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At night to 24th of March Belarusian SWAT has liquidated tent camp of opposition’s adherents in the center of Minsk. More then 500 people were arrested because of the participation in peaceful action of protest. (30-MAR-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. (30-MAR-2006)
 

On 29 March the Norwegian Human Rights House in Oslo organised a demonstration with the slogan “Russia: Support human rights, don’t undermine them.” The demonstration, which was attended by some 60 people, took place in front of the Norwegian parliament where Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, right, at that moment had a meeting with the parliament’s president. (30-MAR-06)
 

On 29 March the Norwegian Human Rights House in Oslo organised a demonstration with the slogan “Russia: Support human rights, don’t undermine them.” The demonstration, which was attended by some 60 people, took place in front of the Norwegian parliament where Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, right, at that moment had a meeting with the parliament’s president. (30-MAR-06)
 

BBC, CNN, Reuters and representatives from a whole range of South Korean Medias were present at the pre-premier of “Yoduk Story” on March 15th in Seoul. “It is probably the least cheerful musical since Les Miserables – a three-hour song and dance extravaganza set in one of North Korea´s notorious labour camps”, says BBC journalist, Charles Scanlon, in an aticle on March 24, 2006. Jan Ramstad and Therese Jebsen from the Rafto Human Rights House, was amazed and impressed by the performance set up by North Korean defector and director, Jung Sung-San. (28-MAR-2006)

The full report on the International Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) held on November 29-December 2, 2005 in Colombo, Sri Lanka and attended by the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, Ms. Hina Jilani, right, is now available online. The report documents discussions and analyses of violation and abuse committed against female human rights defenders.

The annual meeting of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) is deeply concerned about the critical situation for human rights in the Republic of Belarus 19 March. When thousands of demonstrators took to the streets protesting against the unfree nd manipulated elections, President Lukachenko’s regime reacted with mass arrests and violence. (27-MAR-06)
 

Azerbaijani opposition, which is living the uneasy post-election period (November 2005) and at the same time pre-election period (repeated elections in May 2006), undergoes certain transformations. Musavat party plans restructuring and adoption of new programmes on the congress in May. The party leader clarifies the cooperation strategy within the party. The classical wing of PPFA transformed into the Classical Popular Front Party with new programme and charter. The political Azadlig Bloc, which was transformed from the election bloc in last February, plans to create a single headquarters to monitor elections, though not participating in them. (26-MAR-2006)
 

6-7 March there was a 2-days seminar “Security of information on the activities of human rights organizations” in Kazan’, organized on the initiative of the Interregional group “Human Rights Network” belonging to the Russian Research Center for Human Rights. Today the problem of personal data  security in the human rights community is extremely important in connection with the preparation of a new bill “On information, informational technologies and protection of information” and because of  increasing number of hackers attacks and attempts of authorities to control human rights web-sites. (25-MAR-06)
 

6-7 March the interregional group ´Defending Rights Net´ belonging to the Russian Research Center for Human Rights arranged a seminar on ´Security of information of the activities of human rights organizations´ in Kazan. The problem of personal data security in the human rights community is extremely important, especially as new bill ´On information, information technologies and protection of information´ is in the making. (25-MAR-06)
 

30 international and journalists have been arrested in Republic of Belarus form14 to 24 of March in the Republic of Belarus. Andrej Dynko the chief-editor of Nasha Niva has been sentenced to 10 days´of imprisonment. Six international journalists are among the arrested. See the list below. (24-MARCH-06)
 

“Bitter accusations and moral blackmail directed at people that hold different opinions, the embarrassing battles waged  through the use of investigative committees, claims to having a monopoly on the truth and moral authority – these are the phenomena that have escalated during the recent months and are the cause of our serious concern. An atmosphere is being created that is conducive to the violation of basic rights” warnes Helsinki Committee in Poland. (24-MAR-06)