Newsletter from the Human Rights House Network, November 12, 2004

1 Belarus: Ballots found in garbage cans
62 filled referendum ballots were found in a garbage can in the city of Barysaw. The activist of the United Civil Party, former candidate to deputies in Barysaw village circuit Viktar Harbachow says that a member of his initiative group found them in the garbage can near secondary school #24 of Barysaw, where polling station #42 was situated.

2 Belarus: Mikhail Marynich is left in jail for another month
On 28 September KGB decided to leave Mikhail Marynich in custody for 30 more days "for the interests of investigation. This will be the sixths month of jail for the ex-minister, who has been kept there since 26 April.

3 The north of Uganda remains an emergency out of hand
This week, the independent national Ugandan daily the Monitor emphasized that the mortality rate in northern Uganda is an ´emergency out of control´. Among the organisations claiming this, is the international medical relief organisations Médecins Sans Frontières.

4 Russia: Soldiers' Mothers peace-making initiative
The Union of Soldiers' Mothers Committees, member organization of the Russian Reaserch Center for Human Rights, proposed to negotiate with the commanders of Chechen separatists.

5 EU judges rule against protection of journalists' sources
Index on Censorship reports on a EU ruling which jeopardises a journalist´s right to protect sources.

6 Shirin Ebadi sues the US Government
The Iranian Nobel Laureate of 2003, Shirin Ebadi, has filed a lawsuit against the US Treasury Department for preventing her from publishing her autobiography in the United States, reports PEN American Center (PEN). The law suit follows Ebadi´s participation at the Human Rights House Network´s conference ´Activists under Attack. Defending the Right to be a Human Rights Defender,´ held in Oslo mid-October, during which Ebadi met the Norwegian PEN centre, a member of the Oslo Human Rights House,
and announced her intentions to sue the US government.

7 Turkey: Mass grave found in the north of Diyarbakir
Recently, a mass grave was found in the north of Diyarbakir, the Kurdish newspaper, Welat, reports. According to the newspaper, this is not done by Saddam, but by the Turkish Army, maybe only ten years ago. It is claimed that the corpses belong to the villagers who were taken under custody during an operation which was hold by Turkish Army in 1993.

8 Poland: Minorities Act finally ready
On 4th of November the Polish Sejm passed the Act on National Minorities, which had been in the making for 11 years. The act contains a catalogue of the rights of the people belonging to minorities, which are already guaranteed by other Polish legal acts. The right to use a minority language as a auxiliary language at offices of administration, which has been the aim of the exertions of minority circle members in Poland, was not included in the act.

9 Mines still threatening Croatia
Croatia will not be cleared of mines until 2010, the deadline defined by the Ottawa Convention and prescribed by the National Program For Counter-Mine Effect. Solution of one of the most important humanitarian problems in Croatia is postponed once again.

10 UN seriously doubts Burma's democratic intentions
The United Nations human rights envoy for Burma says he doubts the country will undergo the political reform necessary to achieve democracy. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said Monday it would be, in his words, a "miracle" if the country´s leaders implement the so-called "road map" to democracy unveiled by Burma´s military government last year.

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