Our Collective Conscience •
rights defenders were attacked with stones,25 thrown down stairs,26 and
were the subject of other violent acts.27 Female human rights defenders
are particularly vulnerable to attack. One prominent female human rights
activist was beaten by four unknown assailants on the street, suffering serious
injuries.28 In some cases, doctors were afraid to open a medical file, which
hampered the ability of the human rights defenders in question to prove they
had been attacked.29 A leading trade unionist who had been involved in antiracist activities was attacked and seriously injured at his home in front of his
two daughters after receiving death threats from neo-Nazi groups for many
years.30 A youth centre involved in addressing racism, anti-Semitism, and
right-wing extremism was also attacked by an extreme-right group, which
demolished its entrance hall and left stickers of an extreme-right party.31
5.
Harassment and intimidation. There were a number of cases of harassment,
including announced and unannounced visits by government officials to
the offices of human rights NGOs.32 In several cases, their materials were
confiscated or stolen.33
25 Case of Ramazan Dyryldaev (Kyrgyzstan), IHF, “Kyrgyzstan: Pressure on Journalists Intensifying
While Political Unrest Grows - A Human Rights Defender Also Threatened”, press release, 11 April 2007.
26 Case of Women in Black (Serbia), Information received by the OSCE/ODIHR from the OSCE
Mission to Serbia (incident of 22 January 2007).
27 Case of Rakhmatullo Alibaev (Uzbekistan), UN SRSG, op. cit., note 15, para. 710; HRW, op.
cit., note 24; case of Edil Baisalov, IHF, “Kyrgyzstan: Attack on Civil Society Group Leader”, press
release, 14 April 2006; FIDH/OMCT, op. cit., note 19, p. 519. Case of Youth Initiative for Human
Rights (Serbia), Information received by the OSCE/ODIHR from the OSCE Mission to Serbia, incident
occurred on 24 January 2007.
28 Case of Elena Urlaeva, Front Line, “Prominent Uzbek human rights defender brutally attacked”,
press release, 9 January 2007, <http://www.protectionline.org/Elena-Urlaeva Agression.html?var_
recherche=urlaeva>; also see the cases of Shokhida Yuldashaeva, Lydia Volkobrun, Elena Urlaeva,
Mashurov Mansur, Mukhtarova Dilzora, Gavkhar Yuldasheva, Imamova Munozhaat, Bolbekova
Bukhvol, Kurbanova Saida, Togaeva Hurshida and Fazieva Gulnora (Uzbekistan), UN SRSG, op. cit.,
note 15, para. 713.
29 Case of Bakhtier Khamraev (Uzbekistan), UN SRSG, op. cit., note 15, para. 715; FIDH/OMCT,
op. cit., note 19, pp. 555-556; cf. the case of Ekaterina Sokerianskaya (Russian Federation), UN SRSG,
op. cit., note 15, para. 573; FIDH/OMCT, op. cit., note 19, p. 536.
30
Case of Alan McFadden (United Kingdom), Hate Crimes in the OSCE Region, op. cit., note 13.
31
Case of the Berlin Youth Centre JUP, ibid.
32 Case of the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center (Georgia), HRW, “World
Report 2007”, Georgia section, p. 392; case of Ucha Nanuashvalli (Georgia), UN SRSG, op. cit., note
15, para. 276.
33 Case of Multinational Georgia (Georgia), UN SRSG, op. cit., note 15, paras. 279, 282, 283;
FIDH/OMCT, op. cit., note 19, p. 513.
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