Interview with Andrey Yurov (YHRM).

"We will fight not just for ourselves, but for a new generation of civil activists". Interview with Andrey Yurov, the Honorary President of the International Youth Human Rights Movement, made in Piekary (Poland), End of July 2007. Click Here.

Russia & NEI : Call for support from Youth Human Rights Movement (HCA partner)

Dear friends and colleagues!

In early August 2007 we learned that the International Youth Human Rights Movement (YHRM) had been declared "inactive" and has been deprived of its status as a legal entity by a court decision in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia on the demand of the Federal Registration Service. The decision was taken on June 13, yet the Coordination Council of YHRM learned abut it only by accident, almost a month and a half later, since the court nor the registration service had notified us.

We would like to state that we definitely are not going to stop our work. At the same time any kind of support from our partners and friends would be appreciated.

About YHRM

The history of Youth Human Rights Movement starts in 1998, with a small group of activists. At the present moment, YHRM unites more than 1000 young human rights defenders, environmental and civic activists, teachers and trainers on human rights education from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Italy, France, Germany and other countries. Among YHRM achievements (together with different partners in Russia, the CIS and Europe) there are educational programs for thousands of young people, hundreds of legal consultations for youth etc. Currently several leading representatives of YHRM are Council experts of Europe structures, and YHRM itself actively cooperates with intergovernmental bodies such as the OSCE, the European Commission and other international institutions.

What does that mean?

The YHRM case is typical and symptomatic, it reflects negative tendencies in relation to freedom of association (the right to create organizations, unions etc) in Russia and some other NIS countries. The logic of the much criticized changes to the Russian legislation on NGOs leads to the reproduction of such absurd situations, when functioning organizations are declared “inactive”, “inoperative”, deprived of their status as a legal entity and their work is disturbed. Both in Nizhny Novgorod and in Russia in general this case is one of many similar ones, which have been repeating over the last three-four months. Most of the closed organizations are absolutely alive and working, but in their work they touch topics, that are sensitive for the authorities (human rights, environment protection, antifascism, electoral rights, rights of consumers etc). Intervention by the Federal Registration Service, based on the new legislation, disturbs their work.

What we are going to do:

- keep working;

- appeal against the illegal decision and pursue the restoration of the organization’s legal status;

- continue collecting information on the illegal closing of NGOs and render different kinds of support within the Program “For Freedom of Association”;

- participate and coordinate systematic actions aimed at changing “the rules of the game” (legislature, practice, policy, etc) in connection to basic human rights critical for the development of a civil society, not only in Russia but in the NIS as well.

WE URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT!!!

How you can participate:

1. As a sign of solidarity, you can join YHRM individually, as a group\organization or open a YHRM branch in your country. (To join – please visit: http://www.yhrm.org/eng/join/, for details on how to open a branch please contact int@yhrm.org).

2. Send us a letter of support in your national language and\or in English. This is important for us not only because of your encouragement, but also as evidence for the court to prove that we in fact “exist” and are known to people and organizations in many different countries! You can do this by fax +7-4732-545530 or by e-mail solidarity@hrworld.ru .

3. Translate this text into your national language and disseminate it widely in your community, country and regions, among friends, partners, journalists, on web-sites and blogs (you can also use banners in English http://defence.yhrm.org/newsdef_other/bnr/), asking them to join our solidarity campaign! Distribute information about this case and about the situation with fundamental freedoms in Russia and NIS as widely as possible!

4. Along with all other actions you can also organize solidarity actions with International YHRM and in support of the independent civil society actors in Russia (near Russian embassies and other representations of the Russian Federation in your country) Please give notice of your activities to the Solidarity working group at solidarity@hrworld.ru, so we will know about them and inform others.

5. You can, if you wish, render financial or any other support to YHRM. It is possible to do either through Webmoney E907697182726, Z878302509696, R179608645089 or through (a/our??) bank account (please contact us for details).

