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A one day conference “Belarus Action” will be held at the House of Literature, Oslo. The main goal of the conference is to create more attention about Belarus in the Norwegian public, challenge Norwegian politicians to work out a new Belarus-policy and to contribute to the work for a democratic Belarus.

In this seminar Larry Siemens from PEN American Center in New York will present his book “The Torture Report”. The book is based on documented torture conducted by U.S. authorities after 11 September 2001. Professor and U.S. expert Ole O. Moen will be among the questioners.

The 2012 Rafto Prize laureate will be honoured at a ceremony and concert to be held on Sunday, 4 November 2012, at the National Venue of Theatre in Bergen, Norway.

The 2012 Rafto Prize laureate will be announced at a press conference to be held on Thursday, 27 September at 10:00, at the Rafto Human Rights House in Bergen.

In March the Supreme Court dismissed a cassation complaint filed by the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office in Białystok. This marked the end of a four-year long trial against Dariusz Basałaj, a prison guard working at the Detention Centre in Białystok. In 2009 Mr Basałaj was charged with contributing to the death of one of the inmates. The facts of the case go back to April 2008 when Andrzej Ł., a state witness, hanged himself in the in-cell sanitary annex of one of cells in the detention centre in Białystok.

Nobel Peace Prize Nominee publisher Ragıp Zarakolu was arrested by Turkish police last year after being accused of membership of an illegal organisation under Turkish anti-terror legislation. R. Zarakolu has been held on pre-trial detention for 135 days in a high-security prison, Koaceli, 80 kilometres east of Istanbul. His detention and that of many others symbolizes the current fall of Turkey in international freedom of expression rankings.

On 17 December 2010 Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after the police had denied him the permission to sell food on the street. This incident set off a series of uprisings throughout Middle East. In certain countries, like Bahrain, we have seen an end to the demonstrations without significant political change. However, in other countries, we know that previous regimes have been removed from power, and that new governments are taking shape. This is – in different ways – the case in Tunisia and in Egypt. These regime changes have led to an international discussion about debt cancellation

The Court of Appeal in Poznań ruled that the request to leave a Poznań restaurant which had been directed to a Roma guest had been discriminatory. The Court held that the owner of the club Cuba Libre had acted unlawfully. The incident took place on 10 December 2010. On that day the claimant, Adam G. and three other people went to the Cuba Libre restaurant.

The current state of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan is alarming, as the cycle of violence against journalists and impunity for their attackers continues; journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and political and civic activists face increasing pressure, harassment and interference from the authorities.

Belarusian political activist Siarhei Kavalenka (right) continues hunger strike in Minsk Republican Prison Hospital, despite his poor state of health: his weight is now about 50 kilograms. The prison hospital administration makes attempts to forcibly stop hunger strike.

Сяргей Каваленка (на фота) працягвае галадоўку ў Мінскім рэспубліканскім турэмным шпіталі, хоць і вельмі слабы, яго вага зараз складае каля 50 кілаграмаў. Адміністрацыя турэмнага шпіталя робіць захады па прымусовым вывадзе вязня з галадоўкі.

Last week police officers in Kenya assaulted three reporters and detained one. This week Ugandan police attacked two journalists in separate incidents outside of police stations. Journalist community says the impunity in Eastern Africa must come to an end.