http://humanrightshouse.orgenHuman Rights House Foundationniels.jacob@humanrightshouse.org (Niels Jacob Harbitz)Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:03:02 GMTTue, 07 Sep 2010 20:03:14 GMTNoop 2.360http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/15005http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/15005.htmlThe “International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan” launched a three-day freedom of expression mission to Azerbaijan on 7 September, during which ten international nongovernmental organisations will highlight their serious concerns regarding the freedom of expression situation in the country, which has been unfolding with little attention from the international media spotlight.Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:03:02 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14976http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14976.htmlAleh Byabenin, right, one of Belarus’s leading journalists and human rights activists, and among the founders and leaders of charter97.org website, has found dead in his summer cottage not far from Minsk. Contrary to suggestions that Byabenin must have committed suicide, no suicide note was found and no other possible indicators suggest the same.Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:09:58 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14952http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14952.htmlOn 3 August, Iranian journalist Badressadat Mofidi, right, was sentenced to six years in prison by Branch 26 of Iran's Revolutionary Court. Mofidi was formerly the secretary-general of the Association of Iranian Journalists in Tehran, an organization that was established by prominent journalists in 1997 and shut down by the authorities in 2009.Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:26:36 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14910http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14910.htmlIn an encouraging ruling last week, the Basmanny District Court in Moscow ordered that two suspects in the January 2009 double murder of Novaya Gazeta reporter Anastasiya Baburova and human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov be kept in custody pending trial.Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:12:31 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14928http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14928.htmlThe National Press Club has announced the recipients of the 2010 John Aubuchon Freedom of the Press Award, which is given each year to individuals who have contributed to the cause of press freedom and open government. This year, the international recipient is Iranian blogger Kouhyar Goudarzi, who is being held in notorious Tehran's Evin Prison.Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:33:00 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14878http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14878.htmlEmin Milli and Adnan Hajizade, two video bloggers from Azerbaijan were taken into police custody on 8 July, 2009 on “hooliganism”. On 19 August this year, the Azerbaijani Supreme Court upheld the lower courts' rulings, which convicted Milli and Hajizade of hooliganism and sentenced them to two and a half years and two years of imprisonment respectively. Article 19 believes that the two were targeted for expressing opinions critical of the Azerbaijani authorities.Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:23:22 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14869http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14869.htmlThere is an increasing harassment of the Belarusian press in the run-up to the presidential election that has been scheduled for next spring. What with the information ministry’s repeated warnings, police raids, tax inspections and the country’s new media law, press freedom is now severely compromised in Belarus.Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:07:05 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14852http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14852.htmlThe Burmese military government announced on 13 August 2010 that general elections are to be held on 7 November of this year, just days before Aung San Suu Kyi’s current terms of house arrest comes to an end. In a report to the UN Human Rights Council human rights organisation Article 19 outlines concerns around the elections, and other gross violations of the right to freedom of expression in the country.Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:08:16 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14844http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14844.htmlIn a letter addressed to the two Ambassadors responsible for coordinating the UN High Level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), seven international transparency organisations are calling for a stronger commitment to, and effective implementation of, transparency and the free flow of information in the fight against poverty.Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:37:18 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14815http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14815.htmlDissident Yu Jie is ignoring threats of prison to publish a book describing Premier Wen Jiabao as “China’s best actor”. The 36-year-old Chinese dissident and writer is about to risk his freedom by publishing an explosive new title outing China’s cuddly premier, Wen Jiabao, as an authoritarian hard-liner behind the scenes.Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:45:32 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14807http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14807.htmlAccording to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) the Iranian human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei is in Turkey. According to some reports Mohammad Mostafaei might be applying for asylum. Unable to arrest Mohammad Mostafaei, Iranian officials detained his wife, brother-in-law, who remain in detention without charges.Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:08:28 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14779http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14779.htmlInternet censorship is alive in Turkey, with at least 5000 websites currently being blocked within the country. On 17 July 2010 about 2,000 protestors marched against Internet censorship in Istanbul in Turkey chanting slogans against Transport and Communications Minister Binali Yıldırım, Internet censorship, and especially against Law No 5651.Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:28:27 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14754http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14754.htmlRagip Zarakolu, publisher and free expression activist, is on trial again for publishing another book by author Mehmet Güler. Both Zarakolu and Güiler are accused under the Anti Terror Law for Güler's The KCK File/The Global State and Kurds Without a State. Zarakolu was acquitted last month for publishing another book by Güler, More Difficult Decisions Than Death, for which the author received a 15 months sentence.Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:22:42 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14718http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14718.htmlBritish author Alan Shadrake was arrested in Singapore on 18 July for writing a book critical of the city state’s use of the death sentence. He was released on a bail on 20 July. If found guilty of criminal defamation, Shadrake could face up to two years in prison and a large fine.Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:38:00 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14695http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14695.htmlOn 15 July 2009, Natalia Estemirova, a representative of the Memorial Human Rights Centre in Grozny, was abducted and murdered. On the anniversary of her death ARTICLE 19 and other human rights organizations commemorated her work and reiterated calls for bringing perpetrators to justice. But despite the Kremlin's pledge to punish her killers, there has been no prosecution so far.Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:57:50 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14602http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14602.htmlThe Azerbaijani authorities ignore pressure from the international community. Most recently, few days after the visit to Azerbaijan of United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the editor Eynulla Fatullaeyv has been sentenced to 2,5 years imprisonment despite appeals from the United Nations and the Council of Europe.Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:55:37 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14654http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14654.htmlTwo Russian art curators, Andrei Yerofeev and Yuri Samodurov, who staged an exhibition titled Forbidden Art 2006 featuring censored Soviet and post-Soviet art works, were convicted on 12 July by a Moscow court for "inciting hatred or enmity" and "denigration of human dignity.” Human rights organisation Article 19 condemns the fines the two men received as an outright attack on the right to freedom of expression.Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:53:11 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14618http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14618.htmlFreedom of expression is not less important than freedom of “expression” as artist understand it. In June 2010 some movies and cartoons faced state’s censorship in Japan, Jordan and Malaysia. In Germany Jewish street dancers were attacked and in Pakistan music market was bombes for selling western video and music products. Find out more highlighted cases of artists around the world whose right to freedom of expression has been curtailed and abused.Sun, 11 Jul 2010 10:22:40 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14581http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14581.htmlAfter the recent execution of four Kurdish political prisoners on charges of moharabeh’ (enmity against God), human rights organisation Article 19 is very concerned that the execution of Zeinab Jalalian and 15 other Kurdish political prisoners convicted of the same charge is imminent.Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:00:35 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14552http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14552.htmlOn 1 July a group of journalists, artists and campaigners gathered outside the embassy of Belarus in London to express their dissatisfaction with recent measures taken by the Belarusian regime to increase censorship in the internet. Presidential decree that went into force on 1 July in Belarus allows the monitoring of all national internet usage and empowers the authorities to block websites that provide information from independent sources.Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:13:11 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14537http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14537.htmlOn 24 June, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted Resolution on the functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan. Article 19, the Human Rights House Foundation, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee welcome the adoption of the resolution and call upon the Azerbaijani government to implement the recommendations contained in the resolution.Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:47:38 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14512http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14512.htmlHuman rights organisation Article 19 welcomes the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s (PACE) adoption of a resolution and recommendation on legal remedies for human rights violations in the North Caucasus. Article 19 urges the Russian government to address the violations and to adopt comprehensive measures, specifically relating to the right to freedom of expressionSun, 27 Jun 2010 19:33:40 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14497http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14497.htmlEnglish PEN’s Honorary Member, publisher and human rights activist Ragip Zarakolu who has been subject to harassment, trials and periods of imprisonment since the 1970s, was acquitted at a hearing on 10 June. On trial in Turkey since May 2009, Zarakolu was facing a prison sentence of more than seven years for publishing the novel More difficult Decisions than Death written by N. Mehmet Güler.Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:34:11 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14441http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14441.htmlThe twelfth of June is the anniversary of the disputed Iranian presidential election. The ensuing events of last summer challenged assumptions about the political impact of the media, especially the internet, on Iranian society. Mahmood Enayat is a doctoral student at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, presents his thoughts about the role of internet in Iran today.Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:17:27 GMThttp://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/14410http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/14410.htmlQuotes costs Turkish journalist prison sentence. A court in Istanbul has sentenced journalist Irfan Aktan to 15 months in prison for his article “Weather Forecast in the Region and in Kandil: There Can be No Solution without a Struggle” published in the bi-monthly journal Express.Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:20:48 GMT