Newsletter from the Human Rights House Network, 30th August 2005

1 Polish TV cameraman prevented from entering Belarus
The harassment of Polish journalists in Belarus continues. On Thursday, Belarussian border guards refused entrance to Roman Varszytski, a TV cameraman from Poland.
See also:
- Repressive measures against Poles in Belarus
- Norwegian NGOs protest against harassment of Polish journalists in Belarus
- Letter from the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Poland

2 Human Rights House Network meeting in Baku 9-10 September
Activists from established and emerging Human Rights Houses in ten countries will meet in Baku, Azerbaijan, 7-10 September to support human rights defenders. UN Special Representative for human rights defenders, Hina Jilani, will also attend the meeting.

3 Aggressive attacks on press freedom in Nepal
The government of Nepal is sanctioning the use of threats, violence, detention and censorship against the media community. In a letter sent yesterday, the Norwegian Journalists Association, the Norwegian PEN and the Human Rights House Foundation (HRH) asked King Gyanendra to reinstate press freedom in Nepal.

4 UK editor faces charges of racial incitement
A Scots local newspaper editor is facing charges of incitement to racial hatred after he published an editorial opposing a proposed refugee centre in the north-east of Scotland. Index on Censorship reports.

5 Polish gay activist fined
The head of the Polish Campaign Against Homophobia was fined by the court esrlier this month for his statement which, according to the court, was aimed at offending Catholics. Lawyers have doubts as to the course chosen for making the verdict and the qualification of the offence itself.

6 Rights of asylum seekers violated in Bosnia
The rights of asylum seekers are violated more frequently than rights of other citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights.

7 Rafto Foundation raises money to help maltreated Saharawi
The Rafto Foundation has organized a fundraising campaign to get medical treatment for 20 year old Sidi Elfakraoui. Elfakraoui was thrown out of a window from the 4th floor by Moroccan police, and consequently broke his back, arm and both his legs.

8 - Human rights training of our prison staff needed, says Kurdish Deputy PM
- Our prison staff could do well with some basic human rights training, said Imad Ahmad, Deputy Prime Minister of the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) Administration of one of the two self-determined Kurdish regions within Iraq. Mr. Ahmad recently visited the Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurdish People at the Human Rights House.

9 Russian activists met CoE's human rights Commissioner
The Commissioner for human rights of the Council of Europe, Alvaro Gil-Robles, has compared Russia to a train full of passengers that don’t know where they are going. Last month he met Russian human rights activists.

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Sent by:
Borghild Tønnessen-Krokan
Editor/Project Manager
Human Rights House Foundation (HRH)
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