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Over the last few days, Republic of Turkey and Islamic Republic of Iran have moved lage numbers of army personnel and equipment to the border areas facing the Kurd parts of Northern Iraq. Leader of theNorwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) Vidar Birkeland says in an RKR press release today that the deployments make a serious threat against the stability not only of the Kurdish parts of Iraq but of the entire region. Unlike the rest of Iraq, the Kurdish parts have until recently been marked by peace and stability. (25-APR-06)
 

On 11 April 2006 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights published a report devoted to the problem of preventing torture at Polish closed institutions. This report constitutes a summary of a three-year program financed by the European Commission and performed simultaneously in six countries by six national Helsinki Committees (Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Republic of Poland, the Russian Federation, Serbia/Montenegro and Hungary). (22-APR-06)

Head of the Belarusian coalition of opposition, Aleksandr Milinkevich, right, today met with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of International Development Erik Solheim. The Foreign Minister said that following Milinkevich´s meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday, the Norwegian government agreed to extend the financial support to civil society, human rights organisations and independent media in the Republic of Belarus. He suggested to channel the support through the Norwegian Helsinki Committe, which has worked in the Republic of Belarus for years and has an extensive network of contacts in civil society. (21-APR-06)
 

On 11 April 2006 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights published a report devoted to the problem of preventing torture at Poland´s closed institutions. This report constitutes the summary of a three-year program financed by the European Commission and performed simultaneously in six countries by six national Helsinki Committees (Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Republic of Poland, the Russian Federation, Serbia/Montenegro and Hungary). (22-APR-06)
 

On Sunday, 16 April, in the center of Moscow on Pushkinskaya Square, about 4,000 citizens gathered in a rally against censorship in mass media and in support of freedom of speech. The protest was attended by well-known journalists, most of whom were dismissed from TV and major media outlets for their truthful reports and criticism against the authorities. (21-APR-06)

Head of the Belarusian coalition of opposition, Aleksandr Milinkevich, right, today met with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of International Development Erik Solheim. The Foreign Minister said that following Milinkevich´s meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday, the Norwegian government agreed to extend the financial support to civil society, human rights organisations and independent media in the Republic of Belarus. He suggested to channel the support through the Norwegian Helsinki Committe, which has worked in the Republic of Belarus for years and has an extensive network of contacts in civil society. (21-APR-06)
 

On Sunday, 16 April, in the center of Moscow on Pushkinskaya Square, about 4,000 citizens gathered in a rally against censorship in mass media and in support of freedom of speech. The protest was attended by well-known journalists, most of whom were dismissed from TV and major media outlets for their truthful reports and criticism against the authorities. (21-APR-06)
 

The Czech Republic recently passed a law granting watered-down civil unions for same-sex couples, while officials in the Russian Federation and Republic of Poland banned gay pride festivals.  The state of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Eastern Europe is changing – and not always for the better. (10-APR-06)
 

Phuntsog Nyidron, right, a Tibetan nun, has finally received the Reebok Human Rights Award that she was awarded in 1995. Nyidron was released from her 15 years’ term in prison about a month ago and travelled straight to Washington DC to undergo treatment for the torture she has suffered and also receive the prize. -This is very encouraging, says Chungdak Koren, leader of the Norwegian Tibet Committee. (20-APR-06)
  

The EU Republic of Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC), which is a Rafto Foundation initiated organisation, regrets the recent escalation of violence in the Kurdish regions of Republic of Turkey in the last 10 days. The EUTCC is gravely concerned about human rights violations which have already occurred, and believe many more people are at risk. Rafto Foundation Board Member, Kariane Westrheim, Chair of the EUTCC, was present in Diyarbakir during the unrest and witnessed the situation with her own eyes. (18-APR-2006)

The Belarusian presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich arrived at Oslo Airport Wednesday afternoon together with his wife Inna Kulej and political advisor Andrej Kuselchuk. He was welcomed by Berit Lindeman from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), right, representatives from the Human Rights House Foundation and the youth devision of the liberal party “Venstre”. Milinkevich is invited to Norway by NHC and will have official meetings with the Norwegian authorities during his 3 days visit. (19-APR-06)
 

The Norwegian Council for Africa, an organisation HRH has fruitfully co-operated with on several occasions, recently received a reprimanding email from Robert Kabushenga, right, press officer at President Museveni´s offices in Kampala. Stop quoting from the Monitor, is the bottom line of the message. The Monitor, of course, is Uganda´s best known independent newspaper.