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Small Grant Fund for Central Asia announced
NHC announces a contest for project proposals aiming at improving the situation regarding human rights, democratization or civil society in Central Asia.
Belarus: dozen of journalists detained and beaten
In a new crackdown against the independent press, Belarusian police briefly detained and beat more than a dozen reporters, and broke their equipment at June 29 protest rally in Minsk and Brest, according to news reports and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) sources in Belarus.
Norway should call for national ceasefire in Burma
In the last two weeks skirmishes broke out between the Burmese army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in north of the country. A 17 years old ceasefire agreement between KIA and the Burmese regime has been broken. 10 000 have fled their homes. The Norwegian Burma Committee fears numbers will increase and a deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
Russia: Memorial’s chair Oleg Orlov acquitted
On 14 June, a Moscow court ruled to acquit Oleg Orlov, Chair of the Memorial Human Rights Society, one of Europe’s most respected human rights groups. Mr. Orlov was charged with defamation against Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, in connection with statements Orlov made at the time Memorial employee and award winning human rights defender Natalya Estemirova was killed in 2009.
Free Press defenders receive awards at the Nobel Institute in Oslo
On June 15 journalists from Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine received awards for their constructive and devoted work for the free press in Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Belarus. The “Free Press of Eastern Europe” prize was also given to a newspaper from Dagestan and a news portal in Armenia for the work they do despite the pressure, persecution and censorship.
Human rights activist from Memorial beaten in Moscow
A prominent Russian human rights activist of Uzbek origin Bakhrom Khamroev was attacked and beaten in his Moscow apartment block on 6 May 2011. He was hospitalized, police have launched an investigation into the incident. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee is deeply distraught to learn of yet another violent attack on employee of Human Rights Center Memorial.
Seminar: Kazakhstan – big brother in Central Asia, but who protects human rights?
What are the main challenges for the Ombudsman in Kazakhstan today, in a country that balances stability and economic development with the protection of international human rights?
-Violence against journalists leads to self-censorship, says new CPJ index
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has announced its annual Impunity Index. CPJ research shows that deadly, unpunished violence against journalists often leads to vast self-censorship in the rest of the press corps. From Somalia to Mexico, CPJ has found that journalists avoid sensitive topics, leave the profession, or flee their homeland to escape violent retribution.
Small Grant Fund for Kazakhstan and vacancy as assistant announced
To: Wednesday, 15. June 2011 Host: Norwegian Helsinki Committee More info: www.nhc.no/no/nyheter/Small+Grant+Fund+for+Kazakhstan+and+vacancy+as+assistant+announced.9UFRzKXF.ips