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In a letter to President Lukashenko, the Human Rights House Foundation has condemned the arrest and continued imprisonment of youth activist Artur Finkevich. Finkevich was arrested for writing the graffiti text “We want a new one” on public property on 30 January. He has already been fined $17,000 dollar and can, in case he is found guilty of “purposeful destruction or defilement of property,” be sentenced to 7-12 years’ imprisonment. Read the letter here. (27-APR-06)
 

In a letter to President Lukashenko, the Human Rights House Foundation has condemned the political campaign against Belarusian newspaper Nasha Niva. The newspaper, one of the last independent voices in the country and the last newspaper in the Belarusian language, was not given a registered legal address in the country’s capital, Minsk. In the Belarusian context, this means that the newspaper won’t get a legal status. (27-APR-06)
 

In solidarity with the Chernobyl demonstrations in the Republic of Belarus, the Norwegian coalition Belarus16 held a modest demonstration in front of the Norwegian parliament, this evening at 6:00 PM. Berit Lindeman of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee stated that also now that the elections are over, it is equally important to show solidarity with the Belarusian population and the people that are still in prison. Simultaneously, in the Republic of Belarus, more than 10,000 people defied threats by the police and took the streets to commemorate the Chernobyl disaster which took place 20 years ago and to show their dissatisfaction with the Lukashenko regime. (26-APR-06)
 

Over the last few days, Republic of Turkey and Islamic Republic of Iran have moved lage numbers of army personnel and equipment to the border areas facing the Kurd parts of Northern Iraq. Leader of theNorwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) Vidar Birkeland says in an RKR press release today that the deployments make a serious threat against the stability not only of the Kurdish parts of Iraq but of the entire region. Unlike the rest of Iraq, the Kurdish parts have until recently been marked by peace and stability. (25-APR-06)
 

Head of the Belarusian coalition of opposition, Aleksandr Milinkevich, right, today met with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of International Development Erik Solheim. The Foreign Minister said that following Milinkevich´s meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday, the Norwegian government agreed to extend the financial support to civil society, human rights organisations and independent media in the Republic of Belarus. He suggested to channel the support through the Norwegian Helsinki Committe, which has worked in the Republic of Belarus for years and has an extensive network of contacts in civil society. (21-APR-06)
 

Phuntsog Nyidron, right, a Tibetan nun, has finally received the Reebok Human Rights Award that she was awarded in 1995. Nyidron was released from her 15 years’ term in prison about a month ago and travelled straight to Washington DC to undergo treatment for the torture she has suffered and also receive the prize. -This is very encouraging, says Chungdak Koren, leader of the Norwegian Tibet Committee. (20-APR-06)
  

The Belarusian presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich arrived at Oslo Airport Wednesday afternoon together with his wife Inna Kulej and political advisor Andrej Kuselchuk. He was welcomed by Berit Lindeman from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), right, representatives from the Human Rights House Foundation and the youth devision of the liberal party “Venstre”. Milinkevich is invited to Norway by NHC and will have official meetings with the Norwegian authorities during his 3 days visit. (19-APR-06)
 

The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its fourth visit to Norway in October 2005. The report has been made public at the request of the Norwegian authorities. (11-APR-06)
 

Hina Jilani, right, the UN Secretary General´s Special Representative for Human Rights Defenders, once again visited the Human Rights House today summing up the achievements as her second and last term is coming to an end later this year. -Throughout my six years in this post, I have concentrated on meeting human rights defenders, said Jilani. Their security and working conditions remain lacking. Even the UN itself repeatedly ignores the particular problems of human rights defenders. (03-APR-06)