6. Join the working group for the Defense of Civil Society in the NIS (dcs_nis_eng@googlegroups.com)!!! YHRM is not the first and unfortunately not the last organization which faces this kind of pressure and only our joint efforts can prevent new problems.

7. If you have any other ideas about what can be done, please contact us at the Solidarity working group: solidarity@hrworld.ru.

International Youth Human Rights Solidarity Program solidarity@hrworld.ru Administrative Center in Voronezh, Russia +7 (915) 548 71 90 www.yhrm.org Honorary President Andrey Yurov +7-916-113-51-81 Chair of Coordination Council Alyona Ob’ezdchikova + 7-910-749-10-12

HCA statement to the freedom of expression in Azerbaidjan

From Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly International

To Council of Europe

STATEMENT

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly expresses its concern concerning the developed complicated situation in Azerbaijan regarding the freedom of speech and persecution of journalist which are accompanied with beatings and arrests. It is unacceptable that such situation occurs in a country which has joined European Convention on Human Rights and is a member of European Organizations such as Council of Europe and OSCE.

The problems surrounding the safety of journalists have reached its very serious state. After the 2 March 2005 ordered brutal shooting of famous Monitor Journal Chief Editor Elmar Huseynov, whose murderers have not been found and whose murder case remains incomplete, many other journalists have been exposed to pressure, including from “Azadlig” Newspaper Fikret Huseynli (kidnapped and beaten) and Nijat Daglar (beaten by unknown people), from “Zerkalo” Newspaper Rustam Mikayilov and Farid Teymurkhanli (beaten by police), from “Ayna” Newspaper Iddrak Abbasov (beaten by police), from “Bizim Yol” Bahaddin Haziyev (kidnapped, brutally beaten and left an invalid for life), from “Boz Gurd” Newspaper Ramiz Najafli (beaten by police), and from Turan News Agency Sarvan Rizvanov (beaten by police). And finally, as a result of a disagreement with police which turned into a fist-fight “Yeni Musavat” Newspaper photo-correspondent Ali Kazimli was bedridden in the hospital and at home for six months, and ultimately died.

We would like to briefly recall some of the recent repressive acts that have occurred against the press. At present seven (7) journalists are imprisoned, including four (4) that were imprisoned on the basis of articles 147 and 148 of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code (libel and defamation). In addition, there are at least six (6) well-known journalists serving probation due to articles 147 and 148.

In April of this year “Realny Azerbaycan” Military writer Uzeir Jafarov was attacked in front of his own editorial office. He received serious head and brain trauma. Even police that have shown aggression towards journalists wearing special uniforms made at the order of the Press Council with approval from the Interior Ministry are not punished.

In May of this year alone, three leading independent newspapers were compelled to close: “Realny Azerbaycan,” “Gundalik Azerbaycan,” and “Baki Khabar.” In general from January 2006- May 2007 tens of court cases against the mass media have been conducted. And fines against newspapers have reached a total of over 500,000 USD. The above mentioned incidents testify to the end of the independent press and destruction of the essence of freedom speech.

As an organization one of the work directions of which is defending human rights and which possesses the consultative status in the Council of Europe since 1991 we confirm that we recognize these imprisoned journalists as prisoners of conscience and demand their immediate release. We hope that Azerbaijan authorities having declared the will of becoming equal right member of European family will pursue internal policy in appropriate with European values and laws.

