 RFE/RL Watchdog May 22, 2009 A blog of human rights, media freedom, and democracy developments from RFE/RL's broadcast region.For more, please visit and bookmark Watchdog . |
 Activist Detained After Urging Tatar Independence An investigation has been launched against a prominent Tatar activist in the city of Chally, RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reports. More  Jailed Belarusian Activist Hospitalized After Hunger Strike One of the leaders of a small-business owners movement in Belarus has been hospitalized after a lengthy hunger strike, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports. More  Kyrgyz Rights Activists Accuse Authorities Of Cruelty In a statement, the Kyrgyz Council of Human Rights Activists has accused state officials of cruelty and injustice, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. More  Iranian Activist Emad Baghi Wins Top Human Rights Award Iranian human rights activist Emad Baghi is the winner of this year’s prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. More  Witness Says Armenian Police Tortured Him To Get Testimony A third witness in the case against six Armenian opposition leaders for their roles in postelection protests in Yerevan last year has retracted his testimony after saying he was tortured and his life threatened, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports. More  Kyrgyz High Court Upholds Convictions For Religious Extremism Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court has upheld verdicts against 32 people convicted of spreading ethnic and religious hatred, although it slightly reduced their sentences, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. More  'It Was Very Hard Time For Me' Our colleagues over at RFE/RL's excellent "Journalists In Trouble" page have posted a video interview with Turkmen correspondent Yovshan Annagurban that is worth checking out, if you haven't already seen it. More  Yekaterinburg Protesters Demand Rights Activist's Release Some 100 protesters gathered in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg to demand the immediate release of a human rights activist, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Brother Of Alleged Georgian Mutiny Mastermind Beaten In Detention Georgia's human rights ombudsman, Sozar Subari, told journalists in Tbilisi on May 13 that five men detained in connection with the insurrection, including Nugzar Otanadze, have been beaten or tortured while in detention. More  Andijon Refugees Say Relatives Tortured, Killed Members of a refugee group in the West claim Uzbek authorities vowed to release jailed relatives after the December 2007 presidential election that saw Islam Karimov maintain his longstanding grip on power if they would "keep their mouths shut." More  Turkmen President Signs Decree On Amnesty About 1,700 inmates in Turkmenistan's jails have been granted amnesty, RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service reports. More  Armenian Activist Deemed 'Mentally Ill,' Then Freed Shant Harutiunian, an Armenian opposition activist arrested last year following deadly postelection clashes with security forces in Yerevan, has been released from prison after being found to be mentally ill. More  Azerbaijani Officials Demolish Offshore Mosque The only offshore mosque in Azerbaijan, on the man-made town called Oily Rocks, has been razed, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports. More Journalist Yelena Maglevannaya has been found guilty of libel in the Russian city of Volgograd, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More |
