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March brought nothing new to the grey side of art. Artists around the world were censored mostly because of politics, sexual content and religion. A new “Artist alert” published by free speech and human rights organisation Article 19 highlights cases in the Middle East region, Western Europe, USA and China.

Amnesty International together with some 270 other non governmental organizations across Europe, among them the Human Rights House Foundation, has signed a petition opposing the imposition of fees on applicants seeking justice in the European Court of Human Rights. After an inter-governmental conference examining proposed reforms to the Court. European Amnesty International said leaders must protect the independence and integrity of the Court.

The Belarusian Ministry of Information sues two major independent newspapers in the country – “Nasha Niva” and “Narodnaya Volya” – in order to shut them down. Voicing their protest, the members of the Belarusian Association of Journalists promise to “do all in [their] power for Belarus not to lose these voices of liberty, that are symbolic for the whole nation”.

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) has announced its annual report and made a statement on democratic setbacks in Azerbaijan, Belarus and Russia. The new report focuses on 2010 events in Belarus, Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus countries and development of human rights internationally.

The Ugandan police and army continues its brutal handling of mass protests against rising food and fuel prices. Ugandan authorities have also cracked down on social and independent media. A coalition of CSOs protests the way freedoms and rights of Ugandans are violated.

Міністэрства інфармацыі Беларусі падала пазовы ў суд аб спыненні выпуску двух асноўных незалежных выданняў краіны – “Нашай Нівы” і “Народнай Волі”. Пратэстуючы супраць магчымага зачынення газет, прадстаўнікі Беларускай асацыяцыі журналістаў паабяцалі “зрабіць усё магчымае, каб Беларусь не страціла гэтыя свабодныя галасы, якія шмат у чым з’яўляюцца знакавымі для ўсёй нацыі”.

For the first time in the history of independent Belarus, the traditional “Chernobyl rally” did not happen on 26 April. The event to commemorate the victims of the worst ever nuclear disaster was prohibited by the authorities. In an atmosphere of fear and repression, nobody dared to exercise their freedom of assembly without permission, although the nuclear energy issue has once again become important in Belarus.

On April 26 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered a judgment on the case of Enukidze and Girgvliani v. Georgia (application no. 25091/07). According to the press release issued by the ECHR, Georgian authorities did not investigate effectively the kidnapping and killing of 28-year old man.

Упершыню ў гісторыі незалежнай Беларусі 26 красавіка не адбылося шэсце, прымеркаванае да гадавіны Чарнобыльскай катастрофы, якая балюча адбілася на беларускім народзе. Традыцыйнае мерапрыемства апазіцыі забаранілі ўлады. У атмасферы рэпрэсій і страху ніхто не рашыўся ладзіць шэсце без дазволу, хаця пытанне атамнай энергетыкі для Беларусі – актуальнае як ніколі.