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Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia holds a seminar ‘How to treat people with mental disorders’ in cooperation with Perm Human Rights Center. The seminar is aimed at prevention of violation of rights of citizens with mental disorders, more effective protection of their rights, prevention of tortures, violent humiliating treatment of this category of citizens including rude treatment by staff of hospitals. The main target group is human rights defenders.

Polish officials investigating a now-shuttered secret CIA prison in this country have given a Saudi terror suspect victim status, a legal advance in the detainee’s effort to show he was mistreated by interrogators, officials said Wednesday. Legal experts said Poland’s move to grant the status of victim to Abn al-Rahim al-Nashiri recognizes the validity of his claims even as U.S. courts have refused to allow cases involving rendition to move forward for national security reasons.

Collecting signatures for presidential hopefuls has been the main political event in the country for a month already. To be registered as a candidate one has to collect 100.000 signatures of Belarusian citizens. Incumbent Lukashenka was the first to reach the threshold. To do so his campaign office used nearly criminal practices of exploiting state employees, school teachers and medical staff.

We are very pleased to invite you to the international conference ‘Media Ownership, Freedom of Speech, and the Democratic Debate’ organized as a part of Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights project called “Freedom of Media Observatory in Poland”.

Eleven international freedom of expression organisations have submitted an open letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev calling for the immediate and unconditional release of imprisoned Editor-in-chief Eynulla Fatullayev. Fatullayev’s continued imprisonment constitutes a breach of Azerbaijan’s international legal commitments and a violation of Fatullayev’s rights.

Збор подпісаў за кандыдатаў на пасаду прэзідэнта ідзе ў краіне амаль месяц. Паводле заканадаўства, кожны з кандыдатаў павінен сабраць не менш за 100000 подпісаў. Першым, хто зрабіў гэта, стаў дзейны прэзідэнт краіны А. Лукашэнка. Зрабіць гэта дапамагла антызаконная эксплуатацыя паднявольных дзяржслужбоўцаў, настаўнікаў ды ўрачоў.

On the 100th session of the UN Human Rights Committee held in Geneva on October 13-14 2010, the Human Rights Committee recognised the answers of the Polish Government to the list of issues prepared in connection with the VI Periodic Report on the realisation of the resolutions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

At its 45th session, the United Nations Committee against Torture will review Ethiopia. The government submitted its initial report to the Committee. This will be the first review of Ethiopia at the Committee against Torture.

Ahead of Burma’s upcoming Parliamentary elections, election observers and foreign journalists will not be allowed into Burma for its first polls in two decades, officials say. The restriction is the latest in a series of moves that critics say guarantees Burma’s first elections in 20 years will favor the military government.

Ahead of Azerbaijan’s upcoming Parliamentary elections, nine organisations are launching a new report titled “Free Expression under Attack: Azerbaijan’s Deteriorating Media Environment”. The report findings come out of a joint freedom of expression mission to the country in September 2010 and highlight the Azerbaijani government’s failure to comply with its international commitments to promote and protect freedom of expression.

Eleven organisations have issued a joint open letter to President Aliyev expressing strong concern regarding the continued imprisonment of Editor-in-chief Eynulla Fatullayev, which constitutes a breach of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s international legal obligations and a violation of Mr Fatullayev’s rights.

With many African countries marking the 50th anniversary of their independence, 2010 should have been a year of celebration but the continent’s journalists were not invited to the party. The East and Horn of Africa continues to be the region with the least press freedom, according to the newest 2010 World Press Freedom Index made by Reporters Without Borders. However some journalists evaluate the Index for Africa as a “joke”.