 RFE/RL Watchdog July 2, 2009 A blog of human rights, media freedom, and democracy developments from RFE/RL's broadcast region.For more, please visit and bookmark Watchdog . |
 Armenian Journalists Urge Release Of Iranian Colleagues Armenian journalists are signing a petition urging the release of their Iranian colleagues who have been arrested in the ongoing crackdown that followed Iran's disputed presidential election, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports. More  Israeli, Kazakh Presidents Open Religious Congress The third Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions has opened in the Kazakh capital, Astana, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. More  Russian Opposition Activist Dies In Prison A member of the opposition movement Other Russia has died in prison after reportedly falling from a window, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Azerbaijani Parliament Drops Proposed NGO Restrictions The Azerbaijani parliament has adopted a law on nongovernmental organizations, but eliminated several restrictive amendments that were opposed by NGO officials and international human rights groups, RFE/RL's Azerbaijan Service reports. More  Russian Investigative Journalist Dies Of Head Wounds The editor in chief of an independent newspaper in southern Russia has died from injuries he sustained in an attack in April. More  Kazakh Reporter Cites Death Threats After Article The article Zhanara Davletova thinks spawned the death threats includes a suggestion that a local hotel owner runs a brothel out of his hotel, and the claim that local police are taking hush money to cover up the illegal activities. More One of the many to be arrested in the Iranian government's crackdown is human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei. More Baku Activists Protest Amendments To NGO Bill Police officers failed to identify themselves, instead removing and tearing down protesters' signs and placards that read "No to Undemocratic Law" and "Recognize our Right to Unite." More  Azerbaijan's Proposed NGO Media Curbs Draw Fire Rights groups in Azerbaijan are warning that proposed restrictions on civil society will further curb democratic freedoms in the former Soviet republic. More Ten activists in the Russian city of Orenburg have held a public demonstration to protest torture in the region, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More Kazakhstan's parliament has adopted controversial amendments to the Law on Information and Communications Networks, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. More Human rights activists in Kazakhstan have announced that they established a new nongovernmental organization called Coalition Against Torture, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. More Yevgeny Litvinov, who was being held on unrelated charges, was a key witness in a case against local rights activist Aleksey Sokolov, who is accused of burglary. More Prosecutors in Russia's central Samara Oblast have charged a local blogger with fomenting extremism, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Kazakh Activists Protest Ban On Journalism Day Demos Activists in Kazakhstan have issued a statement challenging a government decision to ban mass gatherings on Journalism Day, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. More  Kyrgyz Opposition Party Claims Harassment A campaign rally by the presidential candidate from Kyrgyzstan’s opposition Ak Shumkar (White Falcon) party in Kyzl-Kiya has been disrupted by police, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. More  Armenian Oppositionists Freed In Amnesty The former Soviet republic passed an amnesty bill on June 19, after accusations by European rights bodies of politically motivated arrests. Eight opposition protesters and two police officers died in the clashes. More |
