Europe and EurasiaSupporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2005 - 2006Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor "Freedom of association and peaceful demonstrations are considered fundamental human liberties, which have a huge significance for free flow of information, ideas and opinions in a democratic society." In Europe and Eurasia, 2005 brought positive developments toward building democratic societies with respect for human rights and the rule of law in some areas and disappointing trends in others. Perhaps most startling was the dramatic change of government in Kyrgyzstan following fraudulent elections in the spring. However, the spring also saw the Andijon massacre in neighboring Uzbekistan and the subsequent crackdown on witnesses, their families, and activists whom the Government tried to implicate in the events that led up to the crackdown. Another disappointing trend this year was the continuing erosion of democratic principles and human rights in other parts of Central Asia, as well as in Belarus and Russia. Nonetheless, independent media, free speech, and civil society flourished elsewhere in the region, such as in the Balkans and Ukraine. The United States maintained its vigorous support for democracy and human rights in the region in 2005 through various tools. It diplomatically engaged governments of the region bilaterally and in concert with democratic allies, as well as through multilateral forums. U.S. officials at the highest levels have regularly called on leaders throughout Europe and Eurasia to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of their citizens, govern democratically, and hold free and fair elections. The United States also employed a wide range of assistance tools, including training, technical and legal assistance, grants, and exchanges, as well as trial and election monitoring. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continued to play a vital role in promoting democracy and respect for human rights. The United States worked throughout 2005 to protect the OSCE’s core values enshrined in the Helsinki Accord and subsequent agreements and the autonomy of its democracy promotion activities, such as its election observation efforts. The United States continued its robust support for democratic institutions and processes in the region, including free and fair elections. This support was provided through diplomatic engagement bilaterally and multilaterally with international partners such as the OSCE and European Union, as well as nonpartisan assistance programs. These efforts focused on major elections in Albania, Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in 2005 and on promoting democratic elections scheduled for early 2006 in Belarus and Ukraine. High-level U.S. officials urged these governments to conduct elections that would meet OSCE standards. In all of these cases, U.S. diplomacy and assistance supported democratic electoral processes, not a particular candidate. U.S. assistance focused on promoting voter choice and education and on increasing the transparency of the electoral process. Assistance included support for election reform, monitoring media access and objective coverage, national candidate debates, voter education, domestic and international observation, exit polling, and nonpartisan political party training, with an emphasis on encouraging the participation of underrepresented groups, including women and youth, in the political process. In addition, the United States continued to provide vigorous diplomatic and programmatic support for democratic governance, including assistance to local governments and parliaments and support for transparency, accountability, decentralization, and anti-corruption efforts. Democracy is not just about elections that reflect the will of the people; it also entails a vibrant civil society. The United States has continued to urge governments in the region to respect the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly and to foster flourishing civil societies as the backbone of democracies. The past year has seen restrictions on civil society and harassment of NGOs in various parts of Eurasia. Many governments in the region and beyond misinterpreted the so-called "color revolutions" in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan—in which people spoke out against electoral fraud and corrupt regimes in favor of popularly elected governments—as the work of NGOs funded by and doing the bidding of foreign governments. In response, some governments—including Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus—imposed varying degrees of restrictions on NGOs, particularly on foreign funding, and on political opposition and dissent. U.S. assistance continued to strengthen democratic civil societies and to develop the capacity of NGOs for effective advocacy, governmental oversight, and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. U.S. assistance to NGOs is transparent and abides by the principles of the OSCE and international standards. The United States offered support and technical assistance to NGOs that work to protect human rights, develop freedom of expression and media, monitor elections, serve as watchdogs on government actions, and provide vital services to citizens and refugees. Another cornerstone of U.S. democracy and human rights promotion in the region remained support for robust independent media that offered diverse views and objective information for citizens. U.S.-funded programs have provided training and exchanges for journalists, assistance to independent print and broadcast media to build their capacity and sustainability, aid to improve the legal framework for media, legal aid for media outlets, and increased access to objective information through the Internet. Events in Kyrgyzstan in 2005 demonstrated the centrality of media freedom to aspiring democratic societies, particularly through the visible role that the U.S.-funded independent printing press played during the democratic breakthrough. In Moldova, the United States successfully used the results of a U.S.-funded independent media monitoring project to prompt the Government of Moldova to grant more equal media access and coverage in the run-up to the March 2005 parliamentary elections. Promotion of the rule of law and human rights, including religious freedom, remained a core element of U.S. efforts in the region. The United States continued to support human rights defenders and advocate for judicial reform and independence. The United States, bilaterally and through the OSCE, provided support and training to human rights activists and NGOs throughout the region, building organizational capacity and fostering advocacy for the rule of law. U.S. officials provided moral and material support to human rights and democracy defenders and, when permitted, attended their trials and visited many in prison. The United States also provided training to law enforcement and military personnel on protecting human rights, including freedom from torture. The United States continued to speak out against abuses, including individual cases of abuse, and urge protection of human rights and the rule of law wherever these are threatened, including with our allies in Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. The United States led international calls for an independent international investigation into the Andijon events. At the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, the United States supported and voted for the resolution introduced by the EU concerning the abuses in Uzbekistan, including those related to Andijon, and, in conjunction with the EU and several other countries, jointly introduced a successful resolution that condemned and called upon the Government of Turkmenistan to address severe human rights abuses. At the April 2005 UN Commission on Human Rights, the United States co-sponsored a successful resolution expressing concern about the Government of Belarus’ actions on a range of human rights issues. As the Secretary of State has repeatedly said, the United States does not compromise its promotion of democracy and human rights for security interests. Indeed, the United States maintains that stability, prosperity, and security hinge on robust democratic societies that respect human rights, the rule of law, and fundamental freedoms. First-Ever, Live, Nationwide Presidential Election Debates in Kyrgyzstan The sudden, dramatic ouster of former President Akayev prompted a new presidential election in July 2005. Emerging from the grip of authoritarianism, including restricted media freedom, presidential candidates were immediately faced with the challenges of developing and communicating their political platform to voters, while Kyrgyz citizens needed to familiarize themselves with candidates and key issues. The United States supported several projects to address these needs and to promote democratic elections. One of these projects included funding Internews to work with the Kyrgyz National Television and Radio Corporation (NTRK) to assist in the production and broadcast of Kyrgyzstan’s first live, nationwide election debates in the run-up to the July 2005 presidential election.
In preparation, experts surveyed over 800 Kyrgyz citizens nationwide to determine the optimal content, format, language, medium (radio versus television), and broadcast time for the debates. Over 50% said that the debates would help them make their decision on election day. Media experts from Kyrgyzstan and Russia trained journalists and producers on the methodology and practical aspects of producing pre-election political debates and talk shows for television and radio and oversaw technical, design, and content issues.
Starting in May 2005, Internews launched a multifaceted information campaign to explain the project to Kyrgyz officials, the candidates, and the public. To this end, Internews wrote letters to and met with high-level Kyrgyz officials and all candidates, published several articles and press releases about the debates, and distributed these to most Kyrgyz media outlets. Several articles about the debates were published in the local press and special edition newspapers and the debate schedule was included in voter information disseminated by partner organizations.
Four television debates took place between July 4 and July 8, 2005. The six official candidates paired off in three 90-minute debates, while four participated in a final 120-minute debate. Each debate had a general theme ranging from property rights, the March 2005 revolution, political reform, presidential elections, and civil society. During the live broadcasts, each candidate was allocated 25 minutes of speaking time in the three first debates and 12 minutes in the final one. Candidates and audience participants were free to ask questions in Russian or Kyrgyz. In addition, the debates included the following:
In addition to the television debates, Kyrgyz State Radio, following an Internews training program, prepared and broadcast a series of election-related programs. In short, the project improved the professional capacity of NTRK staff to produce and host debates. In addition, it offered fair and balanced new coverage, gave candidates prime media time to communicate their views to voters, provided voters with opportunities to pose questions directly to candidates, and helped voters make an informed choice on election day. Armenia The Armenian Government’s human rights record remained poor, although there were some improvements in a few areas. President Robert Kocharian’s broad executive powers remained relatively unchecked by a compliant parliament, a judiciary subject to political pressure and vulnerable to corruption, and a weak, fractious opposition. The 2003 presidential and parliamentary elections that extended Kocharian’s presidency and brought the country’s ruling coalition to power were both marred by serious voting irregularities, as was a November 2005 national referendum that led to the adoption of a package of constitutional amendments. At year’s end, it remained unclear how or to what extent the Government planned to implement the new amendments and other legal reforms required by the Council of Europe (CoE) under conditions of Armenia’s accession in January 2001. The few political rallies and public demonstrations in 2005 drew only nominal attendance. As a result, police activity was not a serious problem as in years past. Physical abuse and lengthy pretrial detention of some suspects and witnesses remained a problem, as did police and prosecutorial corruption. Prison conditions remained poor. There were some limits on freedom of the media, assembly and religion. Violence against women continued, as did trafficking in persons (TIP). The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy for Armenia focused on promoting democratic institutions and processes, independent media, freedom of assembly, a vibrant civil society, rule of law, human rights, freedom of religion, and anti-TIP measures. Armenia’s recently approved, five-year Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) is tied to its performance on these and other indicators related to good governance. The United States emphasized to Armenian authorities that continued eligibility for MCC funding remained contingent upon the Government’s progress toward ruling justly.
The Embassy convened a special Democracy Strategy Working Group in 2005 to determine how to best utilize U.S. resources in the run-up to parliamentary and presidential elections in 2007 and 2008. The United States inaugurated a three-year package of financial and technical elections assistance that focused on enhancing the capabilities of the Armenian election administration (including producing accurate voter lists, providing public information and voter education), developing a democratic political culture, building public opinion polling capacity, strengthening fair electoral adjudication, enhancing election monitoring capabilities, strengthening political parties, and increasing independent media coverage.
