 RFE/RL Watchdog 5/27/2010 5:58:20 PM A blog of human rights, media freedom, and democracy developments from RFE/RL's broadcast region. For more, please visit and bookmark Watchdog . |
 Report: Iranian Activist Transferred To Tough Prison Jailed Iranian political activist Emad Bahavar has been transferred to a prison known for its harsh regime. More  Russian Human Rights NGO Opens Office In Ukraine Russian human rights activists opened a branch of the NGO Antiment in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, today. More  Iranian Pleads For Condemned Husband's Life Roudabeh Akbari told Radio Farda that her husband, Jafar Kazemi, was taken into custody on his way home on September 18 and authorities asked him to say he was arrested three months later and wanted him to say he had participated in the December 27 antigovernment protests in Tehran. More  'Sakharov Monument' Planned For Kirov The late rights campaigner Andrei Sakharov's widow, Yelena Bonner, had protested at the idea of a monument bearing her husband's name being erected in Russia under the present circumstances. So it will be called "The Monument to the Honest Man." More Protests in Angarsk have been going on for months and Irkutsk Governor Dmitry Mezentsev has promised to resolve problems connected with high utility tariffs and corruption. But protesters say he has not kept his promises. More  Armenian Investigators Point To Suicide In Police Custody Case An Armenian law-enforcement body investigating a suspicious death in police custody has largely endorsed police claims that the man committed suicide. More  Kazakh Supreme Court Upholds Verdict Against Journalist The Kazakh Supreme Court has ruled against an appeal by a journalist convicted of revealing state secrets. More  Belarusian Rights Movement Undaunted Despite Arrests A group of Belarusian rights activists say they will not be intimidated after raids by security forces last week resulted in the arrests of members of their movement. More  Russian Opposition Activists Ask Kremlin For Help Russian opposition leaders and human rights activists have called on President Dmitry Medvedev's chief of staff to intervene in their efforts to have their rallies approved by the authorities. More  Iranian NGO Criticizes Alleged Rights Abuses One of Iran's leading human rights organizations has issued a report criticizing the country's treatment of opposition activists. More  Iranian Filmmaker 'Beaten In Prison' Prominent Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Noorizad has been beaten in prison while on a hunger strike. More  U.S. Congressmen Press Clinton On Iran Rights Issue A group of U.S. congressmen has written a letter urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to "prioritize human rights as part of the US policy toward Iran" amid that country's crackdown on postelection dissent. More Turkmenistan's Migration Office in Ashgabat has banned an RFE/RL journalist from entering the country although he had a valid visa. More  Azerbaijani Rights Activists Seek International Help On Torture Cases Dozens of Azerbaijani nongovernmental organizations have signed a petition urging international organizations to support an investigation into torture cases in Azerbaijan. More  Controversy Over Uzbekistan Intrudes At Cannes AIDS Benefit Liz Taylor and Giorgio Armani were among the notable guests who were expected to attend the celebrity fund-raising event Cinema Against AIDS in Cannes last night. It's become one of the big social events of the annual film festival and last year raised $4.5 million for AIDS research. But the thought of one guest walking the red carpet at the Hotel Cap Eden-Roc had an international media freedom organization raising red flags. More  Iran 'Failing To Address' Child Abuse A prominent Tehran-based lawyer has accused the government of failing to address the problem of child abuse in Iran. More  Nationwide Raids Against Belarusian Rights Activists Continue Belarusian police and security forces continued raids across the country today against human rights activists and some political analysts. More |
