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Over the last two weeks, Sahrawi students at colleges and universities across Morocco and Western Sahara have been subjected to serious human rights violations. On 23 May, 43 Norwegian civil society organisations signed a letter to the Moroccan government, demanding that the attacks on Sahrawi students are stopped, and that their rights are respected. (24-MAY-07)
  

Current legislative acts discriminate citizens with disabilities. Most of them date since the time when FYR Macedonia was part of Yugoslavia and are not consolidated in the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, argued the organisaiton Polio Plus – Movement Against Disability in favour of the governmental initiative called – “Regulatory Guillotine” – an idea for simplifying the laws and regulations.(23-MAY-07)

Kenya’s human rights record has not improved under the Narc government, says the latest report by the Amnesty International. “There have been a remarkable decline in incidents of state repression against politicians and civil societies, but government agencies are engaging in blatant violation of the rights of common citizens.” (24-MAY-07)
 

The Balkan Human Rights Network (BHRN) is organising the seventh Human Rights School for Future Decision Makers in Dubrovnik (Croatia), from 27 May until 10 June 2007. The School will gather 27 young leaders from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Republic of Croatia, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. (22-MAY-07)
 

As Egypt’s record on human rights continues to take a downturn, the country has put in a bid for a seat on the United Nation’s Human Rights Council. Egyptian and international rights organisations have joined together to oppose the bid, citing Egypt’s repeated refusal to allow the UN’s independent expert on torture visit the country. On 2 May, Al-Jazeera journalist Huwaida Taha Mitwalli was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment following her reports on torture in the country. The sentence sent a chilling message to journalists and activists marking World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. (18-MAY-07)
 

Ludmilla Alexeeva who founded the first human rights organisation in Russia; the Helsinki Committee in Moscow in 1976, is visiting Norway between 21 and 25 May. The members of the Moscow Helsinki Group were the one to inform the West about the Soviet Union’s violations of the Helsinki declaration from1975. This led to pursuit, imprisonment and forced exile. Their work led to the creation of several sister- and solidarity-committees in other parts of the world. (21-May-07)

Ludmilla Alexeeva who founded the first human rights organisation in Russia; the Helsinki Committee in Moscow in 1976, is visiting Norway between 21 and 25 May. The members of the Moscow Helsinki Group were the one to inform the West about the Soviet Union’s violations of the Helsinki declaration from1975. This led to pursuit, imprisonment and forced exile. Their work led to the creation of several sister- and solidarity-committees in other parts of the world. (21-May-07)
  

We are pleased to inform you that the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Warsaw-Poland) have started new educational project for journalists from Republic of Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Poland and North-West regions of the Russian Federation. The deadline for applications is June 1, 2007. (18-MAY-07)

On 11 May 2007, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal ruled the partial inconsistency of the new lustration law with the Constitution. According to the President of the Tribunal, Jerzy Stepien (right), the lustration law is feasible despite the necessity to introduce amendments. (14-MAY-07)