The United States consistently raised the importance of media freedom and responsibility with high-level officials, media directors, and journalists. To promote media freedom, the United States launched a new program in 2005 to develop professional media outlets, decrease heavy dependence on biased political sponsorship, and tune programming to public interest. Building on the successes of earlier efforts, the program supported training and technical assistance to help media outlets qualify for and repay loans funded by the United States. The program also established a television ratings system to provide critical information designed to help media outlets develop audience-based programming and increase advertising revenues. The U.S. International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) funded professional and ethics training for journalists and business training for media managers.
To provide free access to independent sources of information, U.S. programs installed a series of Internet Connectivity Centers (ICC), which connected Armenian citizens and schools to one another and the rest of the world. Through the ICCs, a nationwide network of schools and communities engaged in organized discussion forums, courses and other learning activities, which included curricula on principles of democracy, civic involvement, and community development. Two American Corners provided information about U.S. democratic institutions and facilitated cultural events, which included an ongoing series of guest lectures by U.S. officers and exchange program alumni. Lecture topics included: American Political Parties, Democratic Values, Religious Pluralism in the United States, and Civil Society and the State in America.
To promote a vibrant civil society, U.S. officials consistently encouraged the Government, independent and opposition political parties, and civil society to engage in constructive dialogue on good governance issues. With substantial U.S. funding, local NGOs pursued initiatives to promote human rights, media freedom, democratic development, and civil society. This strengthening of civil society produced concrete results. A government-proposed draft law on lobbying introduced in 2005 threatened to curtail significantly the ability of Armenian NGOs to advocate a range of issues until effective lobbying by local and international NGOs -- many of which the United States supported -- prodded parliament to table the bill. U.S. grants supported the creation of municipal councils to encourage citizen participation in government.
U.S. officials urged the Government to respect freedom of assembly and closely monitored the few demonstrations and rallies that took place during the year.
To promote the rule of law and a democratic system of checks and balances, the United States worked with others in the international community to support CoE efforts to help Armenia arrive at a package of constitutional amendments consistent with international standards. The United States provided technical legislative expertise and funds for public awareness campaigns. The Association of Judges of Armenia (AJRA) unanimously approved the constitutional amendments and adopted a new Code of Ethics, which was drafted with U.S. assistance. U.S. programs also helped create a new Chamber of Advocates, which began work in 2005 to establish a Code of Ethics for Armenian attorneys. These reforms did not significantly alter the Armenian legal and judicial environment in the short-term, but provided a good foundation on which Armenian judges and lawyers may build an independent judiciary. To promote the rule of law, the United States also helped train judges, lawyers, and prosecutors. Every U.S. assistance program included anti-corruption components in 2005 in order to fight a persistent culture of corruption.
To promote respect for human rights, U.S. programs provided technical and financial support to link Armenian human rights NGOs with counterpart NGOs in Armenia and throughout the South Caucasus. Armenian human rights NGOs used the contacts to share and develop best practices, initiate cooperative regional training programs, and promote human rights for women, children, minorities, and prisoners. U.S. grants supported public information campaigns to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
The Ambassador and other U.S. officials frequently discussed religious freedom issues with the Government and religious leaders as part of the overall policy to promote human rights. The Embassy maintained close contact with the Catholicos at Etchmiadzin (the head of Armenia’s national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church), with leaders of other religious and ecumenical groups in the country, and with traveling regional representatives of foreign-based religious groups such as the Church of Latter-Day Saints and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and raised their concerns with the Government. The Embassy closely monitored trials related to religious freedom and took an active role in policy forums and NGO roundtables regarding religious freedom. In meetings with government officials, the Embassy consistently raised the importance of alternatives to military service for Jehovah’s Witnesses who are conscientious objectors. The Embassy hosted several roundtable meetings and receptions in honor of U.S. representatives of religious organizations and invited leaders of local minority religious groups to these events.
Combating TIP in Armenia remains a top priority. While the United States downgraded Armenia to Tier 2’s "Watch List," U.S. programs produced concrete results. The United States funded a victims’ assistance program that provided safe haven and medical, social and legal services, facilitated the repatriation of six victims of TIP, and funded a victim hotline. U.S.-funded programs produced nation-wide public awareness campaigns and trained advocates of victims of TIP. U.S. programs also supported anti-TIP training seminars for orphanage staff and children and funded the establishment of a public information website on TIP.
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan’s human rights record remained poor. While there were some improvements in the period leading up to the November 6 parliamentary elections, the elections failed to meet a number of international standards. The Government partly restored freedom of assembly in the months leading up to the election. However, members of the security forces used excessive force to disperse unauthorized rallies as well as one authorized post-election rally, beating opposition party members and some journalists covering the events. The Government routinely detained opposition party members for several days often on spurious grounds. There were credible reports that security forces beat and tortured detainees. Human rights monitors reported that alleged abuse and mistreatment contributed to four prison deaths. Prison conditions continued to be harsh and life-threatening, and pretrial detention remained lengthy. The judiciary was corrupt, inefficient and dominated by the executive branch. Freedom of speech and of the press were at times subject to attack, as journalists continued to face disproportionately high libel judgments for slander committed against government officials, although the number of these suits declined. There was vigorous public debate of the Government’s policies in the press. The Government restricted some religious freedoms of Muslims and Christians, citing its right to protect society from radical Islam and social instability. The Government adopted legislation to combat corruption and trafficking in persons (TIP), but has only begun implementation and has not yet undertaken vigorous investigation and prosecution. The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy for Azerbaijan focused on promoting democratic parliamentary elections, a transparent and accountable government, a free and responsible media, freedom of assembly and association, a vibrant civil society, rule of law, human rights, religious freedom, and anti-TIP measures.
To promote a democratic electoral process, U.S. officials regularly met with representatives of political parties, a range of human rights and democracy activists and government officials. The Under Secretary for Global Affairs and Democracy, the Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, and several Members of Congress traveled to Azerbaijan in 2005 to reinforce U.S. support for democracy and human rights, and their application in democratic parliamentary elections.
The United States intensified its efforts to encourage democratic reform through sustained high-level government intervention, public diplomacy outreach, and training programs. The Ambassador and visiting senior U.S. officials regularly engaged Azerbaijani officials in dialogue on the need to conduct elections consistent with international standards. The United States repeatedly raised specific concerns with Azerbaijani officials, including the need to deter fraud and other interference in the electoral process, prosecute cases of such interference, and permit domestic nonpartisan organizations to monitor the elections. The Ambassador co-led the "Friends of Azerbaijan" diplomatic group, which regularly engaged the Government on democratic reform. The United States encouraged Azerbaijan to meet its OSCE commitments.
The Ambassador called for democratic elections through the media over 50 times during the year. U.S. programs trained 1,200 political candidates on the basics of campaigning, 1,000 local election officials on the mechanics of carrying out a democratic election process, and 500 judges and lawyers on fair adjudication of the election code. A U.S.-sponsored exit poll provided an independent estimate of the results in half of the races, helped to corroborate credible allegations of fraud, and contributed to public debate on such fraud.
The United States funded numerous campaigns encouraging citizens to vote, which were tailored to target various voter groups. As part of an effort to encourage political dialogue and issue-based parliamentary elections, the United States supported the organization and broadcast of debates between parliamentary candidates in the regions. U.S. programs funded the translation and publication of American books on democracy in an effort to strengthen public knowledge of democratic principles and values. The U.S. contributed observers to the OSCE international election observation mission. The Embassy separately fielded 35 observer teams to monitor the elections. U.S. programs funded and trained 2,000 domestic election observers. When serious irregularities marred the vote counting and tabulation of results, senior U.S. officials raised concerns with the authorities and the United States issued a statement calling for corrective action. Before and after the elections, the United States urged the Central Election Commission to forward complaints of election code violations to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
U.S. officials repeatedly urged the Government to respect media freedom. The United States advocated the launch of the country’s first public television channel, which went on air in August 2005, and supported its nascent programming. The United States assisted with the organization of a regional television network to improve the financial solvency of local stations and promote free media. U.S. funding supported the professional development of journalists and advocacy for media rights. U.S.-supported programs provided extensive ongoing technical and programming assistance to several television stations and newspapers. A U.S. program funded training for three TV journalists who went to the United States to study best practices and coverage of democratic processes. Through the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), the United States trained government spokespersons on how to develop and maintain positive relationships with the media. To promote freedom of expression, the United States sponsored a high school debate society network to encourage young people to voice their opinions.
In the aftermath of the murder of prominent independent journalist Elmar Huseynov, U.S. officials encouraged the Government to conduct a fair and impartial investigation into his death and provided technical law enforcement assistance to facilitate the investigation.
The United States continued to support the development of civil society in Azerbaijan by using technical assistance, grants, and IVLPs to support the activities of local NGOs, encourage dialogue between the Government and civil society, and educate the Government about democratic practices in the United States. U.S. grants helped NGOs develop community networks to strengthen participatory government on a national and local level. The United States funded human rights training for eight Azerbaijanis representing different parts of society on how American law and society address freedom of the press and religion, as well as child labor, women’s and refugee’s issues. U.S. funding supported the establishment of regional information centers that provided independent information. U.S.-funded projects supported the active participation of women in civil society and empowered women to engage local governments in cooperative problem-solving.
U.S. officials repeatedly urged Azerbaijani officials to authorize peaceful demonstrations by opposition parties, which contributed to the Government’s partial restoration of freedom of assembly in June. U.S. officials monitored police conduct at political rallies, and the Embassy publicly condemned the excessive use of force against demonstrators. The United States voiced its concerns to all levels of the Government regarding the international right of political parties to organize and demonstrate peacefully against government policies.
U.S. officials promoted respect for the rule of law and the United States funded a variety of rule of law programs. U.S. officials advocated respect for the rule of law during government investigations of individuals accused of fomenting a coup. U.S.-funded programs worked to strengthen the professional development of judges and lawyers, and to assist them in developing codes of ethics, reconstituting the bar association and the administration of a bar exam, expanding programs for law students, helping women to gain better access to justice, and conducting a legal literacy program for the general public. The United States continued to work with law schools on curriculum development and new teaching methodologies. U.S. funding and expertise helped to establish a legal database project, which provided easy access and use of legal framework documents for the legal profession and the general populace. This database will expand the resources available to promote rule of law.
