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English PEN’s Honorary Member, publisher and human rights activist Ragip Zarakolu who has been subject to harassment, trials and periods of imprisonment since the 1970s, was acquitted at a hearing on 10 June. On trial in the Republic of Turkey since May 2009, Zarakolu was facing a prison sentence of more than seven years for publishing the novel More difficult Decisions than Death written by N. Mehmet Güler.

The Rohingya minority group in Western Burma has been victim of human rights violations amounting to crimes against humanity, according to a report “Crimes against Humanity in Western Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar): The Situation of the Rohingyas”. the Rohingya are one of the world’s most persecuted and forgotten people.

«У Беларусі ўсё наадварот – цягам дня працэдур яшчэ больш-менш трымаюцца, але ўвечары на ўчастку творыцца поўнае бязмежжа», – уражаннямі дзеляцца некаторыя з больш як 30 ўдзельнікаў міжнароднай назіральнай місіі на прэзідэнцкіх выбарах у Польшчы. Беларуска-літоўска-шведская місія ладзілася ў рамах праекту «Назіранне за выбарамі: тэорыя і практыка» пры ўдзеле Беларускага ДПЧ ў Вільні.

”Non-implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is the main generator of human rights violations in BiH over the past years”, it is stated by the NGO Coalition for the UN up-coming session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

The Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council visited Republic of Poland from 5-22 May 2009 at the invitation of the Government, and therein after published a report concerning the mission. The main purpose of the visit was to assess and understand Poland’s trajectory regarding sexual and reproductive health rights and harm reduction policies.

Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi turned 65 on 19 June. She spent her birthday in detention for the 15th time since 1989. However, her supporters all over the world made sure that the day was not passed in silence. In Bergen, the Burmese community, Amnesty International Region West and the Rafto Foundation worked together to mark the event.

On 15 June 2010 European Court of Human Rights passed a judgement in the case Grzelak v. Republic of Poland (no. 7710/02). The Tribunal stated that the lack of factual access to ethics classes in Polish schools constitutes a violation by the authorities of the right to cultivate religion beliefs and is of discriminatory character.

On 26 May 2010 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights submitted to the Constitutional Court an amicus curiae brief in the case no. K 36/09. The case concerns the compliance of the reduction of retirement benefits of former officers of the communist state security services with Polish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The widespread violence in southern Kyrgyz Republic – with hundreds killed and tens of thousands fleeing – highlights the need for more international involvement in the country. Western countries’ lack of interest in and understanding of the desperate situation democratic forces in Kyrgyz Republic have found themselves in for a number of years have allowed cynical politicians to act in their private interest and instigate unrest.