TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD................................................................................................................... VII ALBANIA.......................................................................................................................... 1 Torture and ill-treatment.................................................................................................. 1 Investigation of complaints and trial proceedings against police officers.................................... 2 Conditions of detention continue to cause concern................................................................ 2 Violence against women and children, including trafficking for forced prostitution, begging and cheap labour .................................................................................................................. 3 Restrictions on freedom of the press................................................................................... 3 ARMENIA ......................................................................................................................... 4 Allegations of ill-treatment and excessive use of force........................................................... 4 Other assaults on activists............................................................................................ 5 Conscientious objection (update to AI Index: EUR 01/004/2002 and 01/002/2002) ................... 5 AUSTRIA.......................................................................................................................... 5 Allegations of police ill-treatment....................................................................................... 5 Death in custody (update to AI Index: EUR 01/001/2004).................................................. 5 Visit by the CPT.......................................................................................................... 6 Asylum procedures (update to AI Index: EUR 01/001/2004)................................................... 6 Extradition to Russia........................................................................................................ 6 Legal developments......................................................................................................... 7 Reform of the military and alternative civilian service for conscientious objectors ................... 7 AZERBAIJAN.................................................................................................................... 7 Fair trial concerns ........................................................................................................... 7 Amnesty for political prisoners (update to AI Index: EUR 01/004/2004 and EUR 01/007/2002)..... 8 BELARUS.......................................................................................................................... 8 International concern about human rights ........................................................................... 8 Death penalty (update to AI Index: EUR 01/001/2004).......................................................... 9 “Disappearances” (update to AI Index: EUR 01/001/2004 and EUR 49/012/2002)...................... 9 Prisoners of conscience.................................................................................................... 9 Human rights activists ....................................................................................................10 Violation of trade union rights (update to AI Index: EUR 01/001/2004) ...................................10 Press freedom...............................................................................................................10 BELGIUM........................................................................................................................ 11 Racism and xenophobia...................................................................................................11 European Commission against Racism and Intolerance publishes report on Belgium...............11 Continuing racist and xenophobic attacks (Update to AI Index: EUR 01/007/2002)................12 Deportation of foreigners.................................................................................................13 Confinement to Brussels airport transit zone...................................................................13 Independent commission re-evaluating methods used during forcible deportations of foreigners (Update to AI Index: EUR 01/001/2004)........................................................................13 BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA .................................................................................................. 14 General and political developments ...................................................................................14 War-time human rights violations .....................................................................................15 International prosecutions...........................................................................................15 Domestic prosecutions ................................................................................................16 Unresolved "disappearances" ...........................................................................................17 Right to return in safety and with dignity............................................................................17 AI Index: EUR 01/005/2004 Amnesty International II Europe and Central Asia Summary of Amnesty International’s Concerns in the Region, January - June 2004 Accountability of peacekeeping forces................................................................................18 Post 11 September human rights incidents .........................................................................18 Human trafficking ..........................................................................................................18 BULGARIA...................................................................................................................... 18 Social care homes for people with mental disabilities............................................................18 Reports of torture and ill-treatment...................................................................................19 The case of Girgina Toteva (update to AI Index: EUR 15/18/96).........................................20 Police ill-treatment of Roma.........................................................................................20 Other assaults on, and discrimination against, Roma........................................................21 Excessive use of firearms ............................................................................................21 Concluding observations of the UN Committee Against Torture...........................................22 CPT publishes two reports ...............................................................................................22 CROATIA........................................................................................................................ 23 General and political developments ...................................................................................23 UN Committee against Torture .........................................................................................23 War-time human rights violations .....................................................................................23 International prosecutions...........................................................................................23 Domestic prosecutions and compensation to victims of war-related human rights violations....24 Unresolved "disappearances" ...........................................................................................25 Right to return...............................................................................................................25 CYPRUS ......................................................................................................................... 25 EU accession .................................................................................................................25 Pre-trial detention..........................................................................................................25 Racism, discrimination and xenophobia..............................................................................26 Due diligence ................................................................................................................27 CZECH REPUBLIC............................................................................................................ 27 Racist violence ..............................................................................................................28 ECRI report...................................................................................................................28 UN CAT concluding recommendations ................................................................................29 FINLAND........................................................................................................................ 29 Prisoners of conscience: imprisonment of conscientious objector to military service...................29 Report of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture ...............................29 Deportation of foreign nationals....................................................................................30 FRANCE ........................................................................................................................