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On 3 September a journalist, poet and activist Faranak Farid was arrested in Iran. On 8 September a prominent journalist, playwright, film-maker and member of Iraqi PEN Hadi al-Mahdi was murdered in Baghdad. On 21 September Omani court sentenced two journalista of an independent newspaper to five months in prison and ordered to shut the newspaper down for a month.

Kazakhstan authorities continue to hold a harsh grip over human rights defenders, lawyers and opposition. Upcoming court appeal hearing of lawyer Natalya Sokolova, right, is yet another example of Kazakhtan’s horrific human rights record.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights has published the report ‘Class action suits after a year from their introduction’. ‘The institution of a class action suit is not a revolutionary change in the Polish law’, says Marek Niedużak, the author of the report. ‘Still, this is an important step towards a better access to justice’, he adds.

Released on 14 September, political prisoners have told about the conditions of their imprisonment, threats and pressure from the side of administration. Meanwhile, a number of Belarusian intellectuals expressed their concern regarding the conditions of detention of political prisoner, Zmitser Dashkevich.

Concerns about the continuously deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus were raised by the Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) at the most recent UN Human Rights Council session. In its oral statement, HRHF highlighted the escalating repression against human rights defenders and their organisations, lawyers, journalists and political activists.

Вызваленыя 14 верасня палітвязні распавялі пра ўмовы свайго ўтрымання ў турмах, пра пагрозы ды ціск з боку адміністрацыі. Прадстаўнікі беларускай інтэлігенцыі тым часам выказваюць сваю занепакоенасць з нагоды ўмоваў утрымання палітвязня Змітра Дашкевіча.

The Human Rights House Tbilisi (HRHT) is organizing a Peace Week dedicated to the International Day of Peace. Numerous activities are scheduled to commemorate the day.

Series of cross-border air strikes by Turkey has killed up to 100 Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq, according to the Turkish military leadership. However, government’s continued military action against Kurds is criticised both by the opposition and many Middle East analysts. The ruling party is also blamed for inability to stop the oppression of its ethnic minorities and silencing critical voices.

Five opposition activist and five journalists have been recently arrested in Ethiopia under abusive Anti-terrorism law. Terrorism charges brought against two Ethiopian journalists and one Swedish reporter on 6 September could see them imprisoned for up to 20 years if convicted.

Several key areas where Russian government has yet to make a progress if the country wants to be more democratic remain to be a core issue with regard to human rights within Russian Federation. It was outlined during the visit of human rights defenders from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee to St. Petersburg and Moscow on 8-12 September.

The Head of the Government Legislation Centre (RCL) responded to the HFHR’s letter concerning the amendment to the Assemblies Act. Maciej Berek, Head of the RCL, said there had been no defects in the RCL’s course of action discussed in the letter. In August 2011 the HFHR appealed in this case to the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk

A series of special events designed by FIDH is taking place now. These activities aim to achieve the release of political prisoners, among whom is now vice president of FIDH, the head of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski. 11 more political prisoners were released on 14 September. The Human Rights House Foundation has prepared a special statement to the UN Human Rights Council