Items related to "Human Security Gateway: Belarus". Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:26 +0000 Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:26 +0000 robert_hartfiel@sfu.ca (Robert Hartfiel) Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:06:28 -0800 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=22559 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=22559 In three human rights resolutions adopted at the end of this week's plenary session, the European Parliament condemned the assassination attempt on the president and prime minister of Timor-Leste (East Timor), drew attention once more to the lack of democracy and human rights in Belarus and highlighted the appalling violence in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. SOURCE: European Parliament European Parliament Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:07:37 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=16778 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=16778 As NATO has moved from being a primarily military alliance to seeking more political roles, it has become pertinent to consider its impact on democratisation. At first glance, it might seem incongruent even to deliberate on the democracy promotion relevance of an essentially military organisation. But, NATO's successive enlargements have often hinged on the fulfilment of democratic preconditions in aspirant members, while technical assistance provided under the Partnership for Peace (PfP) and other programmes has increasingly focused on the reform of civil-military relations. Assessment is consequently warranted of whether NATO has come to play any positive role in encouraging democratisation across different regions, or whether its impact on political liberalisation has been either marginal or even negative. This paper argues that support for democracy has increasingly infused NATO policies, but that the organisation's role in democracy promotion is circumscribed by strategic considerations; most often an indirect side effect of other aims; and most relevant to the niche area of defence reform. SOURCE: Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:48:29 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=20829 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=20829 The past few years have witnessed increasing pressure on independent human rights defenders in many former socialist countries. The pressure has taken various forms, ranging from bureaucratic difficulties in getting human rights NGOs registered in order to ensure that their activities are legal, to arrests and prosecution under fabricated charges (including espionage), and physical attacks on outspoken activists, among other things. The situation of human rights NGOs has deteriorated dramatically in the Russian Federation and Belarus, becoming increasingly reminiscent of the communist era. The process, if it is not reversed, will have profound negative consequences for human rights, democracy and freedom not only in these countries but also elsewhere in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In the face of mounting pressure and harassment, the reactions from foreign governments and international organizations have been clearly insufficient. This report examines the situation of human rights NGOs in the Russian Federation and Belarus. It deals both with the legal background and practices in the two countries, and provides a series of recommendations on how the situation can be improved. SOURCE: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:44 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19804 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19804 Belarus is the last remaining dictatorship in Europe in which basic European values, such as democracy, human rights and the freedom of the media, are repeatedly violated. This isolation is further entrenched by a lack of communication and co-operation with the EU: Belarus is the only Eastern European country that does not have a PCA (Partnership and Co-operation Agreement) with the EU; it is the only European country that doesn't belong to the Council of Europe. Yet the importance of dealing with the issue of Belarus is now starkly apparent. Belarus is one of the few countries bordering the EU to the East after its enlargement in 2004, with more than 1000km of shared borderland, and three member countries (Latvia, Lithuania and Poland) as its neighbours. Furthermore, Belarus is an important transit country for Russian gas and crude oil on its way to the EU. SOURCE: Gromadzki, Grzegorz // Silitski, Vitali // Veselxc3xbd, Luboxc5xa1 Gromadzki, Grzegorz // Silitski, Vitali // Veselxc3xbd, Luboxc5xa1 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:28 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19587 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19587 Ten years have passed since President Alexander Lukashenko swept to power in the former Soviet republic of Belarus. Voted in with a sizeable majority, he has spent the intervening decade consolidating his hold on the country. SOURCE: British Broadcasting Corporation British Broadcasting Corporation Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:19 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19257 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19257 The report reveals that Chechens seeking refuge abroad are facing many obstacles. For example, their very basic right to seek asylum is not always respected: In Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Belarus, Chechens are denied access to the national asylum procedure. Many stay there without any legal rights and almost no humanitarian assistance; Chechens are sometimes denied access to the territory of other states. This happens routinely at the border with Ukraine; EU member states have a widely differing approach to Chechen asylum seekers. Refugee recognition rates vary dramatically within the EU, and the outcome of "the asylum