WASHINGTON —During the course of the Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), held in Belgrade, Serbia, from July 6-10, 2011, two resolutions introduced by Helsinki Commission Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04) and one by Co-Chairman Senator Ben Cardin (MD) were among the 26 resolutions adopted and incorporated in the session’s final declaration. Senator Cardin also fielded several amendments to various resolutions which were adopted, and he used the occasion of the meeting to comment on issues of importance in U.S. foreign policy. The schedule for the U.S. House of Representatives precluded Representative Smith from attending the Belgrade meeting, but both of his resolutions were well-received by the parliamentarians and were successfully managed on his behalf by the heads of the Lithuanian and Italian delegations. The first resolution dealt with combating labor trafficking in supply chains, urging governments to ensure that all goods they procure are free from raw materials and finished products produced by trafficked labor and to press corporations to verify that their supply chains are free of exploitation. Two amendments authored by Senator Cardin welcomed a recent OSCE meeting on the issue and urged diplomats to put it on the agenda for a meeting of foreign ministers later this year. “Few of us have ever come face-to-face with a trafficking victim,” noted Chairman Smith in welcoming the resolution’s passage, “but all of us come into contact with products that have been tainted in whole or in part by forced and bonded labor. We must be vigilant to ensure that we do not profit those who enslave others. This resolution, adopted without opposition, promotes accountability, both in government and the private sector.” The second Smith resolution focused on international parental child abductions and passed without amendment. Its core focus was to press OSCE states to become parties to the 1983 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and to implement its provisions. “The growing incidence of international parental child abduction must be recognized for the serious human rights abuse that it is,” Chairman Smith remarked as he welcomed the passage of the widely supported resolution which “puts the issue on the agenda of the OSCE and helps to strengthen efforts to protect our children.” Co-Chairman Cardin’s major initiative was a resolution on Mediterranean political transition, which directs the OSCE and its participating States to make their expertise in building democratic institutions available to Mediterranean Partner States: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. The Senator collaborated with the head of the Spanish delegation on numerous additional amendments to demonstrate the real priority this should be for the organization, and the initiative received wide praise among the approximately 300 delegates.   “We have all been inspired by the movements for freedom and change sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa,” Senator Cardin noted while introducing the resolution, “and we support the citizens of the countries in the region as they demand respect for their basic human rights, economic opportunity, and open and responsive government…the OSCE and our Parliamentary Assembly have substantial capacity to assist our Mediterranean  Partners…we also must condemn in the strongest terms the unbridled violence unleashed by the governments of Libya and Syria against their own citizens.” As Head of the U.S. delegation, which included fellow Helsinki Commissioner Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Senator Cardin also worked on several detailed issues, such as amending the final declaration to include welcoming the arrest in Serbia of at-large war crimes indictee Ratko Mladic and to discourage an investigation of trafficking in human organ from becoming a political rather than legal issue. He also successfully added language to the text urging Turkey to allow the reopening of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate’s Theological School of Halki without condition or further delay. During the course of debate, the Senator also suggested granting Mediterranean Partner countries a greater ability to participate in OSCE PA sessions, and highlighted U.S. policy on cyber security in light of OSCE work on this important issue.

WASHINGTON –Today, U.S. Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) made the following statement regarding the Russian Ministry of Justice’s Refusal to Register the Party of People’s Freedom: “The refusal of Russian authorities to register the People’s Freedom Party yesterday was an early and serious indication that December’s parliamentary elections may not be free and fair.  We’ve heard the recent rhetoric about the importance of authentic competition, but this decision appeared to contradict the government’s commitment to a real contest.  I welcome today’s reports that this decision may be reconsidered and urge the Government of Russia to recommit itself to the cause of freedom and democracy.  As a member of numerous prestigious international organizations, including the OSCE, Russia has freely undertaken binding obligations concerning elections.  These obligations do not begin and end on Election Day, but include a full range of issues from ensuring ballot access to a campaign environment where candidates and voters are free to exercise the fundamental freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.  Russian TV – the only media reaching the vast majority of potential voters – also must reflect more than the opinions of those in power.  Otherwise citizens are denied their rightful participation in the reality and future of their own country.”

