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Association of Young Journalists “Polis”, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and the U.S. Embassy organised a meeting with Michael Haltzel – senior fellow at Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University. It took place on 9 October 2009 in Collegiun Civitas in Warsaw.

Today, the Presidency of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a decision assigning the situation in the Republic of Kenya to its so-called Pre-Trial Chamber II. As a state party to the Rome Treaty, establishing the ICC, Republic of Kenya has committed itself to cooperate with the court, also in investigations into issues to do with its own country.

43-year-old scion of a wealthy, politically influential family and a long-time oppositional figure in the republic of Ingushetia, was recently killed when his car was strafed with gunfire, as he drove along a federal highway, adding another name to the list of activists, who have been killed lately in the Northern Caucasus.

On 29 and 30 October 2009 in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv took place a Conference on the Development of Human Rights Education initiated by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Understanding Human Rights Ukrainian Educational Program. During two days 148 participants from different countries shared their expertise and information concerning the existent examples of initiatives, projects and programs for human rights education in Ukraine and abroad.

Belarusian human rights defenders are concerned with the death penalties to Andrei Zhuk and Vasil Yuzepchyk as well as with the Supreme Court decision to turn down appeals in their case. Republic of Belarus is the only country in Europe that practices the capital punishment, thus, violating the most fundamental right – the right to life.

ARTICLE 19 has raised concerns about the failure of the Government of Republic of Kenya to respect and promote freedom of expression and freedom of information. These issues were outlined in comments ARTICLE 19 submitted this week to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), in preparation for its first Universal Periodic Review of Republic of Kenya in May 2010.

The party congress of the Swedish Social Democratic Party has demanded
that Sweden recognise Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara as the first
country in Europe. After a few days, Morocco ordered the immediate departure
of a Swedish diplomat accused of cooperation with Western Sahara-linked “separatists”.

The Human Rights House Foundation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Rafto Foundation, the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders and the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Vilnius are concerned about the noticeable tendency in the Republic of Azerbaijan to put local non-governmental organisations under increased government control following the recent amendments to the NGO law. The amended law allows the government to collect information on NGOs without referring to any specific purpose articulated in this or other laws.

English PEN strongly protests the ten year prison sentence handed down to former Nanjing Normal University associate professor and Internet writer, for ‘subversion of state power’. Simultaneously, Reporters Without Borders voiced their concern about freedom of expression websites being blocked by the People´s Republic of China.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell visited today Aung San Suu Kyi, Burna’s opposition leader, who has become an international symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.

Смяротныя прысуды, вынесеныя Андрэю Жуку і Васілю Юзэпчуку, а таксама нездавальненне іх абскарджанняў вышэйшымі судовымі інстанцыямі Беларусі выклікалі заклапочанасць праваабаронцаў. Беларусь усё яшчэ застаецца адзінай краінай Еўропы, дзе прымяняецца пакаранне смерцю. А гэта – парушэнне аднаго з неад’емных правоў чалавека – права на жыццё.

The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi condemns the recent incident of seven year old child beaten to death by his mother, and urges timely and adequate actions by Centers for Social Work. According to data provided by Megjashi, the percentage of molested children in the Republic of Macedonia has trippled in 2008 in comparison to the data from 2007.