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Following Belarusian authorities’ liquidation of the Human Rights Center Viasna in October 2003, members of the organisation appealed sent an appeal to the UN Human Rights Committee in April 2004, suggesting that the liquidation was illegal and asking the UN committee for its opinion. After careful consideration, the UN responded earlier this month with unconditional support. Belarusian authorities have violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (16-AUG-07)
 

5 July the United Civic Front activist Larissa Arap (right) was hospitalized against her will on the grounds that she poses threat for herself and her surroundings. This matter brought forth a lot of  attention from the media and human rights organizations all over the world. The Special Commission suggested by Independent Psychiatric Association and created by Vladimir Lukin, the ombudsmen of the Russian Federation, concluded that her hospitalization violated her civic rights. (15-AUG-07)
 

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has suddenly become the largest recipient of humanitarian & development assistance from Norway, and the host of the largest group of Norwegian soldiers deployed outside the country. This happens despite few historical ties and little interaction between our two countries. The Nansen Academy at Lillehammer is organizing a Dialogue Seminar where the participants will discuss the impact of civil and military operations in Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Kosovo/Serbia. (14-AUG-07)
  

The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net) has received with profound shock the news of the murder of two journalists in Mogadishu, Republic of Somalia. According to Network members in Mogadishu, Mr. Ali Iman Sharmarke, director of Horn Afrik radio and television died after his car ran over a landmine. Mr. Sharmake was on his way from the funeral of fellow journalist and Radio Capital Voice director Mahad Ahmed Elmi, who had been killed moments earlier. (12-AUG-07)

26 July, in spite of public protests, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, passed a new bill on extremism. Theoretically, it is aimed at strengthening the responsibility for extremism; however, it may undertake a new meaning and be used by the government to silence the mass media and infringe on the freedom of speech, privacy and self expression, which are the most important values in any democratic society. (10-AUG-07)
 

We will use the year between now and the 2008 Beijing Olympics to draw attention to the situation in Tibet, and we want a separate Tibetan team to compete in the games, says Chungdak Koren, right, Chairwoman of the Norwegian Tibet Committee, one of the organisations at the Human Rights House in Oslo. (10-AUG-07)

China is cracking down on pro-Dalai Lama (right) sentiment in Tibet by firing dozens of ethnic Tibetan officials and criticizing others who don´t speak out against the exiled spiritual leader, a rights group said Friday. Since July, Communist Party secretaries from 54 of Tibet´s 74 counties have been fired and replaced by cadres from elsewhere in the People´s Republic of China, Hong Kong´s Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said. (10-AUG-07)
 

26 July, in spite of public protests, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, passed a new bill on extremism. Theoretically, it is aimed at strengthening the responsibility for extremism; however, it may undertake a new meaning and be used by the government to silence the mass media and infringe on the freedom of speech, privacy and self expression, which are the most important values in any democratic society. (10-AUG-07)
 

Tuesday 7 August Norwegian PEN, the Norwegian Journalists Associations and Amnesty International Norway held a press conference at the Human Rights House in Oslo. This marked the launching of Norwegian NGOs the People´s Republic of China campaign that will use the one-year countdown untill the Beijing Olympics to focus on how human rights situation in the People´s Republic of China will have to improve. (08-AUG-07)
  

As the one-year anniversary marking the coup approaches, plans for a referendum on the new draft constitution is underway and an election is predicted for December. But the military junta governing the country continues to pass laws that contradict their promises for democratic change. (3-AUG-07)
  

On 7 August 2007 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights addressed to the Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski an open letter regarding the issue of serious allegations made against Republic of Poland concerning its involvement in a network of secret CIA prisons in Europe. The Foundation is deeply concerned by the Polish government´s inappropriate position towards that problem. (08-AUG-07)

The two election observers that the Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) has sent to the south-eastern parts of Republic of Turkey report on the one hand that the elections, particularly in rural areas, were seriously rigged, on the other that despite the seemingly organised campaigns to prevent people from voting for the independent Kurdish candidates, the election result still gave the Kurds a 24-strong group of MPs. (08-AUG-07)