Latest

Romania needs a moral awakening, the 1989 Rafto laureate Doina Cornea tells Norwegian activists. Doina Cornea (81) was awarded the Rafto Prize in 1989 for her work as a dissident during the communist regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu. Today she sadly speaks about youth’s moral decay, corruption and dirty politics in her country.

The government of Republic of Kazakhstan has failed to fulfil their commitment to improve the situation for journalists and media before their chairmanship of the OSCE ends. Article 19 and Adil Soz is concerned that they have failed to promote democracy or enhance freedom of expression during their chairmanship.

As the election campaign is gathering pace, the authorities are doing everything to create an appearance of freedom and equality for all candidates. Ten contenders for the main office were all registered without problems. However, looking closely, it becomes clear that the liberalization is strictly controlled by the authorities, and the equal opportunity is no more than an elaborate farce.

With Georgia’s ‘State Strategy on Occupied Territories: Engagement through Cooperation,’ the government has adopted new modalities for conducting activities in the occupied territories. Both Georgian civil society and international organizations have received the strategy critically, saying that the new restrictions the Georgian government has placed on their work in Abkhazia and South Ossetia will destroy the small amount of trust that has been built up between the conflicting sides.

Representatives from four international non-governmental organisations, including Human Rights House Foundation, undertake a joint advocacy mission on 30 November – 2 December to the Council of Europe during the Ministers’ Deputies meeting to raise their serious concerns regarding the Azerbaijani government’s non-compliance with the European Court’s ruling in Fatullayev’s case.

Norway must take the opportunity to address significant contradictions in the Republic of Kazakhstan chairmanship at the Summit, says Bjørn Engesland, Secretary General of Norwegian Helsinki Committee. We should not allow a well-polished façade to blur the fact that Republic of Kazakhstan has been using this chairmanship to get international acceptance of their poor human rights record.

Перадвыбарная кампанія набірае ход. Улады краіны робяць усё, каб стварыць імідж свабоды і роўнасці магчымасцяў кандыдатаў. Гэтым разам прэтэндэнтаў на галоўную пасаду – аж 10, усе яны былі без праблем зарэгістраваныя. Але калі прыгледзецца, становіцца зразумела, што свабода і лібералізацыя – строга падкантрольныя ўладам, а роўныя магчымасці – не больш за фарс.

For several years now, public opinion in the Republic of Poland has been confronted with unlawful use of operational techniques by special services. The matter was publicized especially with respect to surveillance of the media representatives. Contradicting basic principles of democracy, including freedom of the media, the matter has become of great concern to the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.

The Equality March entitled “Equal rights are not the privileges”, being a part of 7th Day of Equality and Tolerance, took place on 20 November 2010 in Poznań, Republic of Poland with the participation of approximately 300 people. The march was preceded by the contrmanifestation. Six observers of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights were present on the request of the Police.