The Andrey Sakharov Freedom Award is granted to Evgeny Zhovtis and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law.

Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Bjørn Engesland, will today present the award to Yevgeniy Zhovtis in the prison in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, where Mr. Zhovtis is currently being held. Together with his organization, the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, Evgeny Zhovtis has been one of the most significant human rights defenders in Kazakhstan for two decades. Through dialogue with the authorities, reporting on the human rights situation, participation in international forums and by offering free legal aid and human rights education for citizens in Kazakhstan, he has contributed to the strengthening of human rights in his home country. Zhovtis actively helped shape Kazakhstan’s human rights plan ahead of the country’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), in close cooperation with the authorities and civil society. Following a highly controversial and much criticized trial in the wake of a tragic car accident, Evgeny Zhovtis was sentenced to four years of prison in 2009. He is currently in prison in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan.
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Lev Ponomarev, the Russian human rights activist and the leader of the movement “For Human Rights” was arrested yesterday and got three days administrative punishment under article 19.3 Administrative Offences Code of the Russian Federation (charged with “insubordination to legal order of a policeman”). On August 22, Lev Ponomarev, together with the representatives of the movement “Soilidarity” Boris Nemtsov and Mikhail Shnayder carried Russian flag at Novy Arbat on the Russian Flag Day. All three were arrested right after and charged with unauthorized demonstration and insubordination to policemen. The Moscow Presnenskij court refused to arrest Nemtsov and ordered the case to be further investigated, as the judge didn’t find the facts of “insubordination to policemen”. Mikhail Shnayder’s case was planned to be proceeded today, August 26. Read More

(Osh, 21 June 2010) Observers from The Norwegian Helsinki Committee and Human Rights Center Memorial arrived on Monday 21 June in Nariman village in the Kara-Suu region of Osh province immediately after the end of a special operation to search for weapons in the homes of local residents. Two local residents were killed and at least twenty injured during the operation. “In order to improve security and reduce tension in South Kyrgyzstan, security operations have to abide by international human rights standards,” the observers underlined. “Such kind of abuses will only fuel conflicts between Uzbeks and the Kyrgyz authorities. Removing or destroying passports of Uzbek citizens also means that they will not be able to participate in the 27 June Referendum on a new and more democratic Constitution.” See photos here
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-Kazakhstan, the current chair of the OSCE, does not fully abide with OSCE human rights standards, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Oslo Center say in a mutual statement made in Astana, Kazakhstan today. The statement follows a new round of talks with foreign minister Saudabayev. - In spite of making interreligious dialogue a priority for its chairmanship, the oil- and energy rich country where Norway’s petroleum sector is involved, is not fully implementing its obligations to respect freedom of religion or belief. Read More

The criminal investigation in Vienna into the murder of Chechen refugee Umar Israilov has uncovered the names of close aides of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, as well as the President himself. -This should be give reason for Russian authorities to closely follow the future court proceedings in this murder case, a statement by International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Memorial Human Rights Centre, Civil Rights Defenders, Norwegian Helsinki Committee and People in Need published today reads. Umar Isralilov, who in a petition to the European Court of Human Rights had accused the Chechen President of personally detaining and torturing him in 2003, was murdered in Vienna in January 2009. Israilov had reported several instances of threats against himself and his relatives after publishing his allegations against Kadyrov. Three Chechens are currently in Austrian custody awaiting further proceedings. Read more about the investigation in The New York Times Read the statement

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Together with the Human Rights House Foundation, Norwegian PEN, English PEN, Norwegian Union of Journalists, Rafto Foundation, Index of Censorship and ARTICLE 19, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee condemn the illegal confiscation of material and documentary footage from the Norwegian filmmaker Erling Borgen and the cameraman Dag Inge Dahl in Baku Airport on May 6, 2010. We call upon Azerbaijani authorities to honour Azerbaijan’s international human rights obligations and restore the seized property to the owners. Read the statement here

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee commends Kyrgyzstan on having gone through with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council, in spite of the difficult situation currently facing the Interim Government at home. The NHC noted with appreciation that on 5 May 2010, many of the recommendations made to Kyrgyzstan during the review were accepted by the government. The review presented the current government with an opportunity to outline its commitment to human rights and democratic principles. Many of the concerns raised by international and local human rights groups following the dramatic April events in Kyrgyzstan seem to have been taken into consideration. We hope Kyrgyzstan will choose a path forward that is in keeping with its international obligations in the sphere of human rights and democracy.
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In a letter to the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Sayed `Ali Khamenei, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, together with the seven other organisations of the Human Rights House in Oslo and the Oslo Center for Peace and Huamn Rights, call upon the Iranian authorities to immediately release Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi, as he is solely detained for his peaceful human rights activities. Read the letter here

Police shut down the roads, traffic and malls around the State Oil Academy in the Azerbaijani capital Baku in an attempt to prevent the commemoration of the anniversary of the shooting rampage at the Academy, where the lone gunman killed 12 and wounded dozens on 30 April last year. Read More

­- We should challenge governments to become bolder in criticising abuses and standing up for human rights defenders, ­and we should strengthen our support and protection for human rights defenders who face intimidation and attacks, said secretary general in the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Bjørn Engesland, in his presentation at the Oslo Freedom Forum's last day. Read the full presentation by clicking the link. Read More