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1 June, on the occasion of the second anniversary of the assasination of Dr. Masuq al-Kaznawi, right, the Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) appeals to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to put pressure on Syria to initiate an independent investigation of this murder, with a view to bring the responsible to justice. (17-JUNE-07)
 

The number of Azeri journalists in Baku, seeking political asylum has reached 25. Meanwhile, the deputies of Parliament accuse press representatives in “damaging the prestige of Republic of Azerbaijan in the international arena”. The deputy Siyavush Novruzov publicly stated that these journalists do not have “Azerbaijani blood”, for which the journalists prepare to file a lawsuit against him. (17-JUN-07)
 

On the occasion of Aung San Suu Kyi´s birthday 19 June, the Norwegian Burma Committee (NBC) will host a seminar for Burmese women in Norway. Instrumental in arranging this two-day event are NBC´s two interns, Naw Khin San Htwe from the Burmese Women´s Union and Lway Dang Jar from the Paulang Women´s Organisation, right. Their hope is to inspire Burmese women in Norway to take a more active political role. (15-JUNE-07)
 

According to the International Center of Investigation of Prisons at London King´s College, Republic of Belarus possesses one of the highest ratings on number of prisoners in Europe: 426 per 100 thousand population. Prisons are overcrowded, have extremely low sanitary level and there are serious threats to prisoners’ security including cases of physical violence and sexual abuse. (15-JUN-07)
 

19-20  May the XII Congress of the “Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia” (IPA) was held in Moscow. Psychiatrists from 27 regions of the Russian Federation, assembled in Moscow to discuss stressing issues in psychiatry, to review the Association work for the last 3 years, to determine priorities for the near future and finally try to find the answer for sacramental question: “What shall we do?” (11-JUNE-07)
 

On 9-11 June, the end of the autumn-spring season of Discordant Marches was marked by public rallies in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Murmansk and Ekaterinburg. The marches proved to be the calmest in their short history although the authorities imposed certain restrictions in respect to the number of participants and the location. (14-JUN-07) 
 

In the wake of the alleged poisoning of the imprisoned Kurd leader Abdullah Öcalan, his lawyer Ömer Günes (right) came to Oslo to meet with specialists in the medical and legal professions, media and representatives of the Union of Trade Unions´ international department. The Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) invited to an open meeting at the Norwegian Human Rights House in Oslo in order to draw attention to Öcalan´s plight. (14-JUNE-07)
 

Twelve African member organizations of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) met last week in Addis Ababa, for a regional strategy meeting to discuss how to increase the ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute throughout sub-Saharan Africa. CICC called on the Ethiopian government to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a bid to play its role against crimes of international concern. (13-JUNE-07)
 

The Trial Chamber of The Hague Tribunal convicted today, in a first-instance verdict, the former president of the so-called Republic of Serbian Krajina Milan Martic to 35 years of imprisonment for war crimes committed on the territories of Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. (12-JUN-07)

Tomorrow, Wednesday 13 June, the Kurd leader Abdullah Öcalan´s lawyer Ömer Günes, right, will visit the Human Rights House. Günes is in Oslo to meet with specialists in the medical and legal professions, media and representatives of the Union of Trade Unions´ international department. To mark the occasion and draw attention to Öcalan´s plight, the Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) invites to an open meeting. (12-JUNE-07)
 

The Trial Chamber of The Hague Tribunal convicted today, in a first-instance verdict, the former president of the so-called Republic of Serbian Krajina Milan Martic to 35 years of imprisonment for war crimes committed on the territories of Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. (12-JUN-07)

Marek Antoni Nowicki, the President of the Helsinki Foundation for Human and former Ombudsperson in Kosovo participated in the “Regional Ombudsman Conference: Support and Obstacles to the Protection of Human Rights”, which took place on 8th and 9th June 2007 in Pristina/Kosovo. The conference brought ombudsman institutions from across southeastern Europe together with representatives of Kosovo’s local authorities, civil society groups and media. (11-JUNE-07)