The Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Selected OSCE Participating States

The report provides an analysis of findings of ODIHR's assessment visits to the Czech Republic, Georgia, Italy, Mongolia and Montenegro, undertaken as part of the first country-specific assessment cycle focused on human rights defenders. The objective of this initiative was to examine the situation of defenders in selected OSCE participating States in the context of their legal and political obligations, as set out in OSCE commitments and other international standards, and as elaborated in the ODIHR Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. The report outlines a range of positive measures and mechanisms adopted by the five countries to protect human rights defenders, as well as challenges in this area that remain to be addressed. Based on findings, in the report ODIHR offers recommendations to 57 OSCE participating States on how to strengthen the protection of defenders.