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More than 30 NGO´s, gathered within the coalition “Public has a right to know” made an official appeal today to the Croatian Parliament requesting the modification of the new Draft Data Secrecy Law, finding it to be in sharp contrast to the Freedom of Information Act. (07-APR-06)
 

More than 30 NGO´s, gathered within the coalition “Public has a right to know” made an official appeal today to the Croatian Parliament requesting the modification of the new Draft Data Secrecy Law, finding it to be in sharp contrast to the Freedom of Information Act. (07-APR-06)
 

The 30 March the Government approved the abolition of 9 out of 25 present draft deferments. The Ministry of Defense promises to shorten the term of military service to 12 months from 2008.  The 1 April mass protest actions against cutting draft deferments were held all over the country. Demonstrators demanded a building up of the professional army and resignation of Minister of Defense, Sergey Ivanov. Human rights activists call on to distrust the Ministry of Defense and the Minister himself. (05-APR-06)
 

North Korea – New approaches, the 7th International Conference on North Korean Human Rights & Refugees, is this year being held in Bergen, Norway 9-11 May. Organisers are The Rafto Human Rights House, Bergen and The Citizens´ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, Seoul. We hope that the diverse participation from a wide range of fields will create a framework that will not only enhance dialogue between different views, but also links human rights issues to international security, humanitarian aid, and economic development. (05-APR-2006)
 

Several journalists have been released in the Republic of Belarus the last days after 8-12 days´ imprisonment. The editor of Nasha Niva, Andrej Dynko has published a diary from his detention in Akrestsina prison. -The worst tricks of Soviet times are back, and the repressive machine has grown much larger. In 1996, the courts fined people for scuffling with police. In 2006, they convict young women to 7 days on a plank bed without mattresses for a bottle with tea, Dynko writes. (4-APR-06)
 
 

Several journalists have been released in the Republic of Belarus the last days after 8-12 days´ imprisonment. The editor of Nasha Niva, Andrej Dynko has published a diary from his detention in Akrestsina prison. -The worst tricks of Soviet times are back, and the repressive machine has grown much larger. In 1996, the courts fined people for scuffling with police. In 2006, they convict young women to 7 days on a plank bed without mattresses for a bottle with tea, Dynko writes. (04-APR-06)
 

The Republic of Uganda Human Rights Commission, lead by Margaret Sekaggya, right, has ordered the government to pay Shs 11 million to Celestine Ecweru, a Soroti resident whom UPDF soldiers and police officers tortured and illegally detained in 2001. This infringed his rights to personal liberty and contravened Article 22, 23 and 44 of the Constitution which provide for lawful detention and a personal right to freedom from torture. (04-APR-06)
 

Hina Jilani, right, the UN Secretary General´s Special Representative for Human Rights Defenders, once again visited the Human Rights House today summing up the achievements as her second and last term is coming to an end later this year. -Throughout my six years in this post, I have concentrated on meeting human rights defenders, said Jilani. Their security and working conditions remain lacking. Even the UN itself repeatedly ignores the particular problems of human rights defenders. (03-APR-06)
 

The informational Internet-portal “Human Rights in Russia”, hro.org, became a winner of the III International Festival of the non-commercial Internet-projects in the nomination “Human rights activist”. We sincerely congratulate activists of HRO.org on their success! (02-APR-06)

Russian authorities support the President of Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and don’t express any protest against mass arrests of peaceful demonstrators in Minsk, including Russian citizens.  In Moscow police has broken up participants of the protest actions against violation of human rights in the Republic of Belarus. The Russian human rights community has expressed solidarity with actions of the Belarussian opposition and has demanded to release all the detained.  (02-APR-06)

Russian authorities support the President of Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and don’t express any protest against mass arrests of peaceful demonstrators in Minsk, including Russian citizens.  In Moscow police has broken up participants of the protest actions against violation of human rights in the Republic of Belarus. The Russian human rights community has expressed solidarity with actions of the Belarussian opposition and has demanded to release all the detained.  (02-APR-06)
 

In response to continued violations of press freedom and freedom of expression in Nepal, twelve international organisations, including ARTICLE 19, conducted a joint mission to Nepal from 20 to 25 March 2006. Journalists, human rights activists and lawyers, including Asma Jahangir, right, and media organisations around the world have expressed their support for the project, and voiced solidarity with media workers and campaigners in the region. Supporters of the mission called for the restoration of democracy demanding for the immediate lift of all curbs and restrictions on the media. (31-MAR-06)