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Although the Moroccan press is one of the freest in the Arab world, there is still a great deal that needs to be done to ensure journalists work in a free and safe environment. Journalists are able to work fairly freely as long as they don’t examine sensitive subjects such as the monarchy, the Western Sahara and Islam — the very issues that worry and affect Moroccan people. Journalists working for independent publications and representatives from the free expression community have expressed concern over the authorities´ continual harrassment of the press. (14-AUG-06)
 

The subject of reinstating the death penalty has been discussed recently in the Republic of Poland. Paying no heed to the position of the European Commission and the Council of Europe or to Poland’s international obligations in this matter, governing coalition parties are calling for its reinstatement. (04-AUG-06)

The subject of reinstating the death penalty has been discussed recently in the Republic of Poland. Paying no heed to the position of the European Commission and the Council of Europe or to Poland’s international obligations in this matter, governing coalition parties are calling for its reinstatement. (04-AUG-06)
 

Yesterday, Iran’s Interior Ministry banned the Defender of Human Rights Center (DHRC), one of the country’s most prominent minority rights groups. Based in Tehran, the organization has been active in defending rights of women, political prisoners and minorities in Islamic Republic of Iran.  The organization was founded by several prominent Iranian lawyers, most notably, 2003 Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, right, who is currently president of the Center. (03-AUG-06)
 

After their visit to Mostar the representatives of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BiH have concluded that all should tackle more seriously the escalated violence in Mostar, in order to avoid even more dramatic situations. They believe that the international community has supported the division of Mostar over the past years. (03-AUG-06)
 

Having abolished all independent TV channels and big media outlets, the authorities launched a campaign to liquidate all independent radio stations who openly criticized the government and the President.  This year alone two of Russia’s very few objective sources of information “Radio Svoboda’s” and “Voice of America’s” broadcasts were severely curtailed. (30-JUL-06)
 

On 17 June, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao became the third high-ranking Chinese official to visit Africa in 2006. President Hu Jintao had visited five countries on the continent in late April. Trade between the People´s Republic of China and Africa skyrocketed to over US$40 billion in 2005 and is only gaining steam. Western countries have begun to examine the ties between African countries and the People´s Republic of China to discern the global effects – financial and political – of China’s new relationships. (31-JULY-06)
 

Free expression advocates have voiced concern over the dangers of community censorship following a protest against the filming of Brick Lane, and the campaign leading up to it. Organizations, including English PEN and Index on Censorship, worry this will have a direct impact on the arts, and damage efforts towards the building of a truly pluralist society. The protests have been seen by some as a sign that Britain has become ‘a no-man´s land of censorship, where writers´ freedoms are in the hands of unelected and unaccountable´ individuals. (01-AUG-06) Photo of Monica Ali, the author of Brick Lane
 

Free expression advocates have voiced concern over the dangers of community censorship following a protest against the filming of Brick Lane, and the campaign leading up to it. Organizations, including English PEN and Index on Censorship, worry this will have a direct impact on the arts, and damage efforts towards the building of a truly pluralist society. The protests have been seen by some as a sign that Britain has become ‘a no-man´s land of censorship, where writers´ freedoms are in the hands of unelected and unaccountable´ individuals. Right: Monica Ali, the author of Brick Lane. (01-AUG-06)