Category: Europe

Thousands have been detained in the eastern European country, where largely peaceful rallies to demand the resignation of longtime authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko – whose recent re-election to a sixth term opposition leaders believe was rigged – have prompted a heavy crackdown by security forces.  “We are extremely alarmed at the hundreds of allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in… Read More

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR,  also underlined the need  for regional agreement on safe disembarkation amid the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced search and rescue capacity. “The humanitarian imperative of saving lives should not be penalized or stigmatized, especially in the absence of dedicated state-led efforts,” they said in a joint statement. IOM and… Read More

Between 12,000 and 50,000 girls and women were raped by armed forces in the country from 1992 to 1995, according to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). One of those women, a Bosnian Croat identified only as S.H. to protect her privacy, was robbed and raped in the town of Prijedor, which was occupied at… Read More

Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki, UN Resident Coordinator, has expressed serious concern over allegations of torture and other ill treatment of people, including minors, who were detained after demonstrations connected to elections held on 9 August. “Torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are absolutely prohibited and can never be justified,” she said in a statement issued late last week. ‘Deeply troubling’… Read More

Following the announcement that authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko – who has ruled since 1994 – had a landslide victory in Sunday’s presidential election, largely peaceful protests erupted throughout country, prompting a heavy crackdown by the security forces. Later, women holding flowers dressed in white formed human chains throughout the capital of Minsk and other cities, protesting police brutality.  The UN… Read More

Instead, governments in Europe and elsewhere should increase search and rescue efforts, and combat human smuggling and trafficking rings – key drivers of such dangerous journeys, the Office of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) urged in a joint news release on Wednesday. Solutions can be found for those in need of protection through… Read More

Following the announcement by the authorities of the preliminary results from Sunday’s presidential election, immediately questioned by opposition parties, largely peaceful protests erupted throughout Belarus, prompting a heavy crackdown by the security forces. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, condemned the authorities’ violent response: “I remind the Belarusian authorities that the use of force during protests should always… Read More

Protests broke out overnight in the capital, Minsk, and other cities, ahead of preliminary results announced on Monday, which showed longtime President Alexander Lukashenko had won 80 per cent of the vote, thus securing a sixth term in office. Thousands were arrested in the protests, which continued for a second night, international media reported on Monday. Show maximum restraint Speaking… Read More

The first time I met Roma people in the Western Balkan region was in 1999, while I was working in Montenegro. I had just come out of a few hard years in South Sudan and Rwanda, and I was looking forward to coming closer to home. I was working for an NGO and spent my days in the Roma camp… Read More

Anne-Marie Deutschlander, the acting regional Director for Europe of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), appealed to the Polish authorities to facilitate access to asylum procedures. UNHCR urged Poland to give asylum-seekers access to territory and asylum. European Court of Human Rights decided that Poland’s denial of access to asylum procedure to several asylum-seekers had been a… Read More