Restrictions on travel • The head of a regional branch of a human rights group was prevented by authorities from travelling on two occasions to other towns where he was scheduled to meet with other defenders.72 • A defender was summoned to a police station after meeting with a representative of an international human rights NGO. When he was released from prison under amnesty on an earlier occasion, the prison administration told him that his passport had been lost. As a result, he was unable to travel within or outside the country.73 • The head of a regional branch of a human rights group was summoned to a police station, where the police chief told him that he should inform the police about his travels. He refused to co-operate, after which his passport was confiscated and his house was put under surveillance. Plain-clothed officers prevented him from attending his friend’s funeral.74 1.4. Freedom of association of human rights defenders Challenges and obstacles to the exercise of the freedom of association continued during the period under consideration and included denial of registration, deregistration, expulsion or threat of expulsion from premises, raids, attacks on offices, defamation campaigns, and abuse of charges. The following examples describe some of the circumstances and challenges affecting human rights defenders. Denial of registration • A well-known human rights NGO was refused registration despite a finding by the UN Human Rights Committee that such refusal constituted a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. One of the reasons cited for rejection was that 20 of the 69 founders of the NGO had convictions for administrative offences. The organization’s appeal was rejected.75 Deregistration • A human rights NGO was ordered by a district court to be removed from the official registry for failure to provide a report about its activities to the regional authorities. The NGO claims to have submitted the report in due time to the central authorities, where it had registered previously. The NGO could not attend the court hearing because the notification from the court was sent to the wrong address, as was the court’s decision, thus making it impossible for the NGO to lodge an appeal on time.76 72 Case of Mamir Azimov (Uzbekistan). Information provided by Human Rights Watch, 15 May 2008. Case of Ulugbek Kattabekov (Uzbekistan). Information provided by Human Rights Watch, 15 May 2008. 74 Case of Ahmadjon Madmarov (Uzbekistan). Information provided by Human Rights Watch, 15 May 2008. 75 Case of Human Rights Centre Viasna (Belarus), “Belarus: The authorities refuse to re-register the Human Rights Centre ‘Viasna’ in spite of UN Human Rights Committee’s decision”, Observatory FIDH/OMCT, 31 August 2007; Amnesty International, op. cit., note 56, p. 66. 76 Case of Youth Human Rights Movement (Russian Federation), “Russian Federation: Federal Law on NGOs has led to serious violations of freedom of association”, Observatory FIDH/OMCT, 23 August 2007. The government of the Russian Federation noted that the Federal Registration Service 73 19