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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.

9 international NGOs sent a joint letter to Belarusian Prosecutor General of the City of Minsk to urge that Ales Bialiatski be released from custody on his own recognizance pending the investigation against him.

-In the middle of this unbelievable violence and sadness, we are moved by the many strong and warm messages of solidarity and empathy from all over the world. We also understand from the news coverage of this tragic event, that it has shaken and saddened a whole world, says Nora Sveaass, Chair of the board of the Human Rights House in Oslo.

Dalai Lama, Rafto laureates and many friends of Norway and its human rights organisations express their sympathy and condolences to the people of Norway. Secretary General of Norwegian Helsinki Committee Bjørn Engesland regrets that the attacks targeted the best Norwegians have: youth, openness, democracy.

The Belarusian general prosecutor, Grigory Vasilevich, has stood up for journalists and defended their right to report on ongoing political protests. According to a 15 July statement issued by his press office, Vasilevich sent a letter to Interior Minister Anatoly Kuleshov reminding his colleague of journalists’ rights under the law. Last week Belarusian Authorities also dropped lawsuits aimed at closing two independent newspapers in country.

Silent demonstrations on Wednesdays continue across Belarus. Since 15 June 2011, at least 1730 people, including dozens of journalists, have been arrested during the peaceful “clapping protests”. Thirty eight international human rights organisations, including 23 members of 10 Human Rights Houses, united in their call upon the Belarusian authorities to immediately release the demonstrators from prisons.

This year the Food First Information and Action Network, FIAN International, the only human rights organisation working exclusively to promote the right to food, celebrates 25 years since its foundation. 25 years ago the organisation took its first steps to defend the basic right of all people to permanent and unrestricted access to adequate, nutritious and culturally appropriate food that enables them to live with dignity.