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Iran continues to crack down on brave people struggling with propaganda and fighting for human rights in the country. On 15 July international nongovernmental organisations Index on Censorship, Article 19, Committee to Protect Journalists and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression expressed their concern to Iranian authorities about the recent wave of arrests of journalists and film makers in Iran and ask them to immediately release all unjustly detained.

Some 1,300 refugees are crossing into Kenya daily from Somalia, fleeing conflict and the region’s worst drought in 60 years. New refugee camps are rapidly needed. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has found alarmingly high rates of malnutrition among the Somali refugees arriving and settling on the outskirts of the Dadaab refugee camp in northeastern Kenya. The findings have prompted MSF to reinforce its medical intervention there.

On 6 July 2011 the Constitutional Tribunal (Trybunał Konstytucyjny, TK) ruled that a law under which the insulting of the President of the Republic of Poland in public is punishable with up to 3 years in prison conformed to the Polish Constitution. On 9 June 2010 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights filed an amicus curiae brief in this case with the TK.

38 organizations from 16 countries have sent a letter to Belarusian authorities to denounce continuing repressions against civil society in Belarus, and the recent arrests of peaceful demonstrators. The authors of the letter called upon Belarusian authorities to stop violence against peaceful protesters and release the arrested demonstrators.

On June 8, 2011, the Human Rights Council adopted Georgia’s first report under the Universal Periodic Review process. As a result of the review process, on January 28 of this year, Georgia received 163 recommendations, 139 of which were accepted (26 partially) and 27 were rejected.

Silent demonstrations on Wednesdays continue across Belarus. Since 15 June 2011, at least 1730 people, including dozens of journalists, have been arrested during the peaceful “clapping protests”. Thirty eight international human rights organisations, including 23 members of 10 Human Rights Houses, united in their call upon the Belarusian authorities to immediately release the demonstrators from prisons.

38 арганізацый з 16 краін звярнуліся з лістом да беларускіх уладаў з асуджэннем рэпрэсій, што працягваюцца супраць грамадзянскай супольнасці ў Беларусі, і нядаўніх арыштаў мірных дэманстрантаў. Аўтары ліста заклікалі ўлады Беларусі спыніць гвалт, накіраваны на дэманстрантаў, і вызваліць затрыманых падчас пратэстаў.

Sergey Chirikov: “We are ready to prove everybody that our photographer’s activities were not criminal at all”

38 organizations from 16 countries have sent a letter to the Belarusian authorities to condemn the continuing repressions against civil society in Belarus and the recent arrests of peaceful demonstrators.

Ethiopia was reviewed on 11th and 12th July 2011 by the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the implementation of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The review made it obvious that the country is still very far away from meeting its obligations as stated in the covenant, which Ethiopia ratified in 1993. Right, the Ethiopian parliament.

This week, Ethiopia is reviewed by the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva, on the domestication and implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Ethiopia ratified in 1993. In cooperation with a selection of relevant diaspora organisations, HRHF continues its advocacy on the human rights situation in the country, which continues to deteriorate.

The Court in Lublin has ruled on the inadmissibility of surrendering the wanted A.K, a Belarus citizen, to the judicial authorities in Belarus. The ruling has already become final and binding.In its decision the Court referred to, among other things, information provided by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.