The United States funded programs to increase the professionalism and skills of the judiciary, procuracy, and the defense bar to improve legislation and to implement new anti-corruption legislation. The United States continued to work with the Government and private lawyers to implement the Law on Advocates and to develop an independent bar association. U.S.-funded programs provided training and material to judges, prosecutors, and attorneys on the European Convention on Human Rights, fair trials, and international standards for pretrial detention procedures. A U.S. program provided technical assistance to investigators and prosecutors to encourage evidence-based investigations, which could help decrease forced confessions. The United States sent two judges and one member of the Azerbaijani Young Lawyers Association to the United States to strengthen their skills and understanding of how free, open-market societies combat corruption and promote the rule of law.
U.S. officials repeatedly urged the Government to ensure that police complied with human rights standards and to hold police officials accountable for torture, abuse, or misconduct, and routinely visited detainees during the pre-election period. U.S.-funded training courses focused on the obligation of the police to uphold international human rights by respecting freedom of speech and assembly. The United States funded NGO prison monitoring and U.S. officials visited prisons to focus attention on poor conditions. Several U.S.-funded projects supported the protection of women’s rights. The United States funded the reprinting and distribution of the Azerbaijani Human Rights Self Study Manual "Thirty-three Steps Up" to strengthen awareness of the existence and importance of human rights. U.S. grants supported the education of children on basic human rights in an effort to create an early childhood awareness.
The United States continued to support a program, which it helped design, to integrate human rights into training for security forces guarding the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.
The United States actively encouraged respect for religious freedom, including the right to practice religion without unnecessary interference or restriction. U.S. officials frequently stressed the importance of respecting religious freedom to government officials. The Embassy and officials in Washington maintained close connections with local religious communities. A U.S. project funded high school debates on the role and importance of religious tolerance in society. The Embassy actively spread the message about religious tolerance and Islam in America throughout the year. The Ambassador and a senior Embassy official each hosted Iftaar dinners in November.
The United States promoted anti-TIP measures and effective preventive mechanisms in meetings with government officials and through programs that included a TIP awareness campaign conducted by NGOs and technical assistance in implementing new anti-TIP legislation. The United States funded two experts to help government officials develop the policies and procedures for a police anti-TIP unit. The United States provided drafting expertise and coordinated an international review of draft anti-TIP legislation to ensure the June legislation, and corresponding criminal code amendments adopted in October, met international standards.
Belarus Under its constitution, Belarus is a republic with a directly elected president and a bicameral parliament. President Aleksandr Lukashenko, first elected in 1994, has waged a systematic assault on critical elements of democracy: political parties, the independent media, and civil society. Through a series of flawed referenda, manipulated and fraudulent elections, and repressive laws and regulations, President Lukashenko has concentrated power in his hands, extended presidential tenure, and eliminated presidential term limits. The Parliament, chosen through a flawed election process, routinely approved presidential initiatives. The judiciary was not independent. The Government’s human rights record remained poor and worsened in some areas. Pro-democracy activists, including opposition politicians, independent trade union leaders, and newspaper editors, were detained, fined, and imprisoned for criticizing the Government. In June, the Government passed a law that made it easier to suspend or close political parties. At the time the law was passed, the Justice Ministry was in the process of closing approximately 80% of the opposition political party offices on a variety of pretexts. The Government increasingly used tax inspections and new registration requirements to complicate or deny the ability of NGOs, independent media, political parties, and minority and religious organizations to operate legally. It overtly interfered in the election of a new leadership of the NGO Union of Belarusian Poles. Amendments to the Belarusian criminal code introduced prison sentences of up to three years for "discrediting Belarus’ international image" or for organizing or taking part in activities of a suspended or closed NGO or foundation. The Government tightened its control over independent media by imposing excessive fines and cutting off access to the state subscription service and printing presses. Authorities restricted the Internet by blocking access to some foreign websites, monitoring material posted on the Internet, and harassing persons for material posted on websites. Educational exchange programs and student travel were subjected to increased government interference. Trafficking in persons (TIP) remained an issue of concern, although the Government made serious efforts to combat this problem.
The U.S. strategy to promote democracy and human rights in Belarus consisted of applying political and economic restrictions; maintaining bilateral and multilateral diplomatic pressure; limiting high-level engagement with Belarusian officials to the assistant secretary level or below; monitoring, reporting, and speaking out on abuses; supporting democracy and human rights programs; and facilitating educational and professional exchanges. U.S. assistance focused on helping to develop and strengthen civil society groups, increasing access to objective information through the Internet, strengthening independent print and broadcast media, building legal defense capacity and advocacy for the rule of law, and supporting the development of a democratic political process leading up to the 2006 presidential election. The United States also supported capacity-building and legal assistance for independent trade unions. U.S.-funded exchange programs were tailored to familiarize a wide range of Belarusians, from students to professionals, with a democratic, market-based system. To help combat TIP, the United States focused assistance on efforts to prevent trafficking and to protect victims.
The United States cooperated closely with the OSCE, EU, and Belarus’ neighbors to promote democracy and human rights in Belarus, including releasing joint U.S.-EU press statements on specific human rights abuses committed by the Government and organizing joint activities to show solidarity on democracy promotion. The United States co-sponsored a successful resolution regarding Belarus at the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). It expressed concern about the Government’s policies on human rights issues, including the disappearances and/or executions of two prominent opposition politicians, a businessman, and a journalist, restrictions on freedoms of expression and of the media, restrictions on the activities of NGOs, prohibitions of the rights of workers to organize, restrictions on the freedom of academic institutions, and prosecution of the political opposition. In December 2005, the U.S. Embassy along with EU Heads of Mission in Belarus, conducted a joint roundtable discussion with representatives from Belarusian human rights organizations on the eve of the UN International Human Rights Day to emphasize the shared concern of the EU and the United States over the state of human rights in Belarus and to express their support for human rights activists. Democracy and human rights issues were key themes in virtually all U.S. officials’ speeches, press interviews, and public events concerning Belarus. The United States closely monitored the Government’s persistent, calculated attacks on civil society and opposition political parties, issued a number of press statements on human rights and democracy violations, and posted these statements on the Embassy website.
In the run up to the 2006 presidential election, the United States repeatedly urged the Government to hold free and fair elections and to invite international observers to conduct election monitoring. The EU joined the United States in delivering these messages. Throughout the year, U.S. officials met with Belarusian election and other government officials to encourage adherence to democratic principles. In December 2005, a U.S. official met with government officials and representatives of political and civil society groups in Minsk to express U.S. concerns regarding the state of democracy in Belarus and to encourage the Government to allow for a free and fair electoral process leading up to the March presidential elections. U.S. funding supported training, technical assistance, grants, and cross-border exchanges for pro-democracy groups and political parties on internal governance, strategic planning, membership recruitment and retention, message formulation, and outreach. Partly as a result of this assistance, leading pro-democracy forces in Belarus developed and successfully implemented a process for democratically selecting a candidate for the presidential election. Nevertheless, in the absence of access to the media and given constant harassment by governmental authorities, pro-democratic forces face overwhelming odds in the election. To promote independent oversight of the electoral process, the United States provided assistance to a civic organization to train non-partisan election observers. Assistance to other non-partisan NGOs and independent media aimed to promote objective, fact-based reporting on election issues and awareness of voter rights.
U.S. programs helped independent media outlets find ways to remain in operation in a political and business environment hostile to free media and helped independent journalists access information resources. Due to the independent media’s increased professionalism in providing objective and quality information, the level of public trust in the independent media remains high despite constant government pressure to close down or interrupt the publication of virtually all non-government newspapers. U.S. assistance to a local media partner enabled the production and broadcast of 35 television talk-show programs on social, economic, and civic issues, which were broadcast in seven towns with a combined population of 1.4 million people.
Belarusian NGOs remained highly dependent on outside assistance for survival, a situation complicated by legal restrictions on foreign assistance. During 2005, 18 local communities and 30 NGOs took part in U.S.-funded projects aimed at strengthening civil society. Despite the Government’s 2004 closure of a successful U.S.-funded program, the Government nonetheless permitted 11 grants to NGOs to go forward. These grants focused on providing information or training to target social problems, from unemployment to health related issues. To foster greater citizen involvement in community initiatives, 55 training workshops on topics ranging from youth leadership to social entrepreneurship were conducted for more than 300 NGOs and community activists. Eighty-two NGO leaders and representatives of local government and local businesses took part in seven study tours to other Eastern European countries to learn better practices on key issues including health, entrepreneurship, and empowerment of women and youth. Through the U.S. Democracy Commission Small Grants Program, funds were provided to promote the pro-democracy initiatives of non-political civic groups and media organizations, including youth and women’s groups, human rights organizations, NGO resource centers, and trade unions. A new U.S. program brought together alumni of U.S.-sponsored exchange programs to carry out democracy promotion projects, including work in support of gender equality and civic education.
The United States continued to provide legal and advocacy training and assistance for NGO lawyers and activists. As part of a legal advocacy program, the United States supported the development of a website for civil society activists with current legal regulations on NGO activity and assisted in conducting a roundtable for 70 NGO lawyers on rendering legal aid in an increasingly difficult working environment. In 2005, local NGOs, with U.S. support, analyzed the impact of mandatory short-term employment contracts on employee rights and conducted a public legal education campaign on worker rights by publishing pamphlets and holding 12 seminars attended by 365 people. Consequently, 18 attendees brought successful lawsuits against their employers for violation of labor rights through mandatory short-term contracts.
Although severely limited by the Government this year, training, exchange, and educational reform programs continued to be an important component of the U.S. democracy and human rights promotion strategy. Under the guise of an anti-trafficking law passed this year, the Government prevented high schools students from participating in the Future Leaders Exchange program (FLEX) for the first time since its initiation 12 years ago. As a result, no Belarusian students participated in the FLEX program this academic year, compared to 50 last year. Additional bureaucratic requirements imposed by this law seriously complicated other student exchange programs. The United States, however, continued to encourage Belarusian citizens to participate in U.S.-sponsored professional and academic training and exchange programs.
