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Travelling Festival “Human Rights in Film”
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights is organizing its second Travelling Festival devoted to the presentation of documentary films on the subject of human rights. From 31.03 until 02.04 the Festival was held in Bialystok, the largest city of NE Republic of Poland. (05-APR-04)
The judgment in the “Wacko case” should go to appeal
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)
Leyla Zana to challenge imprisonment verdict at European Court of Human Rights
Kurdish Human Rights Project (KHRP) is to assist Leyla Zana and three other imprisoned former Democracy Party (DEP) parliamentarians in taking cases to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), following the decision of Turkish courts today to confirm their fifteen year prison sentences. (22-APR-2004)
The Rafto Prize to Daddach gives legitimacy to Saharawi people’s struggle
A member of the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara was arrested on April 5 by Moroccan security forces in the capital of Western Sahara, l’Ayoune, and deported to the neighbouring country of Mauritania. He was in the Moroccan occupied territory to interview human rights activists and former political prisoners, among them Sidi Mohammed Daddach, who two years ago was awarded the Rafto Prize for his lifelong struggle for an independent Western Sahara.(20-APR-2004)
The Palestinian Refugees (1948-2004)
The current situation of the Palestinian refugees inside the West Bank and the Gaza Strip like Jinin, Rafah and Khanyounis, has not changed very much in the period from 1948 and 1967 till 2004.(20-APRIL-04)
European Youth Peace Summit
Last week Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, hosted European Youth willing to make world changes. Summit maintained from 07-10 of May and gathered around 550 young leaders from the whole Europe, motivated to make an influence on the global changes. (17-MAY-04)
Support group for North Korea at the Rafto Human Rights House
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).
Marking the Norwegian Liberation Day 8. May at the Espeland Prison of War Camp.
For the second consecutive year representatives from the Rafto House participated in marking the Liberation Day (the 8th of May) at Espeland Prison of War Camp. Through lectures in human rights for school children in the 6th, 7th and 8th grade from Ytre Arna, the people from the Rafto House gave their contribution to the Activity Day. (10-MAY-2004).
A Tolerant Krakow?
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)
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