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helsinki commission
Podcast: On the Precipice
The OSCE has been central to diplomatic efforts around Russia’s war against Ukraine. In this episode, Ambassador Michael Carpenter, U.S. Permanent Representative to the OSCE, discusses the ultimately unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to forestall Russia’s full-scale invasion; the role of the OSCE in ensuring accountability for war crimes and atrocities; and the need to ensure Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s defeat. "Helsinki on the Hill" is series of conversations hosted by the U.S. Helsinki Commission on human rights and comprehensive security in Europe and beyond. The Helsinki Commission, formally known as the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, promotes human rights, military security, and economic cooperation in 57 countries in Europe, Eurasia, and North America. Transcript | Episode 24 | On the Precipice
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helsinki commission
Podcast: Nobody Cheers for Goliath
The physical battle of tanks and bombs or territory gained and lost is only one terrible part of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s war against the people of Ukraine. The unprovoked war is also taking place in the media, on computer keyboards, and in the hearts and mind of people in Ukraine, in Russia, and worldwide. Just as Ukraine has won important battlefield successes in the face of what appeared to be an overwhelming Russian force, Ukraine has also waged a highly sophisticated public diplomacy campaign to counter what many thought was a Russian strength. Dr. Nicholas J. Cull, a pioneering scholar and educator in the field of public diplomacy and mass communication in foreign policy, joins "Helsinki on the Hill" to examine the fight over narratives around Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, how it shapes how different audiences understand the war, and the ultimate real-world impact of information warfare. "Helsinki on the Hill" is series of conversations hosted by the U.S. Helsinki Commission on human rights and comprehensive security in Europe and beyond. The Helsinki Commission, formally known as the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, promotes human rights, military security, and economic cooperation in 57 countries in Europe, Eurasia, and North America. Transcript | Episode 21 | Nobody Cheers for Goliath: How Ukraine Is Winning the Information War Against Russia
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helsinki commission
Justice at Home
Promoting human rights, good governance, and anti-corruption abroad can only be possible if the United States lives up to its values at home. By signing the Helsinki Final Act, the United States committed to respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, even under the most challenging circumstances. However, like other OSCE participating States, the United States sometimes struggles to foster racial and religious equity, counter hate and discrimination, defend fundamental freedoms, and hold those in positions of authority accountable for their actions. The Helsinki Commission works to ensure that U.S. practices align with the country’s international commitments and that the United States remains responsive to legitimate concerns raised in the OSCE context, including about the death penalty, use of force by law enforcement, racial and religious profiling, and other criminal justice practices; the conduct of elections; and the status and treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere.
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helsinki commission
Justice Overseas
Human rights within states are crucial to security among states. Prioritizing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, defending the principles of liberty, and encouraging tolerance within societies must be at the forefront of America's foreign policy agenda. Peace, security, and prosperity cannot be sustained if national governments repress their citizens, stifle their media, or imprison members of the political opposition. Authoritarian regimes become increasingly unstable as citizens chafe under the bonds of persecution and violence, and pose a danger not only to their citizens, but also to neighboring nations. The Helsinki Commission strives to ensure that the protection of human rights and defense of democratic values are central to U.S. foreign policy; that they are applied consistently in U.S. relations with other countries; that violations of Helsinki provisions are given full consideration in U.S. policymaking; and that the United States holds those who repress their citizens accountable for their actions. This includes battling corruption; protecting the fundamental freedoms of all people, especially those who historically have been persecuted and marginalized; promoting the sustainable management of resources; and balancing national security interests with respect for human rights to achieve long-term positive outcomes rather than short-term gains.
Title
The Long Arm of Injustice
In 2008, Igor and Irina Bitkov, along with their daughter Anastasia, fled Russia in fear for their lives. Having seen their successful company bankrupted in a textbook raider scheme, their daughter kidnapped and raped, and facing death threats, the Bitkovs took refuge and began a new life with new identities in Guatemala.
The family now finds itself separated, imprisoned in squalid Guatemalan jail cells, and facing nearly twenty years in prison for alleged paperwork irregularities normally punishable by a simple fine. There are grave reasons to question the role of the government of Russia and the UN’s International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) in their imprisonment.
“I am deeply concerned about grave injustices suffered by the Bitkov family—brutalized in Russia, now apparently re-victimized in Guatemala, where they languish in jail,” said Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who chaired the hearing. “Evidence indicating that the government of Russia may have enlisted the UN’s International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala to persecute this family is troubling and must be thoroughly scrutinized.”
The hearing sought answers to key questions: Did the Kremlin enlist CICIG in its vendetta to destroy the Bitkovs? Is this another example of the frightening reach of Putin’s government and its ability to co-opt institutions designed to further the rule of law, as it has Interpol and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties? Has the government of Russia corrupted a UN anti-corruption agency? What does this teach about the government of Russia, the UN, and the global fight against the scourge of corruption?
The Helsinki Commission examined the specifics of the Bitkov case, including Russian influence on CICIG and Guatemala’s Attorney General’s office, and reviewed policy options to protect U.S. taxpayer-supported institutions from abuse and undue pressure from authoritarian governments.
Selection of Additional Materials Submitted for the Record
- Response of William Browder to Questions for the Record Submitted by Rep. James McGovern
- Report: CICIG and the Rule of Law | Ligo ProPatria, Instituto de Servicios a La Nacion, Guatemala Immortal, ProReforma
- Sign-On Letter to the Helsinki Commission | Civil Society Representatives
- Letter to the Helsinki Commission | Ligo ProPatria, Instituto de Servicios a La Nacion, Guatemala Immortal, ProReforma
- Letter to the Helsinki Commission | Migration Groups
- Letter to President Maldonado of Guatemala | Bill Browder
- Letter to President Maldonado of Guatemala | Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker
- Invitation to Ivan Velasquez to Testify at Helsinki Commission Hearing
- Communication from Loreto Ferrer, CICIG
- Letter to the Helsinki Commission | VTB Bank
- Information from RENAP
- Cover Notes from Aron Lindblom,Diakonia Guatemala, Regarding:
- Letter to the Helsinki Commission | Indigenous Ancestral Authorities of Guatemala
- Letter to the Helsinki Commission | Christian Council of Guatemala
- Letter to the Helsinki Commission | Asociation de Mujeres Q'eqchi'es Nuevo Horizonte
- Letter to the Helsinki Commission | Comite de Unidad Campesina Guatemala
- Letter to the Helsinki Commission | Asociation Grupo Integral de Mujeres Sanjuaneras
- The Wall Street Journal: Kremlin Revenge in Guatemala (March 25, 2018)
- The Wall Street Journal: Russia’s Dubious Guatemala Story (April 15, 2018)
- The Wall Street Journal: A Crisis in Guatemala, Abetted by the U.N. (April 22, 2018)
- National Review: Microscopic Dots. Let's Look at Them. (April 25, 2018)
- National Review: Why Are They Doing This to the Bitkovs? (April 26, 2018)
- The Economist: A corruption spat in Russia endangers crime-fighters in Central America (April 28, 2018)
- Materials submitted by Victoria Sandoval, criminal and human rights attorney representing the Bitkov family
- Audio: CICIG supports VTB petitions
- Affidavit: Harold Augusto Flores confesses that he was threatened by CICIG
- Medical reports on Anastasia Bitkova issued by the National Forensic Science Institute
- BBC: Inside the 'world's most dangerous' hospital
- Ruling issued by the tribunal presided over by Judge Iris Yassmin Barrios