Bulgarian Helsinski Bulgarian Helsinski CommitteeCommittee

Bulgarian Helsinki CommitteeBulgarian Helsinki Committee The The Bulgarian Helsinki CommitteeBulgarian Helsinki Committee was was

established on 14 July 1992 as an independent established on 14 July 1992 as an independent non-governmental organisation for the protection non-governmental organisation for the protection of human rights. In 1993 it became a member of of human rights. In 1993 it became a member of the the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, , which represents 46 independent human rights which represents 46 independent human rights organisations in Europe, the former Soviet Union, organisations in Europe, the former Soviet Union, and North America working together and North America working together internationally to insist on compliance with human internationally to insist on compliance with human rights standards.rights standards.

Bulgarian Helsinki CommitteeBulgarian Helsinki Committee The The objectivesobjectives of the committee are to of the committee are to

promote respect for the human rights of promote respect for the human rights of every individual, to stimulate legislative every individual, to stimulate legislative reform to bring Bulgarian legislation in line reform to bring Bulgarian legislation in line with international human rights standards, with international human rights standards, to trigger public debate on human rights to trigger public debate on human rights issues, to carry out advocacy for the issues, to carry out advocacy for the protection of human rights, and to protection of human rights, and to popularise and make widely available popularise and make widely available human rights instruments.human rights instruments.

Bulgarian Helsinki CommitteeBulgarian Helsinki Committee The backbone of the committee's The backbone of the committee's activitiesactivities is systematic is systematic

monitoring of the human rights situation in the country. It monitoring of the human rights situation in the country. It gives us information on the state and development of gives us information on the state and development of human rights in the country and supplies our legal defense human rights in the country and supplies our legal defense program with cases of human rights violations for litigation program with cases of human rights violations for litigation before the domestic and international courts. In addition, before the domestic and international courts. In addition, the committee reports on human rights violations with a the committee reports on human rights violations with a special emphasis on the rights of ethnic and religious special emphasis on the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, refugees and asylum-seekers, rights of the child, minorities, refugees and asylum-seekers, rights of the child, protection from torture and ill-treatment, freedom of protection from torture and ill-treatment, freedom of expression and association, problems of the criminal justice expression and association, problems of the criminal justice system. system.

Bulgarian Helsinki CommitteeBulgarian Helsinki Committee

The BHC offers The BHC offers free legal helpfree legal help to to the victims of human rights abuses. the victims of human rights abuses. The committee also works in the The committee also works in the sphere of human rights education, sphere of human rights education, organizes conferences, workshops, organizes conferences, workshops, public actions and other forms of public actions and other forms of public activities aimed at bringing public activities aimed at bringing the concept of human rights to the the concept of human rights to the attention of the general public.attention of the general public.

Activities Activities Below you will find information about Below you will find information about

the current activities of the Bulgarian the current activities of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. For a more Helsinki Committee. For a more detailed description of the activities in detailed description of the activities in the framework of the programs, and the framework of the programs, and for past activities, please see the for past activities, please see the annual activity reports.annual activity reports.

The main spheres of activities of the The main spheres of activities of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee are: Bulgarian Helsinki Committee are: monitoring the human rights situation monitoring the human rights situation in Bulgaria in several priority fields, in Bulgaria in several priority fields, pro bono legal assistance to victims of pro bono legal assistance to victims of human rights violations, raising public human rights violations, raising public awareness to human rights problems, awareness to human rights problems, and training in international human and training in international human rights standards and protection rights standards and protection mechanisms. The activities of the BHC mechanisms. The activities of the BHC are implemented in the framework of are implemented in the framework of four main programmes and one legal four main programmes and one legal protection project, carried out in protection project, carried out in partnership with MDACpartnership with MDAC::

Programme for Institutional Support of Programme for Institutional Support of the BHC the BHC

Legal Defence ProgrammeLegal Defence Programme Anti-discrimination ProgrammeAnti-discrimination Programme Project "AdvocAcy and Litigation on Project "AdvocAcy and Litigation on

Behalf of People with Mental Behalf of People with Mental Disabilities"Disabilities"

The project is carried out together with The project is carried out together with Mental Disability Advocacy Center, Mental Disability Advocacy Center, BudapestBudapest

Requests for legal aidRequests for legal aid Closed Institutions ProgrammeClosed Institutions Programme Refugees and Migrants Legal Refugees and Migrants Legal

Protection ProgrammeProtection Programme Programme for Protection of the Rights Programme for Protection of the Rights

of Children in Institutionsof Children in Institutions

ActivitiesActivities On 18.12.2008 in SOU ``Bacho Kiro``-Pavlikeni we had a meeting with the On 18.12.2008 in SOU ``Bacho Kiro``-Pavlikeni we had a meeting with the

chairman of The Bulgarian-Helsinki Community -Mr. Krasimir Kunev. Some chairman of The Bulgarian-Helsinki Community -Mr. Krasimir Kunev. Some students from 10th, 11th and 12th grade took part in the meeting. The students from 10th, 11th and 12th grade took part in the meeting. The meeting was one part of the activities done in the project ``Open mind for meeting was one part of the activities done in the project ``Open mind for active civil position`` for the programme Comenius. During the meeting active civil position`` for the programme Comenius. During the meeting Mr. Kunev told the students about the work of Bulgarian Helsinki Mr. Kunev told the students about the work of Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and spoke about different cases of violated human rights. He Committee and spoke about different cases of violated human rights. He explained how the organization which he represents defends people’s explained how the organization which he represents defends people’s rights which were broke in front of the European Judge in Strasburg. He rights which were broke in front of the European Judge in Strasburg. He spoke about all Bulgarian and International documents which talk about spoke about all Bulgarian and International documents which talk about freedom of thought, information and expression. In fact this is something freedom of thought, information and expression. In fact this is something which students and teachers from our school work on. The chairman of the which students and teachers from our school work on. The chairman of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, who is a lector of Philosophy at Sofia Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, who is a lector of Philosophy at Sofia University, shared how the students are educated on the problems of University, shared how the students are educated on the problems of human rights. At the end of the meeting the children understood that human rights. At the end of the meeting the children understood that personal rights and freedom go hand in hand with responsibility, and if personal rights and freedom go hand in hand with responsibility, and if they want their rights to be preserved they have to respect the people they want their rights to be preserved they have to respect the people around them and also to be tolerant of all people regardless of their sex, around them and also to be tolerant of all people regardless of their sex, race, ethnicity, religion and etc.race, ethnicity, religion and etc.

ActivitiesActivities