The Embassy regularly observed the trials of NGOs and media outlets, such as the Belarusian Helsinki Commission and Narodnaya Volya, which were targeted by the Government for closure on politically motivated pretexts. U.S. officials also attended trials for opposition figures, such as Pavel Severinets and Nikolai Statkevich, who were prosecuted for their political activities. The United States supported the OSCE’s efforts to assist Belarus in meeting its OSCE commitments and issued statements calling on the Government to fulfill its OSCE pledges to observe human rights. The United States continued to press the Government to conduct an independent, transparent, and impartial investigation into the disappearances of several opposition activists and a journalist. The United States issued a statement criticizing the authorities’ reluctance to investigate these disappearances and their use of intimidation and force against participants in a peaceful demonstration commemorating the anniversary of the disappearances. To support women’s rights and to help create a wider network for active women’s groups, the United States launched a series of events focusing on women’s issues in various aspects of civil society.
The United States urged government officials to respect religious freedom and monitored violations of international norms. U.S. officials met with representatives of a wide spectrum of religious groups and with the Government’s Committee of Religious and Nationalities Affairs to advocate freedom of religion and the cessation of the harassment of religious minorities. The United States closely monitored incidents of anti-Semitism that occurred throughout Belarus and took actions in an effort to help prevent future acts. The Embassy regularly followed up on reports of desecrated bodies after the Government built a sports stadium on a Jewish cemetery in Grodno, and the United States issued a statement condemning the vandalism of religious icons and commemorative items at the Kurapaty memorial complex.
In response to workers’ rights violations, the United States maintained close contact with local independent labor leaders and the International Labour Organization (ILO) and met with the Ministry of Labor to learn what actions the Government was taking to meet ILO’s 12 recommendations to improve freedom of association and collective bargaining with regard to labor and trade union rights. The United States continued to support ILO efforts to promote worker rights and independent trade unions in Belarus.
The United States and other donors have achieved some degree of cooperation at the working level of the Government to counter TIP. U.S. officials worked closely with IOM’s Minsk office and local organizations to monitor the Government’s anti-trafficking efforts. Belarus increased its law enforcement efforts and instituted anti-trafficking legislation. As a result, U.S. assistance focused on areas where the Government lacked adequate funding, namely victim protection and trafficking prevention. In order to tackle the poverty and lack of job opportunities underlying trafficking in vulnerable communities, the United States worked with the IOM on expanding a successful pilot program based on the economic empowerment of women.
Bosnia and Herzegovina The 1995 General Framework Agreement for Peace, the Dayton Accords, created the independent state of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The Agreement also created two constituent entities within the state: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federation) and the Republika Srpska (RS), along with the independent District of Brcko. In 2002 and 2004 respectively, Bosnia and Herzegovina held its first self-administered national and municipal elections, which international observers judged to be free and fair. The Government’s human rights record was poor. Although there were improvements in some areas, serious problems remained. Security in sensitive Internally Displaced Person (IDP) return areas and police responsiveness to incidents targeting minority returnees remained poor. Democracy and human rights problems included physical abuse by police officials; overcrowding and poor conditions in prisons; improper influence of the judiciary by government officials and politicians; harassment of the media; official restrictions on activity by religious minorities; government corruption; discrimination against women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities; trafficking in persons (TIP); and limits on workers’ rights. Republika Srpska’s cooperation with the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) improved, but the two most wanted war crimes indictees, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, remain at large.
The U.S. strategy for promoting human rights and democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina focused on: building a robust civil society; strengthening the capacity of state-level institutions, especially the criminal justice system, to operate transparently and efficiently; advocating for religious freedom; and assisting the Government in combating TIP and discrimination against vulnerable groups in Bosnian society, including minority returnees. The United States also focused on developing more competitive and inclusive political processes in which moderate political parties could compete more effectively and increasing citizen participation in political decision-making.
Senior U.S. officials continued to send a strong message on democratic reform and respect for human rights in 2005. The Under Secretary for Political Affairs emphasized this message during his visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina in June and October 2005, underscoring the importance of reconciliation and the rule of law and encouraging full compliance with international legal obligations, including the ICTY. The Ambassador continued to travel extensively within Bosnia and Herzegovina, and raised key human rights issues such as TIP and minority returns with senior Bosnian officials. In July, an official Presidential delegation headed by the Special Ambassador for War Crimes Issues represented the United States at the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre. In November, the Secretary of State hosted an event in Washington focused on the political future of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the progress made since the 1995 signing of the Dayton Accords. The event was attended by Bosnian Presidency members, high-ranking religious leaders, and many other senior Bosnian officials and politicians. In a roundtable with religious leaders, the United States provided a platform to encourage open dialogue.
The United States continued to promote the development of an independent and professional media. A number of U.S.-supported media projects provided training and technical assistance to journalists, with a focus on radio management and TV investigative reporting. The U.S. also supported the creation of a permanent local organization dedicated to promoting high-quality investigative journalism. Eight investigative or in-depth reporting projects resulted in innovative print or broadcast reports that fostered public debate and spurred authorities to take positive remedial action. Two separate industry organizations were established with U.S. assistance: the Bosnia and Herzegovina Association of Journalists and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Publishers Association. Both have successfully lobbied on important regulatory matters such as a value-added tax exemption for printed materials. Local journalists also received specialized training in reporting on specific issues, including war crimes, international security, terrorism, and TIP.
Development of civil society and increased cooperation between NGOs and the Government, especially local governments, remained a U.S. priority in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A U.S.-funded civil society program improved the institutional capacity of local NGOs by awarding 25 small grants to implement projects. Other U.S.-funded civil society development programs included a number of grants to local NGOs to increase the profile and influence of the NGO sector in Bosnian society, to educate the public about volunteerism and philanthropy, and to promote cooperation among NGOs, the media, the Government, and the private sector.
The United States also promoted civil society through diverse educational initiatives. A U.S.-funded civic education project developed a democracy and human rights course that is now taught in every secondary school in the country. The program expanded in 2005, and the course is now taught at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences of the University of Sarajevo and at medresas (Muslim secondary schools) throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The U.S.-funded Parliamentary Internship Program gave talented young Bosnians the opportunity to serve as interns in the country’s state- and entity-level parliaments, which afforded them valuable leadership skills and work experience.
U.S. assistance continued to strengthen the rule of law, with strong emphasis on judicial institutions. With U.S. financial, technical, and political support, Bosnia and Herzegovina made significant strides in developing its capacity to apprehend war criminals and to investigate and try war crimes cases. The U.S. was the major financial supporter of the Bosnian State Court’s War Crimes Chamber and the State Prosecutor’s Office. U.S.-funded initiatives to raise professional standards among lawyers and judges resulted in the creation of national-level professional associations for prosecutors and judges. The United States continued to fund training on the Criminal Procedure Code and its new legal mechanisms for prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys. A highly successful U.S.-funded "model court" case management project was introduced in four municipalities. The courts in the pilot program significantly reduced case backlogs and improved efficiency and responsiveness to the public.
The U.S.-funded Justice Sector Development Program (JSDP) is improving the efficiency, transparency, and fairness of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s justice system by providing expert assistance to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, which oversees Bosnia’s judicial system. The JDSP also helped improve the Bosnian justice system by establishing and implementing improved court administration practices, reforming the current system for the defense of indigent criminal defendants, and working with the State Ministry of Justice and other agencies to improve local capacity to draft legislation and promote citizen participation in legislative development. The United States also supported a national moot court competition, which afforded Bosnian law students the opportunity to practice trial advocacy skills before a panel of senior Bosnian attorneys and judges. The students simulated criminal cases involving human rights violations under the European Convention of Human Rights.
The United States remained resolute in supporting efforts leading to truth and social justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), financed in part by the United States, generated DNA matches that could potentially lead to the identification of 1,882 individuals reported missing during the 1992-1995 conflict. ICMP also collected blood samples from surviving relatives that will assist in identifying 958 missing persons. The ICMP assisted Bosnian authorities in carrying out 288 exhumations of mass or illicit gravesites, which led to the recovery of the remains of 282 complete and partial sets of human remains. Despite these efforts, an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 persons remain unaccounted for in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United States continued to support the development of the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial and Cemetery, where 1,937 of the estimated 7,800 victims of the Srebrenica massacre have been interred.
U.S. programs aimed to improve efficiency and accountability in local governments. The joint U.S.-Swedish Governance Accountability Project continued to focus on improving the service and financial management profiles of 40 target municipalities and on creating an environment in which these municipal governments have the resources and autonomy to respond effectively to citizens’ needs. To date, 11 new municipal "one-stop shops" have been created throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. These centers will enable citizens and businesses to receive municipal permits more quickly, while simultaneously reducing corruption and discrimination against ethnic minorities. The United States continued to support the Administrative Law and Procedural Systems (ALPS) program, designed to eliminate barriers that confront citizens because of the unwieldy nature of the Bosnian administrative system. The ALPS project successfully worked with 20 target municipalities to amend their statutes and rules of procedure, allowing for increased public participation in decision-making. The project’s local partner monitored 1,045 administrative cases and pursued administrative sanctions against particularly intransigent officials in approximately 50 cases. The project also funded legal assistance to 55,000 citizens in matters relating to housing, urban planning, and disability and pension payments.
The United States donated agricultural commodities that were used to finance civil society development initiatives that promoted respect for the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities. Other initiatives focused on assisting the Bosnian Government to reduce discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, disability, and religion. For example, one U.S.-funded program supported a coalition of local NGOs representing persons with disabilities. As a direct result of the coalition’s advocacy efforts, the Government adopted several legislative reforms that directly benefit persons with disabilities. One reform included legislation that provides for the use of guide dogs for the blind.
The United States continued to support the return of refugees and IDPs from the 1992-1995 conflict. The United States funded the repair of vital local infrastructure and improvement of community-based government services. Through loans and grants, 550 families of minority returnees established viable sources of income. Economic and technical assistance for farmers was also critical in promoting the sustainability of minority returns.
