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– Human rights defenders are central in the dialogue between civilizations, said Shirin Ebadi at the opening of the HRH conference 13 October in Oslo. The Iranian Nobel Laureate expressed the need for a Human Rights House in Iran where defenders can come together. (13-OCT-04)
 

The Human Rights House Foundation (HRH) congratulates Wangari Maathai as winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004. -The award is a tremendous inspiration for the huge, but largely over-looked efforts of non-governmental organizations world-wide, not only for the environment and sustainable development, but also for peace and human rights, says Niels Jacob Harbitz, HRH’s Project Manager for East Africa. (08-OCT-04)

Nineteen organizations from the “Norwegian NGO Forum” have made recommendations on human rights issues which the Norwegian Government should focus on in this year´s meeting in the UN Human Rights Commission. The NGO forum has focused on five countries, – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Burundi, Israel and the Ocupied territories, Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Russian Federation, and on five issues, – anti-terror measures, IDP´s, torture, freedom of religion, and neutraliy of humanitarian aid. (29-SEP-04)
 

Shirin Ebadi will attend a conference in Oslo 13 October hosted by the Human Rights House Foundation. The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate will talk about the importance of networks in strengthening the security of human rights defenders. (30-AUG-04)
 

The Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik attended the official opening of the new Norwegian Human Rights House in Oslo yesterday. In his speech he stressed that co-locating human rights organisations helps strengthen the defense of human dignity. (27-AUG-04)

The three major Greek newspapers; Athens News, Khatimerini and Eleftherotypia, have all refused to publish a commercial advertisement submitted by the International Tibet Support Network. (26-AUG-04)
 

The Norwegian human rights environment is gaining strenght. On August 26 at 5 PM, Prime Minister Bondevik will attend the official opening of the new Human Rights House, now including more organisations and also co-locating with Amnesty International. The move also marks the 15th anniversary of the first Human Rights House ever to be established, in the East End of Oslo, back in 1989. (25-AUG-04)
Norwegian version  

The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights and the Moscow Helsinki Group renewed their calls to the Russian government today to postpone the presidential elections in the Chechen Republic scheduled for 29 August. Their call comes a day after the Central Election Commission of the Chechen Republic rejected the candidacy of Malik Saidullaev, a popular Chechen businessman, as a contender in the forthcoming ballot.(23-JULY-04)
 

At the recent IFEX AGM in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, 31 member organizations signed a letter urging UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to move the next session of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), due to take place in Tunisia in November 2005, unless Tunisia makes substantial progress on respect for freedom of expression.  Norwegian PEN was one of the 31 organizations. (13-JULY-04)