Military defence, oil and freedom of expression. How do these interests go together? This is the question for a seminar that the Norwegian Helsinki Committee will host on Wednesday 5 March at the Human Rights House in Oslo. The backdrop is that while Norway and the Russian Federation have developed close relations over their joint commercial interests in developing the Barents region, reports have been ticking in about violations of a broad spectre of human rights, but particularly of journalists´ rights. (25-FEB-08)

Based on the Norwegian Helsinki Committee´s own release, issued yesterday, this article has been written and prepared for publication here by HRH F / Niels Jacob Harbitz.

Under Putin´s reign, coming to an official end this week, the Russian Federation has experienced financial growth, and cross-border trade and co-operation with Norway in the Barents region has increased tremendously. Simultaneously, the world has learnt about a steadily increasing number of violations of human rights in general, and the right to freedom of expression in particular. Similarly, the rule of law has been undermined, and journalists have emerged as particularly at risk of being victimised.

Reports about such developments in the Russian Federation more often than not refer to Moscow and the Caucasus region, though. Hence, the forthcoming seminar asks: How are the spill-over effects of these tendencies felt in the far northwest of Russia? Is it all about fish, oil and strategic military interests up there? And regardless of this – how do the working conditions for journalists in this region compare to the rest of Russia?

Elena Larioanova leads the organisation Barents Press. At the seminar, lasting from 14:15 to 16:00 hrs, she will speak on what it is like to be a journalist in today´s the Russian Federation, with particular emphasis on the challenges faced while working in the Barents region. The seminar is part of a tour for 20 journalists from the region who will all be present. It thus presents the audience with a unique opportunity to establish contacts with media professionals from Murmansk and its surrounds. The journalists are in Oslo from 3 to 7 March.

For further information, contact Enver Djuliman at djuliman@nhc.no or cell phone no.: +47 905 59 202.