Human Rights House Voronezh can be closed down

Voronezh city district administration ceases rental agreement with the Human Rights House Voronezh, which would make the work of independent human rights organisations in Voronezh extremely difficult.

The Human Rights House Voronezh is located Cjurupy, 34, and formally the rent contract for the whole Human Rights House Voronezh is signed by two independent human rights organisations, the International Youth Human Rights Movement and the Confederation of Free Labour. They have received on 17 and 22 May 2013 the Department of Property and Estate Relations of the Voronezh City Administration the information that their leases were ceased and that they shall leave the premises. The official reason invoked in local media is that the building shall be used as a youth centre.

The Human Rights House Voronezh has been located in its actual premises for over the last 20 years and consists of several organisations working to ensure protection of the rights of citizens and the promotion of human rights. The activities of the participating organisations of the Human Rights House Voronezh are known both in the Russia Federation and abroad, confirming the crucial role of civil society organisations in promoting mutual understanding and trust between the State and civil society.

The new attempt to evict the Human Rights House Voronezh is now even more worrying, given the situation faced by independent human rights organisations in the Russian Federation. On 14 May 2013, three United Nations independent human rights experts expressed serious concern at the “obstructive, intimidating and stigmatizing effects” brought about by the new legislations on NGO’s and declared as unacceptable this increasingly hostile environment for NGOs.

In its letter to the administration of the City of Voronezh, the Human Rights House Foundation expressed its deep concern and urged the Voronezh city district administration to cancel the termination of the rental agreements and provide for a renewed period a rental agreement to the Human Rights House Voronezh.

You can download the letter of the Human Rights House Foundation to the administration of the City of Voronezh here.

humanrightshouse.org