WASHINGTON - The United States Helsinki Commission will hold a hearing to examine the demographic trends in OSCE participating States and the implications for the security, as well as the economic and social developments in the region. “2050: Implications of Demographic Trends in the OSCE Region” June 20, 2011 2:00 p.m.         Room 2247, Rayburn House Office Building The hearing will focus on the implications of current demographic trends in the expansive OSCE region through the prism of the security, economic and human dimensions.  Most of the OSCE’s 56 participating states are experiencing varying stages of demographic decline, marked by diminishing and rapidly aging populations. Such patterns will likely have significant social, economic and security consequences for countries throughout the region, including the United States.  Shrinking workforces in a growing number of participating States are expected to become increasingly dependent upon foreign workers in the coming decades.  Meanwhile, several OSCE countries are already witnessing dramatic changes in the pool of potential recruits for military service.  These and other factors could contribute to mounting social tensions as demonstrated by clashes in some participating States in recent years.   Witnesses Invited to Testify: Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Scholar in Political Economy, the American Enterprise Institute Jack A. Goldstone, Virginia E. and John T. Hazel, Jr. Professor; Director, Center for Global Policy, George Mason University Richard Jackson, Director and Senior Fellow, Global Aging Initiative, Center for Strategic and International Studies Steven W. Mosher, President, Population Research Institute

WASHINGTON ­—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) announced today they will hold a briefing next week: Briefing on Local Elections and Political Instability in Albania Wednesday, June 1, 2011 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. HVC-201 (Capitol Visitor Center) After nearly two years of political impasse resulting from the June 2009 parliamentary elections, Albania held local elections on May 8, 2011.  These elections were an opportunity to provide needed credibility to the electoral process and to end the political polarization that has slowed Albania’s democratic transition.  Unfortunately, these local elections may see the continuation of the impasse.  Albania is a NATO member and aspires for European Union membership as well. Scheduled to make presentations: Jonathan Stonestreet, Head of the Election Observation Mission to Albania of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Rob Benjamin, Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs Janusz Bugajski, Director, New European Democracies and Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair in Southeast European Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies

