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-What you see now in Islamic Republic of Iran is a government in fear of its own people, says Shirin Ebadi, right, Iranian lawyer and human rights activist. -The Tehran hardliners’ position is weakening by the day. But as the people’s loyalty is diminishing, the violence is escalating fast, added the 2003 Nobel Peace Price laureate when she visited the Human Rights House in Oslo yesterday.

On February 05, 2010 the trial of Arshaluys Hakobyan, monitor and human rights
defender continued at the Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts of Yerevan. The prosecutor declined the charge brought against Hakobyan on the ground of lack of evidence. According to it the Court found the defendant innocent of crime and acquitted him.

The newspaper “Svoboda Slova” (Freedom of Speech) was confiscated by the authorities of Almaty because of its coverage of corruption claims against President Nazarbayev’s son in law. – The confiscation is in clear breach of OSCE commitments on free press and the rule of law, says Bjørn Engesland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.

5 February marks the 13th anniversary of the Ghulya massacre, where more than 30 Uighur Uighurs were shot dead by Chinese police forces during a peaceul demonstration in East Turkestan.

On 5 February, Thailand started deportation of about 3000 refugees from the country back to Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar). The Norwegian Burma Committee urges Norway to protest. “In Burma they will risk the slave labor and forced recruitment into the military,” said Inger Lise Husøy, general manager of the Norwegian Burma Committee.

In only two weeks, the appeal ‘Gjør som FN sier, Jens’ (‘Do what the UN says, Jens’), got the support of more than 20 organisations, and gathered more than 12.000 individuals’ signatures. The appeal, asking the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, right, to follow the UN’s recommendations in refugee issues, was initiated by the Norwegian section of Amnesty International, Norwegian People’s Aid and Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers.

This Wednesday, Human Rights Human Wrongs film festival’2010 begins in Oslo. Co-organized by the Human Rights House Oslo, the festival is strongly based around important HR issues, through a variety of styles of films and inclusive debate with inspiring guests. First on the schedule is the Danish movie “Burma VJ: Reporting from a closed country” (screenshot on the right).

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee examines Kazakhstan’s commitments considering the protection of tolerance, justice, freedom of speech and assembly during its chairmanship in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Committee also analyses what Norway can do to make Republic of Kazakhstan conscious about their responsibility and to improve situation in these areas.

This week the Norwegian Helsinki Committee presents its report on Nakchivan at the winter session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). NHC’s Berit Lindeman and Vugar Gojaev accompanies the 2009 Rafto award winner Malahat Nasibova from Nakhchivan and her husband. Ane Bonde of the Human Rights House Foundation is also part of the delegation.