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The world’s worst online oppressors are using an array of tactics, some reflecting astonishing levels of sophistication, others reminiscent of old-school techniques. All online oppressors are nations with long records of repression but now they have swiftly adapted old strategies to the online world, a new special report by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says.

Free speech, media and information flows increasingly ignore and elude physical frontiers or national boundaries. Many governments, fearful of this lack of control, are trying hard to restore or fortify barriers to trace, block, target and censor those who champion the truth.

The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan (IPGA) condemns the 4 May 2011 conviction of youth activist Jabbar Savalan, who was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment on politically motivated charges of drug possession.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights appealed to the General Prosecutor in the case of two journalists of Gazeta Giełda Parkiet newspaper. The intervention concerns investigation conducted by the District Prosecutor in Warsaw in the case of two former journalists of Gazeta Giełda Parkiet newspaper. The prosecutor ordered the Presspublica Company, a publisher of Gazeta, to secure and deliver data from email accounts of these journalists.

Нягледзячы на міжнародную крытыку, у Беларусі працягваюць выносіць жорсткія прысуды ўдзельнікам акцыі пратэсту, што адбылася пасля прэзідэнцкіх выбараў 19 снежня 2010 году і выганяюць з краіны прадстаўнікоў Міжнароднай назіральнай місіі. На фоне пагрозы закрыцця незалежных газет міліцыя ўваходзіць у смак поўнай беспакаранасці.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights appealed to the Chairman of the Sport Main Commission of the Polish Speedway Association. According to press reports of March 2011, women still meet difficulties in access to speedway trainings and championships. Two years ago the regulations were altered to allow women to compete in all forms of speedway. Therefore, the Foundation appealed for actions promoting the principle of equality.

On May 3 the twentieth anniversary of the press freedom day was celebrated around the world. According to Freedom House’s Freedom of Press index, Georgia is still “partly free.” Human Rights House Tbilisi and its member organizations dedicated different events to the press freedom day: flash mob action with people holding the newspapers upside down in front of the Parliament and a film and subsequent discussion at the Human Rights House Tbilisi.

The Jury of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA), meeting in Geneva, has selected Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, right, as the Laureate for 2011 for her work for LGBT rights and marginalised people in Uganda.

Confrontation between groups of students at Tbilisi State University took place on April 15 at a presentation held by the initiative group “Translate”, which was followed in the next few days by physical and verbal abuse. The victims claim that they were physically assaulted because of the criticism they leveled at the university administration and the body of student self-government at the university. The students’ self-government denies any kind of connection with the incident and says that the incident took place on a private basis. The confrontation between these two sides now continues online over social networking sites.