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The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities investigating the July 2009 murder of prominent Russian journalist and human rights defender Natalya Estemirova to publicize their progress on the case seven months after the crime.

A special UN Human Rights envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana visited Burma last week. After five days spent in the country Mr. Quintana returned back without having met opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and any information about the planned election in Burma later this year.

On 11 November 2008 activist Mie Mie was sentenced to 65 years imprisonment for having participated in peaceful demonstrations. Amnesty International urges to send appeals and demand her release.

ARTICLE 19 urges Brazilian legislators to bring the bill on the right to information into line with international standards, including by taking into consideration civil society recommendations, and to concentrate efforts to adopt a final text of the Brazilian Right to Information Act during 2010.

Dozens of families on the outskirts of Bamako, the capital of Mali, are under threat of being evicted from their lands by the Government in favour of a housing project. The cultivation ban, ordered in July 2009, jeopardizes their right to adequate food. Moreover, if the eviction is realized, it will hinder the ability of the families to feed themselves in the long run.

Late this month Bosnia and Herzegovina was reviewed in Geneva under the Universal Period Review of the UN Human Rights Council. Discrimination, situation of human rights defenders and freedom of expression, status of the national human rights institution, children and women rights, rights of sexual and national minorities, and issues of disabled, internally-displaced and missing persons are some of the issues mentioned. On all these issues, Bosnia and Herzegovina has to improve its situation.

У беларускім Доме правоў чалавека з 19 па 21 лютага прайшоў усталёвачны семінар у межах адукацыйнай праграмы “Дыстанцыйнае навучанне адвакатаў правам чалавека” . 26 удзельнікаў з Беларусі цягам трох дзён, акрамя асноўнага занятку – навучання ў галіне правоў чалавека, – знаёміліся адзін з адным, а таксама асвойвалі прынцыпы дыстанцыйнага навучання, якім ім давядзецца карыстацца бліжэйшы год.

The new Head of the Rafto Prize Committee on 24 February 2010 became Siri Gloppen (45). Ms. Gloppen is a Professor at the University of Bergen and Research Director at the Christian Michelsen Institute.

ARTICLE 19, together with other human rights organisations, urges the
Georgian government to stop pressurising and intimidating prominent Georgian investigative journalist Vakhtang Komakhidze.