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On 29 March the International League for Human Rights filed an open letter to Aliaksandr Lukashenka to condemn the repressions the law machinery used towards participants of the “revolutionary” action that took place in the center of Minsk on 25 March. About 2,5 thousand people took part in the action. The police dispersed the action participants several times. Among the politicians who took part in the action there was Andrei Klimau (former political prisoner, now is tried for alleged insult to Lukashenka). (12-APR-2005)

Many Belarusian NGOs have been already liquidated on the initiative of the Ministry of Justice for invented or insignificant reasons. Human rights activist say it has turned into a liquidating organ instead of the registering one. Now the Ministry of Justice proceeds to political parties. At the same time, it continues to initiate liquidation of new NGOs. (12-APR-2005)

Human rights activists were shocked to discover that imans at some of Cairo?s leading mosques  were preaching against two of their most prominent colleagues ? and that the driving force behind these organised sermons of hate appeared to be an Egyptian government ministry. Leading  human rights campaigners say imans? attacks incite murder. Index on Censorship?s  Rohan Jayasekera reports (25-MAR-05)

Almost 40 people take part in the hunger-strike in the town of Vaukavysk. The health condition of some hunger-strikers has deteriorated. Yesterday one more person joined – Anatol Dzeshka, former worker of tax inspection. (12-APR-2005)
 

Through a vast array of international programs and publications, Freedom House is working to advance the remarkable worldwide expansion of political and economic freedom. The Freedom House organization has published its “Freedom in the World” index using a 7-point scale. Countries rated between 1 and 2.5 points were rated as ‘free’, 3 and 5 points ‘partly free’, and 5.5-7 points as ‘not free’, based on the criteria of political rights and civil liberties. (12-April-2005)

Widespread religious freedom violations by the Burmese government continue, with Christians from the ethnic Karen, Karenni, Chin and Kachin nationalities and Muslim Rohingyas suffering particularly badly. It remains difficult to gather reliable information from inside Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar), but it is estimated that about 300 Buddhist monks and novices are in jail for protesting against the ruling military regime. (11-APR-05)
  

The Norwegian Burma Committee, working out of the Norwegian Human Rights House in Oslo, launched an email campaign this week to force Per-Kristian Foss, the Norwegian Minister of Finance, to address the controversial issue reported previously on this site, re. the state-owned Norwegian Petroleum Fund?s investment in the French Oil giant Total Oil, who in turn make big money while exploiting and violating the rights of Burmese civilians. (6-APR-05)

The Norwegian Burma Committee, working out of the Norwegian Human Rights House in Oslo, launched an email campaign this week to force Per-Kristian Foss, the Norwegian Minister of Finance, to address the controversial issue reported previously on this site, re. the state-owned Norwegian Petroleum Fund?s investment in the French Oil giant Total Oil, who in turn make big money while exploiting and violating the rights of Burmese civilians. (6-APR-05)

Last Friday, the cabinet bowed to growing pressure against the Constitution Amendment Bill and instructed the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs to withdraw it from Parliament. -This is no doubt a victory for the opposition, not the least the human rights sector of it, says Martin Masiga of HURINET, but one we should perhaps have waited to inflict upon Parliament. (6-APR-05)