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The Belarusian Ministry of Information sues two major independent newspapers in the country – “Nasha Niva” and “Narodnaya Volya” – in order to shut them down. Voicing their protest, the members of the Belarusian Association of Journalists promise to “do all in [their] power for Belarus not to lose these voices of liberty, that are symbolic for the whole nation”.

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) has announced its annual report and made a statement on democratic setbacks in Azerbaijan, Belarus and Russia. The new report focuses on 2010 events in Belarus, Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus countries and development of human rights internationally.

The Ugandan police and army continues its brutal handling of mass protests against rising food and fuel prices. Ugandan authorities have also cracked down on social and independent media. A coalition of CSOs protests the way freedoms and rights of Ugandans are violated.

Міністэрства інфармацыі Беларусі падала пазовы ў суд аб спыненні выпуску двух асноўных незалежных выданняў краіны – “Нашай Нівы” і “Народнай Волі”. Пратэстуючы супраць магчымага зачынення газет, прадстаўнікі Беларускай асацыяцыі журналістаў паабяцалі “зрабіць усё магчымае, каб Беларусь не страціла гэтыя свабодныя галасы, якія шмат у чым з’яўляюцца знакавымі для ўсёй нацыі”.

For the first time in the history of independent Belarus, the traditional “Chernobyl rally” did not happen on 26 April. The event to commemorate the victims of the worst ever nuclear disaster was prohibited by the authorities. In an atmosphere of fear and repression, nobody dared to exercise their freedom of assembly without permission, although the nuclear energy issue has once again become important in Belarus.

On April 26 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered a judgment on the case of Enukidze and Girgvliani v. Georgia (application no. 25091/07). According to the press release issued by the ECHR, Georgian authorities did not investigate effectively the kidnapping and killing of 28-year old man.

In February 1989, Iranian authorities issued international fatwa – a death sentence – against Salman Rushdie for having authored the novel ‘Satanic Verses’. In Norway as in many other countries, mobilisation for freedom of expression and a heated debate followed on where to draw the line between what some experienced as blasphemy and others saw as legitimate exercise of freedom of expression.

Упершыню ў гісторыі незалежнай Беларусі 26 красавіка не адбылося шэсце, прымеркаванае да гадавіны Чарнобыльскай катастрофы, якая балюча адбілася на беларускім народзе. Традыцыйнае мерапрыемства апазіцыі забаранілі ўлады. У атмасферы рэпрэсій і страху ніхто не рашыўся ладзіць шэсце без дазволу, хаця пытанне атамнай энергетыкі для Беларусі – актуальнае як ніколі.

For ninety years, English PEN has been fighting for the freedom to write and the freedom to read at home and abroad. In this special birthday performance, devised in partnership with Jonathan Holmes of Jericho House Theatre Company, today’s authors draw on the words of those who have led PEN’s fight over the last century, from HG Wells to Monica Ali.

On 9 May will be shown the first public screening in the UK of ‘I have no enemies’, the Nobel Peace Prize Documentary on Liu Xiaobo, the only Nobel laureate currently in detention.

Free speech is a world issue that forms an integral part of fundamental human rights. In this six-week course led by Amanda Hopkinson, you will examine universal, national and regional declarations of human rights, study the relationship between human justice and legal systems, and focus on individual case studies that showcase the right to liberty, movement and free expression.

26 April 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe. Gennady Grushevoy, the 1999 Rafto Prize laureate from Belarus, and the organisation ”Children of Chernobyl” mark the event with a peace tour from Belarus to Geneva and candle action.