 RFE/RL Watchdog 2/25/2010 11:11:45 PM A blog of human rights, media freedom, and democracy developments from RFE/RL's broadcast region.For more, please visit and bookmark Watchdog . |
 Listen In On Iranian Strong-Arming RFE/RL's Radio Farda has obtained an audio recording that offers disquieting insight into the methods being employed by Iranian officials during the current clampdown. More  Anti-AIDS Campaigner Serving 7-Year Sentence In Uzbekistan Evidence has emerged that an anti-AIDS campaigner in Uzbekistan was sentenced to seven years in prison after authorities deemed his brochure incompatible with local traditions. More  Armenia Amnesty 'Applies To Jailed Journalist' Armenia's human rights ombudsman says jailed opposition journalist Nikol Pashinian should have his prison sentence cut by half in line with the amnesty declared by the parliament last year, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports. More “Women In Shroud,” a documentary coproduced by RFE/RL's Radio Farda broadcaster Mohammad Reza Kazemi, was awarded by the Cinema For Peace initiative that promotes humanity through film. More  Iranian Lawyer Rejects Official's Portrayal Of Human Rights A prominent Iranian lawyer has rejected the optimistic portrayal of Iran's human rights situation offered to the United Nations earlier this week, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports. More  Kazakh Journalists Urge End To Newspaper's Harassment Dozens of Kazakh journalists and human rights activists have urged senior government officials to allow unimpeded publication of the opposition weekly "Respublika." More More than 110,000 people have now watched an amateur video (above) of a member of Iran’s security forces beating up a young man on a Tehran street on February 11. RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari spoke with the young Iranian man who posted the video on YouTube. More  Rights Activists Dispute Russian Account Of Chechen Killings Accounts by Russian officials of a counterterrorism operation in Ingushetia's Sunzha district last week differ from local reports of what happened. More  Iranians Who Filmed Neda's Death Win Top Award The still-unknown people who captured on video and made public the iconic death of Iranian protester Neda Afgha Soltan have been chosen to receive a George Polk Award, the first time the prestigious journalism prize has honored work produced anonymously. More  Muslim Procession Blocked In Baku Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry says that 15 people were detained on February 13 for disturbing the peace during a march held by Shi’ite Muslims, RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service reports. More  Karrubi’s Wife Says Her Son Was Tortured, Threatened With Rape Fatemeh Karrubi, a prominent Iranian political activist and wife of opposition leader Mehdi Karrubi, is calling on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to ensure that those responsible for the torture of postelection detainees are brought to justice, after revealing that her son is the victim of such abuse himself. More  Ebadi: Help Avoid Iran Rights 'Tragedy' Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi has called for urgent international help to counter a growing list of rights abuses in her native Iran. More  In 1979, Iranian Journalists Didn't Fear Torture, Arrest RFE/RL's "Journalists In Trouble" page marks the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution by comparing media freedoms in Iran then and now. More In a statement, Amnesty International, Civil Rights Defenders, Front Line, and Human Rights Watch also called on the Russian government to fulfill its promise to ensure a safe working environment for human rights workers in the North Caucasus. More  Belarusians Will Need Passports To Enter Internet Cafes A Belarusian official says that people will only be allowed to enter Internet cafes with their passports or other ID beginning this summer, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports. More  Banned Jehovah's Witnesses Appeal To Tajik Supreme Court Jehovah's Witnesses in Tajikistan are expecting a verdict from the Supreme Court on their appeal of the decision that terminated the religious group's activities in the country. More |