lottery" depends on the country in which the claim has been processed. During the first six months of 2004, the Slovak Republic did not grant asylum to a single person from Russia, while Austria's refugee recognition rate for this group was 96 %. The report raises concern that the system of asylum and integration in new EU states receiving many Chechen asylum seekers, are not up to European standards. It appeals# to "old" EU states to support "new" EU states in providing protection to Chechen asylum seekers. In a recommendation to European states, the Norwegian Refugee Council states that "old" EU states should use the powers they have under the Dublin regulation to examine claims from Chechen asylum seekers lodged on their territory, even if they believe a new member state to be responsible under the Regulations's criteria. SOURCE: Norwegian Refugee Council Norwegian Refugee Council Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:12 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19135 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19135 This issue of the Russian Analytical Digest discusses the relations between Russia and Belarus. The authors provide information on political and regional cooperation between Moscow and Minsk and analyze the Russian perspective on the March 2006 presidential elections in Belarus. SOURCE: Center for Security Studies // International Relations and Security Network Center for Security Studies // International Relations and Security Network Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:50 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=18487 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=18487 This issue of the Russian Analytical Digest discusses Russia's foreign relations with Belarus and Poland. The authors examine the political crisis between Moscow and Minsk and further look at Russian-Polish relations in the context of revised EU policies for Eastern Europe. The issue specifically also examines the case of Kaliningrad in shaping relations between Russia and the EU. SOURCE: Center for Security Studies // International Relations and Security Network Center for Security Studies // International Relations and Security Network Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:31 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=18120 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=18120 SOURCE: Protection Project // School of Advanced International Studies // Johns Hopkins University Protection Project // School of Advanced International Studies // Johns Hopkins University Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:03 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=16938 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=16938 Geographically dispersed throughout the country, Russians of Belarus represent the advantaged minority. Although there are linguistic and cultural differences between Russians and Belorussians, during the Soviet rule, these differences became increasingly blurred. As a result, most Belorussians identify themselves closely with the Russian Federation. Russians of Belarus have no risks of rebellion and only minimal likelihood of protest. In fact, the group continues to be the advantaged minority. It is not discriminated against in any obvious way. The closeness of Russian and Belarusian culture and languages, along with the strong affinity and even identification which Belarusians hold for Russia and the former Soviet Union seem to diminish the likelihood of ethnic strife even further. Also weighing in against potential threats to Russians is the dependence of Belarus on the Russian Federation for energy and trade. The recent moves towards economic and monetary union with Russia will only increase this dependence. However, the potential exists for Belarusian nationalism to become heightened and for the position of Russians in Belarus to be threatened. Belarusian nationalism seems to have inspired movements pushing for use of the Belarusian language in addition to Russian. Except for some of its vocal advocates, however, this nationalism has not been aggressive in any way and few believe it will become aggressive due to what seems to be an indifference by many Belarusians about their own culture and language. SOURCE: Minorities at Risk Project // Center for International Development and Conflict Management // University of Maryland Minorities at Risk Project // Center for International Development and Conflict Management // University of Maryland Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:45:55 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=16629 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=16629 The human rights situation deteriorated in numerous former Soviet republics. Independent human rights monitoring groups, including several affiliates of the IHF, came under attack. The Russian Federation, Belarus, and the Central Asian regimes promulgated new legislation or changed their practices to allow these states arbitrarily to restrict the activities of nongovernmental organizations. The leaders of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee faced fabricated criminal charges, and in January 2006, state-controlled Russian media falsely implicated the Moscow Helsinki Group in espionage. SOURCE: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:45:05 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=15134 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=15134 This report includes detailed summations of the dire human rights situations in Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), China, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Libya, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Chechnya, Tibet, and Western Sahara are included as territories under Russian, Chinese, and Moroccan jurisdictions respectively. Six are members of the UN body, charged with monitoring and condemning human rights violations. SOURCE: Freedom House