WASHINGTON —The Helsinki Commission leadership today welcomed the capture and arrest by Serbian authorities of Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb military leader charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia with genocide and other war crimes associated with the 1992-95 conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mladic has been at large since 1995.    “Having been to Srebrenica to meet with the mothers of many of those killed in that genocide, my thoughts and prayers are with them today,” said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Helsinki Commission. “Everyone who survived the atrocities perpetrated by Mladic’s forces in Bosnia – and especially those who lost family and friends as a result of the savagery he committed – has long awaited his capture and trial.”  “It is my sincere hope that they will feel that justice is being served as Mladic is finally held to account,” Smith said.  “I am enormously pleased to hear that Serbian authorities have arrested Ratko Mladic,” commented Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman.   “It has taken time and pressure to overcome the numerous hurdles that were placed in the way of his apprehension.  I take Serbian President Boris Tadic’s reminder that Goran Hadzic is still at-large and must be found as a clear expression of his commitment to put the Milosevic era completely behind Serbia, and he has my full support in that regard.  This is a good day for Serbia, Bosnia and all the countries of the region.”                The U.S. Helsinki Commission was at the forefront of the earliest international efforts to respond decisively to the Bosnian conflict from 1992-95, including calling for lifting the arms embargo on Bosnia and for the establishment of an international tribunal.  Through public hearings, correspondence, legislative efforts, bilateral meetings, country visits and gatherings of parliamentarians from across Europe, the Helsinki Commission has continually and consistently pressed all countries of the region to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), located in The Hague. In July 2007, Helsinki Commission Chairman Christopher H. Smith, who in 1995 chaired hearings specifically on the Srebrenica genocide and in 2005 authored H. Res. 199, which formally recognized the massacre at Srebrenica as a genocide, was awarded the “Srebrenica 1995 Prize” by the Mothers of Srebrenica in recognition of his contribution to the resistance against genocide in the world.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), today joined 14 other senators to introduce a bill that would freeze assets and block visas of individuals who commit gross human-rights violations against whistleblowers and activists in the Russian Federation.  Other co-sponsors of the bill include: Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Mark Begich (D-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tom Udall (D-NM), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Roger Wicker (R-MS). The Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2011 seeks to combat what has become a toxic atmosphere of impunity in Russia where despite occasional rhetoric from the Kremlin, the authorities have failed to follow through with meaningful action to stem rampant corruption or bring the perpetrators of numerous and high-profile crimes to justice. “While this bill bears Sergei Magnitsky’s name in honor of his sacrifice, the language addresses the overall issue of the erosion of the rule of law and human rights in Russia,” said Senator Cardin, who in April 2010 called for a visa ban on 60 Russian officials involved in the torture and death of Magnitsky. “It offers hope to those who suffer in silence, whose cases may be less known or not known at all.” Senator Cardin’s bill targets those involved in Sergei Magnitsky’s case and also targets individuals “responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of human rights.” The bill also seeks to protect individuals who expose illegal activity by officials of the Government of the Russian Federation as well as extend protection to those who advocate for freedom of expression, religion or other democratic principles. In introducing the bill, Senator Cardin said: “Private and even public expressions of concern are not a substitute for a real policy nor are they enough, it’s time for consequences. The bill I introduced today sends a strong message to those who are currently acting with impunity in Russia that there will be consequences for corruption should you wish to travel to and invest in the United States. Such actions will provide needed moral support for those in Russia doing the really heavy-lifting in fighting corruption and promoting the rule of law, but they will also protect our own interests – values or business related.” Key Points of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2011: Makes an alien ineligible for entry or admission to the United States when the Secretary of State in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury determines such alien to be: (1) an individual who was responsible for the detention, abuse, or death of Sergei Magnitsky or participated in efforts to conceal the legal liability of any person for the detention, abuse, or death of Sergei Magnitsky; (2) an individual who conspired to defraud the Russian Federation of taxes on corporate profits through fraudulent transactions and lawsuits against the Hermitage foreign investment company; (3) an individual who was responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of human rights committed against any persons seeking to expose illegal actions of officials of the Russian government or to obtain, exercise, defend, or promote internationally recognized human rights. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) instruct domestic financial institutions and agencies to take specified measures if the Secretary makes a money laundering determination relating to such conspiracy, and (2) freeze and prohibit U.S. property transactions of an individual who is prohibited from entering the United States or acts as an agent for such an individual. Requires a report to Congress not later than 180 days after enactment and annually thereafter. Please click here for Chairman Cardin's floor statement on the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2011. Please click here for a PDF of the bill. 

WASHINGTON – Representative Christopher H. Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), addressed a May 18 conference focused on combating human trafficking, "Building Bridges to Freedom," sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Other speakers at the conference included Martin Fowke, U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, and Eleanor Gaetan, of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. To read Chairman Smith's full remarks, click here. Smith is author of the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), and is the co-chairman of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus.

WASHINGTON -The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) announced today a staff briefing: Another Brick in the Wall: What do Dissidents Need Now from the Internet? Wednesday, May 18 2:00pm  Room 2218 Rayburn House Office Building The Arab Spring showcased the important role social media played in helping dissidents organize protests, but it also highlighted how these same platforms can be just as useful surveillance and detection tools by governments. At this briefing, experts will talk about the changes in technologies and social media platforms that enable dissidents to access information and to communicate; and discuss ways in which business practices, regulations and foreign policies can help or hurt activists in repressive countries.                 Panelists: Rebecca MacKinnon, New America Foundation and Global Voices Robert Guerra, Freedom House Kathleen Reen, Internews

