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Kazakhstan authorities continue to hold a harsh grip over human rights defenders, lawyers and opposition. Upcoming court appeal hearing of lawyer Natalya Sokolova, right, is yet another example of Kazakhtan’s horrific human rights record.

Several key areas where Russian government has yet to make a progress if the country wants to be more democratic remain to be a core issue with regard to human rights within Russian Federation. It was outlined during the visit of human rights defenders from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee to St. Petersburg and Moscow on 8-12 September.

Woeser, famous Tibetan blogger and human rights defender was awarded prestigious award by The Prince Claus Fund for her outstanding achievements in the field of human rights. During Chinese crackdown in Tibet in 2008, Woeser’s blog became a primary source for world media. Woeser kept posting daily updates on situation in Tibet relaying on her contacts with other Tibetan human rights defenders. Her articles were translated in numerous languages and the blog itself attracted around three million readers every day

The Human Rights House in Oslo together with dozens of other HR organizations has publicly condemned recent demolition of the Institute for Peace and Democracy in Baku. Earlier, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee sent a letter to Azerbaijani authorites including the President Ilham Aliyev, and demanded to investigate and bring persons responsible for demolition to justice.

Burmese nationals who fled the country following the 1988 popular uprising are allowed to return to their country, President Thein Sein, right, said in his recent speech. Human rights activists believe this statement is ‘nothing more than a PR exercise’. In today’s Burma, close to 2,100 political prisoners are behind bars, among them monks, journalists, politicians and relief workers.

15 November is marked every year by PEN centers around the world as “day of imprisoned writers.”

The seminar will focus on the situation of women in general and women writers in particular.

The seminar will be about freedom of expression in Afghanistan, the plight of Afghan writers and the Authors’ House in Kabul, including the house’s general manager, Waheed Warasta.

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee is very disappointed that the human rights activist and laureate of the Sakharov Freedom Award Evgeniy Zhovtis on 2 August again was rejected in his appeal for early release. The trail of E. Zhovtis is a just a minor reflection of overall situation in Kazakhstan with regard to the situation of human rights defenders, freedom of expression and free media.