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2,000 Protest the War in Chechnya
At least 2,000 people gathered on Pushkin Square on Saturday 23 of October to call for an end to the war in the Chechen Republic. It was one of the largest antiwar protests in years and also provided a rare public platform for broader criticism of President Vladimir Putin´s rule. (09-NOV-04)
Mines still threatening Croatia
Republic of Croatia will not be cleared of mines until 2010, the deadline defined by the Ottawa Convention and prescribed by the National Program For Counter-Mine Effect. Solution of one of the most important humanitarian problems in the Republic of Croatia is postponed once again. (NOV-8-04)
The Minorities Act finally ready
On 4th of November the Polish Sejm passed the Act on National Minorities, which had been in the making for 11 years. The act contains a catalogue of the rights of the people belonging to minorities, which are already guaranteed by other Polish legal acts. The right to use a minority language as a auxiliary language at offices of administration, which has been the aim of the exertions of minority circle members in the Republic of Poland, was not included in the act. (08-11-04)
Balkan Regional Agenda for Sustainable Peace
The Balkan Regional Conference on Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding was held from 4th to 6th November in Igalo, Montenegro. It was organised by the Nansen Dialogue Network in the Balkans in cooperation with the Bulgarian School of Politics and Albanian Peace and Education Project. (08-NOV-04)
Death of Theo van Gogh: Extremist has the last word
Murdered filmaker Theo van Gogh was both an outspoken proponent and exponent of free expression who consciously courted controversy. Index on Censorship reports (04-NOV-04)
Belarusian Association of Journalists urges the Information Minister to renew the issue of the “Mest
On 1 November Belarusian Association of Journalists addressed Information Minister Uladzimir Rusakevich with an open letter, requesting to cancel the order about suspension of the “Mestnaya Gazeta” newspaper. By that day the editor-in-chief of this independent newspaper had been on hunger strike for already 13 days. (4-NOV-2004)
Ballots found in garbage cans
62 filled referendum ballots were found in a garbage can in the city of Barysaw. The activist of the United Civil Party, former candidate to deputies in Barysaw village circuit Viktar Harbachow says that a member of his initiative group found them in the garbage can near secondary school #24 of Barysaw, where polling station #42 was situated. (4-NOV-2004)
Mikhail Marynich is left in jail for another month
On 28 September KGB decided to leave Mikhail Marynich in custody for 30 more days “for the interests of investigation. This will be the sixths month of jail for the ex-minister, who has been kept there since 26 April. (4-NOV-2004)
Death of Theo van Gogh: Extremist has the last word
Murdered filmaker Theo van Gogh was both an outspoken proponent and exponent of free expression who consciously courted controversy. Index on Censorship reports (04-NOV-04)