Baku / 11.06.18 / Turan: The summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will be held in Strasbourg on June 25-29. On the second day of the session, the deputy of Luxembourg Yves Krusen will report to the deputies' court on violations of the rights of NGOs in Russia and Azerbaijan and a number of other countries.
Turan agency learned from sources in PACE, the writing of the report was initiated by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights.
"After analyzing the events in the period 2016-2018, the Committee expresses concern about the new legislative restrictions imposed on the activities of NGOs and the increasingly hostile climate to them in a number of Council of Europe member countries. In Azerbaijan and in the Russian Federation, the working conditions of NGOs continue to deteriorate as a result of the application of laws restricting their foreign financing.
The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights has taken stock of the developments which have occurred between 2016 and 2018 and is concerned about new legislative restrictions imposed on the activities of NGOs and by the increasingly hostile climate towards them. In Azerbaijan and in the Russian Federation, the working conditions of NGOs continue to deteriorate as a result of the implementation of laws restricting their foreign financing. In Hungary, a new law on the transparency of organisations receiving support from abroad came into force and the government proposed a ‟Stop Soros" package of laws aimed at restricting the activities of NGOs assisting migrants. In Romania and Ukraine, draft laws imposing additional financial reporting obligations on NGOs are currently before parliament.
The committee is particularly concerned about the situation in Turkey, where, following the introduction of the state of emergency, almost 1 600 associations and foundations have been closed down.
The Council of Europe member States are called upon to fully respect the right to freedom of association and to consult civil society on the relevant draft laws. The Council of Europe should establish a mechanism for receiving alerts on restrictions imposed on NGOs and strengthen its co-operation with them.
Recall that since 2014, the Azerbaijani authorities began a massive persecution of civil society, instituting criminal proceedings against 40 NGOs. Dozens of people were subjected to interrogation and pressure. Leaders of about 10 NGOs were arrested on charges of tax evasion and abuse. This criminal case has not yet been closed. -02D-
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