
the website: http://www.eurac.edu/miris

The use of the database is free of charge. 

Any comments and suggestions from your side are very welcome! 

The MIRIS Team

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Selection of recently added documents in MIRIS (Newsletter 8 - February
2005) - www.eurac.edu/miris 


DOMESTIC LEGISLATION/REGULATION
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Federal Law on the Election of Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal
Assembly of the Russian Federation no. 175-FZ of 2002 (excerpts) -
December 20, 2002 - in English 

The law regulates election procedure of the 450 deputies of the State
Duma (250 in in single-seat electoral districts and 250 in federal
electoral district). Associations whose charters provide that membership
therein is based only on the profession, nationality, ethnic origin,
race and confession of citizens are not entitled to join electoral
blocs. Propaganda exciting social, racial, national, religious hatred or
enmity, misuse of the freedom of mass information in other forms defined
by Russian Federation laws is prohibited. Subject to a decision of the
election commission of a Russian Federation subjects, ballots shall be
printed in the Russian language and in the official language of the
given republic comprised in the Russian Federation and, in the necessary
cases, in the languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation on the
territories where they are concentrated. 

Federal Law On Political Parties - No.95-FZ of 2001 - July 11, 2001 - in
English 

According to the law, it is forbidden for a political party to use a
name that offends racial, national or religious feelings. It is also
forbidden to use symbols which may offend racial, national or religious
feelings. Political parties shall provide for men and women, citizens of
the Russian Federation of various nationalities, who are members of a
political party, equal opportunities of being represented in the leading
bodies of the political party, on the lists of candidates for deputies
and for other elective offices in the bodies of state power and bodies
of local self-government. Creation and activity of political parties
shall be prohibited if their objectives or actions aim at a forcible
change of the fundamentals of the constitutional system, violation of
the integrity of the Russian Federation, undermining of the national
security, formation of military and paramilitary units, incitement of
racial, national or religious enmity. Membership in a political party
shall not be restricted on professional, social, racial, national or
religious grounds or depending on sex, origin, property status, place of
residence. 

FINLAND
Election Act (with all the amendments until 2004) - 1996 - in English 

The law contains special provisions as regards the electoral district of
the province of Aland Islands. 

TREATY
ROMANIA - HUNGARY
Agreement between the Government of Romania and the Government of the
Republic of Hungary - September 23, 2003 - in English 

The Agreement stipulates the conditions under which the Law on
Hungarians Living in Neighbouring Countrie is to be implemented in the
case of Romanian citizens 

CASE-LAWS
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
Decision of the UN Committee against Torture under article 22 of the
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment - November 24, 2004 - in English 

UN Committee against Torture found Serbia and Montenegro in violation of
several provisions of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Committee made a
finding of "torture" on the basis of a communication submitted jointly
by the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) and the Humanitarian Law
Center (HLC) on behalf of Mr. Dragan Dimitrijevic, a Serbian citizen of
Romani origin. Mr. Dimitrijevic was a victim of police brutality in an
incident dating from 1999 but which has remained without a legal remedy
to date, more than four years following the demise of the Milosevic
regime in 2000. 

REPORTS
FINLAND and SLOVAKIA 
Report of Finland (December 2004) 

Report of Slovakia (January 2005) 

Second reports submitted pursuant to article 25 , paragraph 1 of the
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities - in
English 

SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
Serbia and Montenegro: Compliance with obligations and commitments and
implementation of the post-accession co-operation programme - report
presented by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, 16 december
2004 - in English and Serbian 

This report contains also an evaluation of the situation in Vojvodina,
which has deteriorated in the early months of 2004, following a series
of ethnically motivated incidents. 

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS DOCUMENTS
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Recommendation Rec(2005)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member states
on improving the housing conditions of Roma and Travellers in Europe -
February 23, 2005 - in English 

Resolution ResCMN(2004)12 on the implementation of the Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Serbia and
Montenegro - December 17, 2004 - in English 

MINORITY INFO
Roma/Gypsies
The situation of Roma in an Enlarged European Union - December 2004 - in
English 

 
Sergiu Constantin
researcher
_______________________
EURAC research
Viale Druso/Drususallee 1
39100 Bolzano/Bozen
Italy

Tel. +39 0471 055223
Fax  +39 0471 055299 
Email: sergiu.constantin@eurac.edu
Website: www.eurac.edu