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Leyla Zana, a well know political spokesperson for the Kurds in the Republic of Turkey and the 1994 Rafto Prize Laureate has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Turkish Court in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. The court´s judgment said she violated the Anti-Terrorism Law after a speech she held at a Kurdish Newroz Festival in 2007. (12-APR-08) 

The Rafto Foundation and the European Law Student Association in Bergen invites to the international seminar “Focus: the People´s Republic of China, Human Rights and 2008 Beijing Olympics” on Friday, April 11 from 10:15-15:15. Rebiya Kadeer, right, the 2004 Rafto Prize laureate, is one of the speakers. (07-APR-08)
 

In the new issue of Norwegian Refugee Council´s Thematic Reports, the focus is on the conflict in Western Sahara, Africa´s last colony. While the Sahrawis, the original population of the country, suffer oppression and displacement, the international community has chosen to look the other way. (28-MAR-08)
 

February 5, 2007 marks the 11th anniversary of a brutal crackdown on a peaceful demonstration in the city of Ghulja in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People´s Republic of China. Remembering the massacre, the Rafto Foundation invites to a ceremony at the Human Rights Plaza in Bergen on 5 February at 16:00. (30-JAN-08)
 

The conflict between Western Sahara´s independence movement Polisario and Morocco has reached its most critical point since the ceasefire in 1991, writes Tom Varghese (right), former leader of the Rafto Foundation´s student group. Rising tensions, a deteriorating humanitarian situation and a diplomatic deadlock are nurturing a steadily growing fraction within Polisario, pressuring the current leadership to return to arms (14-JAN-08).

For 17 years the people of Western Sahara have waited for a solution to the territorial conflict with Morocco. The promise to give the Sahrawies a possibility to decide over their future through a referendum has not been kept. Polisario, Western Sahara´s independence movement, is considering leaving the negotiation table and returning to war (14-JAN-08).

The Rafto Foundation has received information that Ablikim Abdureyim (right),  the son of the 2004 Rafto Prize laureate and Uyghur democracy leader Rebiya Kadeer, is in dire medical condition in Bajiahu prison near Urumchi, the regional capital of East Turkestan, also known as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China (13-DEC-07).

The fourth annual conference on the EU, Republic of Turkey and the Kurds took place in the EU Parliament in Brussles from 3-4 December. The Rafto Foundation in Bergen was one of the main organizers of this event. Leyla Zana (right), the 1994 Rafto Prize laureate opened the event. The EUTCC reflects on two days of valuable dialogue and debate (06-DEC-07).  

SUPPORT THE RELEASE OF ALL PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE IN BURMA. The Rafto Foundation in cooperation with Amnesty International Norway, Exile Burmese and Save the Children Norway arrange a mass demonstration for Burma on Monday, 10 December at Torgallmenningen at 13:00 (05-DEC-07).