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Widespread election falsification in Azerbaijan
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Human Rights House Foundation, Human Rights Center Viasna and Human Rights Center of Republic of Azerbaijan deeply regret to note that Azerbaijani elections once again appear to have been grossly manipulated. (07-NOV-05)
Restrictions of Democratic Freedoms Continue in Azerbaijan
Republic of Azerbaijan is now on the center of attention of international community for the Parliamentary Elections to be held on 6 November. The country authority has received the abundance of recommendations and statements from the international community, encouraging the government to exercise the conditions for the conduct of free and democratic elections in the country. However, despite of certain steps for improvement of the situation, the Azerbaijani reality on the democratic elections leaves much to be desired (05-NOV-2005).
Pre-Election Campaign in Azerbaijan is Over
November 6 is the day of Parliamentary elections in Republic of Azerbaijan. On the day prior to elections, 1544 candidates fight for 125 deputy mandates. For November 5 the number of candidates for parliament which left pre-election marathon reached 519, including 472 men and 47 women. According to independent press-center in the CEC, 476 candidates withdrew their candidatures. Registration of 39 candidates was eliminated by the Court of Appeal, 2 candidates by CEC; 2 candidates died (05-NOV-2005)
Belarusian independent mass media pressured
The pressure against the independent media in the Republic of Belarus increases before the presidential elections due to take place in six months. – We are rudely pushed out of the legal information space into underground and “non-traditional” forms of mass-media activity, says Zhanna Litvina from the Belarusian Association of Journalists. (05-NOV-05)
Remember Saro-Wiwa
An alliance of human rights groups and community activists, including Index on Censorship and English PEN, are joining forces to mark the forthcoming tenth anniversary of the executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight colleagues. A shortlist of five proposals selected by a panel will be exhibited in the run-up to the anniversary on 10 November 2005. (04-NOV-05)
Statement on the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights House Foundation (Norway) and Human Rights Centre Viasna (Belarus) are deeply concerned by several recent arrests and human rights violations during the run-up to the Azerbaijani elections scheduled for November 6th. There are strong indications that the violations are politically motivated. (04-NOV-05)
A demonstration by the “Klu Klux klan” in Moscow
Svetlana Gannushkina, the chairwoman of the committee “Civil Assistance” had worked out an application to the mayor of Moscow Mr. Luzhkov to not allow a demonstration by radical-nationalist organizations on the 4th of November holiday which was signed by almost all Russian NGOs. Russian NGOs asked Mr. Luzhkov not to dishonor Moscow with this racist march, which could entail disorder and racist trouble on the streets of Moscow. (04-NOV-05)
Statement on the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights House Foundation (Norway) and Human Rights Centre Viasna (Belarus) are deeply concerned by several recent arrests and human rights violations during the run-up to the Azerbaijani elections scheduled for November 6th. There are strong indications that the violations are politically motivated. (04-NOV-05)
Statement on the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights House Foundation (Norway) and Human Rights Centre Viasna (Belarus) are deeply concerned by several recent arrests and human rights violations during the run-up to the Azerbaijani elections scheduled for November 6th. There are strong indications that the violations are politically motivated. (04-NOV-05)
Nansen Dialogue Network introduces Applied Conflict Transformation Studies
Last month, the first ACTS (Applied Conflict Transformation Studies) started in the Balkans. ACTS programme is designed for people who want to develop skills and wider competence they need to build greater peace and justice in their own communities and countries. Participants are working in fields such as peace, human rights, and development, or looking for ways to become engaged in these, or related fields. (03-NOV-05)
Belarusian Language Society: one has to struggle for the right to use the mother-tongue
“The state guarantees the right to choose the language of education and upbringing in conformity with the law”. In the case this Constitution article was really respected in real life, most probably the agenda of the assembly of Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society (the largest public NGO dealing with defense of national values) that took place on 30 October would have sounded like “Success and progress in development of Belarusian, the state language” and the authorities wouldn’t have twice refused to provide the room for this event. (2-NOV-05)
Kenya: Govt. on the spot over treatment of human rights defenders
The Kenyan Government has failed to acknowledge a request for invitation from the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, Hina Jilani (right). Three years after President Moi lost power, Kenyan human rights defenders continue to be harassed and intimidated. State bodies are the main perpetrators. (01-NOV-05)