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The practice to silence discussion on inconvenient topics was challenged during a short film festival on 28-30 November 2008 in Vilnius.

Session #5 of Vilnis Media Seminar will be centered on two recent election campaigns in Belarus and Lithuania.

In spite of official Minsk’s statements considering further “liberalization steps” and readiness to re-involve some independent newspapers in the state-owned distribution system, the prosecution of non-governmental media in the Republic of Belarus continues.

Belarusian human rights defenders are detecting numerous cases of persecution by the local authorities against civic activists and candidates at the elections of 28 September. In spite of the expected political thaw, traditional repression against the opponents of the regime are under way.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Human Rights House in Vilnius is conducting a competition for the best photograph illustrating a human right or freedom in Belarus.

On the eve of Belarusian-Lithuanian Solidarity Day, JuBIC and HRH are organizing the Solidarity Concert with the participation of the Belarusian and Lithuanian bards.

In spite of preliminary agreements between Republic of Belarus and the EU, there is a new political prisoner in the country. Youth activist Aliaksandr Barazenka was thrown in jail on 27 October.

On 21 October 2008, the Belarusian Association of Journalists issued a statement expressing the organization’s concern over the deteriorating situation with the media and freedom of expression in the Republic of Belarus.

On 21 October 2008, the Human Rights House in Vilnius hosted public consultations on the role and place of Republic of Belarus in the European Neighborhood Program. The consultations were attended by representatives of the diplomatic missions of the EU member countries to Lithuania, members of the Lithuanian Parliament, representatives of the Lithuanian MFA, Belarusian NGOs, human rights defenders, and scholars.