Working Group on Countering the Persecution of Civil Society Activists

Coordinator: Vadym Pyvovarov, Association of Ukrainian Human Rights Monitors on Law Enforcement (Association UMDPL), Ukraine.

The CSP Working Group on Countering the Persecution of Civil Society Activists was created in October 2020, with the aim to focus on monitoring the persecution of civil society activists in the OSCE region. Increasing amount of illegal actions take place against civic activists, human rights defenders and journalists in the post-Soviet space. Persecution has different forms: attacks, beating, arson cars, an incursion into apartments, investigation, threats, etc. It is necessary to work for ensuring security for activists, journalists and human rights defenders, to create social pressure for everyone who impinges on their safety and to provide effective tools to achieve their protection.

The main goal of the WG is to contribute to the perseption of security of human rights defenders, journalists and civil activists through increasing the level of their awarerness in typical life-threatening and health-threatening situations and consolidate knowledge of their basic rights. The WG aims to collect, analyze and provide comprehensive and up-to-date information about intimidation, assault and other human rights violations in OSCE regions, as well as develop and spread different useful tools and educational instruments for civic activists.