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The founders of the public human rights association ‘Viasna’ have finally received an official letter from the Ministry of Justice ‘On refusal of state registration for the public association’. The Ministry lists five reasons why Viasna´s request to be registered has been refused. Viasna comments, giving their interpretation of why the organisation has been denied registration. (29-AUG-07)
 

-More than 100 demonstrators are currently in prison for haing participated in the protests two weeks ago against the rise in fuel prices. We are disappointed that Norwegian authorities have not issued an official condemnation of these arrests, that violate the basic human rights of the Burmese people, says Inger Lise Husøy, right, the Director of the Norwegian Burma Committee (NBK). (28-AUG-07)
 

Ten people have been arrested in connection with the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Following the arrests, Politkovskaya´s newspaper Novaya gazeta , responds to the news, and outlines how it sees the investigation into the killing of its reporter continuing. (27-AUG-07)
 

Ten people have been arrested in connection with the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Following the arrests, Politkovskaya´s newspaper Novaya gazeta responds to the news, and outlines how it sees the investigation into the killing of its reporter continuing. (27-AUG-07)
 

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) has developed a new part-time course, to commence late September in Drammen, the biggest city in Buskerud. The course will be an important addition to the syllabus at Høgskolen in Buskerud (HIBU), the only institution for academic learning in this part of Norway (26-AUG-07)
 

The Norwegian Mission to the East in collaboration with the Rafto Foundation and the Norwegian Teacher Academy invites on September 13 (in Bergen) to the seminar on Freedom of belief and human rights in Vietnam. The background for the discussion is the changes taking place in communist Vietnam as rapid economic development intensifies relations with western democracies. (25-AUG-07)
 

Since August 1999, there have been 5,000 abductions in the Caucasus. The actions of Russia´s military in the region are already lawless. It is dangerous work documenting these human rights abuses. One of the few people who are brave enough to do it is Lidia Yusupova, a lawyer and human rights campaigner who directs the Grozny office of Memorial, one of the last NGOs still operating in the Chechen Republic. (25-AUG-07)
 

Since August 1999, there have been 5,000 abductions in the Caucasus. The actions of Russia´s military in the region are already lawless. It is dangerous work documenting these human rights abuses. One of the few people who are brave enough to do it is Lidia Yusupova, a lawyer and human rights campaigner who directs the Grozny office of Memorial, one of the last NGOs still operating in the Chechen Republic. (25-AUG-07)
 

What began like a year of hope for Republic of Somalia with the removal of the Islamic Courts militias that had been accused of causing havoc in the war-torn country has sadly turned out to be the deadliest year ever for Somali journalists. The Human Rights House Network joins the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network in condemning the growing number of killings of Somali journalists. (24-AUG-07)
 

Poles are now seeking help in Strasbourg in nearly every domain. As regards the number of cases, we are in second place, just behind the Russian Federation. Citizens most often complain about excessive duration of remand and proceedings that go on for years. In recent years, the number of complaints has risen: from 66 in 2004 to 256 in 2006. (23-AUG-07)
 

When thousands of people are the victims of the most heinous crimes – war crimes and crimes against humanity – as they are in Bosnia and Herzegovina, justice must not only be done but, equally importantly, seen to be done,” stated Ambassador Douglas Davidson (right), Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. (23-AUG-07)

Only two years have passed since a Norwegian delegation was expelled from Western Sahara. Sad memories resurface now as the two Norwegian youth politicians Andrea Gustavsson and Kamilla Eidsvik were detained and interrogated by Moroccan security forces earlier this week after meeting with Saharawi youth activists, among them Rabab Amidane, right. (23-AUG-07)