In 2005, Bosnian authorities, including the State Coordinator for the Prevention of Trafficking and the Ministries of Health and Education in both entities and Brcko District, expanded anti-TIP efforts with U.S. assistance. U.S.-funded programs supported local NGOs that provided shelter and care for TIP victims. The United States funded an SOS hotline, reintegration assistance for victims, and a regional conference focusing on strategies for successful prosecution of TIP. Local NGOs implemented a U.S.-funded public awareness campaign targeting Bosnian children and youth (ages 6-25), victims of trafficking, potential consumers of sexual services, local authorities, and media professionals. The United States continued to support the national-level Anti-TIP Strike Force with technical advice and training on the effective use of plea bargains. Subsequently, a Bosnian State Prosecutor used these new legal tools to convict four defendants accused of trafficking women from Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine.
Georgia Georgia continued to follow an ambitious reform agenda to create and strengthen democratic institutions and processes, including reducing human rights violations. Accordingly, its human rights record improved in some areas, although serious problems remained. Local NGOs considered the October parliamentary by-elections to be generally fair, despite continuing problems including inaccurate voter lists and non-tamper proof ballot boxes. The status of religious freedom improved through increased investigation and prosecution of harassers of religious minorities. The Government took significant steps to reduce torture and ill treatment of detainees by law enforcement officials in pretrial detention facilities. NGOs noted, however, that concurrent with the reduction of such abuse in these facilities was a rise in the number of complaints of abuse during arrest and transport of detainees to the facilities. A culture of impunity in law enforcement, especially outside Tbilisi, persisted. Other continuing problems included inhumane and life-threatening prison conditions, lack of judicial independence, violence and discrimination against women, and trafficking in persons (TIP).
The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy focused on the promotion of democratic institutions and processes, the development of a vibrant civil society, fundamental freedoms, rule of law, human rights, and anti-TIP measures.
During his May visit to Tbilisi, the President praised Georgia’s progress and encouraged continued democratization. The Secretary of State, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and Members of Congress reinforced the President’s message and other efforts to achieve U.S. objectives in Georgia in 2005. U.S. officials worked publicly and privately with officials, NGOs, and other organizations to identify and highlight areas of particular concern and encourage reform.
To promote democratic institutions and processes, the United States provided assistance for the October parliamentary by-elections, including providing reliable poll data to all parties, and worked with two leading Georgian youth NGOs to train domestic observers for the by-elections. As a result of U.S. assistance, four of the strongest opposition parties formed an alliance to conduct a primary to field unified opposition coalition candidates in the by-elections. A U.S.-funded project began to reform the Civil Registry to serve as a reliable and up-to-date source for voter lists for elections starting in 2008.
The United States provided the parliament with assistance to promote better governance and leadership skills, particularly by supporting the development of capacity for effective oversight of the executive branch and promoting transparency. To promote improved governance, the United States provided direct assistance to the offices of the President and Prime Minister. To strengthen political pluralism, the United States funded programs and worked with political leaders in the majority and opposition to promote regional and national political party development. The United States provided assistance to women leaders throughout the country to prepare them to run for elected office and positions within their political parties. U.S. assistance supported creation of the Parliamentary Women’s Gender Equity Council. To strengthen local governance, the United States supported decentralization legislation and provided assistance to advance fiscal decentralization.
The United States continued to encourage and support the development of a strong civil society. U.S.-funded programs promoted the financial sustainability of the NGO community. As a result of a U.S.-supported advocacy program, a coalition successfully lobbied the Government to adopt amendments to the tax code, thus allowing for tax-free contributions to NGOs. U.S. assistance enabled civil society coalitions to pursue issue-based advocacy campaigns on issues such as democratic elections and human rights protection.
To support development of civil society in regions with large ethnic minorities, the United States worked with NGOs in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo-Kartli on organizational capacity building, social outreach, and networking with other components of Georgian and international civil society. The United States awarded six Democracy Commission grants to local NGOs that target ethnic integration, Georgian-language instruction, or conflict resolution. Civic education programs supported the development of innovative extracurricular teaching in civic values and responsibilities for youth.
The United States continued to encourage the Government to respect media freedom and to look for opportunities for constructive cooperation with media outlets. The United States funded several media development programs aimed at improving professionalism, including in the regions. The United States sponsored a media development professional to train news directors and reporters in the Autonomous Republic of Ajara. The United States dedicated an International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) to broadcast journalists and included print media journalists in other IVLP groups. U.S. Democracy Commission grants supported projects aimed at improving independent journalism. The United States sponsored the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management at the Georgian Institute for Public Affairs. A working tour funded by the United States helped television journalists learn the values and principles of freedom of the press as well as standards of western journalism. U.S. travel grants enabled journalists to work on the issues of trafficking and human rights.
The United States continued to promote rule of law and human rights. U.S. funding supported a rule of law program that increased public awareness of legal rights and assisted in the reform of the legal system. U.S. advisors were closely involved in the ongoing rewriting of Georgia’s Criminal Procedural Code in an effort to meet international human rights standards. Parliament recently passed amendments that had long been advocated by the United States, including provisions authorizing plea-bargaining and the use at trial of audio/video tapes taken by investigative journalists. U.S.-sponsored activities also focused on court structure reform, judicial self-advocacy and judicial independence. The rule of law program promoted implementation of the Administrative Code and its freedom of information provisions, funded legal aid clinics, and conducted public education campaigns regarding citizens’ constitutional rights.
In response to the Government’s willingness to tackle corruption and human rights issues within the framework of law enforcement, U.S. assistance to the Ministry of Interior expanded, including the posting of a permanent representative at the Embassy to administer such programs. The United States also continued to develop a new police training curriculum for entry- and advanced-level officers to meet international standards, including in human rights and establish procedures consistent with international standards at the central forensic lab. In the past, poor forensic capabilities were believed to have led to police abuse of detainees.
The separatist regime in Abkhazia continued to prevent repatriation of approximately 230,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the de facto authorities of South Ossetia continued to obstruct repatriation of 12,767 ethnic Georgians. The United States regularly worked with Georgia’s IDPs to examine the potential for conflict mitigation and recovery assistance and launched a housing program that could act as a model for the return of IDPs.
The United States has historically been in the forefront of efforts to bring perpetrators of religiously motivated violence to justice. Embassy officials attended the trial of defrocked Orthodox Priest Father Basil Mkalavishvili, who was convicted in January and sentenced to six years imprisonment. Reports of violence against minority religious groups continued to decrease in 2005; however, several groups continued to report intimidation by local authorities as well as by citizens, prompting continued U.S. engagement on the issue. U.S. officials attended several governmental and non-governmental conferences on religious freedom and legislation concerning religion and urged the Ministry of Justice to register religious groups under a new law granting them legal status.
To combat TIP, the United States assembled a list of suggested steps the Government could take to improve anti-TIP efforts and shared the list with high-ranking members of the Government. The steps urged the Government to provide support to NGOs, demonstrate an increase in arrests and convictions of traffickers, finalize TIP legislation, and create and implement national referral mechanisms for victim assistance. Embassy officials continued to follow these steps by engaging officials from the Prosecutor’s office, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and others. A U.S. official visited Tbilisi and met with key figures in the Government, civil society and international community working to fight TIP. The Embassy continued to train members of the Special Operations Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and officials from the Prosecutor General’s office on victim identification and the apprehension and investigation of traffickers. The United States funded a project aimed at victims’ assistance and general public awareness of TIP. The project was supported by the Government and administered through a local NGO.
Kazakhstan The Government’s human rights record remained poor. Although there were improvements in other human rights areas, democratic institutions remained weak and President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was reelected to another seven-year term on December 4, dominated the political space. Since its independence from the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has not held an election that met international standards. The media climate remained hostile for independent and opposition press, which were subjected to restrictive criminal and civil libel penalties for criticizing the President and other government officials. Legislation enacted during the year eroded legal protections for human rights and expanded executive branch powers to regulate and control civil society. Wary of a possible "color" revolution, the Government harassed and investigated NGOs engaged in democracy support and civil society development. Kazakhstani society is ethnically diverse, and there is a high degree of interethnic tolerance. Despite the erosion of legal protections for religious freedom and some interference from local authorities, religious communities continued to report general government support for the rights of religious communities, including minority faiths. Trafficking in persons (TIP) remained a problem. The United States vigorously advocated progress on human rights and democracy as an integral component of bilateral engagement and an essential complement to economic and security cooperation. Speaking in Astana in October, the Secretary of State noted, "Wise statesmen know and history has demonstrated that political and economic freedom must advance together and complement one another. History also teaches us that true stability and true security are only found in democratic regimes." In keeping with this integrated approach, numerous U.S. assistance and training programs in Kazakhstan, including programs involving the military, law enforcement, and other government agencies, had a human rights component. Support for the rule of law and independent media remained priorities. The United States continued to encourage the Government to live up to its OSCE human dimension commitments.
In spring 2005, the Secretary determined that Kazakhstan had not made significant progress in human rights and requested a national security waiver from Congress, as provided for in Section 587 of the Foreign Operations Appropriation Act, so that assistance to the Government for democracy, health, regional security, and economic development could continue. As part of intense U.S. engagement, the Government of Kazakhstan acknowledged the need to further improve its democracy and human rights record. The Secretary, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE, CENTCOM Commander, Members of Congress, and other officials traveled to Kazakhstan throughout the year to raise U.S. democracy concerns at the highest levels. The Ambassador and a broad spectrum of U.S. officials based in Kazakhstan, Vienna, and Washington made democratic and human rights progress a daily priority. In late December, the U.S. Ambassador met with and demarched Government officials regarding U.S. Government concerns about the forced return of nine Uzbek refugee seekers in late November. The United States raised concerns about the Government’s actions in a March 1, 2006 statement to the OSCE’s Permanent Council. The United States remained committed to non-partisan promotion of political pluralism and governance that reflects the political will of its citizens and engaged the Government at every level to emphasize U.S. commitment to those principles.
