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The 2012 Rafto Prize is awarded to Nigerian Nnimmo Bassey, 54, in recognition of his long-term fight for people’s right to life, health, food and water in a world affected by complex and threatening climate change and mass environmental destruction. Through his rights-based work and criticism of prevailing systems, Bassey has shown how human rights can help mitigate the effects of these changes.

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee expresses genuine support and solidarity for Belgrade Pride Parade and Pride Week 2012 and condemns the decision by the Serbian authorities to ban Belgrade Pride 2012.

ARTICLE 19 welcomes the draft UN Resolution on the Safety of Journalists and adoption of a new resolution on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. The organisation also asks UN HRC to reject the draft resolution on “traditional values” as it may silence dissent and violate people’s human rights.

On 23 September parliamentary elections were held in Belarus. No representative of the opposition got to the Parliament, and the electoral process raised a lot of questions among the observers, politicians and civil activists.

On 11 September 2012, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on alleged transportation and illegal detention of prisoners in European countries by the CIA. The draft of the resolution was prepared by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Hélène Flautre was the Committee’s Rapporteur.

In cooperation with local activists, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee has submitted an alternative report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s (CEDAW) 53 Session on 11 October, where Turkmenistan will be heard in Geneva.

Civil society representatives launching the fifth annual report on the right to food and nutrition state that it is impossible to combat the causes of hunger while keeping existing power relations untouched. The tendency for exclusion from economic and political decision-making goes hand in hand with incidence of hunger and malnutrition.

The Ministry of National Defence has announced its plans to purchase unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs, also known as “drones”) to be used by an independent combat unit. The MND stresses that its intention is to properly adapt the military potential of the Polish army to the type and scale of today’s security threats.

We salut you and will celebrate your 50th birthday with a strong and unison message: Release Ales Bialiatski and the 12 other political prisoners in Belarus immediately and unconditionally!