Tactics and tools for the protection
of Human Rights Defenders

2 December 2011

From 28 November through 30 November representatives of the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights, Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Initiative Group of Human Rights Defenders of Uzbekistan conducted a range of meetings with representatives from the European Union, European Commission and members of the European Parliament.

According to the agenda for the first day, a meeting with the European Union Special Representative for Central Asia, Pierre Morel, employee of the Central Asia Department, Rafael Fischer, and the responsible officer for cooperation with Turkmenistan, Axel Nickez and some others was organized. They were given an overview of the situation and the latest human right violations in the three countries of Central Asia.

On 29 November the European Parliament hosted the round table where a briefing paper “Central Asia: censorship and control of the internet and other new media” was presented.

On the same day selected meetings with members of the European Parliament, including Marietje Schaake, were held.

Human rights activists hope that these meetings will help the European agencies have a better understanding of the situation with regard to human rights in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and exert pressure on the authorities of these countries with a view to resolving the existing problems.

In particular the representatives from the European Commission are preparing a document prohibiting the sale of Uzbek textile in Europe. This is the response of democratic countries to the continuing use of child labour during cotton harvesting in Uzbekistan.

In addition, meetings with colleagues from organizations the human rights defenders have been collaborating with for many years, such as the International Crisis Group, FRIDE, OMCT, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Front Line were held.

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