1. Bulgarian Helsinski Committee Bulgarian Helsinski Committee

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

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

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

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

6. Activities Below you will find information about the current activities of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. For a more detailed description of the activities in the framework of the programs, and for past activities, please see the annual activity reports. Below you will find information about the current activities of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. For a more detailed description of the activities in the framework of the programs, and for past activities, please see the annual activity reports. The main spheres of activities of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee are: monitoring the human rights situation in Bulgaria in several priority fields, pro bono legal assistance to victims of human rights violations, raising public awareness to human rights problems, and training in international human rights standards and protection mechanisms. The activities of the BHC are implemented in the framework of four main programmes and one legal protection project, carried out in partnership with MDAC: The main spheres of activities of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee are: monitoring the human rights situation in Bulgaria in several priority fields, pro bono legal assistance to victims of human rights violations, raising public awareness to human rights problems, and training in international human rights standards and protection mechanisms. The activities of the BHC are implemented in the framework of four main programmes and one legal protection project, carried out in partnership with MDAC: Programme for Institutional Support of the BHC Programme for Institutional Support of the BHC Legal Defence Programme Legal Defence Programme Anti-discrimination Programme Anti-discrimination Programme Project "AdvocAcy and Litigation on Behalf of People with Mental Disabilities" Project "AdvocAcy and Litigation on Behalf of People with Mental Disabilities" The project is carried out together with Mental Disability Advocacy Center, Budapest The project is carried out together with Mental Disability Advocacy Center, Budapest Requests for legal aid Requests for legal aid Closed Institutions Programme Closed Institutions Programme Refugees and Migrants Legal Protection Programme Refugees and Migrants Legal Protection Programme Programme for Protection of the Rights of Children in Institutions Programme for Protection of the Rights of Children in Institutions

7. Activities On 18.12.2008 in SOU ``Bacho Kiro``-Pavlikeni we had a meeting with the chairman of The Bulgarian-Helsinki Community -Mr. Krasimir Kunev. Some students from 10th, 11th and 12th grade took part in the meeting. The meeting was one part of the activities done in the project ``Open mind for active civil position`` for the programme Comenius. During the meeting Mr. Kunev told the students about the work of Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and spoke about different cases of violated human rights. He explained how the organization which he represents defends people’s rights which were broke in front of the European Judge in Strasburg. He spoke about all Bulgarian and International documents which talk about freedom of thought, information and expression. In fact this is something which students and teachers from our school work on. The chairman of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, who is a lector of Philosophy at Sofia University, shared how the students are educated on the problems of human rights. At the end of the meeting the children understood that personal rights and freedom go hand in hand with responsibility, and if they want their rights to be preserved they have to respect the people around them and also to be tolerant of all people regardless of their sex, race, ethnicity, religion and etc. On 18.12.2008 in SOU ``Bacho Kiro``-Pavlikeni we had a meeting with the chairman of The Bulgarian-Helsinki Community -Mr. Krasimir Kunev. Some students from 10th, 11th and 12th grade took part in the meeting. The meeting was one part of the activities done in the project ``Open mind for active civil position`` for the programme Comenius. During the meeting Mr. Kunev told the students about the work of Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and spoke about different cases of violated human rights. He explained how the organization which he represents defends people’s rights which were broke in front of the European Judge in Strasburg. He spoke about all Bulgarian and International documents which talk about freedom of thought, information and expression. In fact this is something which students and teachers from our school work on. The chairman of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, who is a lector of Philosophy at Sofia University, shared how the students are educated on the problems of human rights. At the end of the meeting the children understood that personal rights and freedom go hand in hand with responsibility, and if they want their rights to be preserved they have to respect the people around them and also to be tolerant of all people regardless of their sex, race, ethnicity, religion and etc.

8. Activities