Od oznámení stažení amerických vojsk z Afghánistánu v dubnu tohoto roku se Tálibánské síly v této zemi značně rozsáhly. V neděli 15. srpna 2021 tálibánští bojovníci dosáhli Kábulu, způsobili značný chaos a paniku, a přiměli zoufalé Afghánce k odchodu.

Talibán už dlouho záměrně útočí a likviduje občany, které považuje za své nepřátele. Afghánci nyní nutně potřebují evakuaci a mezinárodní ochranu, jelikož se mnozí z nich stali terčem Talibánu z důvodu své předešlé práce či statusu. Ti, kteří se v minulosti věnovali podpoře demokracie, lidských práv, akademiků, vzdělání či spisovatelů, a lidé pracující pro afghánskou vládu nebo jiné státy se nyní ocitají v nebezpečí.

Členské země NATO, včetně České republiky, se nyní potýkají s otázkou o pomoci Afgháncům, jenž spolupracovali s koaličními silami. Desítky Afghánců, zejména tlumočníci, kteří pomáhali české armádě ve svých misích, potřebují akutní pomoc a podporu.

Ve středu byla zveřejněna internetová petice s názvem ,,Zachraňte tlumočníky‘‘. Byla podepsána již několika veřejně známými osobnostmi, veterány a nevládními organizacemi, jejichž členem je i Český helsinský výbor (ČHV). Petice upozorňuje na několik afgánských občanů, v minulosti pracujících s českou armádou, kteří se nyní obrací k české vládě o pomoc sobě i svým rodinám.

Česká vláda již schválila plán evakuace afghánských pracovníků českého velvyslanectví v Kábulu. Český ministr zahraničních věcí Jakub Kulhánek dnes prohlásil, že bylo z Afghánistánu evakuováno dohromady 147 osob, čímž byla mise splněna.

ČHV tato opatření vítá a zároveň vyzývá vládu k ujištění, že jsou všichni tlumočníci a afghánští spolupracovníci české armády bezpečně evakuováni. Také naléháme na vládu, aby se přesvědčila o využití všech možných opatření k úspěšné integraci afghánských občanů do české společnosti. Vláda by měla také okamžitě přerušit veškeré deportace a nucené návraty do Afghánistánu.

Více informací k dispozici na:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/08/13/afghanistan-risk-civilians-need-evacuation-protection

https://english.radio.cz/ czech-government-plans-help-afghan-interpreters-pursued-taliban-8724388

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-rescue-staff-taliban-afghanistan/

Lucie Rybová, ředitelka Českého helsinského výboru

On the 4th of June 2021, the Czech lower house of Parliament approved a bill to compensate victims of forced sterilization. The bill offers compensation for women, predominantly Romani, who were forcibly or otherwise illegally sterilized in the Czech Republic and former Czechoslovakia. The cases first started to become publicly known about 15 years ago, and since then activists and, human rights organizations, including the Czech Helsinki Committee, were actively pushing for compensation.

Since 2005 Romani women have also been fighting for the Czech state to compensate them. However, all the previous efforts failed. This time, the lower house overwhelmingly approved the bill with 120 votes for and one vote against, while 29 Members of Parliament abstained. The Senate is expected to begin considering the bill next month. If approved, the victims would be able to apply for a one-off compensation payment of CZK 300 000 (around 12 000 euros).

The Czech Helsinki Committee welcomes this positive development – giving women a chance to finally get the justice they have been fighting for. However, while giving financial compensation to victims of forced sterilization is a significant development, we would also like to remind the Czech government of the importance of practical help. Particularly, the role of the institutions, such as the Ministry of Health, should not be underestimated in working closely with victims.

Lucie Rybová
Director of the Czech Helsinki Committee

On 16 April 2021, 10 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have been sentenced to prison for up to 18 months for taking part in two “unauthorized” protests in August 2019. Three of those sentenced, owner of a fiercely pro-democracy newspaper Jimmy Lai and former lawmakers Leung Kwok-hung and Au Nok-Hin are also facing prosecution under Hong Kong’s national security law.

The protests were part of a larger political movement that began peacefully against the so-called Extradition Bill that would have allowed suspects to be extradited from Hong Kong to mainland China. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets – defying the ban of the police and protest against China’s encroachment. On several occasions, peaceful protests turned into violent clashes, with police firing live bullets and protesters attacking officers with bricks and petrol bombs.

The Czech Helsinki Committee is very concerned with the Hong Kong court decision. Targeting of the most prominent dissidents and lawmakers for participating in two peaceful protests signals the government’s intention to prevent society from meaningful political participation. Under international law, participating in and organizing peaceful assemblies do not require prior permission by the state. Therefore, the jailing of opposition leaders is a clear violation of human rights. Mainly, violation of the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of assembly.

We call on Hong Kong authorities to stop the prosecution of opposition figures for the peaceful expression of their political views. Such actions are a direct attack on human rights and pose a serious threat to democracy. The government should not suppress nor impose restrictions on peaceful assemblies. We urge Hong Kong authorities to immediately drop charges and release all those targeted.

Links for more information:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/16/world/asia/hong-kong-martin-lee-jimmy-lai.html
• https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/03/hk-opposition-prosecutions-an-unprecedented-attack-on-human-rights/
• https://www.npr.org/2021/04/16/987959427/9-hong-kong-pro-democracy-activists-sentenced-for-2019-protests?t=1619094463301
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-56598942

Lucie Rybová
Director of the Czech Helsinki Committee

On the 4^th of June 2021, people in Hong Kong are marking the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. On this day, in 1989, the government of the People’s Republic of China brutally suppressed tens of thousands of individuals advocating to have a say in their government and exercise their fundamental freedoms. The Czech Helsinki Committee honors the sacrifices of those killed 32 years ago.

In Hong Kong, for the second straight year, the authorities banned the annual vigil to commemorate the massacre, citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic for the restrictions. Thousands of officers have been placed on standby to stop any gathering from happening. In addition to that, Chow Hang Tung – a vice chairwoman of the Hong Kong Alliance that organizes annual vigils for Beijing’s deadly crackdown victims – has been arrested. Police warned of more arrests, calling citizens to respect the law.

The Czech Helsinki Committee condemns the ban on Hong Kong’s annual vigil and the imprisonment of Ms. Chow. We call on authorities to immediately allow commemorations of the occasion in Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China and make sure people can realize their right to peaceful assembly. Furthermore, Ms. Chow Hang Tung, who was unlawfully arrested should be immediately released. We also call on the Chinese government to acknowledge and take responsibility for the massacre of an untold number of pro-democracy demonstrators in 1989.

Links:

• https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/06/03/china-account-tiananmen-massacre
• https://www.state.gov/on-the-32nd-anniversary-of-tiananmen-square/
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57353803
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57356140
• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/04/hong-kong-7000-police-ready-to-enforce-ban-on-tiananmen-anniversary-protests

The Czech Helsinki Committee