A/HRC/23/51 - Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

Date
Type
19/02/2013
JAL
19/02/2013
AL
Case No
Country Mandate(s) Summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allegation transmitted Reply
BLR 1/2013
Belarus
GRC 1/2013
Greece
Belarus; Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression; Freedom
<strong>of</strong> peaceful assembly
and <strong>of</strong> association;
Human rights
defenders;
Adequate housing;
Alleged arrest <strong>of</strong>, and imposition <strong>of</strong> fines on three human rights defenders.
According to <strong>the</strong> information received, Messrs. Raman Yurhel, Viktar
Sazonau and Uladzimir Khilmanovich were made aware <strong>of</strong> charges brought
against <strong>the</strong>m under Article <strong>23</strong>.34 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Belarusian Administrative Code
(organizing or conducting a mass event or demonstration), on 19 December,
some days after <strong>the</strong>ir photographs appeared on <strong>the</strong> internet website <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
NGO Viasna, showing <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> town <strong>of</strong> Hrodna on 10 December 2012
with a portrait <strong>of</strong> Mr. Ales Bialiatski, imprisoned Belarusian Human Rights
defender, and booklets <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Universal Declaration <strong>of</strong> Human Rights. The
three cases, having been merged into one, were heard by <strong>the</strong> Leninski
District Court <strong>of</strong> Hrodna on 5 January 2013. It is reported that nei<strong>the</strong>r
witnesses nor any evidence was presented during <strong>the</strong> hearing with
accusations being based solely on police reports. The Presiding Judge
allegedly made no interventions during <strong>the</strong> hearing, only issuing <strong>the</strong> court
ruling at <strong>the</strong> end.
Alleged detrimental impact <strong>of</strong> recent austerity measures on <strong>the</strong> enjoyment <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> right to adequate housing in Greece, particularly by vulnerable groups,
such as homeless, migrants and <strong>the</strong> unemployed. According to information
received, <strong>the</strong> current economic crisis has led to a rising number <strong>of</strong> evictions,
which have allegedly been facilitated and accelerated by <strong>the</strong> amendment <strong>of</strong>
art. 15 <strong>of</strong> Law No. 4055/2012 (FEK<strong>51</strong>A/12-3-2012), dealing with eviction
proceedings.The Worker‘s Housing Organization (OEK), was closed in
February 2012 pursuant to Law No. 4046/2012 (FEK 28A/14-2-2012),
reportedly resulting in <strong>the</strong> permanent suspension <strong>of</strong> rent subsidies for nearly
120,000 households, as well as <strong>the</strong> suspension <strong>of</strong> affordable loans formerly
<strong>of</strong>fered by <strong>the</strong> institution and <strong>of</strong> construction projects. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore,
information received indicates that thousands <strong>of</strong> households have been
living without electricity due to <strong>the</strong>ir inability to pay for <strong>the</strong> rising electricity
prices and <strong>the</strong> recently introduced ―Urgent Special Charge on Electrified
Built Surfaces‖, imposed based on Law 4021/2011, adopted in 2011.
16/04/2013
A/<strong>HRC</strong>/<strong>23</strong>/<strong>51</strong>
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