WASHINGTON –Members of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) today called on Albanian authorities and all participants in the May 8 local elections to undertake every effort to ensure that the electoral process is carried out in accordance with Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) commitments and norms. “With just days to go until ballots are cast and counted, there needs to be maximum transparency regarding these elections and a demonstrated commitment by election officials to a free and fair electoral process,” said Commission Chairman Representative Chris Smith (NJ-04).  “Voters everywhere need to know their decision in the voting booth will be respected and counted, and in Albania particularly, voters deserve to know that after two decades of elections that fell short of democratic standards, this year will be different. This year must be a turning point where democratic principles prevail and people can have real confidence in the accuracy of election results.” Smith also expressed concern about reports of violent incidents that have marred the current campaign. “Having met good, talented people from several of the contending political parties in Albania, I know that many have positive ideas for the country’s future,” noted Representative Robert A. Aderholt (R-AL), a House Commissioner who has visited Albania several times in the past. “I hope these elections will be fair and reflect the will of the people so that those elected, whether in the majority or the minority, can work constructively at the local level.  Hopefully, these local elections will set a positive example for the next parliamentary elections in Albania.” Smith noted that, since many voters typically make their decision in the final days, this message is especially timely. “We call on Albanian election officials to ensure that votes will be properly counted.”

WASHINGTON –The American Jewish Committee (AJC) presented Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), with its 2011 Leadership Award for his work combating anti-Semitism and promotion of other humanitarian issues at its 2011 Global Forum on April 26, 2011. "For 30 years, Chris Smith has been our friend, ally and a tireless advocate for human rights," said Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs, who presented the award at the opening session of the AJC Global Forum. "As Co-Chair of the Helsinki Commission, Chris organized a hearing on Escalating Anti-Semitic Violence in Europe. It led to the first official conference on anti-Semitism ever mounted by an international governmental organization, the OSCE, in Vienna in 2003, and a year later a second conference in Berlin—this time with a declaration of fifty-five countries, acknowledging the problem and proposing steps to address it." Click here to read Rabbi Baker's presentation to Smith. “Whether it be strengthening support for Israel or Jews worldwide or confronting the Iranian threat or pushing reconciliation in Sudan, or opposing the hypocrisy of Syria’s all-too-serious bid to join the already discredited U.N. Human Rights Council, the American Jewish Committee has a record of unparalleled competence and accomplishment," said Smith. “So I am especially grateful to receive the AJC Congressional Award tonight from an organization that has made a huge, positive difference in the world.” Click here to read Chairman Smith’s remarks at the award ceremony. Smith is also a co-chair of the Congressional Anti-Semitism Task Force, chairman of the House Human Rights Subcommittee and an Executive Committee Member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

WASHINGTON –International efforts to fight anti-Semitism require greater action and unity, especially in light of the turmoil in the Middle East, said U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission). Smith made the remarks at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Prague meeting on “Confronting Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse.” He said investigations and prosecutions of crimes related to anti-Jewish bias were critical to addressing the problem. “Solidarity fatigue and indifference enables the purveyors of anti-Semitic hate,” said Smith, “Each of us must re-commit and redouble our efforts particularly in monitoring, reporting, and vigorous prosecution of anti-Semitic crime and enhanced protection of Jews and Jewish institutions. And we must seek ways to expand ownership of this issue by encouraging more people to get involved.” The event was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Proposals included improving the tracking of expressions of hate, focusing on confronting hate speech, and increasing tolerance education. Smith called for decisive steps to counter expressions of intolerance and hatred while preserving freedom of speech. “This week's high-level OSCE/ODIHR meeting in Prague on best practices to combat anti-Semitism, specifically as it relates to public discourse, was comprehensive, challenging, and timely—especially in light of turmoil in the Middle East which often corresponds with spikes in anti-Semitic hate,” Smith said. Smith is on the Steering Committee of the Interparliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism, and authored the provisions of the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 that created within the U.S. State Department the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. He is chairman of the House Human Rights Subcommittee, co-chairman of the Congressional Anti?Semitism Task Force, and an executive member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

