LI Press Release,  June 27, 2013

Liberal International joined the discussions organised by the ALDE Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe on the recent attacks against NGOs in number of Eastern European countries.

Secretary General Emil Kirjas participatd in the public debate “Parliamentarians defend civil society: How to prevent inappropriate restrictions on NGO activities in Europe?”. The panel included Nils Muiznieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as representative of various NGOs, including: Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (Azerbaijan), Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies (Belarus), Human Rights NGO “Public Verdict” (Russia), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Coming Out (Russia). Anne Brasseur MP, ALDE-PACE leader and Mailis Reps MP, ALDE-PACE Bureau member, Rapporteur on “Strengthening the protection and role of human rights defenders in Council of Europe member states” offered the support of the liberals against the latest draconian legislations in number of countries across the continent.

Particular emphasis was given on how the Assembly and national parliaments could contribute to the establishment of favourable legal, political and economic conditions for the effective functioning of NGOs and civil society.

In a separate meeting with leading Human Rights NGOs from Russia at ALDE-PACE headquarters, LI SG Kirjas offered the support of liberals against draconian “Foreign Agenda” Russian law. It follows the dramatic event over the weekend that the prominent group “For Human Rights” was forcibly evicted from its offices in central Moscow. Campaigners, including liberal opposition figures from the LI full member Yabloko who went to the offices in a show of support, were manhandled and physically assaulted by officials.

While in Strasbourg, LI SG Kirjas joined ALDE-PACE meeting with Jordanian MPs who were on their mission to get support from the liberals for Partnership for Democracy between Jordan at Council of Europ