Freedom House Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:51 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=14587 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=14587 Belarus seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991. Three years later, independent candidate Aleksandr Lukashenko won the presidential election, boosted by his popularity after acting as chairman of an anti-corruption parliamentary committee. In 1995, Lukashenko pushed for a referendum on a new state flag and the restoration of Russian as one of the country's official languages. Throughout his tenure, the president has vehemently opposed proposals to privatize state-operated enterprises. SOURCE: Angus Reid Consultants Angus Reid Consultants Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:34 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=14010 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=14010 Youth movements played a critical role in the recent wave of revolutions in Serbia, Georgia, and Ukraine and -- to a lesser extent -- in Kyrgyzstan. New youth groups are appearing in Russia and Central Asia, much to the dismay of leaders there. "The Power of Youth" is an ongoing RFE/RL project that will look at how youth movements are born, mature, and make the transition to the postrevolutionary setting or endure under repression.. SOURCE: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:29 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=13971 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=13971 This report on the situation for refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons in Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine in 2006 has been written by national refugee-assisting NGOs in each country. The reports have been edited but no substantial changes have been made to their content as reported by the agencies involved. The report has been produced as part of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles' Programme "The Protection of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Forced Migrants", which is generously funded by the European Union Aeneas programme. In each country section, NGOs cover relevant legislative changes, the refugee status determination procedure, case law, returns, vulnerable groups and integration. From the information provided by NGOs it is clear that 2006 was a challenging year for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants living in Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. In Russia and Ukraine NGOs report restricted access to asylum procedures, violations of the international principle of non-refoulement, detention of asylum seekers because of a lack of documentation at different stages of the refugee status determination procedure and increasing incidents of racism and xenophobia. In all four countries the economic situation or effects of government legislation mean that there are serious barriers to integration for refugees. SOURCE: European Council on Refugees and Exiles European Council on Refugees and Exiles Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:12 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=13447 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=13447 Eurasia Daily Monitor is a publication of The Jamestown Foundation, based in Washington, D.C. Previously known as the Monitor, the Eurasia Daily Monitor addresses the new strategic realities emerging in Eurasia. Contributors include several analysts based on the ground in Eurasia as well as experts based in the United States. Focusing on Eurasia's evolving political and economic landscape, the Eurasia Daily Monitor covers key issues affecting conflict and instability in Eurasia. SOURCE: Jamestown Foundation Jamestown Foundation Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:00 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=12963 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=12963 The South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) was launched on 08 May 2002 in Belgrade. SEESAC is a component of the Regional Implementation Plan on Combating the Proliferations of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) formulated and adopted by the Stability Pact in November 2001(Revised in 2006), with the aims of stopping the flow and availability of SALW in the region, consolidating achievements so far and supporting the socio-economic conditions for peace and development in South Eastern and Eastern Europe. The uncontrolled proliferation and illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW) is a serious problem in South Eastern and Eastern Europe. SALW proliferation has fuelled crime and insecurity, exacerbating conflict in the region and undermining post conflict peace-building. Problems related to SALW are likely to pose a serious constraint to economic and social development in South Eastern and Eastern Europe. Established in co-operation with the UNDP and housed in their offices in Belgrade, SEESAC worked to support the Stability Pact Regional Implementation Plan for an initial period of three years; the impact of the project has led to a further four-year extension until December 2008. Political and strategic guidance and indigenous support for SEESAC is provided by a Regional Steering Group (RSG), which is composed of representatives of the governments of the states concerned, the Stability Pact, UNDP and observers from institutions such as the European Union (EU), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and civil society. The RSG meets twice yearly and has approved the 2006 SEESAC Strategy and a revision of the SEESAC mandate. SEESAC capability is now available to all stakeholders within the CIS and Caucasus region. SEESAC is now also available to provide technical advice and project development assistance for the disposal of heavy weapons (within available resources). SEESAC operates under the guidance of The Regional Steering Group for Small Arms and Light Weapons and the UN Resident Co-ordinator in Belgrade. SEESAC liaises directly with governments and civil society, providing technical input, information exchange, co-ordination and overview of current and future efforts and fund-raising assistance for specific SALW projects. SEESAC's small team is in constant communication with all the governments involved and with the relevant international organisations, non-governmental organisations and bi-lateral donors. SEESAC's regional activities include sensitising governments and civil society on small arms issues, formulating national strategies for SALW control and incorporating small arms issues into UNDP development planning. SOURCE: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:06 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=10185 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=10185 The report surveys recent developments regarding religious freedom and tolerance in ten OSCE countries which are of particular concern to the International Helsinki Federation. Following an overview of international standards protecting freedom of thought, conscience and religion, it examines the state of religious freedom in Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. SOURCE: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:51 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=9634 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=9634 IHF's annual report on human rights violations in the OSCE. Countries profiled include: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Georgia. SOURCE: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:35 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8904 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8904 SOURCE: HIV InSite Database of Country and Regional Indicators // Center for HIV Information // University of California San Francisco HIV InSite Database of Country and Regional Indicators // Center for HIV Information // University of California San Francisco Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:31 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8789 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8789 In March 2005, members of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) Working Group on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) issued a questionnaire to states parties regarding ERW and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This memorandum contains an analysis by Human Rights Watch of the responses provided by states parties to the questionnaire. Human Rights Watch believes that the responses to date lead to the conclusion that national implementation measures, especially with regard to cluster munitions and the submunitions they dispense, are not adequate, and that additional measures are required to ensure adequate protections for civilian populations. SOURCE: Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:25 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8347 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8347 By raising the gas price for Belarus, buying a major stake in the Belarussian gas pipeline network, imposing export duty on Russian oil deliveries to Belarus, and restricting duty-free import of Belarussian goods to Russia, the Russians have ended an era in relations between the two states. The heart of the "United State of Russia and Belarus" - the customs union - has been made obsolete at a stroke. Russia's economic policy toward its western neighbor is part and parcel of a new foreign policy that - as the Putin era comes to a close - is focusing increasingly on the national interest. The Lukashenko system, whose economic and political stability were based on the cheap oil supplies from Russia, has been plunged into a serious existential crisis. For the EU and Germany this renewed disruption to energy relations reveals the fragility of the "strategic partnership" with Russia and the lack of an effective energy dialogue with the transit state of Belarus. SOURCE: German Institute for International and Security Affairs German Institute for International and Security Affairs Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:21 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8233 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8233 This report, published by four international thinktanks, is based on research conducted in 9 European countries and the USA by BICC as lead agency (Bonn International Center for Conversion) in Germany, Saferworld in the United Kingdom, the Small Arms Survey in Switzerland, and BASIC, which is based in the UK and the USA. Governments own small arms and light weapons for military and police use. Many of these items become redundant at some stage, and the question arises how to dispose of them. Selling the items to the highest bidder is financially attractive, but can have embarrassing political consequences. Dumping the ordnance at sea is cheap and easy, but pollutes the oceans and contravenes international agreements. Storing the items indefinitely seems an easy way out, but if it is done safely and securely, it is expensive. The UN and the OSCE recommend the destruction of surplus small arms, as it is final and prevents proliferation, but there may be costs and legal problems to consider. SOURCE: Bonn International Center for Conversion // British American Security Information Council // Saferworld // Small Arms Survey Bonn International Center for Conversion // British American Security Information Council // Saferworld // Small Arms Survey Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=7760 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=7760 On March 19th 2006 the people of Belarus - a small but strategically important country - voted in a presidential election. President Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed to have won 82.6 per cent of the vote, though neither the EU nor the US recognised the result. In the week after