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Six United Nations entities regularly involved with issues relating to the prevention of torture and helping its victims say that, despite a strong international legal framework outlawing torture, much remains to be done “to ensure that everybody is free of this scourge,” and urge that special attention be paid to ensure better protection for women. (25-JUNE-08)
 

On 20 June Azerbaijani Journalists conducted the Fifth Congress during which Aflatun Amashev (right) was re-elected as Press Council Chairman. The new chairman of the Press Council was chosen by the members of Administrative Staff in accordance to the council’s procedures. (23-JUN-08)
      

The OSCE Special Representative for Combating Human Trafficking, Eva Biaudet, commended Republic of Azerbaijan for passing important anti- trafficking laws, and encouraged authorities to step up co-operation with non-governmental organizations to better identify victims. (20-JUN-08)
     

In the wake of the the cyclone Nargis, right, that hit Burma on 2 May this year and, within a matter of days, caused enormous damage and suffering to millions of BUrmese, the Norwegian Burma Committee (NBK) invites to a conference addressing the role, both actual and potential, of the international community in pushing Burma´s current regime in the diretion of democratic reforms. (20-JUNE-08)
 

The three Ugandan LGBT/HIV human rights defenders that were arrested and detained on the 4th of June 2008 and charged with criminal trespass will face prosecution at 9 am on Friday, the 20th of June 2008 at the Magistrate’s court in Kampala. (20-JUNE-08)
 

Some 30 members of the Burmese diaspora in Norway, joined by a contingency of Norwegian Burma activists, listened to appeals, sang and laid down yellow roses of hope at Suu Kyi´s portrait today, as part of a ceremony that appropriately took place at the Camilla Collett monument, right, in the Royal Castle Park in the heart of Oslo. 19 June is also Burmese heroines´ day. (19-JUNE-08)
 

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), releases its 2007 Annual Report today. The report focuses on the year-round fight for human rights and includes contributions from Hina Jilani, right, Desmond Tutu, Barbara Hendricks, José Ramos Horta, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and Wei Jingsheng. (19-JUNE-08)
 

Index on Censorship magazine was awarded the Amnesty International Media Award for best periodical at a ceremony in London last night. The award was given for a series of articles from the issue “How Free is the Russian Media?”; The magazine was praised for its “brave, impassioned journalism”.

Two employees of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee´s office in Bishkek, Elena Mamadnazarova and Ivar Dale, right, were questioned at the Ministry of Interior (MVD) for six hours yesterday. The two were questioned about the activities of the office, about their legal grounds of residence in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the registration of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee´s (NHC) office. By the end of the questioning, NHC reached an agreement with the MVD. (18-JUNE-08)
 

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, right, congratulated today the Human Rights Council on its adoption of an important new human rights instrument to strengthen the protection of economic, social and cultural rights. “This is a highly significant achievement”, she said. (18-JUNE-08) 
 

Two employees of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee´s office in Bishkek, Elena Mamadnazarova and Ivar Dale, right, were questioned at the Ministry of Interior (MVD) for six hours yesterday. The two were questioned about the activities of the office, about their legal grounds of residence in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the registration of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee´s (NHC) office. By the end of the questioning, NHC reached an agreement with the MVD. (18-JUNE-08)
 

On 14 June, Emin Huseynov (right), the chairman of IRFS, was subjected to police brutality, after which he was detained during a police raid of an event being held at the “Alaturka-Cafe”, dedicated to 80th birthday of Ernesto Che Guvera. (17-JUN-08)