Archive for the ‘Europe/Central Asia’ Category
(Berlin) – Azerbaijani authorities have begun the forcible eviction of residents to demolish the last standing building in the neighborhood of the capital, Baku, where the 2012 Eurovision song contest is to be held, Human Rights Watch said today.
(Brussels) – The shrinking space for media freedom in Hungary requires EU action, Human Rights Watch said in a Memo on Media Freedom in Hungary released today.
(New York) – A major legal reform package to be introduced by the Turkish government leaves key problems with free speech and arbitrary detention unresolved, Human Rights Watch said today. The draft package has been sent to the Parliamentary Justice Commission, and the government has indicated that it could become law in March 2012.
(Moscow) – The Russian government’s anti-drugs agency has ordered the blocking of the website of a public health organization, the Andrey Rylkov Foundation, for discussing the addiction medicine methadone, human rights groups said today. The move is an assault on freedom of expression in the midst of pro-democracy protests, the groups said.
(Berlin) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel should raise urgent human rights concerns with the Kazakhstan government during talks with President Nursultan Nazarbaev on February 8, 2012, Human Rights Watch said today.
(Paris) – France should learn the lessons of the European Court of Human Rights decision today concerning a serious deficiency in its asylum procedure.
(Moscow, February 1, 2012) - The Ukrainian authorities should immediately stop police harassment and threats against Somali asylum seekers held at the Zhuravychi Migrant Accommodation Centre, Human Rights Watch said today.
(Paris) – French police are using overly broad powers to conduct unwarranted and abusive identity checks on black and Arab young men and boys, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
(Berlin) – Kazakh national security agents in Almaty detained a leading opposition activist on January 23, 2012, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities say they are investigating at least two other opposition activists on criminal charges of “inciting social discord.”
(Moscow) –Russia is repeating the mistakes of Western governments during the Arab Spring by continuing to support a longstanding authoritarian ally whose people have clearly expressed the desire for democratic change, Human Rights Watch said in releasing its annual global survey at a Moscow news conference today.
(Cairo) – Many democracies have allowed their ties with repressive allies to temper their support for human rights in the Arab Spring protests, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2012. For reasons of principle and long-term interest, governments should stand firm with the people of the Middle East and North Af
(Berlin) – Azerbaijan’s human rights record deteriorated in 2011 as the government cracked down on all forms of protests even as it sought to enhance its international prestige, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2012.