• On the night before the “foreign agents” law came into force, unknown individuals sprayed graffiti reading, “Foreign Agent! ♥ USA” on the buildings hosting the offices of three prominent NGOs in Moscow, including Memorial.
    © 2012 Yulia Klimova/Memorial
    Russia: “Foreign Agents” Law Hits Hundreds of NGOs
    Starting in early March 2013 the Russian government launched a nationwide campaign of inspections of nongovernmental organizations, unprecedented in its scale and scope.
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Europe/Central Asia

  • Russia: More than 50 Groups Targeted
    May 21, 2013
    Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland should urge Russian leaders to end the crackdown on civil society groups during his visit to Russia. Jagland is in Moscow on May 19 to 22, 2013 for meetings with President Vladimir Putin and the Russian parliament.
  • A Real Life 'Hunger Games'
    May 20, 2013
    Here’s a story to break your heart – thousands of Afghan refugee boys who roam Europe alone, without parents, without enough help from European governments, and at risk of destitution, detention, and death.
  • Spain’s Attacks on Fighting Back
    May 17, 2013
    The Spanish government's violent campaign against the grassroots Platform for Mortgage Victims is a dangerous turn against freedom of speech and association. These attacks must stop.
  • Kyrgyzstan: Protect Uzbek Defendant
    May 16, 2013
    Courtroom violence during a hearing in the case of an ethnic Uzbek on trial for alleged crimes during the June 2010 ethnic violence seriously undermines his right to fair trial. Such violence and hostility has occurred repeatedly during the trial, which began in September 2011, and at other trials of ethnic Uzbeks linked to the 2010 violence.
  • Azerbaijan: Reject Legislative Amendments
    May 16, 2013
    Recent amendments to Azerbaijani legislation violate the government’s international commitments and would limit free expression. President Ilham Aliyev should veto the amendments and ensure that no one is punished for exercising fundamental rights.
  • Hungary: Rule of Law Under Threat
    May 16, 2013
    The systemic changes to Hungary’s legal framework introduced by the government since 2010 weaken legal checks on its authority, interfere with media freedom, and undermine human rights protections, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
  • Russia: Investigate Homophobic Motivation for Killing
    May 15, 2013
    Russian authorities should ensure that the investigation into the murder of a young man in southern Russia includes whether he was murdered because his killers believed or claimed he was gay. Investigative authorities should examine all possible motives for the killing, including homophobia, due to the sadistic homophobic aspects of the crime.
  • Russia: The Day the Inspectors Came
    May 15, 2013
    We had been anticipating the inspection for a while. Such is the atmosphere in today’s Russia that many nongovernmental organizations can expect the knock at the door at some point. When they finally came to us, however, the visit was tinged with farce as well as stress.
  • Ukraine: New Breakthrough for Incurably Ill
    May 15, 2013
    Ukraine’s cabinet of ministers’ approval of new regulations on access to pain medicines will dramatically expand healthcare services for patients with incurable illnesses and reduce unnecessary suffering, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • Kyrgyzstan: Rights Defender, Family Beaten
    May 14, 2013
    Kyrgyz authorities should ensure a thorough and effective investigation into the vicious physical assault on Ulugbek Azimov, a prominent Bishkek human rights lawyer, and members of his family.
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