Bernard Dreano,

Arzu Abdullayeva,

Co-chairs of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly International

25.06.07

SIDU in Poland, 24-31 July 2007

Dear Friends Nigdy Wiecej (Never Again) and AEC (French branch of hCa) organize a SIDU (Seminar on intercultural dialogue and understanding) in Poland on the theme “Identity, Discriminations and Nationalism”. It will in take place in Piekary (20 km from Krakow) from the 24th to the 31ft of July. If you are interested, we urgently need your application: Name, Surname Date of birth, nationality Passport number, issued (date and authority), expiring (date) If you need a visa? Number of fax to send your invitation letter Have you a Polish embassy in your country? Our budget is, even more than usual, limited, and today we are not sure tobe able to reimburse more than 75% of the travel expenses. The number of place is limited, and the visa formalities may take time, SO WE NEED YOUR ANSWER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, before the 15th of June Answer at aec@reseau-ipam.org If you have already sent an application please, do it again. Organization Team

From HCA-Turkey 08 June 2007 : OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF TURKISH GENERAL STAFF TARGETS PEACE AND DEMOCRACY DEFENDERS

8 juin 2007

The press release which has been issued on the web site of the Office of the Chief of General Staff on June 8, 2007 is an unacceptable statement in terms of democracy, rule of law, and human rights.

In the concerned statement :

a) Peace, freedoms and democracy defenders are directly TARGETED through being defined as “individuals and organizations using these concepts AS A SCREEN FOR THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”

b) All the citizens who are critical of the current “national and unitary structure” are being reflected as a threat against the Republic of Turkey, and different thoughts are convicted.

c) The above mentioned individuals and organizations are announced as the RESPONSIBLES of the increase in terror activities which occurred lately and are TARGETED in actual and legal terms once again.

d) The people are agitated to be out on the streets in a very dangerous and an unpredictable way by saying “The expectation of the Turkish Armed Forces is that the great Turkish nation is going to demonstrate a MASS OPPOSITION REFLEX against these kinds of terror events” in the press release. It is not a far probability that this would cause big lynch and attacking cases.

In a democratic state of law, it is clear that the highest ranking commanding level of the armed forces has no right and authority to deliver such a statement. We also have the right to ask the questions below against such a clear attack on defenders of democracy, rule of law, freedom and peace :

1) Since it was clearly and certainly known that “...terror would increase after May 2007”, why were there no effective measures to prevent such activities taken ?

2) Which measures were blocked by the defenders of democracy, freedom and peace ?

3) Is it asked to discard rule of law and democracy by labeling defending rule of law and democracy as “supporting terror.” ?

4) Whom and which bodies will be responsible if some groups attempt lynching and organize attacks against defenders of democracy and rule of law, and those who “they think supports terror” because of their identities ?

In fact, there are many questions to be asked.

We clearly state that, as human rights defenders, we will never bow to pressure. We have always opposed violence, and we still oppose it today. We also oppose failure of law and human rights violations. No single one should suspect that we will continue on objecting violence, attacks and war wherever it comes from ; and continue on defending human rights.

HUMAN RIGHTS JOINT PLATFORM

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TURKEY

HELSINKI CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY

HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION OF TURKEY

HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION

ORGANIZATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS & SOLIDARITY FOR OPPRESSED PEOPLE

Read Also : http://www.hyd.org.tr/?pid=474

Happy birthday guru!!!!!!!! bon anniversariu!!!!!!

Bernard has many facets......

he can be a guidebook,

an hiker,

a policeman,

a comic...

But my favourite Bernard is the party animal!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!!! your corsican fan...

Happy Birthday to youuuu...

Bernard is 20 (ter) !!! Happy Birthday !!! And many many hugs and sidus ! Eurocracy, Bureaucracy, Democracy, hi hi hi...

Pace è Salute

Hi everybody and happy new year from Corsica.... in corsican, we say Pace è Salute, peace and health....... kisses, Maïa the bee

Happy New Year!

Dear SIDU people!

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you all a happiest New Year 2007!

May your lives be filled with happiness and hearts with love... May the new year bring you lots of successes and accomplishments in your live and works! Have a wonderful New Year Celebrations!

Keep posting ;)
Tabib

HCA Youth Network Blog

HCA Youth Network Blog

an interview with Bernard.

