– having regard to the statements by its President of 12 April 2011 on the death of two Bahraini civil activists and of 28 April 2011 condemning the death sentences passed on four Bahrainis for participating in peaceful pro-democracy protests,

support for, protection of, and assistance to human rights defenders, including addressing their urgent protection needs, in accordance with Article 1 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders; these objectives, including longer-term assistance and access to shelter, could be covered by a human rights defenders mechanism;

In this regard, civil society is to be understood as spanning all types of social actions by individuals or groups that are independent from the state and whose activities help to promote human rights and democracy, including human rights defenders as defined by the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (‘Declaration on Human Rights Defenders’).

whereas the situation of human rights defenders in the North Caucasus region, particularly in the Chechen Republic, Ingushetia and Dagestan, is alarming; whereas independent journalists, civil society activists, lawyers and human rights defenders in the region have often been the victims of threats and acts of violence, harassment and intimidation and their activities have been restricted by members of law-enforcement bodies; whereas the perpetrators of human rights violations continue to enjoy impunity and the rule of law continues to be flouted; whereas the civilian population remains subject to violence from both armed o ...[+++]pposition groups and law-enforcement bodies; whereas torture and ill-treatment and arbitrary detention are common; and whereas NGOs which are independent of national governments are important for the development of civil society,

Asks the Council and the Member States to consider urgently the matter of emergency visas for human rights defenders by including a clear reference to the specific situation of human rights defenders in the new Common Code on Visas and thus creating a specific and accelerated visa procedure which could draw on the experience of the Irish and Spanish governments in this matter; considers that the confidentiality of European Union demarches in favour of human rights defenders is sometimes useful but asks that, despite this confidentiality, European Union local staff should always inform NGOs on the ground about such demarches in a confide ...[+++]ntial manner;

Emphasises once again the importance of making the handbook for the implementation of the Guidelines available to human rights defenders on the ground; encourages COHOM to disseminate translations of the European Union Guidelines for Human Rights Defenders in European Union languages that are the lingua franca in third countries and in key non-European Union languages amongst regional desks and embassies/delegations; welcomes the fact that, so far, translations are available in languages such as Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Farsi but stresses that more translations need to be produced locally; urges European Union Member States to sim ...[+++]plify the issue of visas to human rights defenders who are invited to attend events organised within the European Union or who are fleeing worsening security conditions;