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International campaign: Don’t play with the dictator!
International NGOs from Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland, including Norwegian Helsinki Committee, launched a joint campaign for the removal of the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship from Belarus due to the country’s poor human rights record.
Article 19 condemns violence in Tunisia and calls for lifting of the ban on protests
ARTICLE 19 calls for lifting of the blanket ban on all protests on the Habib Bourguiba Avenue of the Tunisian capital and for investigation into the heavy-handed tactics used by Tunisian security forces to disperse thousands of protestors – including journalists, unionist and civil society representatives – that were commemorating Martyrs’ Day on the Avenue on 9 April 2012.
EBRD must maintain demands that Turkmenistan and Belarus meet set requirements
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development must maintain demands that Turkmenistan and Belarus meet set benchmarks before any investments in the restrictive countries are made. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee participated in a meeting at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London, discussing the Bank’s balanced approach towards Belarus and Turkmenistan.
The Lady – story about Aung San Suu Kyi
The Lady is an epic, intimate and important story about the Nobel Peace Price winner Aung San Suu Kyi and her battle for Burma.
The Norwegian Burma Committee invites to the premier of the movie which will take placce on April 27, 2012 in Oslo kino.
Norwegian PEN’s annual meeting – on the situation in Syria
Norwegian PEN in its annual meeting will look closely at the situation in Syria. Journalist and correspondent for Aftenposten Jørgen Lohne, activist Sara Azmeh Rasmussen and the Syrian journalist Massoud Akko will participate in the event. The meeting will be chaired by Elisabeth Eide.
Norwegian Helsinki Committee urges European Parliament to demand concrete reforms from Kazakhstan
On 15 March the European Parliament adopted a resolution that was highly critical of the latest developments in Kazakhstan and expressed deep concern with the human rights situation. In addition to that, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) sent a statement to the European Parliament jointly with the International Partnership for Human Rights in Brussels and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee in the Hague, in an appeal to use the new cooperation agreement to push for follow-through on Kazakhstan’s human rights promises.
“Belarus Action”
A one day conference “Belarus Action” will be held at the House of Literature, Oslo. The main goal of the conference is to create more attention about Belarus in the Norwegian public, challenge Norwegian politicians to work out a new Belarus-policy and to contribute to the work for a democratic Belarus.
Freedom of speech in the U.S. – “The Torture Report”
In this seminar Larry Siemens from PEN American Center in New York will present his book “The Torture Report”. The book is based on documented torture conducted by U.S. authorities after 11 September 2001. Professor and U.S. expert Ole O. Moen will be among the questioners.
Turkey: imprisonment of Ragıp Zarakolu
Nobel Peace Prize Nominee publisher Ragıp Zarakolu was arrested by Turkish police last year after being accused of membership of an illegal organisation under Turkish anti-terror legislation. R. Zarakolu has been held on pre-trial detention for 135 days in a high-security prison, Koaceli, 80 kilometres east of Istanbul. His detention and that of many others symbolizes the current fall of Turkey in international freedom of expression rankings.