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-Kazakhstan, the current chair of The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), does not fully abide with OSCE human rights standards, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Oslo Center say in a mutual statement made in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan on 11 May 2010. The statement follows a new round of talks with foreign minister Saudabayev.

Representatives of the Belarusian NGOs held a number of events on 12 May in Geneva that were connected with the report of the Belarusian authorities within the guidelines of the procedure of the Universal Periodical Review at the UN Human Rights Council.

Камісія па правах чалавека Генеральнай асамблеі ААН выпусціла спецыяльную справаздачу – агляд па сітуацыі праваабаронцаў ў розных краінах на перыяд са снежня 2008 па снежань 2009. У дакладзе знайшлося месца і Беларусі, якая традыцыйна сутыкаецца з праблемамі запалохвання і ціску праваабаронцаў і іх дзейнасці. У дакуменце, у прыватнасці, шмат ўвагі надаецца дзейнасці беларускага праваабаронцы Леаніда Свеціка, які неаднаразова падвяргаўся пераследу.

Following our year-long campaign for greater freedom of expression in Cuba, English PEN is proud to be launching a briefing paper on Cuba for journalists and other literary professionals. The document introduces some of the key issues surrounding free expression on the island, and presents facts often missed in political and travel journalism about the island.

An early February morning in 2003, the apartment of the family Al-Arian stormed by the FBI. Shocked family members, as father, Sami, being led away in handcuffs by armed U.S. law enforcement. In 12 hours crawled the tens of FBI agents, the family’s apartmen. Private papers, diaries, letters, books, photo albums, CDs and video tapes were seized. That evening news programs showed the whole world a news conference from Washington, where former Attorney General John Ashcroft said that they had arrested one of the main men behind a global terrorist cell in Tampa, Florida.

The Left Party of Sweden (Vänsterpartiet) has recalled its decision to recognise the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), during its 38th Congress, if it wins the September 19 elections together with the Social democratic Party and Green Party, in what is now known as the ‘Red-Green Coalition,’ according to a statement of the Polisario Representation in Sweden.

Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights House Foundation, Norwegian PEN, English PEN, Norwegian Union of Journalists, Rafto Foundation, Index of Censorhip and ARTICLE 19 condemn the illegal confiscation of material and documentary footage from the Norwegian filmmaker Erling Borgen and the cameraman Dag Inge Dahl in Baku Airport on May 6, 2010. We call upon Azerbaijani authorities to honour Azerbaijan’s international human rights obligations and restore the seized property to the owners.

Journalist Maziar Bahari was sentenced on 9 May 2010 by Islamic Republic of Iran in absentia – 13 years and 6 months in jail and 74 lashes. In the last few days, Iranian activists and journalists have witnessed a new wave of arrests. They are made on the eve of the first anniversary of the election in Islamic Republic of Iran.

On 6 May Supreme Court sentenced Mikalai Autukhovich to 5 years and 2 months in a maximum security penal colony for illegal possession and transportation of 5 shotgun shells and a hunting rifle. Charges of terrorism against state officials were not substantiated, but this case had already been dubbed as ‘a new political order’ of the authorities

A group of Ugandan human rights organizations called on the Ugandan authorities to commit to improvements to protect human rights as part of their campaign for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. In a letter sent to the Ugandan government yesterday, the organizations, as part of a wider international coalition working around the Council elections, called for national legislation to comply with core human rights treaties.

Norwegian PEN, The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Human Rights House Foundation and Article 19 condemn the illegal confiscation of material and documentary footage from the Norwegian filmmaker Erling Borgen and the cameraman Dag Inge Dahl in Baku Airport on May 6, 2010.

Center for Peace Studies – CMS took part in drafting the Act on Elimination of Discrimination in the Republic of Croatia – ZDS. Legal experts in the Republic of Croatia, evaluated the law itself as passable, but had remarks to make on the shortcomings of certain parts and provisions of the Act. Their remarks are mostly on the lack of a certain hierarchy between discriminatory basis.