Improving electoral processes was a main focus of U.S. democracy promotion efforts. U.S. officials regularly emphasized to the Government, including President Nazarbayev, the importance of holding elections meeting international standards. While the OSCE’s election observation mission determined that the December 4 presidential election failed to meet international standards, U.S. diplomatic and programmatic efforts contributed to small improvements, which the OSCE cited, in the transparency of the electoral process. On December 10, President Bush called to congratulate President Nazarbayev and to underscore the importance of addressing electoral violations and implementing OSCE election recommendations.
The United States funded projects that provided nonpartisan, capacity-building support to improve political party, civil society, and independent media participation in the electoral process. A U.S. partner NGO conducted a nationwide pre-election opinion poll and shared the findings with all political parties to encourage responsiveness to voters’ concerns, consistent with non-partisan political party development training programs. The United States provided broad support for election observation and monitoring. Dozens of U.S. officials observed the election, and U.S. grants supported a variety of independent domestic and international observation efforts. A U.S. partner NGO trained partisan election monitors in seven cities across the country. The United States also supported exit polling on election day. With U.S. support, a coalition of eight domestic NGOs worked with the Central Election Commission to produce brochures on the electoral process and candidates’ policy positions.
Other U.S. programs promoted good governance, citizen participation in the decision-making process, and civic education. A U.S-sponsored expert spoke with Kazakhstani officials about electronic rulemaking processes in the United States, noting that e-government leads to greater government transparency and public participation. The Embassy’s Democracy Commission Small Grants Program issued several grants to independent, grassroots NGOs for projects aimed at encouraging local self-governance, and the United States underwrote a larger grant for a pilot program to develop citizen advisory committees to work productively with local governments. To foster increased civic participation, U.S.-funded civic education activities reached more than 41,000 secondary students. More than 3,100 students participated in U.S.-supported extracurricular activities, such as summer camps, student action committees, and local government days, to apply the skills they learned in the classroom. Surveys indicate that 69% of the students who participated in these extracurricular activities demonstrated greater civic activism as a result.
Media support programs provided professional development for journalists as well as legal and technical support, reaching more than 175 journalists and nine television stations in 2005. In anticipation of the December election, the United States funded a conference in Astana for journalists that reviewed the role of media in the electoral process. Five television stations across the country received in-depth technical production training, which each station used to produce talk shows related to election issues. An ongoing U.S.-funded program provided a legal support network for journalists throughout the year. U.S. funding also supported the creation of an Internet-based "news factory" that enabled journalists and media outlets to share stories and data. The United States provided grant support that enabled a well-established domestic media advocacy NGO to monitor and publicize abuses of journalistic rights and freedom of speech. In addition, the United States funded projects aimed at improving the professional skills of women journalists and coverage of women’s issues and human rights.
Through the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) two groups of Kazakhstani print and broadcast journalists engaged with their U.S. counterparts and learned best practices. The Embassy, the OSCE, and an international NGO co-sponsored a seminar on professional journalistic standards in covering terrorism for 35 regional journalists. The Ambassador opened the conference with remarks on "Terrorism vs. Democracy," and a U.S.-sponsored speaker conducted classes on reporting on terrorism.
With U.S. support, a domestic NGO conducted an information and advocacy campaign in cooperation with Kazakhstani and international organizations to inform the public about draft legislation that would have seriously hindered NGO activity in Kazakhstan. The grantee led public consultations, collected opinions and concerns for a database, provided other NGO leaders and civic activists with information about proposed legislative changes, and involved civic leaders in the advocacy campaign aimed at protecting the rights and freedoms of civil society. At the end of the information project, the Constitutional Council found the draft laws unconstitutional.
A U.S.-supported civil society association took an active role in policy dialogue, advocacy, and representation of broad NGO interests. The association advocated implementing a law on the rights of persons with disabilities, holding local government budget hearings, investigating the use of regional government funds, protecting students’ rights, and paying fair compensation for demolished housing. The United States funded a democracy information center in the southern city of Shymkent, providing human rights and democracy information and training, offering Internet access, and hosting discussion clubs. IVLPs provided an opportunity for eight NGO leaders to travel to the United States to exchange expertise with American experts and counterparts. Embassy officials met with current and former grantees and IVLP alumni and found that most grantee NGOs had accomplished the goals set and continued to apply lessons learned.
Support for the rule of law, including an independent judiciary, remained a fundamental goal of U.S.-funded training programs for NGOs and Kazakhstani officials. To support judicial transparency and accountability, the United States cooperated with the Government on a successful pilot program that tested a video and audio recording system for court proceedings. The United States encouraged Kazakhstan to institute a jury trial system in coordination with the OSCE and arranged a study tour on jury trials for five Government officials. In January 2006, parliament adopted a jury system. A U.S. partner NGO developed a legal reasoning and writing curriculum expected to be introduced into law school curricula in 2007. The United States continued its advocacy with law faculties to emphasize the importance of maintaining mandatory legal ethics training. The Embassy conducted two "Integrity Awareness" training sessions and worked to establish anti-corruption programs for customs inspectors to increase operational effectiveness and accountability. Four government officials and two journalists completed a U.S.-sponsored study tour focusing on anti-corruption measures.
Two Embassy small grants addressed penal reform. One grant underwrote a seminar focusing on juvenile justice and recidivism concerns that law professors, judges, penitentiary officials, and NGO leaders attended. The second grant supported ongoing human rights training for prison psychologists, which received praise from international penitentiary reform experts. The United States included mandatory human rights components in all bilateral military training. With U.S. technical assistance, Kazakhstan reduced incidents of military conscript hazing and abuse through a series of reforms to its non-commissioned officer (NCO) system. As a result, professional responsibility and training increased for NCOs, who now earn their rank by merit in areas including protection of the rights of the conscripts in their command. The United States continued to encourage the Government to find a just resolution in the case of Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan leader Galymzham Zhakiyanov, convicted in 2002 on what appeared to be politically motivated charges. Zhakiyanov was paroled on January 14, 2006.
Additional grants were awarded to NGO programs focused on youth, women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. The Embassy’s Democracy Commission Small Grants Program awarded grants to two domestic NGO projects focused on protecting and rehabilitating at-risk children. Another grant supported a series of women’s rights roundtables for local NGOs. The United States funded a project that increased women’s participation in policymaking and promoted government accountability at local levels through the creation of unprecedented public advisory councils that worked with several local governments.
The Ambassador and other U.S. officials advocated that legislation relating to religious freedom be drafted transparently and reflect international commitments and standards for protection of religious freedom. U.S. officials raised concerns in Kazakhstan and Washington about proposed legislation such as the Extremism Law, the National Security Amendments, and the NGO Law. Following passage of the Extremism Law and the National Security Amendments, U.S. officials in Kazakhstan, Washington and at OSCE forums in Vienna and Warsaw urged the Government to implement these laws in a manner that promoted human rights and respected religious freedom. Throughout the year, the Embassy brought specific cases of concern regarding religious communities to the attention of government officials, who often corrected subordinates’ infringements of religious rights. Through a U.S.-funded program, a U.S. expert lectured on African-Americans and Islam in the United States. In his preface to a documentary on Muslims in America by regional broadcaster Mir TV, the Ambassador emphasized, "Freedom of religion is one of the most fundamental values of the American way of life," and praised the film for showing the wisdom of community leaders who demonstrated how to separate extremist ideologies from the peaceful observance of the Muslim faith. The finished product was broadcast on local television news in all Commonwealth of Independent States countries except Turkmenistan.
The United States supported its bilateral cooperation with the Government on combating TIP with a broad civil society assistance strategy. Ongoing U.S. assistance programs provided services to trafficking victims through shelters, hotlines, and repatriation assistance. Approximately 10,000 people received information and training on trafficking-related issues through U.S.-supported programs. The Embassy’s Democracy Commission Small Grants Program awarded four grants for anti-trafficking programs to NGOs, which conducted more than 40 community education seminars that reached over 200 at-risk youth, their teachers, and community leaders. The NGOs also conducted more than 30 training sessions on combating TIP for law enforcement, procurators, judges, and other government officials. Embassy officials arranged a U.S.-funded study tour for five key government officials to a leading destination country for Kazakhstanis trafficked abroad. Government officials identified areas where they could better coordinate with host country officials to offer assistance to trafficking victims and to prosecute traffickers. U.S.-supported experts led a conference in Almaty for judges, procurators, law enforcement investigators, and NGO representatives that presented advanced techniques for investigating, prosecuting, and sentencing trafficking cases.
Kyrgyz Republic The March 24, 2005 overthrow of President Askar Akayev resulted in a major improvement in the Government’s respect for human rights. The Government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, problems remain. Democratic institutions remain fragile pending constitutional, electoral, media, and judicial reform. During the first three months of 2005, the Akayev Government frequently restricted freedom of speech, the press, and assembly. The February-March parliamentary elections were marred by serious violations, particularly in the pre-election period. Even following March 24, members of the security forces at times beat or otherwise mistreated persons, and prison conditions remained very poor, sparking, in part, a series of prison riots in September and October. Corruption continued to be a serious problem, limiting citizens’ rights to due process. Trafficking in persons (TIP), violence against women and children, child labor, and discrimination against ethnic minorities were also problems. During the run-up to the February-March parliamentary elections and July presidential election, the U.S. strategy to promote democracy and human rights focused on creating a conducive environment for free and fair elections by strengthening democratic institutions, increasing observance of human rights, supporting civil society organizations, and promoting the development of independent media. Following the presidential election, the U.S. strategy shifted its focus to anti-corruption initiatives and constitutional and media reform, along with continued support to civil society and independent media.
