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A delegation from the US State Department, including Mr. Eric G. John, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Seth D. Winnick, U.S. Consul General and members of staff paid a visit to Venerable Thich Quang Do (the 2006 Rafto Prize laureate), Deputy leader of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Saigon on April 9, 2007. (10-APR-07)

The United the Russian Federation party is preparing a project called “Civil service reserve”. The project is aimed at promoting young peopleu and specialists – members of United the Russian Federation – and helping them in climbing the career ladder. Not srprisingly, human rights activists have been criticizing the project. They believe that a Soviet reality, where people who did not join the Communist Party were impeded in their careers, is returning. (09-APR-07)
 

A the People´s Republic of China based foreign correspondent has just confirmed what the Norwegian Tibet Committee knew from numerous previous inquiries and complaints; that access to the organisation’s website is blocked from within the People´s Republic of China. The website provides information in Norwegian and English on developments of the political and human rights situation in Tibet. (10-APR-07)
 

A the People´s Republic of China based foreign correspondent has just confirmed what the Norwegian Tibet Committee knew from numerous previous inquiries and complaints; that access to the organisation’s website is blocked from within the People´s Republic of China. The website provides information in Norwegian and English on developments of the political and human rights situation in Tibet. (10-APR-07)
 

The United the Russian Federation party is preparing a project called “Civil service reserve”. The project is aimed at promoting young people and specialists – members of United the Russian Federation – and helping them in climb the career ladder. Not surprisingly, human rights activists are critical towards this. They fear that a Soviet reality, where people who did not join the Communist Party were impeded in their careers, is returning. (09-APR-07)
 

Kremlin is obliging all political parties to give up their right to participate in “Marches of Discontent”. The President’s Administration forces political leaders to sign a special charter, undertaking free-will obligations not to collaborate with so-called extremist politicians and in particularly not to take part in oppositional rallies. (06-APR-07)
 

On 4 April, a coalition of three organizations – The Stefan Batory Foundation, The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and The Polish Section of the International Commission of Jurists appealed to the Polish Sejm and legal circles for transparency in electing judges for the Polish Constitutional Tribunal. (06-APR-07)

During his five day long official visit to Morocco, the president of the Norwegian parliament, Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland, right, will raise the human rights situation in Western Sahara with the Moroccan authorities. Jagland will exert pressure on the Moroccan authorities to allow a Nordic delegation into the occupied area, and he believes the controversial Royal Council for Saharan affairs is to be considered a part of Morocco´s occupation policy.  (03-APR-07)
 

The Rafto Foundation strongly condemns the brutal and intensified crackdown on democracy activists, who peacefully exercise their fundamental rights, protected by international human rights law and the Vietnamese constitution. The heavy prison sentences imposed on Father Nguyen Van Ly (right) and his associates prove that the Vietnamese Government has no intentions of loosening up its tight grip. (31-MAR-07)

Following a campaign of brutal intimidation against opposition leaders and civil society activists and the second arrest of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in as many weeks, President Mugabe´s Zanu PF party is considering the future of its leader. As the Zimbabwean dollar continues to plummet and clashes between police and civilians increase, the international community waits as discussions take place concerning re-election. And it could be that the ´solidarity´ for him from the country´s neighbours is starting to falter. (30-MAR-07) 
 

The Human Rights Council this afternoon concluded its fourth regular session, having considered a large number of reports from its Special Procedures, on the high-level missions mandated during earlier special sessions, and on a wide range of issues, including racism and racial discrimination, freedom of religion or belief, indigenous peoples, violence against women, human rights defenders, and follow-up to earlier resolutions on Darfur and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It also adopted its report to the General Assembly. (30-MAR-07)
 

Following a campaign of brutal intimidation against opposition leaders and civil society activists and the second arrest of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in as many weeks, President Mugabe’s Zanu PF party is considering the future of its leader.