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On January 10th individual entrepreneurs held a mass protest action in Minsk. The action was carried out within the framework of the nation-wide strike of January 1-15. Protest rallies were also held in Mahiliou, Barysau and other cities. Entrepreneurs protest against some regulations of president’s edict # 760. According to the edict, since January 1st entrepreneurs are not allowed to hire employees except for their family members. (11-JAN-08) 
 

A number of Internet-sites that deal with the active coverage of social and political events in the Republic of Belarus were fully or partially blocked. from the morning of January 10. The visitors couldn´t enter some of them. A number of Web-sites were opening too slowly. Most probably, the break was reasoned by the protest action, arranged by individual enterpreneurs (10-JAN-08).
 

The Tibetan documentary ´What Remains of Us´ will be screened at Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF). The film is also nominated to what arguably has become the festival´s most prestigeopus award, the Peace Film Award. TIFF will open next week and run from the 15th to the 20th of January. (09-JAN-08)
 

Faina Kungurova, a 33-year-old political activist in the Republic of Azerbaijan, member of Republic of Azerbaijan Democratic Party, died in prison of apparent starvation on 8 November after a month of stay in the prison. She was the first female political prisoner to die in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Not refuting the official charges of drug possession and distribution, the human rights activists consider her arrest politically motivated.  (05-DEC-07)
    

The European Court of Human Rights intends to thoroughly examine the problem of applying pre-trial detention in the Republic of Poland. The Court approached the government inquiring whether it is true that a “system of groundless excessive detention of individuals suspected of committing a crime” is commonly applied in the Republic of Poland. This case is unprecedented, as until now the Strasbourg Court has never approached a state with an inquiry regarding the entirety of an issue. (04-JAN-08)
 

The European Court of Human Rights intends to thoroughly examine the problem of applying pre-trial detention in the Republic of Poland. The Court approached the government inquiring whether it is true that a “system of groundless excessive detention of individuals suspected of committing a crime” is commonly applied in the Republic of Poland. This case is unprecedented, as until now the Strasbourg Court has never approached a state with an inquiry regarding the entirety of an issue. (04-JAN-08)  
 

On Tuesday night, Samuel Kivuitu, right, made a damning admission that he announced results of the fiercely contested presidential election under pressure. The magnitude of the Electoral Commission chairman’s admission and the further dent on the credibility of the election was captured in his answer when asked if indeed President Kibaki won the elections: “I do not know whether Kibaki won the election”. (02-JAN-07)
 

At least 35 people, most of them women and children, died on Tuesday in Eldoret in the most grotesque killing yet in the ongoing post-election violence. They were killed when more than 200 youths burnt down a church where residents of two villages in Eldoret South constituency had sought refuge. Right, a woman weeps outside the burned church. (01-JAN-08)
 

Five members of the Electoral Commission of Republic of Kenya (ECK) have broken ranks with their colleagues over the disputed election result. -We cannot remain silent under the circumstances. Like all Kenyans, we are deeply affected, the commissioners said in a statement. Right, police and soldiers taking cover behind ballot boxes in Ngong town, outside Nairobi. (01-JAN-08)
 

In 48 constituencies, all in President Mwai Kibaki´s support base areas of the country, the results as declared locally do not correspond with those announced by the Nairobi headquarters of the Election Commission of Republic of Kenya (ECK). Within ten minutes of releasing the results, Kibaki was sworn in. Violent protests immediately broke out and continue in large parts of the country. Houses have been set ablaze, looting is out of control and the death toll, according to Kenya´s national broadcaster KTN, currently stands at 124. (31-DEC-07)
 

Electoral malpractices and human rights violations in campaigns are likely to impact negatively on the General Election today, says the Republic of Kenya Human Rights Commission. -Although concerns have been raised over rampant human rights violations and electoral malpractices, little has been done by relevant State institutions to address them. This has cast doubt on the fairness of the 2007 polls, the human rights NGO warns. (27-DEC-07)
 

In his speach to the media, few days ago, the Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH Ambassador Douglas Davidson (right) is of the opinion that 12 years past the end of war in BiH, there are too many unsolved cases of war crimes. (26-DEC-07)