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Fifty-seven journalists fled their country in the past year, seven of them fled Somalia. Three other East and Horn African countries – Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Rwanda – also rank among the top 10. More than a quarter of those who fled their homes from June 2011 to May 2012 came from an East African nation, Committee to Protect Journalists reports.

On 21 June journalist Andrzej Poczobut (right) was arrested in his apartment in Hrodna. The criminal case under the article “libel against the President of the Republic of Belarus” is initiated against him on the grounds of his several publications on Belarusian news web-sites.

In the aftermath of the Eurovision Song Contest, Azerbaijani authorities have targeted critical journalists and activists and adopted legislation which contradicts international freedom of information principles. These moves occur against the backdrop of an overall alarming freedom of expression situation, which must be urgently addressed

William T. Robinson III, Head of the American Bar Association, in letters addressed to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay and the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, expressed concern about violations of international law in Belarus relating to the independence of the legal profession.

21 чэрвеня журналіст Андрэй Пачобут (на фота) быў арыштаваны ў сваёй кватэры ў Гродна. Супраць яго заведзена крымінальная справа паводле артыкула «паклёп на прэзідэнта». Падставамі для абвінавачвання сталі артыкулы на беларускіх навінных сайтах.

The Supreme Court dismissed the cessation appeal of M.R., a former assistant to a Supreme Administrative Court judge and a trainee legal advisor, indicating that a role of a judicial assistant may not be combined with a legal advisor’s professional training.

In his report, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, voiced alarm at the increasing climate of fear and intimidation against opposition parties, labour unions and members of non-governmental organizations.

Прэзідэнт Амерыканскай Асацыяцыі Юрыстаў Вільям Т. Робінсан III (Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III) накіраваў лісты вярхоўнаму камісару ААН па правах чалавека Наві Пілай і Старшыні Еўрапарламента Марціну Шульцу, у якіх ад імя Асацыяцыі выказаў заклапочанасць з нагоды існуючых у Беларусі парушэнняў міжнароднага права, якія датычацца незалежнасці адвакацкай прафесіі.

An open letter concerning the amendment to the Assemblies Act has been a joint initiative involving 32 NGOs, including the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups, the Stefan Batory Foundation, the Panoptykon Foundation, the Campaign against Homophobia and the Association for Legal Intervention.

Head of the Belarusian Human Rights Centre “Viasna” and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights, Ales Bialiatski, faces ill-treatment in detention.

NGOs call for the Human Rights Council to take urgent action at its 20th session on the systemic human rights violations in Eritrea.

The implementation of land reform under President Benigno Aquino III is “the worst since 1988”, according to the Save Agrarian Reform Alliance (SARA), a national coalition of farmers’ groups and NGOs, including FIAN Philippines, which are campaigning for the implementation of agrarian reform.