A/HRC/43/51/Add.3 EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA REGION 489. During the present reporting period the Special Rapporteur sent 32 communications to 19 countries in the Europe and Central Asia region. He takes note of the response rate of 87.5% for the region, a significant increase on last year. The Special Rapporteur commends the high response rate to the communications sent during this reporting period and looks forward to receiving the responses to the outstanding communications. 490. Human rights defenders in Europe and Central Asia faced a diversity of challenges in this reporting period, however the Special Rapporteur notes worrying trends across the region to place restrictions on civil society. Human rights defenders increasingly found their legitimacy challenged by the authorities, as they found it more difficult to carry out their work within the confines of national law. The Rapporteur is concerned that this tendency forms part of the global trend of shrinking civic space, limiting the scope for human rights defenders to carry out their work 491. The Special Rapporteur received concerning reports of criminalisation, arbitrary arrest and judicial harassment of human rights defenders while undertaking their legitimate activities. This is illustrated by communications sent to Belarus, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Kingdom. Travel restrictions appear to have also been imposed on defenders in Greece, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey. These actions may have a chilling effect on those working on the promotion and protection of human rights. 492. Another concern relates to the development and implementation of policies and laws in some countries in the region that threaten the work of civil society organisations and establish restrictions on the legitimate activities of human rights defenders. New or existing legal frameworks appear to target non-governmental organisations by imposing disproportionate reporting requirements and/or restricting their access to foregin funding, as illustrated in the communications sent Russia. In some countries in the region, the misapplication of overly broad anti-terrorism legislation to human rights defenders remains an issue of concern. 493. The Special Rapporteur also received allegations of excessive use of force or threats and intimidations during demonstrations, including against journalists documenting protests, as illustrated in letters sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina, France and Georgia. 494. The Special Rapporteur continues to express concern regarding the intensification of the climate of hostility and xenophobia against migrants in the region, and the failure of several governments to meet their responsibilities towards them. He reiterates his concerns expressed in previous years for the situation of migrant rights defenders, as illustrated in communications sent to Cyprus, Italy and Spain. Those who provide vital support to migrants at sea through search and rescue operations, as well as those who seek to protect the rights of recent immigrants, saw their work continue to be criminalised. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that such measures may deter humanitarian organisations from continuing their work rescuing and supporting migrants. 495. Human rights defenders working on sexual orientation and gender identity issues are facing increasing challenges to the legitimisation of their work in several countries within the region, particularly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This is illustrated by the communications sent to Armenia, Georgia and Kazakhstan. The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned about the discriminatory restrictions on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association and freedom of expression of LGBTI rights defenders, as well as the threats and intimidation they are facing, which appear to be linked to their human rights advocacy as well as their sexual and gender identities. In this context, he would like to stress that States are encouraged to ensure the protection of defenders who are at greater risk of facing certain forms of violence and discrimination because they are perceived as questioning accepted sociocultural norms, traditions, perceptions and stereotypes, especially gender stereotypes. 496. The Special Rapporteur is further concerned about the deteriorating situation for environmental human rights defenders particularly in Eastern Europe. As illustrated in the communications sent to Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Russia, the violations they 69