HUMAN RIGHTS Antoine Madelin of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) addresses participants of a meeting on the effective protection of human rights defenders, Warsaw, 11 June 2013. (OSCE/Shiv Sharma) MAIN ISSUES Death Penalty OSCE participating States have committed themselves to make information regarding the use of the death penalty publicly available and to keep the question of its abolition under consideration. Belarus and the United States are the only countries in the OSCE area that continue to impose the death penalty. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly In a number of participating States, authorities have demonstrated good practice in facilitating public assemblies, including in challenging circumstances that posed significant security concerns, such as those involving violent counter-demonstrators. In other cases, however, states have imposed undue restrictions on assemblies, including blanket bans. Some have also sought to introduce overly restrictive legislation, including amendments that would impose disproportionate penalties on organizers failing to comply with procedural requirements for assemblies. There continued to be reports of inappropriate police action, including dispersals of peaceful assemblies and excessive or unnecessary use of force. Spontaneous assemblies and those without identifiable organizers have posed regulatory challenges for some participating States, which continued to invoke failure to provide notification as a ground to restrict an assembly. Human Rights Defenders OSCE participating States have reiterated that civil society and free media play an important role in helping ensure full respect for human rights, and the right of individuals to know and act upon their rights has been part of the OSCE concept of security since its 42  /   ODIHR Annual Report 2013