July 10

On July 7, the NGO coalition of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Memorial Human Rights Center and Eurasia Democracy Initiative held a briefing on the

margins of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Belgrade, titled “Promises Broken: Torture and Other Assaults on Human Rights in OSCE Area.”

Headling the panel of speakers were Kimmo Kiljunen, OSCE PA Special Representative for Central Asia, who has recently chaired the International Independent
Commission for Inquiry into the interethnic violence which took place in southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010; Tony Lloyd, a member of the UK delegation and member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Transparency and Accountability in the OSCE; and Judita Popovic, Vice President of Serbia's National Assembly.

Links to the presentations:

Kimmo Kiljunen, OSCE PA's Envoy to Central Asia, former member of Finnish Parliament

Tony Lloyd, member of British Parliament, chairman of Labor Party Faction

Judita Popovic, Vice President of Serbia's National Assembly

Peter Zalmayev, Eurasia Democracy Initiative



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March 23

On March 23, AJC's David Harris presented Leadership Awards to a group of Russian-Jewish activists, including Peter Zalmayev, Director of EDI

 

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July 8, 2010 

Oslo, NORWAY

Together with Freedom House, Global Witness, and the
Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Eurasia Democracy Initiative held a briefing on the margins of the 19th Session OSCE Parliamentary Meeting in Oslo, Norway today, attracting interest from delegates of multiple OSCE member states. Consistent with the assembly's theme of 'Rule of Law: Combating Transnational Crime and Corruption,' representatives of these four NGOs called on the delegates to take concrete steps to fight rising corruption in the OSCE region precisely because it undermines democratic governance in multiple forms.

Eurasia Democracy Initiative’s Director Peter Zalmayev pointed out the irony of Kazakhstan – OSCE’s current chair and one of the region’s most corrupt countries - presiding over an international gathering dedicated to the issue of corruption. Kazakhstan has failed to move beyond mere rhetoric and make good on the promises it made in Madrid in 2007, as part of its campaign to secure chairmanship. Instead, the government has been busy bestowing upon President Nazarbayev the title of “Leader of Nation,” granting him and his family members lifetime immunity from prosecution and thus effectively putting him above the law. 

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and the US delegation to the Assembly, joined the NGOs at the event and lauded them for raising these issues. Together with Senator Cardin, the NGO representatives responded to questions from delegates and the media about the planned OSCE Summit, politically-motivated persecution in Kazakhstan, and legislation on the floor of the U.S. Senate to require energy companies to disclose payments made to foreign governments.

For joint NGO appeal to the OSCE PA, click here 

Links to the presentations:

Peter Zalmayev, Eurasia Democracy Initiative

Gunnar Ekeløve-Slydal, Norwegian Helsinki Committee

Sam Patten, Freedom House

Tom Mayne, Global Witness

Senator Benjamin Cardin, Helsinki Commission