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A journalist and the editor-in-chief of a local newspaper were proclaimed guilty of disclosing information on closed-door court proceedings. The guilty verdict was rendered despite the fact that it was the court itself who had allowed the journalists to access the records of the proceedings to write a newspaper article.

18 мая суд адхіліў касацыйную скаргу актывіста Кансерватыўна-хрысціянскай партыі — БНФ Сяргея Каваленкі, які 8 мая аднавіў галадоўку на знак пратэсту супраць свайго прысуду. Перад судом былі затрыманыя жонка і стрыечны брат актывіста.

After working for more than a decade to put land on top of the international agenda, FoodFirst Information and Action Network (FIAN) welcomes the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) adoption of the FAO (the U.N. Food and Argiculture Organization) guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forest in the context of National Food Security.

Parliamentary election on 6 May was Armenia’s first electoral campaign since the disputed 2008 Presidential race that led to massive protests and eight persons being killed by security forces. There were a few improvements as compared to the previous election, but abuse of administrative resources and pressure on voters remained a serious problem.

On 6 May citizens of Serbia, EU-candidate state, voted in presidential, parliamentary, regional and local elections. Even though the support for the need for European integration is greater now than it was in 2008, it is obvious that candidates struggle to prevent that this ambition alienates voters.

Liubou and Tatsiana Kavaliova, mother and sister of Uladzislau Kavaliou, who was executed in March 2012, addressed the President of Belarus Aliaksandr Lukashenka and other officials with a question about the articles in the Belarusian legislation, under which the body of an executed death convict is not returned to his family.

English PEN, Article 19 and Index on Censorship welcome the Government’s announcement that it will bring a Defamation Bill before Parliament. This is a major milestone in Libel Reform Campaign to widen the space for free expression in the UK and around the world.

Маці і сястра Уладзіслава Кавалёва, расстралянага ў сакавіку 2012 г., звярнуліся да прэзідэнта Беларусі Аляксандра Лукашэнкі і чыноўнікаў з пытаннямі наконт пунктаў у беларускім заканадаўстве, паводле якіх целы асуджаных на смерць не выдаюцца сваякам.

Azerbaijani and international NGOs are disappointed with the European Broadcasting Union’s lack of effort to ensure freedom of expression and independence of media in Azerbaijan, just weeks before the Eurovision contest.

The procedure employed to amend the Public Information Act fell short of the constitutional requirements for the legislative process, held the Constitutional Tribunal last week, deciding the motion brought by Poland’s President.

Armenia’s review by the CAT this week will evaluate its progress on issues of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The NGO coalition report shows that there is still much work to do.

The new Head of the Rafto Foundation’s Board of Directors is Gunnar Sørbø. He is a Senior Researcher at Christian Michelsen Research Institute (CMI) in Bergen.