Hi, Today while I was reading my newspaper, I saw an article about Armenian issue and as I have done before, I read it. I saw a familiar face as a French Intellectual ( Bernard Dreano) who declares his thoughts about the law in France. I want to share with you but it is only in Turkish, you may see the pictures of Bernard:) Briefly, the news is an interview with Denis Donikyan who is a famous poet I think and an interview with Bernard. This is the fourth news of a series called ' Talking to Diaspora Armenians' (the writer is Ece Temelkuran who is known as a left-wing writer, specifically more left than a social-democrat. I like some of her writings very much about freedom and violations of human rights in Turkey. The newspaper is Milliyet which is high-circulation and mainstream media. The article is full-page in 14th page.) Firstly Donikyan is telling that Turkey should accept 1915.Then he adds: I did not grow up my children with this hatred and I did not tell them 1915 because my childhood is stolen and I don't want to steal my children's childhood. He continues with his own psychoanalysis about feeling of belonging to another place and stolen childhood with hatred speeches. I think he is a very good poet because he talks like he is:) Isabella Kortian ( I think his assistant I am not sure) says: We are angry at France because we came here to live as citizens but they banned us even to speak about genocide through many years. Now with this law I wont forget the past. Bernard says: French intellectuals are totally shocked with this stupid law. He mentions the well-known project "yavas gamats:)"he adds "The only ones who want this law is very nationalist/ fascist Armenians.This will trigger only more nationalism nothing else. I know that there are people such as Kardeş Türküler ( a music band sings in every language including Armenian and Kurdish) and Çarentz ( Armenian Poet in Turkey) and these people will serve to the dialogue." Bernard can correct me if there is something wrong. This is the Turkish page that you can see the news but it is unfortunately only in Turkish as I said before. http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2006/11/19/yazar/temelkuran.html F.Dilara DEMİR ( So-called journalist from Turkey:)

Russian-Georgian youth civic dialogue

Dear Friends! Below you'll find the appeal which Youth Human Rights Movement activists prepared after Anti-Georgian campaign in Russia began. Currrently things are getting worse and worse day by day, there are numerous cases of deportations, using hate speech and other types of discrimination. If you are interested in following the developement of the events write to the address of the working group ycd@yhrm.org. Thank you for your support! Anastasia Nikitina _________________________________ Youth of Georgia and Russia! Today we apply to you, apply to each other, because we are ashamed. We are ashamed that political ambitions, poor judgment and aggression of our state leaderships might lead to our miscommunication and estrangement. We are ashamed that after wine, “Borjomi” and possibility to visit each other without visas, we may loose our associates. We do not want rising generations to forget enduring friendship of the Russian and Georgian peoples and remember only confrontation and conflicts. We do not want to dispute about the borders. We are not interested in geographical titles and color of peacemakers’ uniform. We seek to believe that expert politicians are able to communicate without hysterics and deterrence. However, currently situation, alas, moves elsewise. We do want to preserve – or finally create – space for communication between young people from Georgia and Russia in order to discuss our interests and concerns, in order to make those, who were elected by us, listen to the voices of people, they pretend to protect. We propose to create Russian-Georgian Youth Civic Dialogue – free platform for public activists, youth organizations and ordinary people, who do not agree with policy of disunion. We propose not only to keep recently disturbed balance, notwithstanding “geopolitics” and “economic” interests – we want to build new. We dream about day when young people from Russia (including Northern Caucasus) and Georgia will communicate freely, visit each other without fear of declaring their nationality, work and create together, support each other’s development. We have enough to speak out and share. We encourage Georgian and Russian authorities to put an end to the conflict escalation, despite vested interests of concrete persons and “actualite”. We call those, who are ready to share responsibility for this, to join YCD or create own initiative, not only from Russia or Georgia, but from other states also. Because states are not territories, but people leaving on these territories. If you estimate sustentation of the horizontal ties and communication between ordinary people as important at the various levels: business and trade, culture, education and other – join us! (Activists of the International Network – Youth Human Rights Movement)

Protest letter to the Mayor of Lyon

Dear ALL,
Below is my protest letter, which I just sent to the mayor of Lyon. I call everyone to write a protest letter to him.
----------------

To the Mayor of Lyon
Monsieur Gérard Collomb

CC:
Madame Sabiha Ahmine
Assemblée européenne des citoyens (HCA-France)

Dear Mayor Collomb,

I am writing to express my deep protest to your actions, which counter the principles of democracy, freedom of expression and tolerance.

