NGO Documents

Circassian endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which was adopted by UN General Assembly Resolution 61/295 on 13 September 2007.

On 10 March 2011, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan ordered the Human Rights House Azerbaijan, partner of the international Human Rights House Network, to cease all activities immediately. According to the Ministry of Justice, in the future the Human Rights House Azerbaijan will be allowed to carry out activities only upon prior agreement with the State. The Human Rights House Network believes this measure is part of the escalated repression of the civil society in the last few weeks, in connection with the calls for pro-democracy demonstrations in March 2011.

Statement of Director of NGO Resource-centre of South Ossetia, Chairperson of Association of Women of South Ossetia for Democracy and Human Rights, Lira Kozaeva - Tskhovrebova

Participants of the Georgian-Ossetian Civil Forum appeal to the parties to the Geneva talks.

Following the PHRG Mission to Chechnya from 15 to 19 February, this report will set out the findings of the PHRG delegates, Lord Frank Judd, Labour Peer and former Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Special Envoy on Chechnya 1999-2003, and Jo Swinson MP, Liberal Democrat and former Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, on the current human rights situation in Chechnya under the Presidency of Ramzan Kadyrov, as well as their recommendations for action by the international community.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), denounces the ongoing judicial harassment against Mr. Oleg Orlov, Chairman of the Board of the Human Rights Centre “Memorial”.

An appeal from Azerbaijani and international human rights NGOs.

The Human Rights House Network condemns the unfair sentence of the two bloggers of 11 November and deplores the deterioration of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan. We call upon the Azerbaijani authorities to take adequate measures to protect the democratic values and especially the right to freedom of expression.

The Human Rights House Foundation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Rafto Foundation, the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders and the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Vilnius are concerned about the noticeable tendency in Azerbaijan to put local non-governmental organisations under increased government control following the recent amendments to the NGO law. The amended law allows the government to collect information on NGOs without referring to any specific purpose articulated in this or other laws.

The South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders strongly condemns the murder of the prominent human rights defender Natalia Estemirova. On the international day of justice, July 17, we call upon the Russian authorities to conduct an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation of this case and previous murders of human rights defenders in the country. We also call upon the Russian authorities to further ensure a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders in their country.