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Journalist Maziar Bahari was sentenced on 9 May 2010 by Islamic Republic of Iran in absentia – 13 years and 6 months in jail and 74 lashes. In the last few days, Iranian activists and journalists have witnessed a new wave of arrests. They are made on the eve of the first anniversary of the election in Islamic Republic of Iran.

On 6 May Supreme Court sentenced Mikalai Autukhovich to 5 years and 2 months in a maximum security penal colony for illegal possession and transportation of 5 shotgun shells and a hunting rifle. Charges of terrorism against state officials were not substantiated, but this case had already been dubbed as ‘a new political order’ of the authorities

A group of Ugandan human rights organizations called on the Ugandan authorities to commit to improvements to protect human rights as part of their campaign for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. In a letter sent to the Ugandan government yesterday, the organizations, as part of a wider international coalition working around the Council elections, called for national legislation to comply with core human rights treaties.

Norwegian PEN, The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Human Rights House Foundation and Article 19 condemn the illegal confiscation of material and documentary footage from the Norwegian filmmaker Erling Borgen and the cameraman Dag Inge Dahl in Baku Airport on May 6, 2010.

Center for Peace Studies – CMS took part in drafting the Act on Elimination of Discrimination in the Republic of Croatia – ZDS. Legal experts in the Republic of Croatia, evaluated the law itself as passable, but had remarks to make on the shortcomings of certain parts and provisions of the Act. Their remarks are mostly on the lack of a certain hierarchy between discriminatory basis.

6 траўня Вярхоўны суд вынес прысуд па справе Мікалая Аўтуховіча: ён асуджаны на пяць гадоў і два месяцы калоніі ўзмоцненага рэжыму за незаконнае захоўванне і перавозку пяці патронаў і паляўнічай вінтоўкі. Абвінавачванні ў падрыхтоўцы тэрарыстычных актаў супраць чыноўнікаў былі знятыя, але справа ужо названая новым “палітычным заказам” уладаў.

English PEN is seriously concerned about the deteriorating health of imprisoned Chinese activist and dissident writer Hu Jia, who was hospitalised for tests in late March 2010. Requests for medical parole have been denied. Hu Jia is serving a three-and-a-half year sentence for ‘inciting subversion of state power’ for his critical writings and dissident activities.

In a letter to the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Sayed `Ali Khamenei, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, together with the seven other organisations of the Human Rights House in Oslo and the Oslo Center for Peace and Huamn Rights, call upon the Iranian authorities to immediately release Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi, as he is solely detained for his peaceful human rights activities.

A jailed Syrian lawyer, who has defended leading opposition figures in his homeland, has won Martin Ennals price – an international award for human rights defenders. Muhannad al-Hassani, detained since July, is the second laureate from Syria in five years to be awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.