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Norway criticized for ill-treatment by police
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its fourth visit to Norway in October 2005. The report has been made public at the request of the Norwegian authorities. (11-APR-06)
Government simply not paying what it owes to torture victims
The Republic of Uganda Human Rights Commission has revealed that Government has not yet paid over 700 million shillings in compensation to victims of torture and human rights violations,the chairperson Ms Margaret Sekaggya, right, revealed this fact at a press conference on Friday.Out of 800 million shillings, which the government was ordered to pay to victims of torture by State security agencies, only 93 million is paid. (10-APR-06)
Questionable psychiatric examinations
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights stood up for Hanna Rozanska – a woman directed for psychiatric examinations at a closed ward. The Foundation’s lawyers lodged a complaint to the Constitutional Tribunal against the imprecise regulations of the Code of Penal Proceedings. (08-APR-06)
Supreme Court turned up the complaints against the election results
The Supreme Court refused to consider the complaints of the former candidates to the presidential position of Republic of Belarus Aliaksandr Milinkevich and Aliaksandr Kazulin, in which they asked to bring criminal cases with the aim to find illegitimate the results of the presidential election that was held on 19 March (06-APR-06)
Draft Data Secrecy Law undermines public right to know
More than 30 NGO´s, gathered within the coalition “Public has a right to know” made an official appeal today to the Croatian Parliament requesting the modification of the new Draft Data Secrecy Law, finding it to be in sharp contrast to the Freedom of Information Act. (07-APR-06)
Draft Data Secrecy Law undermines public right to know
More than 30 NGO´s, gathered within the coalition “Public has a right to know” made an official appeal today to the Croatian Parliament requesting the modification of the new Draft Data Secrecy Law, finding it to be in sharp contrast to the Freedom of Information Act. (07-APR-06)
Spring draft and coming changes in legislation
The 30 March the Government approved the abolition of 9 out of 25 present draft deferments. The Ministry of Defense promises to shorten the term of military service to 12 months from 2008. The 1 April mass protest actions against cutting draft deferments were held all over the country. Demonstrators demanded a building up of the professional army and resignation of Minister of Defense, Sergey Ivanov. Human rights activists call on to distrust the Ministry of Defense and the Minister himself. (05-APR-06)
North Korea – New approaches
North Korea – New approaches, the 7th International Conference on North Korean Human Rights & Refugees, is this year being held in Bergen, Norway 9-11 May. Organisers are The Rafto Human Rights House, Bergen and The Citizens´ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, Seoul. We hope that the diverse participation from a wide range of fields will create a framework that will not only enhance dialogue between different views, but also links human rights issues to international security, humanitarian aid, and economic development. (05-APR-2006)
Editor´s diary: Ten days in prison
Several journalists have been released in the Republic of Belarus the last days after 8-12 days´ imprisonment. The editor of Nasha Niva, Andrej Dynko has published a diary from his detention in Akrestsina prison. -The worst tricks of Soviet times are back, and the repressive machine has grown much larger. In 1996, the courts fined people for scuffling with police. In 2006, they convict young women to 7 days on a plank bed without mattresses for a bottle with tea, Dynko writes. (4-APR-06)