Latest
Belarus: Authorities step up pressure on journalists
The Belarusian police are increasingly harassing and intimidating independent journalists by charging them with relatively minor offences. This practice should stop at once if the government really intends, as it claims, to turn Republic of Belarus into a democracy, stated Reporters without Borders. The Belarusian Association of Journalists vows support to its members in all possible ways.
Somalia: 66 women and children injured
Brutal contentions affect the Somali capital Mogadishu again. Since Friday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has placed 89 people with shell damage to their hospital in the town Daynile. 66 of these are women and children. -This testifies a total lack of respect for civilians’ safety. All parties are to blame for so many being killed and wounded, said information officer at MSF, Siv Mjaaland.
Croatia preparing for the UPR
A public hearing on the recommendations of the UN Committee for Republic of Croatia in 2009 and a workshop on the new UN mechanism for the protection of human rights, were held last Thursday, in the Center for Human Rights in Zagreb, together in cooperation with the Human Rights House Network.
OSCE chair Kazakhstan ignores OSCE commitments
The newspaper “Svoboda Slova” (Freedom of Speech) was confiscated by the authorities of Almaty because of its coverage of corruption claims against President Nazarbayev’s son in law. – The confiscation is in clear breach of OSCE commitments on free press and the rule of law, says Bjørn Engesland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
Demonstration to commemorate the Ghulya massacre
5 February marks the 13th anniversary of the Ghulya massacre, where more than 30 Uighur Uighurs were shot dead by Chinese police forces during a peaceul demonstration in East Turkestan.
ARTICLE 19 Artist Alert – January 2010
Art, in any form, constitutes a key medium through which information and ideas are imparted and received. Artist Alert, launched by ARTICLE 19 in 2008, highlights cases of artists around the world whose right to freedom of expression has been curtailed and abused last January, and seeks to more effectively promote and defend freedom to create.
Stop Thailand from forcing refugees back to Burma!
On 5 February, Thailand started deportation of about 3000 refugees from the country back to Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar). The Norwegian Burma Committee urges Norway to protest. “In Burma they will risk the slave labor and forced recruitment into the military,” said Inger Lise Husøy, general manager of the Norwegian Burma Committee.
Грамадская дзейнасць – несумяшчальная з працай?
Свабода аб’яднанняў – толькі на паперы. Нягледзячы на абяцанні ўладаў, артыкул 193.1 КК Беларусі па-ранейшаму прадугледжвае пазбаўленне волі да двух гадоў за дзейнасць ад імя незарэгістраванай арганізацыі. Але і сяброўства ў зарэгістраванай НГА таксама пагражае непрыемнасцямі, кшталту звальнення з працы, як для сяброў Саюза беларускіх пісьменнікаў.
Broad alliance demands a change in Norway’s policy on returning refugees
In only two weeks, the appeal ‘Gjør som FN sier, Jens’ (‘Do what the UN says, Jens’), got the support of more than 20 organisations, and gathered more than 12.000 individuals’ signatures. The appeal, asking the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, right, to follow the UN’s recommendations in refugee issues, was initiated by the Norwegian section of Amnesty International, Norwegian People’s Aid and Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers.