Civil Rights Defenders
CALENDaR 2013
2013 was a year of both highs and lows for the human rights defenders who worked
tirelessly to promote people’s rights and freedoms in some of the most oppressive societies
in the world. Together with our partners we campaigned to ensure that the gains made in
terms of human rights continue to be improved and acted upon. However, there are still
many countries where human rights defenders are routinely assaulted, imprisoned and
sometimes disappear. While hate speech, discrimination and violence often dominated the
2013 human rights agenda there were also many stories of hope and courage. Civil Rights
Defenders gives a snapshot of the year that was;
Albania
First Lawyers for Lawyers Forum
January
February
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Chechnya
Workshop on public engagement
in the fight against corruption
Civil Rights Defenders and Transparency International in Bosnia and
Herzegovina gathered different human
rights organisations for a workshop on
how to encourage citizens to engage in
the fight against corruption.
Workshop on public engagement
in the fight against corruption
On 22 January the European Court of
Human Rights handed down the first
judgement of a case stemming from
Chechnya under Ramzan Kadyrov’s
rule. The case regards Tamerlan Suleymanov, who was abducted in the
southern Russian republic in spring
2011 by alleged law enforcement
officers.
Azerbaijan
Future professionals trained in
freedom of speech
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Future professionals trained in
freedom of speech
Civil Rights Defenders, together with
one of its long-term partners, the Press
Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
conducted trainings on press freedom
and freedom of speech for law students
in the country.
Belarus
Campaign against LGBT
The Azeri government puts pressure
on the country’s already repressed civil
society. NGOs that receive even minor
funds can be severely punished, according to a new draft law. Civil Rights
Defenders continues to advocate for
changes in the law.
Human rights play on Balkan tour
The tour is organised by Hedda Produktion AB, Civil Rights Defenders
and several of its local partners and the
Swedish embassies in each country.
Civil Rights Defenders advocates on
behalf of the human rights organisation GayBelarus where over 30 members were interrogated by police after
the organisation attempted for the
second time to register at the Ministry
of Justice.
MFA’s reply on human rights
defenders
Civil Rights Defenders writes to
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt
urging him to demand stronger protection for human rights defenders in
Kosovo. The letter was sent after attacks against civil society organisations
Kosovo 2.0 and Libertas in late 2012.
Russia
Russian Federation ignores children who identify as LGBT
Civil Rights Defenders’ partners
Coming Out and the Russian LGBT
Network submit a report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights
of the Child. Later, in March 2014,
the UN Committee agrees with the
report and calls on Russia to undertake
measures to improve the situation for
LGBT youth and children growing up
in LGBT families.
KOSOVO
draconian bill
Draconian law imposes hefty administrative fines on homosexual “propaganda” among minors. Civil Rights
Defenders and their partners continue
to advocate for the rights of the LGBT
community in Russia.
of the Moot Court Competition
Henrik Steska’s team from Ljubljana,
became the winner of the 7th Regional
Moot Court Competition, held in
Ljubljana. The Moot Court competition is part of Civil Rights Defenders’
programme to educate law students
in the practicalities of the European
Court of Human Rights.
Sweden/All Regions
One Golden Egg and two Silver to
Prime and Civil Rights Defenders
Civil Rights Defenders win a Golden
Egg and two Silver Eggs in the categories Digital, Alternative Media and
PR for the campaign “Civil Rights
Captcha”.
MAY
Serbia
An important victory for
freedom of assembly
Civil Rights Defenders welcomes the
ruling of the Constitutional Court
of Serbia, stating that the ban on the
Pride Parade 2011 was a violation of
the constitutionally guaranteed right
to freedom of assembly.
Albania
Two weeks against homophobia
Civil Rights Defenders’ partner in Albania, Aleanca Kundër Diskriminimit
të LGBT, organises a two-week event
around the exhibition, Art 1, to raise
awareness about discrimination.
rights defender
Civil Rights Defenders and the Kvinna
till Kvinna Foundation expressed their
deep concerns and strongly condemned
the death threat against Ms. Nazlie
Bala, a well-respected Kosovo human
rights defender.
APRIL
Serbia
Nataša Kandić – Civil Rights
Defender of the Year 2013
Nataša Kandić, founder of the Humanitarian Law Center, Serbia, became
the recipient of the 2013 “Civil Rights
Defender of the Year Award”.
Moldova
Freedom of assembly finally
ensured for LGBT people
Civil Rights Defenders’ Moldovan
partner GenderDoc-M was finally
able to exercise its legitimate right
to assembly after the passing of laws
guaranteeing the right to freedom of
assembly.
Moldova
First Pride March held in Moldova
The first legally sanctioned Pride
March was held in Chisinau on the
19th May, Moldova. Civil Rights
Defenders in cooperation with our
partner GenderDoc-M have been
supporting and attending the event for
many years.
JUNE
Western Balkans
Capacity building on work against
discrimination
Civil Rights Defenders organised a
workshop in Tirana, Albania, focusing
on effective ways to combat discriminat ion in the Western Balkans.
Russia
Russian Duma supports
Team Henrik Steska is the winner
Death threat against human
western Balkans
organisation
Kosovo
Civil Rights Defenders organised a
unique forum to enhance capacities of
human rights lawyers and encourage
them to exchange lessons learnt. Participants gathered in Durres, Albania
from all over the Western Balkans
where they met key experts in human
rights strategic litigation and discussed
topics such as Roma rights, Freedom
of Information and tackling hate
speech.
Western Balkans
Sweden/All Regions
march
Personal assault alarm for
Azerbaijan
Art for Democracy campaign
under attack
Civil Rights Defender’s partner, Art for
Democracy campaign has been under
attack by the Azerbaijani authorities.
40
All Regions
human rights activists at risk
Four awards at Cannes Lions
The world’s first personal assault alarm
for human rights defenders at risk
powered by social media is launched
by Civil Rights Defenders in honour
of Natalia Estimerova, Russian human
rights defender murdered in 2009.
Civil Rights Defenders was awarded
a Bronze Lion in the Promo & Activation category and a Silver Lion in
the Mobile category for the Natalia
Project and also a Silver and a Bronze
Lion in the PR category for the Civil
Rights Captcha.