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Early in October the so called “Civil pool”, a coalition of public organizations, established to control the election process to the State Duma on 2 December, announced its self-dissolution. It happened after Vladimir Putin made a statement to head the party “United Russia”. The “Pool” was created in spring 2007 by initiative of Ella Pamfilova, right, the Chairman of the Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation. (29-OCT-2007)
 

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus considered the Ministry of Justice refusal to register Human Rights Association “Viasna” warrantable. The trial was open. The Belarusian democratic society has no doubts in a political way to resolve the question. (27-OCT-07)
 

The ´Thursday Club´ [Klub Czwartkowy] was officially opened on Monday, 8 October 2007. The meetings are a new initiative of the Young Journalists Association POLIS, a member organisation of the HR House in Warsaw, and are partially linked with the journalist workshops organized by this association. The club members’ meetings are held every week and Halina Bortnowska is their animator.(26-OCT-07)

ARTICLE 19, English PEN and Index on Censorship welcome the UK Prime Minister’s commitment to liberty, set out in his 25 October speech. Gordon Brown’s promise to respect and extend freedom of assembly, freedom of the press and the public right to know marks a sea change in government attitudes towards these fundamental rights. (26-OCT-07)
  

The ´Thursday Club´ [Klub Czwartkowy] was officially opened on Monday, 8 October 2007. The meetings are a new initiative of the Young Journalists Association POLIS, a member of the HR House in Warsaw, and are partially linked with the journalist workshops organized by this association. The club members’ meetings are held every week and Halina Bortnowska is their animator. (26-OCT-07)
 

On the occasion of UN Day on 24 October and the 12th anniversary of Aung San Suu Kyi’s (right) detention, the Burmese people in Norway express their deep concern regarding the current situation in Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar). While many in the world are enjoying fundamental rights, Burmese citizens are being arbitrarily arrested and tortured for attempting to practice freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. (25-OCT-07)

On the occasion of UN Day on 24 October and the 12th anniversary of Aung San Suu Kyi’s (right) detention, the Burmese people in Norway express their deep concern regarding the current situation in Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar). While many in the world are enjoying fundamental rights, Burmese citizens are being arbitrarily arrested and tortured for attempting to practice freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. (25-OCT-07)
 

Members of the Human Rights House Network from six different countries express their deep concern regarding freedom of association in the Republic of Belarus and urge the Belarusian Supreme Court  to withdraw the refusual by the Ministry of Justice of re-registration of the human rights center “Viansa”. Read the statement below. (25-OCT-07)
 

13 October, as a part of the official visit to the Russian Federation, the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (right) met with the Russian human rights activists and Media. On the agenda there were a discussion of contemporary situation with human rights in the Russian Federation and freedom of speech, vital issues in judiciary, a new law on NGOs and situation in the Northern Caucasus (23-OCT-07).

Three years ago, 20 October 2004, the opposition Belarusian journalist Veranika Cherkasova was found stabbed in her apartment in Minsk.  Her relatives and colleagues still did not get the clear answer who was guilty in her death. They do not exclude she could be murdered for her professional activity:  Veranika wrote a lot about special forces activity and covered  Belarusian and Iraqi relationships during Hussein period. (21-OCT-07)

On October 14, European March, the mass action of Belarusian democratic forces, took place in Minsk.  Up to 10000 people expressed their wish for Republic of Belarus to join European Union. Authorities preliminarily detained some tens of young people. There were no detentions during the action itself. (15-OCT-07)

The International Federation of Journalists has condemned the assassination on Friday of a leading radio journalist in the Republic of Somalia where a wave of brutal and targeted attacks has claimed eight media victims this year. On the same day a number of incidents across the country suggested independent media face a new wave of intimidation. (22-OCT-07)