TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ..........................................................................................................................VI ALBANIA ............................................................................................................................... 1 The UN Human Rights Committee .......................................................................................... 1 Albania ratifies Protocol 12 of the ECHR .................................................................................. 1 Impunity ............................................................................................................................ 1 Allegations of custodial torture and ill-treatment ................................................................. 1 Alleged custodial ill-treatment of children ........................................................................... 2 Death in custody of Eriguert Ceka ...................................................................................... 2 Conditions of detention ......................................................................................................... 2 Violence against Women ....................................................................................................... 3 Trafficking of women and children for forced prostitution and cheap labour ............................. 3 Violence in the family ....................................................................................................... 3 ARMENIA .............................................................................................................................. 3 Conscientious objection (update to AI Index: EUR 01/004/2202, 01/002/2003 and 01/005/2004) . 3 Religious Freedom ............................................................................................................... 4 Police ill-treatment and conditions of detention ........................................................................ 4 AZERBAIJAN ......................................................................................................................... 4 Admissibility of torture evidence (update to AI Index: EUR 01/001/2004 and EUR 01/005/2004) .. 4 Judicial harassment of human rights defender (update to AI Index: EUR 01/001/2004) ................ 5 Police ill-treatment and conditions of detention ........................................................................ 6 Nagorno-Karabakh ............................................................................................................... 6 Death penalty (update to AI Index: EUR 01/003/2000) ........................................................ 6 Torture and unfair trial (update to AI Index: EUR 01/003/2000, 01/001/2001 and 01/003/2001) ..................................................................................................................................... 6 BELARUS ............................................................................................................................... 6 International concern about human rights (update to AI Index: EUR 01/005/2004) ..................... 6 “Disappearances” (update to AI Index: EUR 01/005/2004) ....................................................... 6 Freedom of Expression ......................................................................................................... 7 Trade Union Rights .............................................................................................................. 7 Prisoners of Conscience ........................................................................................................ 8 Mikhail Marinich............................................................................................................... 8 Aksana Novikava [update to AI Index: EUR 01/005/2004 and EUR 49/005/2004] ................... 8 Yury Bandazhevsky (update to AI Index: EUR 01/005/2004) ................................................ 8 BELGIUM ............................................................................................................................... 8 UN Human Rights Committee scrutinizes Belgium’s record ........................................................ 8 Deportation of foreigners ..................................................................................................... 10 Independent commission re-evaluating methods used during forcible deportations of foreigners (Update to AI Index: EUR 01/005/2004) ........................................................................... 10 Disciplinary proceedings relating to the death of Semira Adamu in 1998 (Update to AI Index:EUR 01/001/2004) ................................................................................................ 10 BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA ...................................................................................................... 11 General and political developments ....................................................................................... 11 War crimes and crimes against humanity ............................................................................... 11 International investigations and prosecutions ..................................................................... 11 Domestic investigations and prosecutions .......................................................................... 12 Unresolved 'disappearances' and Srebrenica commission ......................................................... 13 Right to return in safety and with dignity ............................................................................... 13 “War on terror”................................................................................................................... 14 Accountability of peacekeeping forces ................................................................................... 14 Human trafficking ............................................................................................................... 14 Committee for the Prevention of Torture ................................................................................ 14 BULGARIA ........................................................................................................................... 14 Social care homes for people with mental disabilities ............................................................... 15 Discrimination against Roma ................................................................................................ 15 Excessive use of firearms..................................................................................................... 16 CROATIA ............................................................................................................................. 16 AI Index: EUR 01/002/2005 Amnesty International September 2005 II Europe and Central Asia Summary of Amnesty International’s Concerns in the Region, July – December 2004 General and political developments ....................................................................................... 16 War crimes and crimes against humanity ............................................................................... 16 International prosecutions ............................................................................................... 17 Domestic prosecutions .................................................................................................... 17 Unresolved "disappearances" ............................................................................................... 18 Right to return ................................................................................................................... 18 Rights of the child ............................................................................................................... 18 CYPRUS ............................................................................................................................... 19 Discrimination against Roma ................................................................................................ 19 Detention of refugees .......................................................................................................... 19 Conscientious Objection ....................................................................................................... 19 Committee for Missing Persons ............................................................................................. 20 CZECH REPUBLIC ................................................................................................................ 20 Cage beds – a restraining method in violation of international human rights law ......................... 20 Allegations of illegal sterilization of Romani women ................................................................. 21 FRANCE ............................................................................................................................... 21 Acts of racist or religious violence ......................................................................................... 21 Ill-treatment by state agents................................................................................................ 22 Unaccompanied children in border areas ................................................................................ 23 Torture proceedings in court ................................................................................................ 23 Case updates