Corruption

07/02/2019

No Right to Protection: Legal Status of Women from North Caucasus Seeking Asylum in Poland

Women in the North Caucasus face serious risks and often become victims of violence but cannot find legal protection either in or outside Russia.
23/01/2019

Ballot Selfies and Freedom of Expression: European Court of Human Rights Approach

The Legal Dialogue Grant Programme has made it possible for Russian lawyers Yana Zagorskaya and Artyom Lapov to attend a hearing at the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights. The Grand Chamber deliberated whether taking and sharing photographs of one’s ballot paper was acceptable and whether it could affect the electoral process.
12/12/2018

The Baikonur Cosmodrome: Are There Legal Ways to Address the Danger?

Dangerous incidents and the use of toxic fuel at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan have been a matter of concern for the local community and environmental activists for decades. Are there any legal instruments that could address these concerns?
28/11/2018

Galina Arapova: “You get the uncomfortable feeling of trying to break a wall with your head…”

We interviewed Galina Arapova, head of the Russian NGO Mass Media Defense Centre, about the fight for freedom of expression in Russia today.
31/10/2018

Freedom of speech in Lithuania: Is it really under attack?

The Government has taken several steps that pose a threat to the freedom of media in Lithuania. Even though the political leadership has not implemented all of their suggestions, the lack of respect to journalists and the public’s right to know raises many doubts about whether the pressure on the media will ever let up.
22/10/2018

Marine Plastic Pollution: Can Law Help?

While the prevention of waste pollution of the marine environment is ensured by several legal documents on international, regional and national levels, the effectiveness of such initiatives is still not clear.
09/10/2018

Yes You Can But No You Can’t: Will Russian Court Allow ICU Visitation?

A district court in Moscow turned down a complaint from a family refused access to a dying relative in a hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU). The Moscow City Court will consider the case on appeal before the end of this year.
21/09/2018

European Prison Litigation Network: “Any advances in the law and legislation can be undermined and must be constantly monitored.”

We interviewed the leaders of the European Prison Litigation Network (EPLN), a leading organization that advocates for prisoners’ rights in broader Europe: Hugues de Suremain, lawyer, EPLN’s co-founder and legal coordinator, and Julia Krikorian, its coordinator of the development.
04/09/2018

“We have seen children here who have never made a drawing in their lives”

Humanitarian crisis on the border in Brest: a perspective from Belarus
15/08/2018

“Violence is usually revealed only after the woman is murdered”

We interviewed two women lawyers who litigate domestic violence cases and defend other rights of women living in the North Caucasus.
08/08/2018

Defending the right to seek asylum: a perspective from Poland

A humanitarian crisis on the border between Belarus and Poland, caused by a sudden change in Poland’s migration policy, has been unfolding for two years and is still receiving very little attention from anyone other than human rights NGOs in both countries.
01/08/2018

Countries of the former Soviet Union as “Safe Countries of Origin” of asylum applicants

In EU humanitarian law, the concept of a "safe country of origin" is of utmost importance for understanding migration processes in Europe. Olga Gulina discusses why certain countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU) are recognized (or not recognized) as safe countries of origin. She outlines some of the changes in this sphere over recent years, and shares statistics of asylum applications lodged in EU member states by nationals of FSU countries.