The dismissal of your deputy Sabiha Ahmine for her support to the Armenian-Turkish Dialogue meeting involving mostly youth from Armenia, Turkey and many other countries was an extremely unjust decision and also a blow to the civil society efforts in France, Armenia and Turkey aimed at historical reconciliation between the Armenian and Turkish peoples.

I have personally attended this meeting, being a representative from Azerbaijan branch of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly. I met many young talented, open-minded people, Armenians, Turks and others who tried to overcome the historical animosities and hatreds who tried to break up with the xenophobic stereotypes and narrow-minded nationalistic thinking. In my view, these young people are the hope for their nations, because only through open dialogue and communication, it is possible to achieve a historical reconciliation between the Armenians and Turks, as well as between the numerous Armenian and Turkish communities in France.

I call you to be more principled and firm and not surrender to the narrow nationalistic interest groups in the future. Dont let these groups block the civil initiatives aimed at dialogue and reconciliation! Dont let them brand and discredit these initiatives labelling them "negationist", "denialist" and the like! You have responsibility before your constituents to stop the propaganda of hatred and ethnic intolerance and to ensure that all the tensions between various communities are solved through civilised discussions and civic dialogue.

I very much hope that my letter to you was not in vain and you will show more support to the civil initiatives involving Armenians and Turks in the future.

Sincerely Yours,
Tabib Huseynov
Member
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly-Azerbaijan

More news from France & How to support Sabiha

Hi, friends, Here are more news from France and our internal political debates in relation to Armenia and Turkey, I mean in relation to the recent visit paid in Erevan by French president Jacques Chirac telling there that Turkey would not entry the EU until the country officially says there has been a Turkish genocide against the Armenian people, in relation also to the initiative of the French social-democrat ("socialiste") group at the National Assembly promoting a new naw (to be discussed tomorrow amoung MPs) making a crime of denying the Armenian genocide. First, as some of you have asked us (see former post about our September HCA turkish-armenian debate in Lyon), HOW TO SUPPORT Sabiha Ahmine (who helped us by the TurkishArmenian dialogue in Lyon and has been dismissed partly because of that) : you can write protest emails to the Mayor of Lyon Gerard Collomb : gerard.collomb@mairie-lyon.fr You can write in your own language (even better? Let's be really cosmopolitan!), it mustn't be in English ! In the current battle to help Sabiha (and the progressist people trying in Lyon to deal positively with immigration & international issues), every sign of support, even a short one, is welcome and may help. Now, about the bad "electoralist" (or non-sense? as you wish) climate in France : the two last political initiatives of Chirac in Erevan and the socialist MPs at our National Assembly make of course the battle more difficult for our Turkish friends (amoung them our Turkish friends, hi, people, are you there?). Indeed the discussion about the historical massacre of Armenian people in Turkey at the beginning of former century has been progressing for a few year and the French attitude may confort & radicalise (and it already does) Turkish people hostile to this public debate, especially in a period where Turkish efforts to apply for the EU are been just rejected with new arguments. Besides, Armenian people from Turkey have already reacted, telling that the socialist proposal of law was not welcome at all. In France also, we try to react. Especially, the Turkish organisation ACORT has published a protestation against these political initiatives and said ACORT was wanting more than ever to promote an Armenian-Turkish dialogue in France amoung immigrants... Besides, French HCA (AEC) is preparing at that time a seminar with its partner Echanges&Partenariat from IPAM (our activist "family")... including a debate on those issues in November, together with Acort. That's all, folks! Take care ! Karine

