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 Mehdi Zana, for 40 years among the most prominent writers, politicians and spokespersons
 for the Kurds, recently visited the Human Rights House in Bergen. Zana, the husband of the
 Kurdish MP and Rafto Prize Laureate of 1994 Leyla Zana, is widely respected for his
 advocacy for a non-violent path to Kurdish independence and respect for his people´s cultural
 rights. (13-JAN-04)

In December 2003, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina (HCHR BH) issued a statement describing the human rights situation in a selection of municipalities throughout Bosnia and  Herzegovina. The statement makes it clear that the rights to work, social welfare and health protection are among those most commonly violated. In some areas, the human rights situation is also improving. (08-JAN-04) 
 

With ´The day I will never forget,´ ducumenting the widespread practice of female circumcision in the Somali community in Nairobi, Republic of Kenya, Kim Longinotto, further reconciled her position as one of Europe´s finest documentarist. At the ´Human Rights in Film´ festival, she received may well have been her biggest honour to date; the prize for outstanding commitment to human rights in film. (15-DEC-03) 
  

For the third time, the Warsaw Human Rights House hosts the ´Human Rights in Film´ festival. This year, with more than 60 films, ranging from cinematic portraits, to feature length documentaries approaching their subject matter in an almost fictional narrative style, the festival is bigger and better than ever. (10-DEC-03)
    

In December 2003, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina (HCHR BH) issued a statement describing the human rights situation in a selection of municipalities throughout Bosnia and  Herzegovina. The statement makes it clear that the rights to work, social welfare and health protection are among those most commonly violated. In some areas, the human rights situation is also improving. (08-JAN-04)
 

In a small pre-Christmas ceremony, HRH presented Steinar Gil, Norway´s Ambassador to Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, with the foundation´s diploma as Human Rights Ambassador of the year for 2003. Gil received the honour for his clear and courageous stance against the Azerbaijani regime´s gross violations of human rights, especially in the wake of the rigged mid-October elections. (06-JAN-04)
  

In a modest pre-Christmas ceremony, HRH presented Steinar Gil, Norway´s Ambassador to Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, with the foundation´s diploma as Human Rights Ambassador of the year for 2003. Gil received the honour for his clear and courageous stance against the Azerbaijani regime´s gross violations of human rights, especially in the wake of the rigged mid-October elections. (06-JAN-04)
  

 From January 1st 2004, Norway has ratified a new law concerning the treatment of drug
 abusers. The new law entitles drug abusers to ordinary patients´ rights, equal to those of any
 other patients. Egil Rafto House Foundation will focus upon the treatment of drug abusers
 from a human rights perspective. (28-Dec-03)

Last autumn, the Department of comparative colitics at the University of Bergen and the Rafto House Foundation co-taught their course in human rights observation. Tanja Clifford, regional coordinator and human rights education officer for Amnesty International Norway sat through all three parts of the course; human rights in a historical perspective, human rights and good governance, and human rights and realpolitik. (28-DEC-03)