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As Egypt’s record on human rights continues to take a downturn, the country has put in a bid for a seat on the United Nation’s Human Rights Council. Egyptian and international rights organisations have joined together to oppose the bid, citing Egypt’s repeated refusal to allow the UN’s independent expert on torture visit the country. On 2 May, Al-Jazeera journalist Huwaida Taha Mitwalli was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment following her reports on torture in the country. The sentence sent a chilling message to journalists and activists marking World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. (18-MAY-07)
 

Ludmilla Alexeeva who founded the first human rights organisation in Russia; the Helsinki Committee in Moscow in 1976, is visiting Norway between 21 and 25 May. The members of the Moscow Helsinki Group were the one to inform the West about the Soviet Union’s violations of the Helsinki declaration from1975. This led to pursuit, imprisonment and forced exile. Their work led to the creation of several sister- and solidarity-committees in other parts of the world. (21-May-07)

Ludmilla Alexeeva who founded the first human rights organisation in Russia; the Helsinki Committee in Moscow in 1976, is visiting Norway between 21 and 25 May. The members of the Moscow Helsinki Group were the one to inform the West about the Soviet Union’s violations of the Helsinki declaration from1975. This led to pursuit, imprisonment and forced exile. Their work led to the creation of several sister- and solidarity-committees in other parts of the world. (21-May-07)
  

We are pleased to inform you that the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Warsaw-Poland) have started new educational project for journalists from Republic of Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Poland and North-West regions of the Russian Federation. The deadline for applications is June 1, 2007. (18-MAY-07)

On 11 May 2007, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal ruled the partial inconsistency of the new lustration law with the Constitution. According to the President of the Tribunal, Jerzy Stepien (right), the lustration law is feasible despite the necessity to introduce amendments. (14-MAY-07)

The Helsinki Committees from Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Republic of Croatia, FYR Macedonia and Montenegro will organize traveling regional school of human rights for youth, first of that kind in the region. Starting on Friday, 18 May, the one-week school will invite more than 20 activists of the Helsinki Youth Groups to visit the places most affected by recent wars in the region. (14-MAY-07)
 

After six years of continuos presidency of Zarko Puhovski, the Croatian Helsinki Commitee for Human Rights now has a new president. On plenary session held on Friday, 11th May, Danijel Ivin, one of the founders of the organisation became the new president of the Croatian Helsinki Commitee for Human Rights.(14-MAY-07) 
  

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina urged through the members of the BH Presidency, to the BiH Mission to the UN not to give their vote to Republic of Belarus and to prevent this country from becoming a member of the top institution for protection of human rights and freedoms, with the arguments, that are based primarily on the fact that Republic of Belarus is probably the country where there is least protection for human rights on the “Old Continent”. (14-MAY-07)
 

On 8 May 2007 five activists were charged based on article 193.1 of the Criminal Code in the Republic of Belarus. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights House Foundation are of the opinion that this practice contradicts the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. It also constitutes a gross violation of human rights, in particular the right to freedom of association, expression of views and of convictions. (12-MAY-07)
   

Amnesty International, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Human Rights Watch, urged today in their letter, sent to the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to take appropriate steps to safeguard the fundamental rights of every person in Bosnia and Herzegovina subject to removal, including those whose citizenship is under review. (11-MAY-07)
 

ARTICLE 19, the global campaign for free expression, has voiced grave concern about the state of press freedom in Azerbaijan following recent arrests and attacks on journalists in the country. The latest cases include the arrest of Eynulla Fatullayev, pictured right, founder and senior editor of Realny Republic of Azerbaijan and Gundelik Republic of Azerbaijan, and the violent attack on Deputy Editor Uzeir Jafarov of Gundelik Azerbaijan. Fatullayev´s previous newspaper, the Monitor, was shut down following the killing of its editor-in-chief, Elmar Huseynov, in March 2005. (10-MAY-07) Photo from Az Free Speech
 

 ARTICLE 19, the global campaign for free expression, has voiced grave concern about the state of press freedom in Azerbaijan following recent arrests and attacks on journalists in the country. The latest cases include the arrest of Eynulla Fatullayev (right) founder and senior editor of Realny Republic of Azerbaijan and Gundelik Republic of Azerbaijan, and the violent attack on Deputy Editor Uzeir Jafarov of Gundelik Azerbaijan. (10-MAY-07)