 RFE/RL Watchdog 6/24/2010 6:01:50 PM A blog of human rights, media freedom, and democracy developments from RFE/RL's broadcast region. For more, please visit and bookmark Watchdog . |
 U.S. 'Troubled' By Reports Of Media Pressure In Ukraine The United States has expressed concern over reports of pressure on journalists in Ukraine. More  Rights Groups Urge Council Of Europe To Keep Up Pressure On Azerbaijan International and local rights groups have issued an appeal to the Council of Europe urging it to take concrete measures to improve the human rights situation in Azerbaijan. More  Kazakh Opposition Leader Sentenced To Four Years In Jail Yermek Narymbaev was one of the organizers of the campaign "Nazarbaev Ket!" (Nazarbaev, Go Away!) and a hunger strike against President Nursultan Nazarbaev on May 1. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail on May 2 for holding an unsanctioned demonstration. More An Iranian doctoral student at Oxford who campaigned in Iran last year for opposition leader Mir Hussein Musavi is being held in solitary confinement by Iranian authorities, according to his wife. More  'Forbidden Art' On Trial In Russia Russian state prosecutors have asked for a three-year jail sentence for the organizers of a controversial art exhibition three years ago. More  Eurovision Renegade: Still Paying The Price? Remember Rovshan Nasirli, the Azerbaijani man who drew unwelcome attention from Baku security officials when he voted for rival Armenia in the 2009 Eurovision song contest? RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports the 26-year-old was detained and beaten by police after attending a June 19 pro-democracy rally organized by the Freedom Bloc opposition group in Baku. More  Kazakh Journalist Detained For Staging Protest Kazakh police have detained journalist Yekaterina Belyaeva for holding an unsanctioned protest. More  ODIHR Head Buoyed By Turkmen 'Willingness To Engage' A top official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has praised what he calls a "new readiness" by Turkmen officials to "engage and cooperate" with his organization. More  Watchdog Calls For Greater UN Focus On Afghan Rights The global advocacy group Human Rights Watch is calling on the UN's top human rights body to pay more attention to what it calls the deteriorating rights situation in Afghanistan. More  Journalists Decry Growing Danger To Press In Northwest Pakistan Several prominent journalists in northwest Pakistan have told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal about what they say is a growing danger to the press in their region. More  UN Expert Urges Yerevan To Address Obstacles Faced By Rights Activists The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders today urged the Armenian authorities to address the ongoing obstacles faced by human rights defenders in the country. More France's ambassador for human rights says he sees a genuine desire by Turkmen authorities to improve the human rights situation in Turkmenistan. More  'No Changes' To Armenia Broadcast Bill An Armenian government official says there will be no further changes to a controversial bill on broadcasting that has been criticized as giving the government too much control over the country's airwaves. More  Free Press in North Caucasus Continues to Deteriorate Information in Russia’s North Caucasus republics is tightly controlled by the state and the threats to independent media there continue to grow, according to prominent Russian journalist Fatima Tlisova. More  International Organizations Slam Armenian TV Law International organizations have criticized controversial Armenian legislation that media freedom groups say will allow the government to retain its control over Armenia's broadcast media. More |
