On the 27th of June 2008 the regional conference «Civil actions against racism and xenophobia» took place in Kharkov.

The Conference's organizers were the Kharkov charity foundation «Social service for help», Youth Human Rights Movement Ukraine, Youth Human Rights Group-Kharkov and Civil Freedoms Centre (Kiev).

Narek Hovakimyan, a member of Armenia’s pro-democracy youth movement Hima, was attacked and beaten yesterday, June 25, 2008, in downtown Yerevan.

Narek, a 19-year old freshman at Yerevan State University, was approached by an unknown young man, as he was leaving school after classes at around 3:30pm, and was asked to “have a conversation” outside the campus.

Notwithstanding the hot sun thousands of people are going up to the Matenadaran square, shouting “Freedom”, “Free, independent Armenia”, etc.

Presently the pavements from the Matenadaran to the Conservatoire after Komitas are overcrowded. The nearby cafés are full too. The protesters are people of different professions and ranks. The staff of a whole chair of Yerevan State University is participating in the rally. “We shall win a conjoint victory. Our spirit has risen and neither Serzh Sargssian nor Kocharian can break it. We need educated authorities,” they say.

Anti-nuclear Action Camp 2008 will be held from 11 to 21 of August. It will take place near the city of Nizhniy Novgorod (400 km east from Moscow).

The main topic of the camp is the plan of Russian government to build 36 new nuclear reactors. One of them is going to be build near the city of Nizhniy Novgorod. Another topic would be nuclear waste imports to Russia from Europe. Different workshops, seminars and public protest actions will be organized during the camp.

The camp is organized by Anti-Nuclear Movement of Nizhniy Novgorod, "Ecodefense!", Youth Human Rights Movement and GROZA (Green Alternative).

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Azerbaijan.

Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source and Antenna International, member organisation of OMCT SOS-Torture network, that Mr. Emin Huseynov, director of the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS), was subjected to severe beatings during his detention on 14 June 2008 in Baku.

June 14, in the "Alaturka" Cafe, an event organized by the "Che Guvera Fan Club" to mark the 80 birthday of Che Guvera and attended by a representative of the Cuban embassy was raided by police. Out of the approximately 25 people present, 20 were detained by police and taken to Nasimi District Police Department #22. Among those detained were IRFS Chairman Emin Huseynov and IRFS researchers Rasim Aliyev and Mirrehim Hasanov. The three had gone to conduct monitoring of the event.

The Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety remains extremely concerned about "Azadlig" Newspaper correspondent Agil Khalil. Yesterday two important trials related to Agil Khalil and "Azadlig" Newspaper started, and many others will be scheduled in the near future. In light of this, IRFS has prepared a special report on A. Khalil's case. The report includes background information, a timeline regarding Khalil's case, and the history of pressure on "Azadlig" Newspaper. This report can be downloaded here.

“All human beings are born free and equal...”

Within the framework of the funding programme International Journalism Compe-tition, the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” is announcing for the second time a Journalism Prize in 2008. To mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 2008, the competition this year is focusing on press articles that take an in-depth look at Article 1 of the Declaration. The competition is open to journalists from Belarus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the USA.

Theme

Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina is the director of the Alternative Studies Center of the Cuban Youth for Democracy Movement. The Democratic Youth Movement was founded in 1994 in the city of Guantanamo, and works to denounce the violation of human rights. The movement is commited to defend freedom and justice in a peaceful and non-violent way.

Fight for freedom, fear of prison...

Prison is one of the main threats the Cuban human rights activists need to deal with.

The executive committee of Soligorsk has accepted an illegal decision on exception from Soligorsk’s school one of leaders of "Young Front" Ivan Shila for "active public work". And, the administration of school opposed such decision.

Headmistress Olga Senkova as a token of the protest has left school, and the assistant on educational work Elena Semchenkova have dismissed for "bad work", then other teachers unanimously voted for Ivan Shila's exception. It is necessary to add, that there was it before last examination on English language, which young man should hand over today. To not admit the youth activist to examination, at school have exposed protection from policemen.