Latest

Nobel Peace Prize Nominee publisher Ragıp Zarakolu was arrested by Turkish police last year after being accused of membership of an illegal organisation under Turkish anti-terror legislation. R. Zarakolu has been held on pre-trial detention for 135 days in a high-security prison, Koaceli, 80 kilometres east of Istanbul. His detention and that of many others symbolizes the current fall of Turkey in international freedom of expression rankings.

On 17 December 2010 Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after the police had denied him the permission to sell food on the street. This incident set off a series of uprisings throughout Middle East. In certain countries, like Bahrain, we have seen an end to the demonstrations without significant political change. However, in other countries, we know that previous regimes have been removed from power, and that new governments are taking shape. This is – in different ways – the case in Tunisia and in Egypt. These regime changes have led to an international discussion about debt cancellation

The Court of Appeal in Poznań ruled that the request to leave a Poznań restaurant which had been directed to a Roma guest had been discriminatory. The Court held that the owner of the club Cuba Libre had acted unlawfully. The incident took place on 10 December 2010. On that day the claimant, Adam G. and three other people went to the Cuba Libre restaurant.

The current state of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan is alarming, as the cycle of violence against journalists and impunity for their attackers continues; journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and political and civic activists face increasing pressure, harassment and interference from the authorities.

Belarusian political activist Siarhei Kavalenka (right) continues hunger strike in Minsk Republican Prison Hospital, despite his poor state of health: his weight is now about 50 kilograms. The prison hospital administration makes attempts to forcibly stop hunger strike.

Сяргей Каваленка (на фота) працягвае галадоўку ў Мінскім рэспубліканскім турэмным шпіталі, хоць і вельмі слабы, яго вага зараз складае каля 50 кілаграмаў. Адміністрацыя турэмнага шпіталя робіць захады па прымусовым вывадзе вязня з галадоўкі.

Last week police officers in Kenya assaulted three reporters and detained one. This week Ugandan police attacked two journalists in separate incidents outside of police stations. Journalist community says the impunity in Eastern Africa must come to an end.

The case pending before the District Court in Rzeszów concerns the legality of surrendering the wanted M.D. to the Republic of Turkey. The individual is a Turkish Kurd. In 1996 he was sentenced to harsh life imprisonment by the State Security Court in Izmir. Further, upon the abolishment of the State Security Courts, his sentence was changed to a term of imprisonment which was subsequently upheld by the Turkish Supreme Court.

The dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on torture at the Human Rights Council once again underlined that States have an obligation to combat torture and to take concrete acts to prevent ill-treatment and torture. , the Human Rights House Foundation expresses its concerns about torture in Armenia and Belarus.