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Chechens are the largest group seeking refugee status in the Republic of Poland. In 2003 out of 7 thousand applications to receive refugee status 3 thousand were sent in by Chechens. Only about 300 people were actually granted the status. (16-FEB-04)

In India, Dalits are subject to flagrant violations of human rights and dignity. Last week at “Wednesday Dialogue” in the Rafto Human Rights House, the situation of Dalit was in centre of discussion. Dag Erik Berg from the University of Bergen was invited to talk about the human rights situation of Dalits in India. (15-FEB-2004)

Sunday the 8th of February marked the end of the 2nd session of the third Advanced Course for Human Rights Defenders organised by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, as part of the broader programme entitled “Organizing and Empowering the Human Rights Movement for Civil Society in the Community of Independent States”. (10-FEB-04)
 

In BH publicity, there are still different reactions on the High Representative`s Decision about the reorganisation the City of Mostar. The Decision was announced on 27-JAN-04 after the detailed analysis which lasted a few months. It abrogates six former municipalities and institutes only one, with six electing units. (10-FEB-04)

 The War and Children Identity Project, a member of the Bergen Human Rights House, is
 currently  collecting new and updated information about the situation of war children all over
 the world. More accurate information will be added to previously published reports, and a
 database for  comparative studies of the situation worldwide will be established. (09-FEB-04)
 

The Norwegian Tibet Committee, a member of the Human Rights House in Oslo, opens its exhibition “Tilbakeblikk hjemover/ Looking back, homewards” this Saturday in Jakob, the cultural church downtown Oslo. The multimedia exhibition will include a screening of the internationally awarded documentary “Escape”, on Tibetan children´s escape through the Himalayas. (6-FEB-04) 
 

The Norwegian Tibet Committee, a member of the Human Rights House in Oslo, opens its exhibition “Tilbakeblikk hjemover/ Looking back, homewards” this Saturday in Jakob, the cultural church downtown Oslo. The multimedia exhibition will include a screening of the internationally awarded documentary “Escape”, on Tibetan children´s escape through the Himalayas. (6-FEB-04) 
 

Refugee Law Project, one of the human rights organisations involved in the joint effort to establish a human rights house in Kampala, Republic of Uganda, launches its eleventh Working Paper; “Behind the Violence: Causes, Consequences and the Search for Solutions to the War in Northern Uganda” today. (4-FEB-04)
 

Casa Alianza, the organisation for which Bruce Harris, the human rights defender who was acquitted last Friday, is working, has issued a statement on the case. So obviously related to freedom issues was Harris´s case that human rights agencies from all over the world sent urgent appeals on his behalf. (3-FEB-04)
  

Unnecessarily prolonged court procedures is one of the most frequent violations of fundamental human rights in the Republic of Poland. In his report from Republic of Poland, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Alvaro Gil-Robles summarized the Polish judicial system like this: Slow justice is often equivalent to no justice at all. (02-FEB-04)
 

With the Union of Comoros’s late December ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights stating that an African Human Rights Court will be established as soon as fifteen states has ratified the protocol, such a court is now in the making. This may prove to be a major step towards strengthening the respect for human rights in Africa. (2-FEB-04)
 

Bruce Harris, the England-born human rights defender charged with defamation and for whom the plaintiff, at his client´s request, had suggested eight years´ imprisonment followed by immediate deportation and also $ 125.000 in damages, left the court as a free man last Friday following worldwide appeals from the international human rights movement´s for him to be able to do so. (2-FEB-04)