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Although the parliamentary election and the referendum are already over, the struggle of officials against “undesirable” information doesn’t stop. In January, a great number of lawless limitations of the right to receive and distribute information were registered. (22-JAN-05)
 

There are more and more signals concerning the violation of employees’ rights by stores and supermarkets in the Republic of Poland. The employees demand compensation from companies mainly for: overtime, unused holiday and dismissals contrary to the regulations. The first of such lawsuits was brought by Mrs. Bozena Lopacka against the company Biedronka, which belongs to the Portuguese chain Jeronimo Martins Distribution (JMD). (21-JAN-05)

Professor Theo van Boven has been awarded the Lisl and Leo Eitinger Prize; the University of Oslo´ Human Rights Prize, for his long, beneficial efforts to eradicate  torture, disappearances and other serious violations of human rights. Van Boven has worked for the UN, for the Christian World Council and for numerous non-governmental organisations. (21-JAN-05)
 

Violation of employees’ rights by stores and supermarkets seems to be an increasing trend in the Republic of Poland. Assisted by the Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, employees now demand compensation. (21-JAN-05)
 

Media rights watchdogs have long criticised the conditions under which journalists in Zimbabwe operate. Since the start of the year, however, the circumstances of the country’s media have become bleaker still. Earlier this month, President Robert Mugabe signed into law amendments to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

Thousands of Burmese migrant workers lived and worked in the coastal provinces struck by the tsunami. At least 2500 Burmese are expected killed in only one of the provinces. Another 4000 are missing, according to Burmese NGOs in Thailand. (21-JAN-05)
 

Frustrated by government?s insistence to enact the new constitution in 2008, civil society groups and some opposition political parties in Zambia have resorted to demonstrations and honking as a way of pressurising President Levy Mwanawasa to change his constitutional road map. (21-JAN-05)
 

As African women celebrate the rising number of nations ratifying the African Charter on Women?s Rights in Africa (the minimum required to bring it into force is fifteen, Nigeria being the most recent signatory), it is getting increasingly important to explain and simplify the obligations and potential benefits of its provisions to the member states. Linkages must also be drawn between this Protocol and other national and international instruments of policy or law. (21-JAN-05)
 

The Human Rights House is deeply concerned about the fate of Zelimkhan Murdalov, who dissapeared after he left his home in Grozny on 2 January 2001. After three years with suspensions the case will reopen in Grozny the 25 th of January(21-JAN-05).
 

Slowly, but surely, public opinion is turning against the death penalty also in Africa. Fifteen years ago, only one of the continent´s countries, the island of Cape Verde off Africa´s West Coast, had abolished it. Now, ten countries have outlawed the death penalty. Another ten no longer practice it, even if they have yet to deny themselves of the possibility by way of deleting it from their laws. (19-JAN-05)
  

Iran’s judiciary has retreated from its threat to arrest the human rights lawyer and 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi. In a rare acknowledgement of mistake, a spokesman for the judiciary referred to the summons quite simply as an error. First, it had not stated a reason, second, the Revolutionary court, before which she was requested to appear would not be the right one. (20-JAN-05)
  

Random House, among the biggest publishing houses in the US, has announced that it will publish Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi´s memoirs. Although there had been an embargo under a Treasury Department regulation on publishing books from nations embargoes by the US, a lawsuit filed late last year resulted in a revision to permit publications of books by individuals from those nations. (20-JAN-05)