International Network Against Cyber Hate

I've just come from Warsaw where "Never Again" Association in cooperation with INACH and OBWE organised a conference against hate in the net. The idea is very important and simple for everyone who doesn't accept violence, hate, racism, war, nationalism etc. (so that for us;)) I'm sure that most of you know INACH, if not, here is the web site below: www.inach.net ...and strictly about racism: www.nigdywiecej.prh.pl/english/index.php Best wishes, Jacek

ZARA CLEAN-POLITICS PETITION

I can say that it is extremely hard to schock me, but the political language in Austria was always quite schocking. Just in the moment you think that it can't get worse, you see the Freedom Party (FPOE) ads: Kein EU Beitritt der Tuerkei, Wien darf nicht Istanbul werden - meaning Vienna must not become Istanbul(varying a former FPOE slogan of Haider: "Wien darf nicht Chicago werden"), Deutsch statt "nix verstehn" (German instead of "don't understand"), Arbeit statt Zuwanderung (jobs instead of immigration), and other Islamophobia coloured ads and radio spots (Daham staat Islam, Sozialstaat staat Zuwanderung, Sichere Pensionen staat Asyl-Millionen, etc. - you can get the whole list and fill yourself with disgust on the website of H.C.Strache: http://www.hcstrache.at/index.php?style=7&PHPSESSID=b89006fb0e59c22afe58d8b0d8ba51db Now... ZARA (www.zara.or.at) was founded in 1999 and is fully committed to anti-racism work. Please position yourself and sign the Clean-politics-petition (KEINE STIMME FUER RASISMUS!): www.zara.or.at/cleanpolitics Thanks a lot! Irina P.S. Right partners for Jacek as well.

News from the Turkish-Armenian dialog in Lyon

Hi friends, We have some bad news from Lyon, where we had organised with Deputee-Mayor Sabiha Ahmine this Turkish-Armenian dialogue which was based on our network experience (the Yavas-Gamats seminars launched by HCA-Turkey and HCA-Armenia), just before our 2006 Sidu in Die. You remember how, in the very last days, Lyon social-democrat Mayor Gerard Collomb had cancelled the official city participation, caused political trouble to his communist deputee Sabiha Ahmine, and forced us to change the conference room the very day of the initiative, after two weeks of bad polemics (where HCA has been accused of negationnism of the Armenian Genocide ! Though people like Oran Pamiuk or Murat Belge are amoung the big figures of HCA Turkey and took many times risks to raise this topic in their country, and though the Yavas-Gamats seminar is a courageous place where such a topic is deeply discussed amoung young participants from both countries, etc. It was highly insulting!). Well, one week ago, social-democrat Mayor Gerard Collomb has taken back the "civic affairs" deputation which Sabiha Ahmine is in charge of, with other words : he has fired her from her responsibilities as deputee-mayor, what she is not any more. Mayor said he did that because of three "mistakes" by Sabiha, the second one being her Turkish-Armenian initiative with HCA ! (because, he says, it should have been organised with local immigration NGOs, and she did not tell him about the project, which is wrong of course, every one knew in Lyon since June, we even had this radio program interview with local Radio Armenie... and because also, Mayor said at the end, it was international politics, not local affairs...) The other two "mistakes" by Sabiha : another civic, in France very usual initiative about votation and immigration, and third, Sabiha's participation to a demonstration for peace in the Middle East, where some participants (not at all the ones Sabiha was demonstrating with) showed up with Hezbollah flags. Sabiha is incredibly sad and shocked, like many citizens and NGOs in Lyon, like we are in HCA France. Now we are reacting and sending letters and mobilising for her inside France, with others. We'll tell you more if there are more news on that topic. Take care, friends, yavas yavas, gamats, gamats, Karine

Europe without Nazism Action

May be it is a better partner for Jacek, but we also could do something to eliminate hate symbols from our cities propagandizing Nazi ideas. They also carry out a competition for best "peace symbol". There is a manifest agains nazism, facism and racizm on the site to sign