BULGARIA: High rates of abortions. It is estimated that annually there are over 40.000 abortions performed in Bulgaria – a country with a population of about 7.5 million. In comparison, in neighbouring Romania, which is nearly three times larger than Bulgaria, fewer than 18 000 abortions were performed last year. The increased number of terminations of pregnancies in the country might be ascribed to the low rates of modern contraceptives use. Bulgarian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology estimates that only one fifth of women use any method of family planning.
Source: Sofia Echo 26/09/2007        

HUNGARY: The country’s population is shrinking faster than ever. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) informed that country’s population has dropped between January and June 2007 in comparison with the same period a year earlier. At the moment the population amounts to 10,055,000. The first half of the year resulted in 46,718 live births and 67,138 deaths. It is highlighted that the rate of live births has dropped by 3.1 percent (1500). Simultaneously, there is also a decline in the number of marriages, reaching even 7 percent in comparison with previous years.

Source: Hungarian News Agency 27/08/2007.

POLAND: Strasbourg rejected Polish government’s appeal regarding the case of Alicja Tysiac. On 24 September the European Court for Human Rights adopted the final decision regarding the case of Alicja Tysiac v Poland. The Court rejected the appeal of the Polish Government and by doing so sustained its own decision of March 20th according to which Alicja Tysiac's right to privacy has been violated in Poland. The Court admitted that the State failed to secure her right to legal abortion to which she was entitled under present anti-abortion law. 

"I'd like to express our great satisfaction that Alicja Tysiac finally won. Although we not only hoped but also expected such a decision, because for us it was clear that her right has been violated, taking into account great arrogance of the Polish Government and inability to admit the failure on their part as well as numerous personal attacks on Alicja, we were looking forward to the final decision. I hope that now the Polish Government accepts the decision of the ECHR and without further delay will start implementing the Court's decision" - said Wanda Nowicka the President of the Polish Federation for Women and Family Planning.

Alicja Tysiac is very happy for the decision and would like to thank all the organizations which helped her with her case.

More info about the case can be found in the press release of the ECHR of March 20th.

http://www.federa.org.pl/Informacje/Ali/pressreleaseETPC.mht 

POLAND: The President frustrates Europe by supporting the restoration of the death penalty. Poland as the only member state of the European Union presented a veto against the European Commission’s initiative to establish the European Day Against Death Penalty and to issue a joint resolution condemning capital punishment. The European Commission’s proposal is strongly supported by the Council of Europe, where decisions are made by a simple majority, so thr Polish voice on the issue can be easily disregarded. It is more problematic for the European Union which needs unanimity in that case. The European Parliament has called upon the Polish government, which will be elected in October 2007, to rethink the country’s position on capital punishment. It has also reminded that the European Day Against Death Penalty reflects fundamental values of the Union. It also needs to be highlighted that Poland is among five other EU members states that did not ratify Protocol XIII to the European Convention on Human Rights.   

ROMANIA: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Soros Foundations researches reflect upshots of Ceausescu’s Decree 770. Christian Mungiu’s movie “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,”  which was recently recognized at the Cannes Fim Festival, depicts the drama of young woman seeking clandestine abortion during communism under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu. The movie revived bad reminiscences and experiences of Romanian women. It also drew the attention of experts who still attempt to evaluate the bleak past. Ceausescu introduced ba an on abortion – notorious decree 770 – and effectively discouraged Romanians from using contraceptives by negative propaganda and limiting access to family planning. Communists taught Romanians that contraceptives are unreliable, harmful for health and are used only by perverted individuals. There is evidence that these teachings are still alive, especially among middle-aged Romanians who remmber communist times. For example, the misconception that abortion is the only reliable method of family planning is lingering. The abortion rates are especially high. According to UNDP and Soros Foundation studies, half of Romanian women have undergone at least one termination of pregnancy. Furthermore, as many as 15 percent have had five abortions. Most of the women who had abortions are over 35 years old. Nevertheless, the young generation’s sexual behaviour patterns also leave a lot to be desired.  UNDP found out that Romanian youths are less likely to trust contraceptives than their foreign counterparts. It turns out that 30 percent of young people aged 18 – 24 did not use any method of family planning. The urgent need for reliable, scientifically based and comprehensive sexuality education is more than obvious. Soros Foundation’s study indicates that 20 percent of Romanian population is not able to name any birth-control method. Three quarters of those respondents who had no idea about contraception were over 45 years old.               

Source: Irish Times 28/09/2007 

SLOVAKIA: Notorious anti-choice campaign. Organized by two non-governmental religious fundamentalist organizations – Bio-ethic Reform and Pastor Bonus – the campaign called “Right to Life” consists mainly of billboards that flooded Slovakian public transport. About 500 billboards and 100 posters depict mutilated eleven-week-old fetuses in the palm of an adult. These shocking images that are meant to equalize termination of pregnancy with genocide – as the organizers claim – raised strong protest among the society and the Slovakian Council of Advertising (RPR). It is believed that the campaign was funded by some rich Slovakian businessman who prefers to remain anonymous. The organizers stated that the primary objective of the campaign was to provoke debate on existing Act on Abortion in Slovakia, which as they believe should be amended, in other words restricted. This anti-choice movement has been reprimanded by the RPR that found the billboards unethical, especially because those dreadful images are visible to minors. Furthermore, they must be very painful for women who have experienced miscarriages. RPR concluded that it did not want to interfere with freedom of speech but these particular posters are beyond any shadow of a doubt inappropriate and unacceptable. Furthermore, civil society representatives have filed lawsuit against the campaign organizers highlighting that they had violated the Act on Family and the Civic Code. Nevertheless, it seems that the Right to Life campaign stays in accordance with the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) political party initiative that suggest that existing abortion law goes against the Constitution. The Constitutional Court is to rule on it by the end of December 2007. The current law allows abortion on wish until the 12^th week of pregnancy. The termination is also eligible with no time restrictions if the woman’s life is in danger. According to official data, there were 14,243 pregnancies terminated in 2006.              

Source: The Slovak Spectator 23/09/2007 

RUSSIAN FEDERATION: HIV/AIDS Center in Grozny launched. This can be perceived as a milestone since conservative culture of Chechnya does not allow the society to discuss the HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as drug addiction, which is an especially burning problem in the republic. Moreover, people living with the disease suffer from stigma but finally, the first HIV/AIDS center has been established to serve them. The republic’s official ultimately responded to the growing HIV/AIDS pandemic. In Chechnya, there are almost 720 HIV-positive individuals as official data indicates. Of course the actual scope of the epidemic remains unknown. Although the Center is designed to primarily serve people living with HIV/AIDS it will deal with prevention and voluntary testing as well. The official ceremony of the inauguration took place on 1^st of August.

Sources: Reuters 01/08/2007; Kaiser 03/08/2007