To promote democracy and human rights, the United States maintains close contact with independent journalists, human rights activists, and politicians from across the political spectrum while encouraging dialogue between the Government and civil society. The Ambassador and visiting senior U.S. officials met frequently with members of the Government, civil society, and human rights groups to solicit their views. For the inauguration of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the United States sent a presidential delegation, led by the Secretary of Commerce, who congratulated the new president on advancing democracy, but stressed the need to implement additional reforms. During an October 2005 visit to Bishkek, the Secretary of State addressed a gathering of parliamentarians, members of the Government, and civil society activists on democratic and constitutional reform. In September, the Assistant Secretary for European Affairs held a roundtable discussion with civil society activists. Both the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary met with President Bakiyev and other senior officials to discuss concerns about human rights issues, corruption, and constitutional reform. Then-Acting Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Davies met with Kyrgyz officials at the UN General Assembly and stressed the need to take swift action on constitutional, media, and electoral reform. The head of the U.S. delegation to the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting and the U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE met with the Kyrgyz delegation to emphasize the need to maintain reform momentum and focus on constitutional, media, and electoral reforms and combating corruption. The U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan also held a series of roundtables with journalists, students, and others to discuss the need for further reform. In addition, she maintained an active public diplomacy program to help build support for reform.
For both the parliamentary and presidential elections, the United States financed the purchase of indelible ink as well as training for poll workers on how to use the ink as an anti-fraud tool. In both elections, the ink proved to be an effective measure in combating multiple voting, which had been a serious problem in previous elections. The United States also financed the first-ever comprehensive, hands-on training for over 27,000 election officials, including nearly all precinct election commission members. The training included a significant component on election ethics. The United States also provided substantial financial and logistical support for both domestic and international election monitors for both the parliamentary and presidential elections and financed the first-ever parallel vote tabulation carried out in Kyrgyzstan. For both elections, the U.S. Government was the single-largest source of international election monitors for the OSCE election observation mission.
In the run-up to both elections, the United States supported considerable voter education efforts, designed to inform voters about the use of indelible ink as well as of their rights as voters. The United States also supported a "Rock the Vote" campaign in which a well-known Ukrainian rock star toured Kyrgyzstan in order to increase voter turnout and interest in the July presidential election. Over 22,000 Kyrgyz citizens attended the free concerts. For the presidential election, the United States also sponsored the first-ever nationally televised debates between candidates. U.S. support for non-partisan political party development continued throughout the year, particularly in the run-up to the elections. Training focused on message and platform development, public speaking skills, and coalition building.
The United States continued its support of civic education programs, supplying 66,500 civic education textbooks to students around the country. Throughout the year, over 80,000 students in 1,998 schools participated in a U.S.-sponsored civic education program that promoted greater understanding of civic responsibility, women in political life, and international human rights.
Although media freedom and freedom of speech improved considerably since March, they remained areas of strong U.S. focus. In 2005, the United States provided training to journalists from 42 electronic and print outlets in an effort to improve professional standards and clarify the legal framework for media operation. The United States continued its support for the Media Commissioner Institute, which provides a source for alternative dispute settlement for journalists. The United States also supported efforts to transform state-owned television into a public-broadcasting format station. Throughout the year, the United States continued its support of the Media Support Center, which is the only independent printing press in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. When the Government of then-President Akayev cut off electricity to the Center immediately before the flawed February parliamentary elections to halt publication of several pro-opposition newspapers, the Embassy provided generators to keep the press running. The United States also supported media resource centers in the Ferghana Valley, and U.S.-funded projects increased the professionalism of women journalists and coverage of women’s issues and human rights.
Since March 2005, civil society has become considerably freer. However, although President Bakiyev’s government has generally resisted the regional trend toward restricting NGO activity, a few prominent Western-funded NGOs were subject to smear campaigns and harassment in early 2006. Freedom of assembly also improved substantially since March 2005. Nevertheless, the United States continued its strong support for a wide variety of programs designed to strengthen civil society through a network of nine support centers that provide training, grants, legal assistance, and other services to NGOs all over the country. These centers are joined into a countrywide association that advocates at the national level on civil society issues. The United States also supported the establishment of more than 20 Information Centers for Democracy throughout Kyrgyzstan that provide key information and training and host debates. In 2005, 38 NGOs received capacity building grants, while another 82 organizations received community action grants to work on issues of local importance. Throughout the year, 140 NGO leaders focused on promoting democratic reform participated in U.S.-sponsored training on advocacy skills.
As a result of U.S. assistance, 11 civil society organizations improved their internal governance with the aim of fostering more effective decision-making, strategic planning, public outreach, fundraising, and accountability. Another 20 organizations achieved financial sustainability and diversified their funding sources to become less dependent on outside sources of funding. Twenty-one NGOs introduced an ongoing process of strategic planning, while 20 leading NGOs developed and used public outreach strategies, and ten NGOs established or developed existing local civil society networks. The United States also funded regional networks that strengthened the capacity of NGOs to hold public hearings, advocate, and solve conflicts effectively in the Ferghana Valley. In 2005, the U.S.-funded Democracy Commission Small Grants Program provided 44 grants to local NGOs in support of independent media outlets, combating human trafficking, journalism training, academic integrity, human rights, democracy, civic and legal education, and election-related programming.
The United States continued programs to promote greater transparency in the judicial system and improve the legal structure in order to fight corruption. The United States also provided strong diplomatic support to anti-corruption efforts, with visiting high-level U.S. officials stressing to President Bakiyev and Prime Minister Feliks Kulov the need to make anti-corruption initiatives the centerpiece of their democracy and economic reform programs. In November, the Government began implementation of a U.S.-sponsored pilot project to reform the Bishkek traffic police to improve its effectiveness and combat corruption. The United States sponsored judicial training for commercial, criminal, and non-commercial civil judges, while the U.S.-funded Judicial Watchdog Group continued its work monitoring courtrooms. The United States also continued programs promoting greater transparency in local government. Partly as a result of U.S. efforts, 21 local governments held public hearings on the local budget, communal property, asset management, and other issues. The United States also provided grants to student groups at 12 Kyrgyz universities and 4 teacher groups to combat corruption within the Kyrgyz educational system.
Throughout the year, a U.S.-supported "Human Rights Defenders" network continued monitoring prisons and pretrial detention facilities in an effort to prevent detainee abuse. The network also reported on human rights abuses around the country and worked with authorities at the local and national levels to prevent further abuses.
Following riots between Uzbek security forces and protesters in the city of Andijon, Uzbekistan, in mid-May, approximately 500 Uzbek citizens sought refuge in Kyrgyzstan. The United States provided food assistance to these refugees; the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) worked with Kyrgyz government officials to provide suitable conditions at a refugee camp in southern Kyrgyzstan. The United States took a leading role in urging the Kyrgyz Government to release the refugees to UNHCR for third-country resettlement, which it did for 450 of them between July and September. Four other members of the original group were forcibly returned to Uzbekistan in June, an action strongly protested by the U.S. Government; four more remain in Kyrgyz detention while their asylum cases are heard by the Kyrgyz courts. The United States continues to urge the Government to turn these Uzbek refugees over to UNHCR for third-country resettlement. Following continuous advocacy efforts by U.S. authorities in both Bishkek and Washington, the Secretary sent a letter to President Bakiyev in January 2006 reiterating the U.S. position.
Remaining engaged on the issue of religious freedom, the United States maintained regular contacts with representatives of various religious communities, and several Muslim religious leaders visited the United States through the International Visitors Leadership Program. The Ambassador hosted an annual Iftaar dinner for Muslim leaders and visited the Islamic University and regional mosques. An Embassy official addressed a crowd of over 30,000 worshipers in Bishkek’s main square on the Feast of Eid marking the end of Ramadan.
The United States continued to play a leading role in combating TIP. On numerous occasions, U.S. officials lobbied for Kyrgyzstan to employ more effective efforts to combat TIP. In December, the U.S. Government began a three-year project to combat TIP in Kyrgyzstan, with a particular focus on labor trafficking. The United States also sponsored anti-trafficking information campaigns as well as seminars and training sessions aimed at law enforcement officials involved in anti-trafficking efforts. The United States also continued to support the Sezim shelter for trafficking victims.
Moldova Moldova is a parliamentary republic with power divided among a president, cabinet, parliament, and judiciary. (Note: In 1992, a separatist regime, supported by Russian military forces, declared a "Transdniester Moldovan Republic" in the region between the Dniester River and Ukraine. Since the Government of Moldova does not control this region, all references that follow are to the rest of the country, unless otherwise stated.) Despite reform setbacks in recent years, the OSCE judged the parliamentary elections on March 6, 2005 to have met most international standards, with the exception of campaign conditions and media coverage that favored the incumbent Communist government. Although the Communist Party won a majority in the legislature, it fell short of the two-thirds needed to return President Voronin to office, and several opposition groups eventually agreed to support him in exchange for commitments to undertake specific reforms. The Government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, there were problems in some areas. Controversy continued over pro-government bias in the news programs of the public broadcaster, Teleradio Moldova. Widespread corruption persisted throughout government and society, particularly in the law enforcement, judicial, education, and health sectors. Authorities tortured and beat some persons in police custody. In some cases, people were held incommunicado for extended periods, and prison conditions remained harsh. Several religious groups continued to encounter difficulties in obtaining official registration. Societal violence and discrimination against women, children, and Roma persisted. Trafficking in persons (TIP) remained a very serious problem.
The democratization and human rights record of the separatist-controlled Transnistria region remained very poor. December 11 elections to the Transnistrian "Supreme Soviet" were not considered free and fair and were not recognized by the OSCE, the Government of Moldova, or any other state. Authorities in the region reportedly continued to use torture and arbitrary arrest and detention. Prison conditions remained harsh, and two members of the so-called Ilascu Group remained in prison despite a July 2004 ruling in their favor by the European Court for Human Rights. Transnistrian authorities harassed independent media and opposition lawmakers, restricted freedom of association and of religion, and discriminated against Romanian speakers.
The U.S. strategy for promoting human rights and democracy in Moldova continued to focus on strengthening the rule of law, good governance, independent media, and civil society; promoting free and fair elections; combating TIP; and supporting a just and speedy resolution to the conflict in Transnistria. The United States consistently stressed to the Government that it must take concrete steps to promote democracy and human rights in order to enjoy deeper bilateral relations and improve the country’s EU membership prospects. The United States worked closely with the EU to promote the conditions for free and fair elections and to maintain international pressure on the Transnistrian regime.
