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Thich Quang Do, the 2006 Rafto Prize Laureate, addressed farmers demonstrating in Ho Chi Minh City against power abuse and state appropriation of lands on July 17. “To solve these problems, we must work together for political pluralism, democracy and human rights, especially freedom of expression. There can be no justice under the one-Party state”. This is the first time in 26 years of detention and house arrest that prominent dissident Thich Quang Do has addressed a public demonstration (30-JUL-07).

For the first time in 26 years of detention and house arrest the prominent dissident and 2006 Rafto Prize Laureate, Thich Quang Do addressed a public demonstration. The demonstration in Ho Chi Minh City on July 17 adressed the power abuse and state appropriation of lands and Thich Quang Do said that “to solve these problems, we must work together for political pluralism, democracy and human rights, especially freedom of expression. There can be no justice under the one-Party state”. (30-JULY-07)
 

On 11 May 2007, the Constitutional Tribunal in the Republic of Poland ruled the partial inconsistency of the new lustration law with the Constitution. On 18 June, a written justification of this verdict was published, in which the CT inter alia called into question the statutory template for the lustration declaration. On 13 July, the Ombudsman – Janusz Kochanowski (right) took position on this issue. (28-JUL-07)

The opening of the Copa América football competition on 26 June, one month after the forced closure of the audiovisual group Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), sparked protests as journalists took to the streets to demand the reinstatement of RCTV’s licence. (26-JULY-07) Photo: Gobierno Bolivariano de Venezuela

20 July Liudmila Alekseeva (right), the Moscow Helsinki Group Chairman, a symbol of Soviet (then Russian) human rights defenders community, celebrated her 80 anniversary. The foremost Russian opposition politicians and human rights activists, foreign states representatives gathered on the celebration. The Human Rights House Foundation staff also sent its congratulation to Liudmila Alekseeva. (25-JULY-07)
 

Civil society organisations have blasted President Mwai Kibaki for his complete lack of commitment to fight corruption in a statement issued by the Name and Shame Corruption Network (NASCON). It accuses the President of complicity with corrupt individuals and urges civil society to withdraw its support for Kibaki’s presidency during the coming general election.  Simoni Birundu (right)  is the coordinator of NASCON. (26-JULY-07)

Support to independent media helped citizens in several Balkan countries rid themselves of authoritarian, ethno-nationalist regimes. International assistance proved itself an effective way to promote democracy in the war-torn area in the period from 1996 to 2006, says in the Report – Ten Years of Media Support To the Balkans: An Assessment. (19-JUL-07)

Freedom House published its regular report about the situation with the freedom of the press. “Of the 195 countries and territories examined in the survey, three of the 10 worst press freedom abusers — Republic of Belarus, Republic of Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan — are found in the former Soviet Union”, the report says. (25-JUNE-07)
 

12-13 July in Vienna (Austria) Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held a Supplementary Meeting on Protection and Promotion of Human Rights. Liubov Vinogradova (right), Human Rights House Network Advisory Team member, made an introductory speech on the 2d day of the Meeting. She appealed OSCE to take firm measures on protection of post-Soviet area human rights defenders and to raise effectiveness of recommendations, accepted by OSCE. (17-JULY-07)