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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”.

The results of the project Electronic Human Rights Education for Lawyers were presented by a Russian team at a Conference on European Convention

On October 14 2010, Helsinki Foundation of Human Rights issued a statement concerning steps taken by the state authorities against the so called designer drugs – psychoactive drugs whose influence on the organism may be harmful. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights underscored that this statement is a result of the concern for democratic standards.

On September 29, the results of the monitoring of the investigations concerning the treatment and fate of certain missing persons during and after the armed conflict in August of 2008 was published on the web-site of the Council of Europe.

In the 2010/2011 academic year, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) launches a pilot educational program “Human Rights and Taxes” concerning the widely understood issues of tax law. The aim of this initiative is to study the problems associated with legislation and practical application of tax law regulations from the perspective of citizens – taxpayers.

A Tibetan writer and intellectual jailed in April has been released on “bail pending trial” on 14 October, Beijing based Tibetan writer Woser said on her blog. At the same time two Tibetan students in the western province of Gansu sentenced to two-year jail terms in connection with protests at a local middle school.

The pre-election hysteria of the Belarusian authorities is becoming more apparent. Independent weekly Vitebskij Courier again became a victim of this process. As critical to the regime publications are facing fines and possible forceful closures, state-owned mass media are increasing circulation numbers by administrative pressure. ‘Double standards’ over again?

”Place of an Other in the architecture of fear ”

An unknown neighbor – the anthology of South-East Europe