the election the government arrested a few hundred opposition activists, including one of the presidential candidates. The EU's current policy of xe2x80x98conditional engagement' has failed to improve the situation in Belarus. The EU has withheld favours and cut off contacts, but the regime has become steadily more authoritarian. The EU needs a new policy. It should offer big incentives to encourage the regime to reform, but also make clear that any further repression would provoke a tough response. It should step up its efforts to support civil society and overhaul its methods for aiding NGOs. European leaders should tell Russia that the EU has a legitimate interest in how Belarus is governed. But the EU should also stress that it does not see Belarus as a pawn in a geopolitical game. Both the EU and Russia would benefit from a stable, prosperous and democratic Belarus. SOURCE: Centre for European Reform Centre for European Reform Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:47 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=6127 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=6127 This overview report is a companion to the annual survey on the state of global political rights and civil liberties, Freedom in the World. The reports are excerpted from Freedom in the World 2007, which surveys the state of freedom in 193 countries and 15 select territories. The ratings and accompanying essays are based on events from December 1, 2005 through December 31, 2006. The 17 countries and 3 territories profiled in this report are drawn from the total of 45 countries and 7 territories that are considered to be Not Free and whose citizens endure systematic and pervasive human rights violations. Included in this report are eight countries judged to have the worst records: Burma, Cuba, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Also included are two territories, Chechnya and Tibet, whose inhabitants suffer intense repression. These states and regions received the Freedom House survey's lowest rating: 7 for political rights and 7 for civil liberties. Within these entities, state control over daily life is pervasive and wide-ranging, independent organizations and political opposition are banned or suppressed, and fear of retribution for independent thought and action is part of daily life. In the case of Chechnya, the rating in large measure reflects the fallout of a vicious conflict that in the last 12 years has disrupted normal life and resulted in some 200,000 deaths. The report also includes nine further countries near the bottom of Freedom House's list of the most repressive: Belarus, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Zimbabwe. The territory of Western Sahara is also included in this group. While these states scored slightly better than the "worst of the worst," they offer very limited scope for private discussion while severely suppressing opposition political activity, impeding independent organizing, and censoring or punishing criticism of the state. Massive human rights violations take place in nearly every part of the world. This year's roster of the "most repressive" includes countries from the Americas, the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, and East Asia; they represent a wide array of cultures and levels of economic development. This report from Freedom House to the United Nations focuses on states and regions that have seen some of the world's most severe repression and most systematic and brutal violations of human dignity. The report seeks to focus the attention of the United Nations Human Rights Council on states and territories that deserve investigation and condemnation for their widespread violations. [Ed. note: Exact publishing date not given] SOURCE: Freedom House Freedom House Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:45 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=6125 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=6125 Freedom House welcomes the vote by the United Nations General Assembly to elect Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina for the two open seats for Eastern European States in yesterday's election to the UN Human Rights Council. Belarus, the third candidate for the East Europe vacancies, was defeated in a tight race following a vigorous campaign by numerous human rights organizations and countries opposed to the candidacy of a country with one of the world's most abysmal human rights records. SOURCE: Freedom House Freedom House Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:24 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=4017 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=4017 Amnesty International is concerned that the Belarusian authorities have become intolerant of any public criticism or dissent. The rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly are enshrined in various international human rights treaties, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Belarus is a party, and is bound to uphold and observe. Yet it is with growing concern that Amnesty International has observed that action based on peaceful political beliefs has become near to impossible. The Belarusian authorities are increasingly employing harassment, intimidation, excessive force, mass detentions and long-term imprisonment as methods to quash any civil or political dissent. SOURCE: Amnesty International Amnesty International Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:15 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=3141 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=3141 The United States's increased interest in Eurasia over the past year has added confusion to an already muddled debate over nation- and state-building in the region. In particular, U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan drew global attention to what and who a post-Taliban regime would look like. But the Bush Administration's blanket caution over "nation-building" in