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Norwegian NGOs criticize Norway for being a brake in the UN human rights work, and require Norwegian authorities to sign UN agreement UN agreement on an international appeals body for economic, social and cultural rights. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural rights comes into force if at least 10 countries ratify it.

Ambitions for more professionalism and solidarity brought the Belarusian human rights community together for the second ever joint forum yesterday. Convened in a comfortable Lithuanian hotel, many recalled the first forum, in January 2004, which took place in a forest outside Minsk in unheated premises.

A Tibetan student leader who was detained in March for leading a protest against the Chinese government on the second anniversary of the 2008 nation-wide uprising has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on 24 September.

Over the last ten years there have been numerous attacks on journalists in the Republic of Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Yet, in all three countries, not one of these incidents has resulted in a full and effective investigation or prosecution of the instigators of these crimes. Article 19 and International Media Support (IMS) call to protect journalists in these countries and to combat impunity in a constructive way.

The situation with civic initiatives in the Republic of Belarus unfortunately remains unchanged. Anyone willing to become a member of any organisation also risks to be criminally prosecuted according to Article 193.1. Having extinguished all legal means to protest, fairytale characters moved in to support the freedom of association.

On 23 September, the participants of the Annual Meeting of the Human Rights House Network in Vilnius adopted a statement on the Republic of Azerbaijan, calling the country authorities to take measures to meet international human rights and, particularly, freedom of expression obligations.

The participants of the 2010 Human Rights House Network (HRHN) Annual Meeting call upon the Member States of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council to strengthen freedom of association and peaceful assembly by establishing a Special Procedure´s mandate.

Участники Ежегодной встречи Сети домов прав человека 2010 года призывают государства-члены Совета по правам человека ООН к укреплению свободы ассоциаций и мирных собраний посредством создания мандата специальных процедур.

Following the two-days’ annual meeting, the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Vilnius hosted a conference today on various aspects of the human rights situation in the Republic of Belarus and the Baltic states. With more than 20 speakers on the programme, the well attended conference provided insights far beyond the general overviews.

Is Russian policy changing? Are there traces in President Dmitry Medvedev’s rhetoric to this effect? And if so, are these traces indicators of real change, or is it just that; rhetorics? These were the questions discussed by human rights activists and researchers from the Russian Federation at a seminar hosted by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee in Oslo on 22 September.

Сітуацыя з грамадскімі ініцыятывамі і аб’яднаннямі на Беларусі пакуль застаецца нязменнай – любому, хто захоча далучыцца да якой-небудзь арагнізацыі, пагражае крымінальная адказнасць паводле артыкула 193.1. Вычэрпаўшы ўсе легальныя шляхі пратэсту, за справу ўзяліся казачныя героі.

22-23 сентября 2010 года в Вильнюсе, Литва, Сеть домов прав человека проводит свою ежегодную встречу. 22 сентября участники встречи приняли заявление по ситуации с правами человека в Беларуси.