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The Norwegian Tibet Committee is in cooperation with Amnesty International Norway and the Human Rights House Foundation today hosting the newly released political prisoner from Tibet,  PHUNTSOG NYIDRON. Since she participated in a peaceful demonstration in Lhasa in Tibet in 1989 she has spent 15 years in prison. Today, on the 15th of December, from 11 to 1230, she will be at the Norwegian Human Rights House to share with us her experiences, but most of all her hopes for a peaceful settlement of Tibet. (15-DEC-06)
  

In late October the Rafto Foundation, together with the Norwegian Students´ and Academics´ International Assistance Fund (SAIH), Norwegian Refugee Council and 30 other Norwegian organisations initiated a campaign to urge Moroccan authorities to immediately return the passport of Sidi Mohammed Daddach, the 2002 Rafto Prize Laureate and former Saharawi prisoner of conscience. The campaign was a success and November 23, Daddach had his passport returned after three and a half years. (06-DEC-06)
  

In late October the Rafto Foundation, together with the Norwegian Students´ and Academics´ International Assistance Fund (SAIH), Norwegian Refugee Council and 30 other Norwegian organisations, among them the Human Rights House Foundation, initiated a campaign to urge Moroccan authorities to immediately return the passport of Sidi Mohammed Daddach, the 2002 Rafto Prize Laureate and former Saharawi prisoner of conscience. The campaign was a success and November 23, Daddach had his passport returned after three and a half years. (06-DEC-06)
 

Belarusian officials removed property including a computer, fax machine, and other necessities from the office of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee on 5 December 2006. The Committee, which is the last nation-wide human right organization still legally registered in the Republic of Belarus, has been under severe legal pressure for several years, and its leaders threatened with criminal prosecution on charges that, while politically motivated, can result in strict-regime prison terms. (05-DEC-06)
 

The Norwegian Human Rights House will on the 7th of December arrange a seminar that focuses on whether we in Norwegian media have hidden xenophobia and if so: of what does it consist? Which consequences may it have? Do the media contribute to an unnecessary polarization between “us” and “the others”, meaning those of another colour, religion or set of values? These and many more are the questions that The Norwegian Human Rights House wants to raise with well-known media personalities and investigators who are invited to the seminar. (05-DEC-06)
  

“Establishment of the Human Rights House in Baku is a priority for 2007” was one of the conclusions of the annual meeting of HRHF in Zagreb, held in November 2006. The representatives from HRH Baku, taking part in the meeting, shared with the results and conclusions with the other members of HRH Baku. (04-DEC-06)
 

Another lecture dedicated to the memory of Marek Nowicki took place on 1 December 2006 at Warsaw University. It was entitled “Reflections on the French Declaration of Rights from 1789 – today” delivered by Professor Jon Elster. (02-DEC-06)

On November, 20th, the Moscow Butyrsky court sentenced newspaper Editor in Chief Boris Stomakhin to five years´ imprisonment for incitement ethnic hatred and making extremist statements. Human rights activists are concerned about sentencing the fearless journalist, who has been criticizing actions of Russian authorities in the Chechen Republic. (02-DEC-06)
 

On January 2, 15 years ago, the Norwegian Burma Committee was established to channel Norwegian support to the Burmese democracy movement. It was just a short month after Aung San Suu Kyi’s son Alexander Aris received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of his mother. No one ever believed that in 2006 Burma would still be under the rule of a military dictatorship. Aung San Suu Kyi is still under house arrest. The situation is grave for her and the people of Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar). The need to support and strengthen the Burmese democracy movement is as urgent as ever. (01-DEC-O6)