Afghanistan blurred the crucial difference between state-building and nation-building: the former concerns developing institutions of governance; the latter concerns developing a shared identity. SOURCE: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:11 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2759 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2759 Concentrated predominantly along the Polish border region, Poles in Belarus stand out as a group with a distinct ethnic and linguistic identity. Poles in Belarus have no risks of rebellion; the likelihood of the group's protest, however, seems to be on the rise as a result of new cultural and political restrictions levied against the group over the past few years. SOURCE: Minorities at Risk Project // Center for International Development and Conflict Management // University of Maryland Minorities at Risk Project // Center for International Development and Conflict Management // University of Maryland Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:11 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2767 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2767 Belarus is a country where the theory of human rights on the one hand, and everyday implementation on the other, diverge widely. Even though Belarus is a party to most of the international human rights treaties and a whole spectrum of human rights and fundamental freedoms are guaranteed in the country's constitution, an inordinate gap exists between these rights in theory and their implementation in practice. SOURCE: Amnesty International Amnesty International Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2558 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2558 The United States has progressively woven a clandestine "spider's web" of disappearances, secret detentions and unlawful inter-state transfers - spun with the collaboration or tolerance of Council of Europe member states, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) said today. In a draft resolution adopted at a meeting in Paris, based on a report by Dick Marty (Switzerland, ALDE), the committee said hundreds of persons had become entrapped in this web - in some cases when they were merely suspected of sympathising with a presumed terrorist organisation. The parliamentarians said this knowing collusion of member states took several different forms, including secretly detaining a person on European territory, capturing a person and handing them over to the US or permitting unlawful "renditions" through their airspace or across their territory. "It# has now been demonstrated incontestably, by numerous well-documented and convergent facts, that secret detentions and unlawful inter-state transfers involving European countries have taken place, such as to require in-depth inquiries and urgent responses by the executive and legislative branches of all the countries concerned," the committee said. The committee called on Council of Europe member states to review bilateral agreements signed with the United States, particularly those on the status of US forces stationed in Europe, to ensure they conformed fully to international human rights norms. The report is due for debate by the plenary Assembly - which brings together 630 parliamentarians from the 46 Council of Europe member states - in Strasbourg on 27 June 2006. SOURCE: Council of Europe Council of Europe Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2559 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2559 The United States of America finds that neither the classic instruments of criminal law and procedure, nor the framework of the laws of war (including respect for the Geneva Conventions) has been apt to address the terrorist threat. As a result it has introduced new legal concepts, such as "enemy combatant" and "rendition", which were previously unheard of in international law and stand contrary to the basic legal principles that prevail on our continent. Thus, across the world, the United States has progressively woven a clandestine "spider's web" of disappearances, secret detentions and unlawful inter-state transfers, often encompassing countries notorious for their use of torture. Hundreds of persons have become entrapped in this web, in some cases merely suspected of sympathising with a presumed terrorist organisation. SOURCE: Council of Europe Council of Europe Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:07 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2346 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2346 Freedom House has prepared this overview report as a companion to our annual survey on the state of global political rights and civil liberties, Freedom in the World. We are publishing this report to assist policymakers, human rights organizations, democracy advocates, and others who are working to advance freedom around the world. We also hope that the report will be useful to the work of the new United Nations Human Rights Council. The reports are excerpted from Freedom in the World 2006, which surveys the state of freedom in 192 countries and 14 select territories. The ratings and accompanying essays are based on events from December 1, 2004 through November 30, 2005. The 17 countries and 3 territories profiled in this report are drawn from the total of 45 countries and 8 territories that are considered to be Not Free and whose citizens endure systematic and pervasive human rights violations. SOURCE: Freedom House Freedom House Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:04 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2073 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2073 Belarus and Uzbekistan are the last countries from the former Soviet Union that carry out the death penalty. They are the last remaining obstacles to turning Europe and Central Asia into a death penalty - free zone, Amnesty International said in this report. SOURCE: Amnesty International Amnesty International