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An international conference titled “Activists under Attack. Defending the Right to be a Human Rights Defender” is to be arranged in Oslo, Norway, on 13-14 October 2004. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, the Human Rights House Network will host the conference.(24-MAY-04)
 
 

The combination of gross humiliation and violence that we have been witnessing these last weeks – the torture in the prisons of Iraq, military actions against civilians in Iraq and the demolishing of lives and homes in Gaza, represent severe and destructive attacks on human rights and human dignity, says Ms Nora Sveaass at the International Society for Health and Human RIghts (21-MAY-04).
 

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee believes that the verdict of Heggen and Frøland Municipal Court in case 03-00699 M of 25 March 2004 should be brought up for appeal. The verdict acquitted a policeman charged with “negligently causing the death of another person” on the grounds that he acted in self-defence. The trial appeared to be particularly flawed by the manner in which the chairman of the court led the proceedings.(1-APRIL-04)
 

During the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, mosques, churches and other cultural items were among the targets of warfare. The Herzegovinian city Stolac experienced almost complete destruction of its Bosniak cultural heritage. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee is a co-operating partner in a project  that arranges an international conference in Sarajevo 23-24 April 2004 and will publish a report focussing on the Stolac case. (1-APRIL-04)
 

Warsaw is preparing for the European Economic Summit that will commence on the 28th of April 2004. It is expected that the arrival of politicians will be the cause for the arrival of various alterglobalist groups. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights representatives are going to monitor the situation on the streets. (23-APR-04)
 

Discrimination upon women still can be felt in BH society. After the Law on Equality of Gender in BiH was brought in 2003, women decided to take a next step and to help in implementation the Law. That is the reason why women’s NGOs gathered on 31-MAR-04 and promoted the brochure – Platform for Women`s NGO Action in BiH. (2-APRIL-04)

Last week Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, hosted European Youth willing to make world changes. Summit maintained from 07th until 10th May and gathered around 550 young leaders from the whole Europe, motivated to make an influence on the global changes. (17-MAY-04)
 
 

The Festival of gay and lesbian culture, organised by the Campaign against Homophobia, took place in Krakow between May 6th and 9th. One of its main events was the march of gays, lesbians and the Campaign´s supporters to Wawel castle, which took place on May 6th. It was accompanied by an illegal counter-demonstration the participants of which threw eggs, stones and bottles at the marching group. (12-MAY-04)
 

The support group for North Korea was established as part of a continuation effort following the Rafto Prize for the year 2000. North Korea can be characterised as one of the worst totalitarian and closed societies in the history of the world. “The beloved leader” Kim Jong-II is one of the worst tyrants in modern times and is in charge of a regime were human rights consistently are broken. (10-MAY-2004).