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Many refuse to declare their sexual orientation publicly as they are afraid they would not be able to get education or a job. “We don’t have that around here”, one can frequently hear both from an ordinary person and a senior government official. It is not surprising, therefore, that most people have a negative attitude towards LGBTIQ persons. (12-JUL-07)

After traveling from camps in what they call their ´long march´ home, 15,000 ethnic Nepalese refugees –Lhotshampas — are stuck at the border of Nepal and India, waiting to return to their homes in Bhutan. Checkpoints have been sealed since 15 June and, following rising tension between the border police and refugees, three people are dead and 100 are injured. (11-JULY-07)
 

Freedom of expression advocates around the world celebrated the release of  Alan Johnston on the morning of 4 July. The BBC Gaza correspondent was held in captivity for 114 days by the Army of Islam group, raising new concerns about the safety of journalists in conflict zones. (4-JULY-07)
  

The 10th regional school for human rights organized by Helsinki Committees in the Balkans and Norwegian Helsinki Committee was held from 28th June till 5th July 2007. This school was different than the previous schools, because it was a ´school on wheels´. During the period 30 young people, aged 17-25, from Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and FYR Macedonia visited concentration camps and memorial centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republic of Croatia. (10-JULY-07)
 

HFHR comments concern the draft submitted on 29 June 2007 by a group of “Law and Justice” party deputies. That recent proposed amendments to the Law dated 1 August 1997 on the Constitutional Tribunal (Dz.U. [Journal of Law] of 1997, No. 102, pos. 643 as later amended; hereafter the “Law”) appear in the public discourse what may have negativ impact on Tribunal´s constitutional mission.As such, HFHR deem it necessary to express its position. (9-JUL-07)
 

3 July President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin (right) signed an Order about 1.245 billion rubles appropriation for the state support of nongovernmental organizations. Human rights activists welcome the initiative, but state that the effect depends on the composition of the commission, which willl decide which organizations that will get support (06-JULY-07).
 

The Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights organized 15th in a row School of Human  Rights for Youth. The School was organized with the long term financial support from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and Heinrich Boell Foundation.  (07-JULY-07)
 

3 July President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin (right) signed an Order about 1.245 billion rubles appropriation for the state support of nongovernmental organizations. Human rights activists welcome the initiative, but state that the effect depends on the composition of the comission, which will decide which organizations will get support (06-JULY-07).
 

Helsinki Committee in Poland, on July 3, 2007 took a position on the stance of the Polish authorities regarding the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The HC members wrote:”The Helsinki Committee was saddened and anxious to learn that the Polish delegation at the Brussels Summit undertook initiatives clearly intended to take away from citizens in the Republic of Poland a portion of the rights that would be guaranteed under the Charter.” (05-JUL-07)

There has been enough evil and twisted time, so I hope that those who respect my Srdjan will carry kindness and beauty on their backs in order for this country to move towards happiness and love, Srdjan’s father Rade Aleksic (right) said while receiving the principal award of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina . (05-JUL-07)

On 26 June, human rights activists for the International Day of solidarity with torture victims published a collection “Torture in Russian Federation: Authorities, Human Rights Activists and the UN Committee against Torture Position.” The collection is a result of joint efforts of the colaition of non-governmental organizations that includes the Russian Research Center for Human Rights. (28-JUNE-07)
 

The Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E. Kjell Storløkken and the First Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy in charge of Political and Economic affairs, Mr. Fredrik Steen, paid a visit to Venerable Thich Quang Do (right), the 2006 Rafto Prize Laureate and Deputy leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV). The meeting took place on 2 July at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City, where Thich Quang Do is currently under house arrest (04-JUL-07).