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According to the annual report of the Moscow Bureau for Human Rights, in 2005 total xenophobic rate in country was staying stable high and about 60% of population upholds anti-Semitic and xenophobic slogans to some extent. There are more than 100 newspapers publishing anti-Semitic and xenophobic slogans and hundreds of web-sites advocating national hatred. Obvious appeals to violence are heard and some political circles aspire to make them legitimate. (18-FEB-06)
 

Timed to reached Deputy Minister of Development Raymond Johansen´s journey to Republic of Uganda shortly after the elections scheduled for Thursday 23 February, three major international NGOs have written a letter to him requesting that Norway now pushes for the United Nations´ role in the Republic of Uganda to be put on the political agenda. (18-FEB-06)
 

The wave of arrests all over the country witnesses the aggravation of repressions on the eve of the presidential election in the Republic of Belarus. Human Rights Centre “Viasna” applies to representatives of the Belarusian public and urges them to express solidarity with the arrested activists of youth democratic movements and their families and give to them the necessary support. (15-FEB-06)
 

-In not too long, we will invite expertise from different environments to a big workshop on Africa, Jonas Gahr Støre, right, the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in the Christian Norwegian daily Vårt Land today. In the foreign affairs debate in Parliament last week, Gahr Støre spoke in favour of a ‘renewed’ policy towards Africa. (15-FEB-06)
 

The Russian-Chechen Information Agency is awarded one of the Fritt Ord´s and ZEIT-Stiftung Press Prizes 2006. This prize is aimed at Eastern European media and journalists who are dedicated to independent reporting and who dare to withstand self-censorship. But for its chief director, Stanislav Dmitriyevsky, this comes at a price. (13-FEB-05) 
 

Today, 14 February, Ales Bialiatski, right, founder of the independent, but banned human rights organisation Human Rights Centre VIASNA, will receive the prestigeous Andrej Sakharov Freedom Award from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. Bialiatski will attend a seminar and also the monthly solidarity with Republic of Belarus picket in front of the Norwegian parliament while in Oslo. (13-FEB-06)
 

One of the main events, shaken the whole world this week, is the numerous protest actions of Muslims all over the world. The manifestations have been held against the publication of caricatures on the Prophet Mohammed in several press outlets of a number of European countries. The religious communities and Muslim believers of Republic of Azerbaijan also condemned the disrespect of the Prophet Mohammad and held a number of protest actions too. (11-FEB-2006)

Tomorrow, 14 February, Ales Bialiatski, right, founder of the independent, but banned human rights organisation Human Rights Centre VIASNA, will receive the prestigeous Andrej Sakharov Freedom Award from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. Bialiatski will attend a seminar and also the monthly solidarity with Republic of Belarus picket in front of the Norwegian parliament while in Oslo. (13-FEB-06)
 

Last month, the news broke that the Norwegian Helsinki Committee had awarded Ales Bialiatski, right, of the banned Belarusian Human Rights Centre Viasna the Andrej Sakharov Award for 2006. On the eve of his arrival to Oslo to receive the prize, Bialiatski says: -This is a sad award because it relates to the situation in the Republic of Belarus. We would rather not have awards for our efforts for human rights. (13-FEB-06)