WASHINGTON –Following oral arguments today in the first case ever heard by the European Court on Human Rights alleging coerced sterilization, U.S. Helsinki Commissioners urged the Slovak Government to acknowledge and condemn the past practice of sterilizing Romani women without informed consent.  Representative Christopher H. Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, observed, “This case puts a spotlight on a dark and shameful chapter of 20th century history. I urge the Slovak Government to finally acknowledge clearly and unequivocally that Romani women in Slovakia were, at one time, targeted for sterilization.  As a matter of justice for the victims and truth about the past – due to all the people of Slovakia – this practice should be condemned as a grave human rights violation.” Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (MD), Commission Co-Chairman, said, "I have personally urged both Czech and Slovak officials to condemn the communist policy of targeting Romani women for sterilization and to admit to the failure of post-communist Czechoslovakia to immediately and completely halt this despicable practice. I was heartened that, in November 2009, the Czech Government formally acknowledged and regretted this past abuse, but more should be done.  Slovakia should not wait for yet another judgment from Strasbourg before taking responsibility for past transgressions against Romani women.” Representative Alcee L. Hastings (FL-23), Ranking Member of the Commission, added that “improving respect for the rights of the Romani minority requires improving respect for Roma, and that should begin by owning up to past discrimination and abuse.”  The case, V.C. v. Slovakia, is being argued before the European Court on Human Rights on Tuesday, March 22, 2011.  The suit has been brought by a Romani woman from Slovakia who alleges that she was sterilized without informed consent in August 2000.   A second sterilization case, I.G., M.K., and R.H. v. Slovakia, has also been declared admissible by the court but oral arguments have not yet been scheduled in that case. A webcast of Tuesday's oral arguments will be available at www.echr.coe.int. Background In the 20th century, eugenics theories formed the basis of coerced sterilization practices in numerous countries.   Thirty-three states in the United States implemented such programs, which were all discontinued by the 1970s.  These programs generally targeted persons perceived as having a “hereditary deficiency” and, over time, some programs exhibited a racial bias in their implementation. In Europe, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland are among the countries that have investigated, reported on, and condemned past sterilization programs.  Based on eugenics theories, the Czechoslovak communist state targeted Romani women for sterilization. Although the sterilization policy ended with the fall of communism, the practice continued sporadically and without official sanction in both the Czech and Slovak Republics even after the end of communism. On December 13, 2006, Slovakia’s highest court ruled in favor of three Romani women who alleged they had been sterilized without informed consent.  The court held that a regional prosecutor had improperly closed his investigation into their claims and that the investigation had been so faulty that it violated both the Slovak Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. In Case of K.H. and Others v. Slovakia, decided in April 2009, the European Court on Human Rights found a violation of article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to a hearing regarding civil rights and obligations) and article 8 (right to family life) in a case in which Romani women had been denied access to their own medical records.  

WASHINGTON –U.S. Representative Christopher H. Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), chaired a hearing on the continued search for justice in Northern Ireland. During the hearing, entitled, "Northern Ireland: Why Justice in Individual Cases Matters," Smith heard testimony from victims of past violence who have called for independent investigations and justice for the murder of their family members.  “Today family members of people killed in Northern Ireland will tell us about their efforts to learn the truth about possible British government collusion or complicity in their loved one’s murder,” said Smith, who is also Chairman of the House Human Rights Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs, as he opened the hearing. “I join my voice with theirs to say: enough obfuscation and stonewalling. We must continue to press for the truth –wherever it leads – and continue to press until justice has been served and those responsible have been held to account.”  Families of those killed in the violence were among those to call for independent investigations and accountability for past abuses and collusion between security forces, the military and paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. The hearing also touched on implementation of key provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, including those relating to policing and the administration of justice in the region.  Testimony included statements by: John Finucane, son of Patrick Finucane, human rights lawyer murdered by loyalist paramilitaries; John Teggart, son of Daniel Teggart, victim of the 1971 Ballymurphy massacre; Ciarán McAirt, grandson of Kitty Irvine, McGurk’s Bar bombing victim; and Jane Winter, Director, British Irish Rights Watch. Raymond McCord, Sr., father of Raymond McCord, Jr., murdered by loyalist paramilitaries, submitted a statement for the record.  “Equivocating on the issue of truth and justice for past crimes will only embolden those elements responsible for them from the resulting impunity,” Smith said. “The time has come to focus truth’s light on the murky relationships and collusion that existed between the security forces and paramilitary organizations in Northern Ireland and hold those responsible to account. “We are all grateful to family members and others who have travelled from Ireland to be with us,” Smith said. “Their commitment to justice is moving and is a key factor building a brighter future for all of the people of Northern Ireland. The other factor, which we are here to work on, will be the British government’s willingness to deal more openly with the past.” Following the hearing, Smith met with Owen Paterson, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to convey concerns voiced at the hearing, including the need for credible, independent public inquiries into the Finucane case and others.  A complete record of the hearing, including witness statements, is available on the Commission’s website, www.csce.gov.

