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Is freedom of expression under threat in the digital age?
Index on Censorship is partnering with the Editors Guild of India and the India International Centre for a debate on the subject, ‘Is freedom of expression under threat in the digital age?’
Writing the truth: Britain’s secret history of torture
In the wake of Ian Cobain’s recent book Cruel Britannia exposing Britain’s role in the development and use of torture, English PEN brings writers and campaigners together to ask how and to what extent they challenge the official line that the UK does not ‘participate in, solicit, encourage or condone’ torture.
Interview with Ucha Nanuashvili, Public Defender of Georgia
Parliament of Georgia elected new ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili on December 7th by 82 votes against 18. Ucha Nanuashvili has been heading a local NGO Human Rights Center for years. Recently he has been chosen as a chairman of board of the Human Rights House Tbilisi. HRHT interviewed Ucha Nanuashvili.
Internal displacement as a stigma in Georgia
Journalist Anuna Bukia, an IDP from Sokhumi, Abkhazia, thinks it is difficult to be an IDP in Georgia not only because of social-economic factors but because of negative approach of the Georgian society towards internally displaced people.
Winners of 12th WATCH DOCS Festival announced
“Anton’s Right Here”, the film début of the famous Russian film critic Lyubov Arkus has received the first prize of the 12th International Film Festival WATCH DOCS. Human Rights in Film. Apart from the prize for the Arkus’ documentary, the jury has awarded a special commendation to Ilan Metev’s “Sofia’s Last Ambulance”. The audience award went to ”Call Me Kuchu”.
Expulsion of foreigner may violate their right to court
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and the Association for Legal Intervention called on Brig. Gen. Dominik Tracz, Chief Commissioner of the Border Guards, to change a practice of his agency that infringes the right to court exercisable by foreigners applying for the refugee status in Poland.
UK: Social media guidelines for prosecutors welcomed
The director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, issued on 19 December the interim guidelines on how prosecutors should deal with comments made using social media. The guidelines are welcomed by free speech organizations but practical application remains to be seen.
Human rights defenders released the research on mass arrests after the elections on 19 December 2010
Two years have passed since the presidential elections on 19 December 2010 in Belarus, which were remarkable for mass arrests and detentions of politicians and activists, some of whom are still imprisoned. On this occasion, human rights defenders presented their research, which indicated some details of those trials.
Detention of migrant children must be put to stop, say NGOs
Amnesty International, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and the Association for Legal Intervention warn that the draft Foreigners Act fails to provide remedies against detaining immigrant children in prison-like guarded facilities. The coalition of the NGOs has been campaigning for several months seeking to ban the detention of foreign migrants’ children.
Call to immediately stop harassment of human rights NGOs in Voronezh
Shortly before 16:00 local time (13:00 CET time) on Wednesday 19 December 2012 police officers and investigation officers entered the premises of the Human Rights House Voronezh to conduct a search in all its offices. The Human Rights House Network calls upon Russian authorities to return all confiscated materials and stop harassing and intimidating human rights defenders.
Праваабаронцамі прадстаўлена даследаванне масавых затрыманняў пасля выбараў 19 снежня 2010 года
Два гады прайшло з прэзідэнцкіх выбараў 19 снежня 2010 у Беларусі, якія былі адзначаныя масавымі арыштамі і затрыманнямі палітыкаў і грамадскіх актывістаў, некаторыя з іх дагэтуль знаходзяцца за кратамі. З гэтай нагоды праваабаронцы прадставілі свае даследаванні, у якіх пазначаныя дэталі тых судовых працэсаў.
Armenia: NHC submits recommendations to the EU on Administration of Justice
NHC together with partner organisations Civil Society Institute and The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) call upon Armenian authorities to eliminate violations in the administration of justice and ensure the establishment of an independent judiciary and the rule of law. These steps are fundamental to the further democratic development of Armenia, and should be a prerequisite for any further engagement with the EU.