Regional Update
Europe and Central Asia
The global economic crisis has left its mark, leading to shifts in the political landscape of several countries such as Hungary, Iceland and Latvia, hit hard by economic turmoil. Many other countries are experiencing shrinking economies, amid fears that this may fuel xenophobia and attacks on vulnerable groups such as migrants and Roma. Thousands of migrants have continued to risk their lives in desperately unsafe sea crossings to Europe, only to be frequently denied the security of access to asylum proceedings. Threats to freedom of expression – and to human rights defenders – remained widespread.
Discrimination
Roma have remained largely excluded from public life in all countries, unable to enjoy full access to housing, education, employment and health services. The adverse economic situation seemed to provide fertile ground for old stereotypes of Roma to be exploited by elements hostile to them. The Hungarian police, for example, are investigating 18 attacks against Roma in the past 18 months, including one in February which resulted in the death of a man and his five-year-old son, apparently shot as they were trying to flee their burning house following a suspected arson attack. There have been marches and statements by some far-right groups in the Czech Republic including incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence against the Romani community. In March, the Italian authorities forcibly evicted a community of about 150 Roma living under an overpass in the north of Milan, failing to provide most of those dispersed with alternative accommodation. In Serbia around 250 Romani people, including small children and the elderly and infirm, were evicted in April from a temporary settlement in New Belgrade. Temporary alternative accommodation, in the form of containers, was provided in another neighbourhood of Belgrade but local residents attempted to set them on fire to prevent the Roma from moving in.
In Slovakia in April, footage emerged on the internet of police ill-treating six Romani youngsters. The clip showed the boys being forced by police officers to slap and kiss each other repeatedly, and being forced to take off all their clothes while being watched by more police officers who were taking pictures of them. In dialogue audible on the clip, the boys are shouted at and racially abused.
Voice
Freedom of expression and association remained under attack – as did human rights defenders themselves. In Russia Stanislav Markelov, a lawyer and human rights defender, was shot dead in January together with journalist Anastasia Baburova in broad daylight in the centre of Moscow. Among other high profile cases he had worked on, Stanislav Markelov was the lawyer of the family of the Chechen woman Kheda Kungaeva, who was abducted, raped and strangled to death in March 2000. He had received numerous death threats in connection with his work on this case. Human rights defender Lev Ponomarev was thrown to the ground and beaten by unknown assailants outside his house in March. Staff members of Amnesty International continued to face obstruction in their legitimate work in Russia, including through being placed on a list which entailed additional checks when entering and leaving the country.
There were fears that Kyrgyzstan may join the list of countries seriously restricting the space for human rights activities after Russian human rights defender Vitali Ponomarev – an outspoken advocate for human rights in Central Asia – was denied access to the country in February and served with a five-year ban from the country. The previous month he had published research casting doubt on the official version of events leading to the conviction of 32 people for allegedly organizing protests in the southern town of Nookatin Kyrgyzstan.
The Moldovan authorities continued to obstruct and harass peaceful protests despite a new law on assembly, and failed to uphold the right to freedom of expression. In January they detained a man protesting against alleged ill-treatment by police officers, and the following month reportedly failed to come to the assistance of several of those demonstrating for the right to freedom of expression who were injured by masked attackers. In April, following demonstrations which turned violent after disputed elections, hundreds of people, mostly of student age, were indiscriminately detained by police amid widespread reports of excessive use of force by police and torture and ill-treatment in detention. Additionally, there were fears that civil society activists who had organized peaceful protests were being held responsible for the rioting. In a worrying development at least seven non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International, were asked to provide explanations of steps taken to prevent the violence, and received subpoenas outside of the normal procedure for financial reports. Representatives of the local tax inspectorate also asked for a list of the paid up members of Amnesty International.
In a welcome development in March, the Azerbaijani Minister of Internal Affairs dropped his ministry’s civil proceedings against human rights activist Leyla Yunus, for alleged defamation. Amnesty International and others had expressed concern that the proceedings constituted an unacceptable obstacle to freedom of expression and in particular the work on human rights defenders. The defamation suit was based on an interview by Leyla Yunus expressing concern about allegations of human rights violations, including human trafficking, made during a public trial she was monitoring.
Impunity
There was some progress in addressing impunity for human rights violations. In February the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted five men – high level officials and ethnic Serbs – of responsibility for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Kosovo in 1999. This verdict finally brought justice to five of the primary architects of the war in Kosovo, which saw thousands killed and more than a million ethnic Albanians forced to flee the province. Also, the role of the UN Mission in Kosovo for the deaths of two young men during a demonstration two years previously was finally set to be investigated in a public hearing in June. In Turkey, the trial opened in January of 60 state officials implicated in the death in custody of Engin Ceber who died after he was allegedly repeatedly kicked and beaten with wooden and metal bars both in police custody and prison between September and October 2008. The Turkish authorities had failed in their obligation to provide him with a prompt medical examination after his transfer to prison, a failure which may have prevented his early transfer to a specialized institution where his injuries could have been treated. Also in January, proceedings were opened in Spain over the reported ill-treatment of alleged ETA member Igor Portu who was admitted to hospital with serious injuries following his arrest.
Elsewhere in the region the picture has been mixed. In Russia in February, a jury acquitted three men charged in connection with the murder of human rights journalist Anna Politkovskaya who was killed in October 2006. Amnesty International urged the authorities to continue the investigation with renewed vigour, in order to bring those responsible to justice. In April the Russian authorities announced the end of the “counter-terrorism operation” in the Chechen Republic. A few days later it was reinstated in some mountainous regions of Chechnya, but has generally been seen by the authorities as a step towards normalization. However, Amnesty International considers that normalization in Chechnya is not possible without full accountability for the grievous human rights violations that have taken place in the region ravaged by two wars in the last 15 years. The true benchmark of a return to normality is to give people justice, including by bringing perpetrators of human rights violations to justice. Only thorough and independent investigations into past and continuing human rights violations can bring normalization and security in Chechnya. Such investigations would also be a deterrent to future violations.
Migration
Thousands of migrants have crossed in unsafe conditions to European destinations such as Italy or Malta this year – with unknown numbers believed to have died in the attempt. Serious concerns continue about conditions of reception and detention for those seeking international protection, including the risk of being returned – without access to a fair procedure including the opportunity to challenge deportation.
In May, in what appeared to be the third such incident within a month, the lives and safety of migrants and asylum seekers were placed at risk – first by a dispute between the Italian and Maltese governments over their obligations to respond to distress calls under maritime conventions to which they are party, then by the Italian government’s unprecedented decision to transfer migrants and asylum seekers rescued at sea to Tripoli, Libya. Disputes over jurisdiction or responsibility should neither prevent nor delay the rescue, provision of assistance or disembarkation of individuals in distress at sea. The move to return those rescued at sea to Libya without proper examination of their protection needs is also contrary to Italy’s obligations under international human rights and refugee law. It sets a dangerous precedent for EU member states.
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