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Beatrice Mtetwa (pictured right), a prominent media and human rights lawyer working to defend and protect journalists in Zimbabwe, was presented with the Index Law Award on 22 March. Index on Censorship´s annual Freedom of Expression Awards honours journalists, writers, lawyers, campaigners, filmmakers and whistleblowers who have made a significant contribution to free expression over the past year. (24-MAR-06)
 

As the October Square in Minsk, where demonstrators have kept their protest vigil around the clock since the 19 March elections, was, emptied by force earlier today, a similar camp immediately took shape outside the Norwegian Parliament, in solidarity and to keep the momentum of the protests up. www.humanrightshouse.org will be back with further news and background on the camp and its consequences. (24-MAR-06)
 

Beatrice Mtetwa (pictured right), a prominent media and human rights lawyer working to defend and protect journalists in Zimbabwe, was presented with the Index Law Award on 22 March. Index on Censorship´s annual Freedom of Expression Awards honours journalists, writers, lawyers, campaigners, filmmakers and whistleblowers who have made a significant contribution to free expression over the past year. (24-MAR-06)
 

As the October Square in Minsk, where demonstrators have kept their protest vigil around the clock since the 19 March elections, was, emptied by force earlier today, a similar camp immediately took shape outside the Norwegian Parliament, in solidarity and to keep the momentum of the protests up. www.humanrightshouse.org will be back with further news and background on the camp and its consequences. (24-MAR-06)
 

In a letter to Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, HRH, Norwegian PEN and the Norwegian Union of Journalists call on the Norwegian government to take all possible measures against the Belarusian authorities. The past few days Belarusian police has arrested more than 250 people that were taking part in the protest that are taking place on the October Square. Among them are several journalists. (23-MAR-06)
 

After elections 19th of March Central Electoral Committee (CEC) of Republic of Belarus announced Alexander Lukashenko as the reelected president of the country. Opposition did not accept these results and called its adherents for the termless peaceful protest rally. About 20000 people went out to Minsk streets. Up to date about 250 protesting persons were arrested by police.(22-MARCH-06) 

Today, the human rights organisations FIDH and OMCT released an authoritative report on the difficulties human rights defenders faced in 2005. It observes an increasing pressure on the freedom of association and assembly in many parts of world. Colombia remains one of most dangerous countries for human rights defenders to function. No less than 47 defenders were killed in the South American country last year.

After death had found him on 11 March 2006 in his detention cell in The Hague, Slobodan Milosevic (right), a former president of Serbia and the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia was buried in his hometown of Pozarevac on 18 March 2006. Reactions from the region to the death of Slobodan Milosevic varied. While some expressed frustration and regrets that the main player and the mind behind crimes had not lived to be punished by the Tribunal, which led to another case of justice not done, others glorified the personality of Slobodan Milosevic. (21-MAR-06)
 

After death had found him on 11 March 2006 in his detention cell in The Hague, Slobodan Milosevic (right), the former president of Serbia and the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia was buried in his hometown of Pozarevac on 18 March 2006. Reactions from the region to the death of Slobodan Milosevic varied. While some expressed frustration and regrets that the main player and the mind behind crimes had not lived to be punished by the Tribunal, which led to another case of justice not done, others glorified the personality of Slobodan Milosevic. (21-MAR-06)
 

Monday night and Tuesday morning at least 108 persons were arrested in Minsk. Andrei Dynko, right, the Editor-in-chief of ´Nasha Niva´, was detained at 10 am. He was arrested while getting off a bus at the Kastrychnitskaya Square, where several hundred people had set up tents and protested against the unfair presidential elections. (21-MARCH-06)
 

From the 22 February to the 2 of April an exhibition “Political ‘Justice’ and Political Prisoners in Contemporary Russia” takes place in the museum and Public Center of Andrey Sakharov.  The personages of the exhibition are people, who have fallen a prey to the politically motivated state despotism. The organizers of the exhibition believe that the existence of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in the country is a menacing sign of present civil disaster. (20-MAR-06)
 

–  The Belarusian presidential election on 19 March failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections, despite the fact that voters were offered the potential for a genuine choice between four candidates. Arbitrary use of state power and widespread detentions showed a disregard for the basic rights of freedom of assembly, association and expression,  concludes the OSCE Election Observation Mission in a statement issued today. (20-MARCH-06)