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Western Sahara: activist Aminatou Haidar expelled
‘A brave woman pays the price for a misinterpreted interview,’ – stated an independent diplomat and writer Carne Ross at The Huffington Post, linking tough Moroccan stance to a recent interview by Hillary Clinton who praised Morocco’s human rights record. Meanwhile, Front Line launches an urgent action to support the expelled Sahrawi activist.
Ethiopian journalists’ body rejects “restrictive” election code of conduct
The Ethiopian National Union of Journalists (ENJU) has opposed plans by the country’s National Electoral Board of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (NEBE) to adopt a media code of conduct to be used for covering the general election scheduled for 2010.
Kenya’s draft constitution seeks to protect media freedom
For the first time in the Republic of Kenya the media shall have explicit protection in the constitution if a draft unveiled this week is approved by the citizens at a referendum slated sometime next year. Article 51 of the harmonised draft launched on 17 November, aptly titled ‘Freedom of the Media, a subsection says “freedom and independence of electronic, print and other media of all types are guaranteed”.
Ministry of information issued written warnings to four periodicals at a time
On 16 November the editorial offices of Naša Niva and Va-Bank recieved written warnings from the Ministry of Information, and on 17 November Narodnaja Vola and Komsomolskaja Pradva v Biełarusi offices got the same message from the officials. Warnings were issued on the pretext that “publications violated several provisions of the Law on Mass Media.”
Court serves also the homeless
On 20 October 2009 the European Court of Human Rights returned a verdict in the case Nowiński v. Republic of Poland (25924/06). It claimed that the interpretation of the rules of civil procedure by the Polish courts violated the right to court access.
Палітвязня абвінавацілі ў падрыхтоўцы тэракту
Прадпрымальніку і праціўніку ўладаў Мікалаю Аўтуховічу выставілі абвінавачанне ў падрыхтоўцы да тэрарыстычнага акту. Больш інфармацыі аб справе грамадскасці атрымаць не ўдаецца, бо адвакат М. Аўтуховіча быў змушаны даць падпіску аб неабвяшэнні матэрыялу следства. Іншы палітычны зняволены – маладзёвы актывіст Арцём Дубскі – мае за кратамі браць шлюб.
No responsibility for organising a spontaneous assembly
The Warsaw-Śródmieście District Court in a verdict of 16 October 2008 acquitted D. Szwed of charges of organising and presiding over an unlawful assembly (article 52 § 1 of the Petty Offences’ Code) which protested against building a motorway through Rospuda Valley.
Observatory issues urgent appeal on Aleksei Sokolov case
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Russian Federation.
The First Citizens’ March of Tolerance held in Skopje
On November 16, the International Day for Tolerance, the first ever Citizens’ March of Tolerance was held in Skopje, organized by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in FYR Macedonia. With this march Macedonian citizens showed that they are ready to fight against the prejudices and discrimination on the basis of disability, ethnical, religious, political, social, racial background, gender identity, sexual orientation, which still exist in Macedonian society.