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Detentions, interrogations, trials – the journalists keep being oppressed in Belarus. The authorities shut down popular FM-station for contrived reasons. Not only the local journalists, but the foreign ones are at risk too. Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) expressed its deep concern for the situation and released a statement to condemn the growing pressure on journalists.

A Tibetan writer and activist monk, Lhaden, released his book in Tibet titled “Words Uttered With Life On Risk” this month timed at the third anniversary of 2008 Mass Uprising in Tibet and the ongoing 16th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee calls for the investigation of alleged crimes related to the 21 January 2011 demonstrations in Albania, to respect the independence of the country’s General Prosecutor and for steps to be taken to ensure transparency and real and perceived fairness of the 8 May local elections.

Затрыманні, допыты, суды – у Беларусі працягваецца ціск на незалежныя СМІ. Беларуская асацыяцыя журналістаў выказала сваю занепакоенасць сітуацыяй і распаўсюдзіла заяву з нагоды ўзмацнення ціску на журналістаў. Па надуманых падставах улады спынілі трансляцыі папулярнай FM-станцыі. Пад прыцэл трапляюць не толькі журналісты мясцовых, але і замежных СМІ.

In March, 2011, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal found that the introduction of martial law in Poland in December 1981 was contradictory to the Constitution. Martial law was introduced by the authoritarian government of the Polish People’s Republic in attempt to crush political opposition to the government. The Constitutional Tribunal pointed out that the introductory decrees of martial law were promulgated by an unauthorized entity.

In February 2011 the Polish Ministry of Health presented its statement regarding the report “Monitoring of protection the patients’ rights and access to stationary treatment of addiction to drugs” published by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.The Ministry of Health emphasized that the Helsinki Foundation’s for Human Rights report is a significant contribution to appropriate recognition of current patients’ rights protection.

Fifty-three percent of the Georgian population is made up of women. However, very few of them hold decision-making roles within the various governmental bodies in Georgia. Since the beginning of Georgia’s independence, participation by women in parliament has been very low. Historically speaking, 2008 marked the lowest representation by women in the Georgian Parliament on record. By looking at the results from previous elections, the dynamics of women’s representation in parliament does not provide much basis for optimism. In 1992, only 5% of parliament consisted of women; in 1995 – 5.8 %; 1999 – 6.8 % and in 2004 – 9.3%.

An opposition youth activist and columnist Seymur Khaziyev (right) says he was abducted and beaten up over the weekend in an attack he linked to his opposition activities. International freedom of expression and human rights organisations condemn the 26 March 2011 abduction and beating of Khaziyev.

Bishop Raúl Vera, the 2010 Rafto Prize laureate, proposed on 10 March in Mexico that a temporary visa for migrants who travel through the country be established, as part of the revision of state’s migration law. The purpose of such a visa should be to make the several hundred thousand migrants passing through the country each year less vulnerable to assault.