Macedonian Helsinki Committee
The Macedonian Helsinki Committee (MHC) is an organisation working for the promotion and greater protection of human rights, as well as the enhancement of democratic order in Macedonia. The MHC monitors the human rights situation in Macedonia, provides legal assistance and counselling to citizens in cases of violation or restriction of rights and freedoms, and conducts human rights education and campaigns. Gordan Kalajdziev is a professor in the Criminal Law Department at the Iustinianus Primus Faculty of Law in Skopje and the President of the MHC.
Human rights defenders (HRDs) in Macedonia are facing physical attacks, threats, verbal assaults and stigmatisation. Both state media and pro-governmental organisations carry out malicious defamation campaigns which damage the lelgitimate work of, and give rise to a negative perception of, HRDs among the public. HRDs are branded as ‘state enemies’ because of their reporting on state violations of human rights law, especially when they address issues related to corruption, civil and political rights, notably in areas formerly affected by the conflict. Defenders working on minority issues, such as ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity are at particular risk, as are HRDs working in remote areas outside of the capital city.
