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The regular Annual General Meeting of the International Helsinki Federation, held in Moscow on 11-14 November, has elected the new management of the International Helsinki Federation for the next two years. The new President is Ulrich Fischer from Germany, a longstanding expert in human rights, who was a member of and later worked for the German Bundestag, and Vice President is Srdjan Dizdarevic, the founder and President of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina and President of the Managing Board of the Human Rights House of Sarajevo. (17-NOV-04)
 

On 17-21 November, the Days of Equality and Tolerance are held in Poznan. The culminating point of the event is going to be the Equality March planned for 20 November. The City Mayor issued the permit to organise the march, however, the right wing local government activists are protesting, claiming that the march is an “endorsement of homosexuality”. (17-11-04)

– The second phase of the armed conflict in the Chechen Republic, defined by the Russian Federation as a “counter-terrorist operation” has lasted five years. Civilians represent the primary victims of this conflict, and blatant violations of human rights and humanitarian law have been pervasive. The climate of impunity dominates the situation in and around the Chechen Republic, reads an appeal from the International Helsinki Federation to the EU. (17-NOV-04)
 

Human Rights Center “Viasna” has already prepared “Preliminary monitoring on facts of tortures and other inhumane treatment of citizens of Belarus”, based on the principles of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The English version of the report will be soon available at the “Viasna” site: www.spring96.org (16-NOV-04)
 

The 67-year-old pensioner from Vawkavysk Valiantsina Saldatava keeps hungering for the 19th day already. That’s how she protests against the falsification of the results of the election, persecution of the independent Mestnaya Gazeta and the inaction of the authorities in solution of the housing problems.

ARTICLE 19, the London-based Global Campaign for Freedom of Expression, calls upon the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that its implementation of the Law on Public broadcasting adopted November 5 2004 is “in line with both global standards and Azerbaijan´s international obligations” including accessibility to all citizens, diversity of programmes and themes, as well as editorial and operational independence. (15 NOV 2004)
 

Today´s issue of Yeni Musavat, one of the leading opposition newspapers of Republic of Azerbaijan, will be stopped. According to the Acting Editor of the newspaper Gabil Abbasoglu, the reason is financial problems. The serious financial hardships of “Yeni Musavat” began in the end of 2003 after executing of court sanctions. In particular, the bank accounts of the newspaper had been arrested and income from selling was spent on paying out debts. Over 2000-2003 the courts fined “Yeni Musavat” with $160,000. (16-NOV-2004)

Issue of one of the leading opposition newspapers of Republic of Azerbaijan “Yeni Musavat” will stop on November 16. According to the Acting Editor of the newspaper Gabil Abbasoglu, the reason – are financial problems. Serious financial hardships of “Yeni Musavat” began in the end of 2003 after executing of court sanctions. In particular, the bank accounts of the newspaper had been arrested and income from selling was spent on paying out debts. Over 2000-2003 the courts fined “Yeni Musavat” with $160,000. (15 NOV 2004)

ARTICLE 19, the London-based Global Campaign for Freedom of Expression, calls upon the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that its implementation of the Law on Public broadcasing adopted November 5 2004 is “in line with both global standards and Azerbaijan´s international obligations” including accessibility to all citizens, diversity of programmes and themes, as well as editorial and operational independence. (15 NOV 2004)