WASHINGTON –Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Audronius Ažubalis, will testify before the Helsinki Commission in his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).  The hearing takes place as Lithuania begins its year-long chairmanship of the 56-nation OSCE, based in Vienna, Austria, and best known for its work in promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law. “Lithuania’s Leadership of the OSCE” Wednesday, February 16, 2011 3:30 p.m. 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building The Lithuanian chairmanship faces numerous challenges, including leading the OSCE response to the ongoing crackdown against dissent in Belarus following December’s flawed presidential elections, the further deterioration of human rights in the Russian Federation and elsewhere, including limitations on freedom of assembly and freedom of the media.  Finding new ways to address protracted conflicts in the OSCE region will also be discussed.  In addition, the Minister is expected to address the OSCE’s response to developments in Egypt and Tunisia, countries that are OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation.  Since assuming the OSCE chairmanship, Minister Ažubalis has visited Russia, Ukraine and Moldova in addition to consultations in Brussels with senior EU officials.

WASHINGTON -- U.S Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), and Co-Chairman Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) today expressed concern about the increase in violence against protestors in Egypt and called on the political leaders in the country to ensure civil and human rights are protected.  “I remain deeply concerned with the current situation in Egypt and strongly urge all sides to avoid violent confrontation.  I call on the Egyptian government to respect the fundamental human rights of its people, including immediate reinstatement of Internet access, and to cease all attempts at censorship.  Only peaceful dialogue between all parties will result in a meaningful outcome that meets the needs of the Egyptian people,” said Chairman Cardin. Co-Chairman Hastings, the Organization for Security and Cooperation’s (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative for Mediterranean Affairs, said “As an active Mediterranean Partner for Cooperation in the OSCE, Egypt is well aware of the principles of free peaceful assembly and political pluralism at the core of the Helsinki Process.  I ask that the Egyptian government recall these principles and ensure safe, unfettered assembly for those who wish to exercise their right to free expression.  Violent suppression will only increase civil unrest.”

WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) and Co-Chairman Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) today condemned the bombing of Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, which resulted in at least 31 fatalities and numerous injured. “Our condolences go out to the victims of this horrific violence,” said Chairman Cardin.  “Today’s attack on the Domodedovo Airport is yet another reminder that we must stand together against the madness of terrorism.  While the international community has made great strides in detecting and combating terrorist threats, the killing of innocent civilians at an airport makes clear that this long-term and evolving security threat will continue to require intensified efforts among our global and regional partners.” “We oppose terrorism and add our condemnations to those of people around the world,” said Co-Chairman Hastings.  “The perpetrators of this attack must be swiftly brought to justice.  The people of Russia can count on our support in countering the scourge of terrorism.”

WASHINGTON – Leaders of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) today expressed deep concerns with a “campaign of repression” in Belarus that has gone unchecked since the December elections there. “The rapidly deteriorating situation in Belarus warrants a firm response from the United States, the European Union and others committed to the principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act,” said U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), who as Commission Chairman led a delegation to Belarus in 2009 that raised a wide range of human rights concerns and secured the release of a jailed U.S. citizen. “The campaign of repression in Minsk must be reversed, beginning with the immediate and unconditional release of imprisoned journalists and opposition activists.” The United States and the European Union are currently considering imposing stronger sanctions on Belarus in response to the continued repression seen in Minsk. “Last month President Lukashenka reaffirmed his commitment to core OSCE principles at the Astana Summit, but within weeks his regime launched a full frontal assault on free media and civil society,” said Co-Chairman Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), who personally knows some of those imprisoned in Belarus. “The time has come for Lukashenka to reign in the KGB and security services, release prisoners, cease raids against independent media and democratic activists and pursue meaningful engagement with the OSCE.” More than 700 people, including a majority of opposition presidential candidates, were arrested after a rally in Minsk following the Dec. 19 election.