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Azeri President Ilham Aliyev (photo) issued a decree on pardon on the occasion of spring holiday Novruz on 19 March 2005. A total of 115 convicts have been pardoned, of which 114 ones have been freed from jail and the sentence term of one convict has been halved. Among the pardoned there are 53 convicts, who were considered political prisoners by the Council of Europe. The pardoning decree came four days after the Council of Europe, warned the Azeri government that its membership in the organization could be jeopardized if the prisoners were not released. (23-MAR-2005)

Human Rights Center Viasna is gravely concerned with the violations of human rights that took place at Orsha penal colony. On 7 or 8 March the political prisoner Mikhail Marynich had a stroke there. According to Viasna, the prison guards refused to give medicines to him for four days. (22-MAR-2005)
 

“I can talk to anybody I want, I can see anyone I want, I can walk on the
street with bigger steps. I can hug my relatives. I can kiss my children.
I can smile at my people. I can work for my people, and I can work for the
entire Uyghur nation. I can shout out ´Greetings´ to my people. For the
rest of my life, I will create my own history.” Rebiya Kadeer, Washington, 17 March 2005. (21-MAR-2005)

– I can talk to anybody I want, I can see anyone I want, I can walk on the street with bigger steps. I can hug my relatives. I can kiss my children. I can smile at my people. I can work for my people, and I can work for the entire Uyghur nation. I can shout out ´Greetings´ to my people. For the rest of my life, I will create my own history, said Rebiya Kadeer when she arrived in Washington, rejoicing at her unexpected release from Chinese prison. (21-MAR-2005)
 

The accusations against the director of the Andrey Sakharov Museum and Public Center and his employees, who organized an exhibition ‘Attention, Religion’, entered the final phase. The procurator is demanding a 3 to 5 year sentence as well as banning him from any future professional activities.The decision will be given on 28 of March. Vastlav Gavel, Amnesty International and Russian Research Center for Human Rights defend the Sakharov Center. (27-MAR-05)

On Wednesday March 16th, the government adopted the draft law ensuring access to free legal assistance for poor people. Within the confines of the cross-departmental consultations, which also included the representatives of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, a draft law was drawn up on access to free legal assistance, ensured by the State for private persons, and will now be delivered to the Sejm. (18-MAR-05)

The Parliamentary Committee for Internal Affairs and National Security reached its conclusions one month after the parliamentary investigation on the case of five journalists accused by the Counter Intelligence Service for media-intelligence conspiracy against Republic of Croatia. However, the conclusions prolonged the resolution of the affair, so far without any sanctions for those who are responsible. (18-MAR-2005)
 

The human rights of the five journalists accused by the Counter Intelligence Service (CIS) for media-intelligence conspiracy against Republic of Croatia were not violated by the  CIS, the Parliamentary Committee for Internal Affairs and National Security has concluded. Tin Gazivoda, who is a member of the Civic Committee for the Oversight of the Secret Services, said the CIS has disturbed the dignity of the journalists. (18-MAR-2005)
 

On March 16th, the Polish government adopted a draft law ensuring free legal assistance for poor people. The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights was consulted in the drafting of the law that will now be delivered to the Sejm (lower house of the parliament). (18-MAR-05)
 

Transparency International (TI), the leading anti-corruption movement all over the globe has released its Global Corruption Report on 2004, rating Republic of Azerbaijan 140th among 146 countries on level of corruption. This index shows that there have been no principal positive changes in field of corruption prevention in the Republic of Azerbaijan, as it again appeared to be among the most corrupted world countries. (18-MAR-2005)
 

China has released the leading Uyghur political prisoner Rebiya Kadeer (picture), a US-based rightsgroup has said. Kadeer, who received the Rafto Prize last year, was allowed to leave the People´s Republic of China for medical treatment in the US. (17-MAR-05)
 

On February 28th, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska adopted the Law on the Amendment of the Code of Procedure, which temporarily halted the enforcement of court decisions regarding material and other damage caused in the period between 1992 and 1996. Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina delivered it`s opinion to the President of the National Assembly and Prime minister of Republika Srpska, as well to the media in BH. (16-MAR-05)