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August 8, 2007

Massive election fraud in the south-east of Turkey

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)
 

August 7, 2007

Rafto Prize Laureate accused of advocating autonomy for Kurds

Former Kurdish deputy Leyla Zana, right, the Rafto Prize Laureate 1994, faces an investigation after she called for a division of Republic of Turkey into administrative states, including a “state of Kurdistan.” Zana spoke at a rally before elections in the Republic of Turkey in support of pro-Kurdish independent candidates for Parliament. The investigation will determine whether Zana violated laws on incitement and state unity. (06-AUG-07)
 

August 6, 2007

Leyla Zana accused of advocating autonomy for Kurds

Former Kurdish deputy Leyla Zana (right), the Rafto Prize Laureate 1994, faces an investigation after she called for division of Republic of Turkey into administrative states, including a “state of Kurdistan.” Zana spoke at a rally before elections in the Republic of Turkey in support of pro-Kurdish independent candidates for Parliament. The investigation will determine whether Zana violated laws on incitement and state unity (06-AUG-07).

August 6, 2007

Serious human rights violations condemned

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) expresses its deepest concern regarding a wave of arbitrary arrests and subsequent detentions of several opposition members in the run-up of the Belarus «State Sovereignty Day», which took place on 27 July. (01-AUG-07)
  

August 6, 2007

Arbitrary arrests in Belarus

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) expresses its deepest concern regarding a wave of arbitrary arrests and subsequent detentions of several opposition members in the run-up of the Belarus «State Sovereignty Day», which took place on 27 July. (01-AUG-07)
  

August 2, 2007

Problem of mandatory psychiatric observations

On 30 July 2007, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights Precedent Case Program organized a debate on the need to amend the criminal code of procedure provisions concerning mandatory psychiatric observation of criminal defendants as part of criminal proceedings. (02-AUG-07)

August 1, 2007

Activists of former Viasna try to register again

On 23 July 2007 an initiative group of human rights activists applied to the Ministry of Justice for registration of the human rights public association Viasna. In the time when the authorities liquidate many NGOs and refuse to register new ones , a group of Belarusian human rights activists decided to unite their forces and try getting a state registration.(24-JULY-07)
 

July 31, 2007

Bring Tibet to the 2008 Games

Tibet will not be represented at the 2008 Olympic games like other nations. The opening ceremonies will take place in Beijing on 8 August and the Tibetans, as a nation will remain barred from participating. To put pressure on the Chinese authorities the Norwegian Tibet Committee has joined the international campaign “Team Tibet” which will be officially launched on 4 August with stands all over the world. (31-JUL-07)
  

July 31, 2007

Bring Tibet to the 2008 Games

Tibet will not be represented at the 2008 Olympic games like other nations. The opening ceremonies will take place in Beijing on 8 August and the Tibetans, as a nation will remain barred from participating. To put pressure on the Chinese authorities the Norwegian Tibet Committee has joined the international campaign “Team Tibet” which will be officially launched on 4 August with stands all over the world. (31-JUL-07)
   

July 30, 2007

Thich Quang Do speaks out in public

Thich Quang Do, the 2006 Rafto Prize Laureate, addressed farmers demonstrating in Ho Chi Minh City against power abuse and state appropriation of lands on July 17. “To solve these problems, we must work together for political pluralism, democracy and human rights, especially freedom of expression. There can be no justice under the one-Party state”. This is the first time in 26 years of detention and house arrest that prominent dissident Thich Quang Do has addressed a public demonstration (30-JUL-07).

July 30, 2007

Thich Quang Do speaks out in public

For the first time in 26 years of detention and house arrest the prominent dissident and 2006 Rafto Prize Laureate, Thich Quang Do addressed a public demonstration. The demonstration in Ho Chi Minh City on July 17 adressed the power abuse and state appropriation of lands and Thich Quang Do said that “to solve these problems, we must work together for political pluralism, democracy and human rights, especially freedom of expression. There can be no justice under the one-Party state”. (30-JULY-07)
 

July 28, 2007

Discussion over the statutory template for the lustration declaration

On 11 May 2007, the Constitutional Tribunal in the Republic of Poland ruled the partial inconsistency of the new lustration law with the Constitution. On 18 June, a written justification of this verdict was published, in which the CT inter alia called into question the statutory template for the lustration declaration. On 13 July, the Ombudsman – Janusz Kochanowski (right) took position on this issue. (28-JUL-07)