Front Line releases Annual Report on human rights defenders

On 25 March 2011, Front Line launched its second Annual Report on Human Rights Defenders, which highlights global trends and developments in the situation of human rights defenders in 2010 and analyses the situation in each region of the world.

"In Belarus, the year ended with a severe crackdown on civil society after the presidential elections of 19 December, due to mass street protests against the announced results. Virtually all human rights organisations had their offices searched, equipment seized and members arrested and detained. State media launched a campaign portraying human rights organisations as affiliated with opposition political parties and as advancing Western interests. Human rights journalists were also targeted and their work restricted, and two were detained in the context of the criminal investigation into mass riots", says the Report.