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On 23 November the Russian State Duma, in spite of the numerous international protests, passed, in the first reading, the project of the federal law # 233364-4 “About the alteration of some legislative acts of the Russian Federation” which is directed at establishing control over NGOs and ending of existence of independent civil society in the Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin had a meeting with the chairwoman of the Council of the Assistance of the Development of the Institutes of the Civil Society and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation, Ella Pamfilova, who supported the NGOs and advocated scrapping the Bill. (20-DEC-2005)
 

5th International Film Festival “Human Rights in Film” organised by Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights took place in Warsaw between December 9th and 17th, 2005. This year’s festival program, just as in previous years, consisted of documentary films and reportages. The main themes were Bielarus, Ukraine, Russia; human rights defenders; Sub-saharan Africa; the right to fair trial; Bosnia: 10 years after Srebrenica; Iraq; Kurds; the right to work and genocide. (23-DEC-05)

The trial of five members of the Serb para-military formation “Scorpions” for murder of six imprisoned Bosnian Muslims from Srebrenica in July 1995 started yesterday before the Belgrade District Court War Crimes Chamber. They were arrested this year and accused of war crimes after the International War Crimes Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague had presented, at the beginning of June, a video showing the murders. (21-DEC-05)

On December 12 2005 the Second All-Russian Civil Congress took place in Moscow. Advancing the slogan “Russia for democracy, Against Dictatorship” it has brought together leaders of liberal opposition parties and more than 700 representatives of civil and human rights organizations from all over the country. Several questions were discussed during the Congress: resistance to the destruction of civil society in the Russian Federation, elections in 2007-2008 and the creation of a united party of democrats, the threat of nationalism and fascism and the creation of a civil (independent) television network. (20-DEC-2005)

The Ossietzky Prize; Norwegian PEN´s award for outstanding contributions to freedom of expression, will be awared Monday 19 December to Fakhra Salimi. This years laureate has been living in Norway since she was 20 – more than half her life – and has always represented a different voice in Norway´s otherwise rather homogenous and unisone public debate. (18-DEC-05)
 

Baku: A number of oppositionals were detained and dozens beaten up during an unsanctioned demonstration in Baku on 18 December 2005. The Azeri Authoroties have previously received massive international criticism after the brutal break up of the peaceful rally in Baku on November 26. (19-DEC-05)
 
 

Baku: A number of oppositionals were detained and dozens beaten up during an unsanctioned demonstration in Baku on 18 December 2005. The Azeri Authoroties have previously received massive international criticism after the brutal break up of the peaceful rally in Baku on November 26. (19-DEC-2005)
 

International websites in general, but the ones focusing on human rights in particular, have a key role to play in speaking on behalf of human rights defenders at risk, says Niels Jacob Harbitz, right, HRH´s Project Manager for Africa. We have known this for a long time, but now, we see it clearly, both in the Republic of Uganda, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Tunisia and elsewhere. (19-DEC-05)
 

The youth of Republic of Azerbaijan became the special target of the authorities for political motives. During the pre and post-election period there was paid special attention to the political affiliation of students. According to the numerous reports received from the students, the institutional administration urged the students to attend the demonstrations of the ruling party, while prohibiting and making obstacles for their participation in pro-oppositional rallies.  (18-DEC-2005)