HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE NETWORK Annual Report 2004 OSLO MOSCOW WARSAW SARAJEVO BERGEN LONDON ZAGREB NAIROBI KAMPALA MINSK BAKU ISTANBUL BOGOTA ” g ) ARD) gue or ogram EL n r “ oun ) o f Y or n s Rights h (SHR h s Union s ´ Violence c r YLU r e s Association A VHRC) ´ ( s Labor Rights (APWR) y (CLRPL) ´ otection of (A or Rational BAKU w f Society Society erbaijan (ISHR) erbaija omen a Pr otection Lea en Center f erbaijan Human Humanitaria z Human Rights Association f L velopment Pr velopment (W Resea W Pr A Against omen Az Az “ De – De W Rights Center (AHRC) International Society Citiz Human Rights Centre s ʼ s ʼ ture h A) or the oject omen ONET) or oject e omen T ender W CTV) omen W ALA W w Pr s (FID hang (LAP) (HAR) er (RLP) lic Def ork (UW ee La Greenwatc Exc wy oss-Cultural Pub Victims (A Uganda La Cr Legal Aid Pr Netw reatment of Rehabilitation and Human Rights Network Uganda (HURINET) KAMP Association - Uganda T African Center f Refug Federation of International y e s s r n er visor w and OBI e wy ome Violenc W ture or La t and h International or c T Releas a Human Rights Commission Legal Center NAIR omen La gains eople Against y Federation of a olitical Prisone olitical P W Center f P en Resear K Coalition on Coalition Child Rights Ad p e g a shi r r n tne r A a P or the or f v Sapega Emerging Houses VIASN yna yna Belarusia r PEN-Cente w Initiative Belarusian ork Foundation MINSK Le Association of Journalists La Supolnast Center Ska . Belarusian Langu Belarusian Human Rights Center Rights Human F 2 r oup A UL s T ʼ w Cente w a or f oatian omen GREB Cr B.a.B.e ANB W Human Rights oatian L oatian ZA r BOGO Helsinki Committee C Human Rights Gr IST ship le 19 tic Ar x on Censor English PEN LONDON Inde n g n n t t t a y c or e a m e j u ojec o r r H orpse P olf Rafto k h s s i t d h Forum r eace Corps) Committe Thor g (Norwegian AFS Norw AFS cultural Learnin cultural Foundation i u dish Cultural P ar and Childre and ar Freds r Idenity P Idenity Human Rights K R BERGEN Foundation f W ur Egil Rafto House The K Inte Norwegian Afghanista Norwegian a r o f vin O o eg omen) z W Renesansa Zene Zenama omen to Human Rights in Rights Human Serb Civil Council (W SARAJEV Helsinki Committee Committee Helsinki Bosnia and Her and Bosnia s or W orm oup oup e and Without gue f s Gr led oup hiatric s' Mother w Center w Helsinki ork Gr otection of Gr v Lea Disab ontier vement Foundation Psyc International Independent Non-violence Fr Right of Child Human Rights Human Dignity Netw Mother's Rights Right to Lif Mosco Mo the Pr Soldier Mosco or Prison Ref MOSCO Kisele f Association of Russia lished Houses The Human Rights House Netw s hool urist l J W n " or oland f Estab "POLIS in P ARSA Internationa Associatio olish-Tibetan Graduates of Human Rights P oung Journalists' oung olish Section of the of Section olish W Y P Helsinki Committee Helsinki Foundation Commission of of Commission Human Rights Sc Friendship Association t c e j o s d r P .E.N. Tibet eople g o l a i D dish P n Committee OSLO Committee Foundation e ur or Health an Health or f s Human Right Human K or the Rights of The Norwegian Norwegian f n Norwegian P Burma Committee a Norwegian Helsinki N The Norwegian Council ork Secretariat Netw Contents Introduction 4 Human Rights House Network Secretariat, Oslo 5 Activities 5 10-year Anniversary Conference 7 Statement from the Human Rights House Network: Human rights defenders need stronger international support and protection 12 Administration 14 Established Human Rights Houses 16 Oslo 16 Moscow 18 Warsaw 20 Sarajevo 22 Bergen 24 London 26 Emerging Human Rights Houses 28 Zagreb 28 Nairobi 30 Kampala 32 Minsk 34 Baku 36 Istanbul 38 Bogota 39 Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. 3 Introduction Human rights activists are under attack. In many countries mendations was to provide immediate protection to human it is becoming increasingly dangerous to defend the rights rights defenders in urgent situations, by granting temporary of others and to speak up against oppressive regimes and visas to human rights defenders at grave risk or facilitating political opponents. The work puts them in positions of asylum procedures and temporary admission programmes. great personal and professional risk, including risk to their colleagues, family members and friends. In many parts of The statement adopted at the conference is an important the world, there is an increased strategic tool for the future work use of the law, the courts and in the Human Rights House local public platforms as a ‘‘We want governments to adopt Network. means to deter human rights defenders from carrying out their transparent, comprehensive, and Since the beginning in 1994, the activities and to restrain their verifiable policies to protect human main aim of the Human Rights work. This development worries House Network has been to us, and we have a responsibil- rights defenders, both in their own improve the work for human ity as human rights activist to countries and abroad.’’ rights. Human Rights Houses address the problem. enhance co-operation and col- laboration among organisations Hence, the Human Rights and strengthen solidarity among House Network marked its 10th Anniversary in 2004 with them. They make organisations more visible and put an international conference entitled human rights on the agenda. Activists Under Attack – Defending the Right to be a Human Rights Defender. Our hope was that the conference But most of all, a Human Rights House increases the secu- would be a small contribution to putting the protection of rity of human rights defenders and activists and provides human rights defenders higher on the agenda. By gathering a base from where they can pursue their goals more effi- human rights defenders from all over the world, as well as ciently and at less risk. intellectuals, artists, politicians, researchers, and others who share a common goal of strengthening the work for One person in Norway has played a major role in the human rights, we wanted to manifest the right to be a Human Rights House project from the beginning. It was human rights defender and discuss how to protect the right his idea to establish the first Human Rights House in Oslo, to be a human rights defender. and it was his initiative to establish the Human Rights House Network. He has provided funding and let us use The conference adopted a statement, with recommenda- the house in Urtegata 50 free of charge until we had to tions to governments on how to support and protect move to larger offices in 2004, and he has invested time human rights activists. Experience has shown that the most and effort as a board member of the Human Rights House effective protection measures are those that have collec- Foundation. Therefore, we would like to thank Knut Kloster tive implications and are driven by political will. Durable jr for nurturing the Human Rights House idea and provid- solutions rest on the political will of stakeholders and ing the human rights community in Norway with generous competent authorities at all levels. The international com- support for more than a decade. munity and donor community must uphold high human rights standards in all human development efforts and use the level of national protection afforded to those defending human rights as some development indicators. We want B. Løvvig the governments to adopt transparent, comprehensive, Maria Dahle Bård and verifiable policies to protect human rights defenders, Executive Director hoto: both in their own countries and abroad. One of the recom- Human Rights House Foundation P 4 The Human Rights House Network Secretariat, Oslo Activities addition, the Human Rights House Foundation (HRH), has had discussions with human rights defenders from a Human Rights Houses number of countries in 2004, including Colombia and Iran. A Human Rights House is a collaborative project of NGOs working together to promote human rights at home and Network abroad. A Human Rights House is also a physical structure The Human Rights House Foundation (HRH) is located in that houses a community of member organizations. The Oslo, Norway, and is the Secretariat of the Human Rights purpose is to: House Network. The Human Rights House Network is a • Enhance cooperation and joint activities by bringing forum of co-operation between independent Human Rights human rights groups together in one location (such Houses and its independent organisations. The network’s activities include the provision of free legal aid to shared ambition is to promote, protect and enhance human victims of human rights abuses, human rights schools rights. This is done through and training. • Save costs by sharing facilities, such as conference • establishing more Human Rights Houses rooms and a human rights documentation center • sharing of knowledge and experience within and • Make the member organizations more visible and between these Houses accessible at both national and international levels • carrying out joint projects in and between the Houses • Improve security of human rights defenders • distributing information about human rights violations • Host meetings, seminars and other events.