The United States worked through the OSCE and directly with the Government and mediators to push for a solution to the conflict in Transnistria that is fair and respects the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. In 2005, the United States and the EU became observers to the settlement negotiations, and U.S. officials participated in negotiating rounds in November and December. The United States raised the issue at the highest levels in bilateral and multilateral meetings and forums, in particular urging Russia to use its influence with the separatist authorities to promote a settlement and to fulfill its commitments, undertaken at the 1999 OSCE Summit in Istanbul, to withdraw its troops and munitions from Moldovan territory. U.S. assistance, while limited in its reach into Transnistria, maintained outreach and some support to the Transnistrian people, encouraged interaction between the two parts of Moldova, strengthened local civil society groups, and worked at the grassroots level to promote the growth of democratic institutions. Programs included educational and professional exchanges and training and support for a legal aid clinic. The United States also supported the development of two independent radio stations with reach into Transnistria to provide objective information to the people living there.
Through diplomatic efforts and support for civil society, the United States played a vital role in helping to ensure that the 2005 parliamentary elections met most international standards. During the pre-election campaign, the United States encouraged the Government, both bilaterally and with the EU, to conduct the elections fairly and ensure equal media coverage for all candidates. President Bush underscored the importance of democratic elections in Moldova in a speech in Bratislava in February, and high-level U.S. interventions emphasized to the Government that the conduct of the elections would affect Moldova’s standing among the world’s democracies. The United States supported a program to monitor the objectivity and content of all major news sources during the campaign period, the findings of which objectively demonstrated the public media’s pro-government bias and limited election coverage. This data was a key part of the successful international and domestic efforts to urge President Voronin and his Government to revise campaign media regulations to increase dramatically the airtime for debates on public stations and allow news programs to cover the election campaign. The United States supported the efforts of an association of local NGOs, "Coalition for Free and Fair Elections," to carry out electoral monitoring and voter education programs, develop voter and poll worker guides, and organize candidate debates on television and radio. In addition, the United States funded the work of several other local NGOs to carry out get-out-the-vote campaigns, and on election day, deployed dozens of election observers as part of the OSCE observation mission and supported the deployment of close to 2,000 domestic observers throughout the country.
Following the elections, the United States turned its attention to supporting the newly elected parliament in its unanimously stated priority of European integration. U.S.-sponsored exchange visits for Moldovan parliamentarians helped them learn about building democratic institutions and integrating into Europe from Latvian and Lithuanian legislators. In addition, the United States supported programs to assist the Moldovan parliament in developing a legislative process that is transparent and responsive to the needs and priorities of Moldovan citizens. In one innovative U.S.-funded project, two Moldovan NGOs introduced the American congressional hearing system to key parliamentary committees. The United States also encouraged greater integration of women and youth in political processes, for example through a study trip for 18 women parliamentarians to the United States, training for political party youth factions, and "political party fairs" at universities. To improve local governance and increase citizen participation, the United States supported the work of local governments and communities to implement community-initiated development projects. Assistance focused on building municipal capacity, encouraging local officials to engage their citizens in community decision-making, and enhancing the capacity of citizens to create tangible and positive change in their own communities through civic activity and democratic practices. In the community-led projects, citizens developed, planned, managed, and implemented projects to improve local water, heat, gas, and other municipal services, while the United States provided training, technical assistance, and small amounts of funding.
In support of media freedom, the United States worked on the diplomatic front and through various programs, including exchanges, grants, and training courses for journalists, to promote media freedom and high journalistic standards. U.S. officials raised concerns with authorities about the independence and transparency of the Audiovisual Coordinating Council (CCA) in distributing broadcast licenses and frequencies. The United States also pressed the Government to select a truly independent Supervisory Board for Teleradio Moldova, implement merit-based, transparent hiring practices within the station, and bring its broadcast laws in line with OSCE standards. Many independent media outlets received U.S.-funded grants for projects aimed at increasing the independence of media and promoting pluralism. Key to U.S. efforts was work with the News Department of the formerly state-owned television station, Moldova 1, a major source of news for most Moldovans, which U.S.-funded monitoring had shown to give consistently preferential and biased treatment to the Government in its broadcasts. A U.S.-funded media expert worked with the staff of Moldova 1’s News Department to improve the objectivity and balance of its daily newscasts and increase the use of multiple sources in its reports. The United States also financed the purchase of updated editing and video equipment, replacing broken and outdated equipment. In addition, the United States supported the development of civil society through the Democracy Commission Small Grants Program, giving grants to promote independent media and citizens’ access to information and to empower youth.
The United States supported several efforts to promote the rule of law and combat corruption and engaged the Government and President on the need to address the problem of corruption seriously. In 2005, the United States invited Moldova to submit a proposal for a Millennium Challenge Account Threshold Program, through which it may receive targeted assistance to combat corruption. The United States provided management expertise, technical assistance, and training opportunities to the Center for Combating Economic Crime and Corruption and the Prosecutor General’s Office to develop initiatives to fight corruption and increase the effectiveness of law enforcement anti-corruption and anti-trafficking efforts. With U.S. assistance, the Government developed and passed the so-called "Guillotine Law," which led to the elimination of 189 costly and obsolete regulations, thus reducing opportunities for corruption and making it easier to open and operate a business. This process was accompanied by a U.S.-supported public information campaign to raise citizens’ awareness of the limits of government authority and encourage them to fight back against official abuse and corruption. Other rule of law programs assisted legal institutions, judges, bar associations, students, and lawyers to strengthen the quality and awareness of legal education and legal reforms. A U.S.-funded criminal law program conducted training for judges on human rights and for the defense bar on advocacy skills.
The United States highlighted its concern for religious freedom, advocating throughout the year the registration of several religious organizations that have been unable to register for many years. The Ambassador raised concerns about persistent registration difficulties at the highest levels of the Government. In observance of Human Rights Day in December, the Ambassador highlighted religious freedom in an editorial placed in two national newspapers. The Embassy repeatedly raised concerns about certain religious groups encountering hindrances to the construction of houses of worship.
The Ambassador and other U.S. officials, including a U.S. congressional delegation, emphasized the importance of combating TIP. The United States successfully pushed for the passage of a comprehensive anti-trafficking law and the ratification of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. In September, through President Bush’s Anti-Trafficking Initiative, the United States signed an agreement with the Government to support the creation of an inter-agency Center for Combating Trafficking in Persons. The President’s initiative also includes support for the creation of a network of transitional living and educational facilities to reduce the vulnerability to TIP of orphanage and boarding school graduates and returned trafficking victims. The United States funded several programs to address the economic roots of TIP by improving access for actual and potential trafficking victims to counseling, job training, and legitimate employment opportunities. The United States continued to support the work of the Center for the Prevention of Trafficking in Women in providing victims legal assistance and counseling, legal representation, and help in replacing identity papers.
Russia The Russian Federation has a weak multiparty political system with a strong presidency, a government headed by a prime minister, and a bicameral legislature consisting of a lower house (State Duma) and an upper house (Federation Council). The most notable human rights development in 2005 was the continued centralization of power in the executive branch through changes in the parliamentary election laws and a move away from the direct election of regional governors. Government pressure continued to weaken freedom of expression and media independence, particularly of major national television networks, and further undermined the effectiveness of NGOs. Legislation passed by the Duma in December 2005 and signed into law by President Putin in January 2006 contained many elements that could severely hinder the work of NGOs in Russia. These trends, taken together with a compliant State Duma, corruption and selectivity in law enforcement, and political pressure on the judiciary, resulted in the further erosion of government accountability. The Government’s human rights record remained poor in Chechnya, where there were credible reports of serious human rights violations, including reports of unlawful killings and abuses of civilians by both federal security forces and Chechen Government security forces. Rebel fighters committed terrorist bombings and serious human rights abuses in the North Caucasus region. Authorities, primarily at the local level, imposed limitations on freedom of assembly. Minorities continued to experience widespread discrimination and racially and religiously motivated attacks. Trafficking in persons (TIP) remained a problem despite steps to combat it.
The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy in Russia focused on promoting democratic institutions and processes, a vibrant civil society, rule of law, human rights, independent media, and anti-trafficking measures. A range of senior U.S. officials, including the President, Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and the Ambassador, raised human rights and democracy concerns with their Russian counterparts. In May and November 2005 meetings with President Putin, President Bush raised a broad range of bilateral issues, including democracy and human rights concerns. In addition to meeting with government officials, the President and Secretary of State met with Russian civic leaders during their visit to Russia in May. In early 2006, the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor visited Moscow to discuss the NGO law with civil society, Duma, and government leaders.
To promote free and fair elections, the United States continued to provide programmatic and technical support to a Russian election watchdog organization, nonpartisan training for political parties, and training for mass media representatives on covering political issues and engaging with the public about the role of free media in an open, competitive political system. U.S.-funded organizations conducted non-partisan observation of several regional elections in Russia. NGO observers of the December 4 Moscow City legislative elections successfully ran an election day hotline that received calls from candidates, observers, and citizens. However, changes to electoral legislation passed during 2005 could prevent Russian NGOs from observing federal elections in future years. A U.S.-funded organization conducted polling to help political parties, civic organizations, and citizen groups be more responsive to the concerns of their constituents and foster greater citizen participation in the political process. The United States also supported training and development activities for Russian political parties committed to working peacefully within the democratic process to advocate legitimate citizen interests and seek responsible legislative representation, with a focus on strengthening links with constituents, promoting effective governance, and encouraging the participation of women and youth. With U.S. funding, NGOs trained observers to monitor the work of deputies in regional legislatures, with the goals of encouraging interaction between constituents and their elected officials and promoting good governance.
The Government continued efforts to manage civil society, including scrutiny of many foreign and domestic NGOs. U.S. officials raised concerns about the controversial NGO legislation and harassment of specific NGOs. To strengthen civil society, U.S. programs provided technical assist |
