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The Human Rights House Network has now held its annual meeting in Zagreb. The meeting was dedicated to our common vision, strategies and programs as a product of of the evaluation process that the Network has finalized this autumn. The representatives from the Balkans, Caucasus, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and the United Kingdom where gathered in order to re-defining our regional programs in accordance with the Network´s general vision and strategies.(29-NOV-06)    
 

The Rafto Foundation has today received information through the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) that Alim Abdureyim, the youngest son of the 2004 Rafto Prize Laureate, Uyghur human rights defender and former prisoner of conscience, Rebiya Kadeer, was sentenced on Monday November 27 to seven years in prison on charges of tax evasion, and fined RMB 500,000 (USD 62,500). Rebiya Kadeer visited Bergen, Norway on the occasion of the Rafto Foundation´s 20th Anniversary in the beginning of November.(29-NOV-06)

One hundred years ago the first Belarusian newspaper was edited. “Nasha Niva” celebrates the centenary in tough conditions the Belarusian independent mass media exist. Nasha Niva is a cultural symbol and a living tradition. Even now, as 100 years ago, it is the embodiment of independent Belarusian society struggling for its political and cultural rights. Our congratulations! (28-NOV-06)
 

The Human Rights House Network has now held its annual meeting in Zagreb. The meeting was dedicated to our common vision, strategies and programs as a product of of the evaluation process that the Network has finalized this autumn. The representatives from the Balkans, Caucasus, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and the United Kingdom where gathered in order to re-defining our regional programs in accordance with the Network´s general vision and strategies.(29-NOV-06)   
 

The Rafto Foundation has today received information through the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) that Alim Abdureyim, the youngest son of the 2004 Rafto Prize Laureate, Uyghur human rights defender and former prisoner of conscience, Rebiya Kadeer, was sentenced on Monday November 27 to seven years in prison on charges of tax evasion, and fined RMB 500,000 (USD 62,500). Rebiya Kadeer visited Bergen, Norway on the occasion of the Rafto Foundation´s 20th Anniversary in the beginning of November. (29-NOV-06)
 

The international media watchdog organizations are concerned about the media situation in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Reporters Without Borders says that the measures taken by Azeri authorities show that they are taking a harder line towards the independent media despite the appeals from press freedom organizations, the European Union, the OSCE and the United States. The Committee to Protect Journalists state that they view the closure of ANS and the eviction of opposition news outlets as a clear assault on the independent media. (28-NOV-06) 
  

StOn the 27-th of November, the national organization – the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety – released a statement, condemning the closure of ANS and the illegal and aggressive eviction of all organizations from the Azadlig Newspaper´s building. IRFS believes that this is by far the cruelest step that Azerbaijan´s government has taken in its attempt to strangle off the independent press.  The article contains the full text of the statement. (28-NOV-06)
 

The International Crisis Group published a new media release “Azerbaijan: Attacks on Media Hurt Conflict Resolution “. The release supposes that the obvious deterioration of the media freedom and human rights impacts the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem in a negative way. See the article with the text of the media release. (27-NOV-06)
 

On the 27-th of November, Baku-based analyst of the International Crisis Group, Vugar Gojayev, released the article “Azerbaijan: Authorities silence outspoken media”. The author analyzes the current pressure on media, referring to the most recent facts of attacks on mass media. The full text of the article is given below. (27-NOV-06)