On 17 February 2020, we arranged a visit of Kazakhstani human rights defenders, Bota Jardemalie and Dana Zhanay, to the European Parliament in order to attend an exchange of views with DCAS members on the situation of human rights in Kazakhstan prior to the 17th EU – Kazakhstan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (PCC) meeting in Nur-Sultan on 25-27 February. The roundtable discussion provided a rich exchange of views between the MEPs and members of civil society and NGOs.
Topics
- Arbitrary detention
- Mass detention
- Freedom of speech
- Civil liberties
- Freedom of assembly
- Freedom of association
- Freedom of religion
- Rule of law
- Torture
- Hate speech and hate crime
- Interpol
- Extradition
- Legal assistance
- Prisoners' rights
- Political prisoners
- Political refugees
- Internally displaced people
- Expulsions and entry bans
- Fair trial
- Political persecution
- Death penalty
- Punitive psychiatry
- Schengen Information System
- Lustration
- COVID-19 pandemic
- Rights of soldiers and veterans
- Humanitarian aid
- International law
- Magnitsky Act
- Sanctions
- Attacks on activists
- Selective justice
- Judiciary independence
- Persecution of lawyers
- Corruption
- Polish-Ukrainian relations
- Law enforcement and security services
- Enforced disappearances
- War crimes
- Financial exclusion
Countries
- Kazakhstan
- Ukraine
- Russia
- Poland
- Moldova
- Belarus
- Egypt
- Belgium
- Germany
- Italy
- USA
- Switzerland
- Czech Republic
- Spain
- Hungary
- France
- Netherlands
- Georgia
- Ireland
- Bulgaria
- Sweden
- Austria
- US
- Great Britain
- Armenia
- Finland
- Lithuania
- European Union
- Haiti
- Estonia
- Turkey
- Azerbaijan
- Kyrgyzstan
- China
- Australia
- Uzbekistan
- Guatemala
- Canada
- Palestine
Topic: Persecution of lawyers
ODF travels to Rome to relaunch the draft bill for an Italian Magnitsky Law
On February 6-7, 2020, a delegation of the Open Dialogue Foundation went on a two-days mission to Rome with the aim to relaunch the draft bill for an Italian Magnitsky Law, following a series of events in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate on the matter
Functioning of democratic institutions in Poland: ODF fights for a resolute PACE report
As is by now tradition for us, we were proud to be present during the 2020 Winter Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, held on 27-31 January 2020 in Strasbourg, France. Our delegation consisted of ODF President Lyudmyla Kozlovska, Kazakhstani activist from the ‘Qaharman’ human rights movement Dana Zhanay and Polish persecuted judge Dominik Czeszkiewicz from the Suwałki District Court.
Iskander Yerimbetov released from prison!
We have learned with great relief of the release of Kazakhstani political prisoner Iskander Yerimbetov.
ODF in the EP in Strasbourg: the Fall of Sandu’s Government in Moldova
On December 18-19, 2019, the Open Dialogue Foundation’s team, together with human rights defenders from Moldova, conducted very constructive meetings in the European Parliament in plenary session in Strasbourg. The delegation consisted of Ana Ursachi, attorney prosecuted for political reasons, Stefan Gligor, co-founder and Justice and Advocacy Program Director at the Center for Policies and Reforms, Stella Juntuan, activist and former member of the Moldovan parliament, Grigore Petrenco, political refugee in Germany and leader of the Red Bloc opposition party, and was led by our colleague Martin Mycielski, Public Affairs Director at ODF.
“Law and Justice’s Campaign against Polish Judiciary” – ODF’s hearing in the European Parliament
In light of the ongoing assault on the independence of the judiciary in Poland by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party – and especially the recently-exposed hate campaign against judges and prosecutors, orchestrated by the justice ministry itself – the Renew Europe group and the Open Dialogue Foundation have organised on December 12th, 2019, a European Parliament lunch debate with prosecutors and judges persecuted in Poland.
ODF welcomes persecuted Polish judges and prosecutors in Brussels
ODF is proud to have organised a high-level mission to Brussels of the most famous “disobedient” Polish judges & prosecutors – the leading victims of the systemic persecution & defamation of the independent judiciary in the country: judges Waldemar Żurek & Dariusz Mazur and prosecutors Krzysztof Parchimowicz & Ewa Wrzosek.
Polish media about the conference organised by the ODF in the EP with the participation of persecuted Polish judges
On Thursday, 12 December 2019, the European Parliament held a conference entitled „The Law and Justice Campaign against the Polish Judiciary”, organised by the Renew Europe group and the Open Dialogue Foundation. The event found reverberation in the Polish media, both pro-government and independent.
China’s Contribution to Human Rights Abuse in Kazakhstan: Event at the EP
Over the past years, China has increased its presence in Kazakhstan, thus making their economic and political relations more robust. Importantly, human rights and the survival of civil society are at stake, as Kazakhstani activists are afraid of the growing dependence onChina, a country which has been often perceived as a bearer of abuse and […]
Position of the Open Dialogue Foundation in the case of Judge Dariusz Mazur
With the utmost concern we learned about the decision of the President of the Kraków District Court, Dagmara Pawełczyk-Woicka, dated 14 November 2019, who refused Judge Dariusz Mazur to conduct training for attorneys and undertake any additional activities until the end of 2019.
Belgian Parliament interrogates Minister of Justice over the case of Bota Jardemalie
On 6 November 2019, Members of the Federal Parliament of Belgium’s asked questions to the Minister of Justice Koen Geens, during a Justice Committee hearing. Five parliamentarians asked questions regarding the controversial judicial cooperation between Belgium and Kazakhstan.
Unprecedented and unacceptable cooperation between Belgian authorities and Kazakhstan’s authoritarian regime
On October 1, 2019, at Kazakhstan’s mutual assistance request, Belgian police conducted a warrantless search (sic!) of Kazakh political refugee and lawyer, Botagoz Jardemalie’s apartment in Brussels. The officials seized numerous electronic devices and documents, which included privileged and confidential work relating to her advocacy as a human rights lawyer. One of the most worrying […]
ODF, CCL & FIDU at PACE: strengthening international human rights mechanisms
During the last PACE Autumn session (30-4 October), together with the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL) and the Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU) we had the pleasure to host: Oleg Sentsov, Ukrainian filmmaker recently released from Russian custody; Kazakhstani human rights defenders Bota Jar
Open Dialogue Foundation at the OSCE HDIM 2019
Between Monday 16 and Friday 27 September 2019, representatives of the Open Dialogue Foundation Xheni Dani, Joanna Cuper and Maksym Sytnikov participated in the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting held in Warsaw. Our representatives delivered several statements in which they raised is
Attacks on judges and independent prosecutors in Poland. An ODF event at the OSCE forum
Due to the intensification of attacks on judges and prosecutors belonging to the Association of Polish Independent Prosecutors, Lex Super Omnia, we held a discussion on their current situation on 26 September 2019.