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The Ossietzky Prize; Norwegian PEN´s award for outstanding contributions to freedom of expression, will be awared Monday 19 December to Fakhra Salimi. This years laureate has been living in Norway since she was 20 – more than half her life – and has always represented a different voice in Norway´s otherwise rather homogenous and unisone public debate. (18-DEC-05)
 

Baku: A number of oppositionals were detained and dozens beaten up during an unsanctioned demonstration in Baku on 18 December 2005. The Azeri Authoroties have previously received massive international criticism after the brutal break up of the peaceful rally in Baku on November 26. (19-DEC-05)
 
 

Baku: A number of oppositionals were detained and dozens beaten up during an unsanctioned demonstration in Baku on 18 December 2005. The Azeri Authoroties have previously received massive international criticism after the brutal break up of the peaceful rally in Baku on November 26. (19-DEC-2005)
 

International websites in general, but the ones focusing on human rights in particular, have a key role to play in speaking on behalf of human rights defenders at risk, says Niels Jacob Harbitz, right, HRH´s Project Manager for Africa. We have known this for a long time, but now, we see it clearly, both in the Republic of Uganda, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Tunisia and elsewhere. (19-DEC-05)
 

The youth of Republic of Azerbaijan became the special target of the authorities for political motives. During the pre and post-election period there was paid special attention to the political affiliation of students. According to the numerous reports received from the students, the institutional administration urged the students to attend the demonstrations of the ruling party, while prohibiting and making obstacles for their participation in pro-oppositional rallies.  (18-DEC-2005)
 

International organization protecting press Reporters Sans Frontiers (Reporters Without Borders) has published a traditional index of mass media freedom in 167 world countries on the eve of New Year. The index is based on the analysis of situation of freedom of media and journalists, violation of their rights and freedoms, legislation in field of press, attitude of authorities towards media and general atmosphere in the country. (18-DEC-2005)
 

The commitments, the Azerbaijani authority taken in front of the international community are not fulfilled, thinks the human rights activists and a number of politicians. The joint letter of pro-democratic part of Republic of Azerbaijan reminds the PACE about numerous violations during the elections, as well as post-election violence and disrespect to human rights. Now the main question is if the PACE will confirm the mandates of the new deputies or it will follow the pro-democratic supportive position (18-DEC-2005).

On 2 – 4 December 2005, already for the sixteenth time, an assembly was held in Warsaw for the Graduates of the Human Rights School, organised by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. (17-DEC-05)

The Ossietzky Prize; Norwegian PEN´s award for outstanding contributions to freedom of expression, will be awared Monday 19 December to Fakhra Salimi. This years laureate has been living in Norway since she was 20 – more than half her life – and has always represented a different voice in Norway´s otherwise rather homogenous and unisone public debate. (17-DEC-05)
 

Ethiopian leaders claim their country is going through a process of democratisation. But who is it for, that process, when opposition media get closed and their editors imprisoned? Elisabeth Eide, right, board member of HRH, author, freelance journalist and a lecturer and researcher in journalism at the Academy of Oslo reports from a recent visit to Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. (17-DEC-05)
 

The trial of Orhan Pamuk, right, the Turkish novelist due to go before a court on 16 December, has been delayed. The Instanbul judge presiding over the case said the prosecution could not go forth until it received approval from the ministry of justice. Photo of Pamuk: Matthias Zeininger. (16-DEC-05)
 

In an article published on December 11, 2005, Korea Times reports that more than 1.200 North Koreans defected to South Korea in the first 11 months of the year to flee the poverty-stricken communist country. The source of information was the Unification Ministry. (16-DEC-2005)