 RFE/RL Watchdog 11/30/2009 A blog of human rights, media freedom, and democracy developments from RFE/RL's broadcast region.For more, please visit and bookmark Watchdog . |
 Tatar Blogger Sentenced To Prison Term Irek Murtazin, a blogger and former press secretary of Tatar President Mintimer Shaimiyev, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for libeling his former boss and "instigating hatred and hostility" toward a social group, RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reports. More  Solidarity, Oil, Human Rights, And Azerbaijan Azerbaijan has the highest number of imprisoned journalists among all of the 56 member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Thirty-four members of the nongovernmental organization Human Rights House Network, based in Oslo, sent a letter of concern to the authorities in Baku, condemning the deterioration of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan. RFE/RL correspondent Anna Zamejc spoke with Ane Tusvik Bonde, regional manager for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus at the Human Rights House Foundation about the situation in Azerbaijan. More  Jailed Azerbaijani Bloggers Allowed To Meet Parents Judge Araz Huseinov has allowed the parents of Adnan Hajizada to visit with his parents on November 25, while Emin Milli and his parents will be allowed to meet the following day. More  Tajikistan Must Properly Prosecute Violence Against Women, Amnesty Urges In a new report, the rights watchdog Amnesty International demands that authorities in Tajikistan properly prosecute violence against women as a criminal offense. More  Russia Rights Council Says Jailed Lawyer Was 'Murdered' Ella Pamfilova, the chairwoman of the Russian president's Council for Promoting Civil and Human Rights, has said the death in custody last week of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky is a "murder and a tragedy," RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Armenian Court Allows Jailed Editor To Run For Parliament An Armenian administrative court has ordered police to issue jailed opposition leader and newspaper editor Nikol Pashinian with papers allowing him to run in an upcoming parliamentary by-election, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports. More  Imprisoned Azerbaijani Journalist Honored By CPJ Jailed Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev is among the winners of the 2009 International Press Freedom Awards, an annual recognition by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) of journalists working in dangerous or repressive circumstances, RFE/RL's Azerbaijan Service reports. More  Iranian Nobel Laureate Threatened, Harassed Iranian human rights advocate and lawyer Shirin Ebadi said she has been receiving death threats, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports. More  In Tajikistan, Free Information Comes At A Price The Tajik government has introduced a new decree obliging journalists to pay for information obtained from officials, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports. More  Kyrgyz Deport Russian Rights Activist Kyrgyzstan deported a foreign human rights activist investigating accusations of abuse against Muslims in the Central Asian state, campaigners said today. More  HRW Calls For Kyrgyzstan To Release Activists HRW is urging the government of Kyrgyzstan to release two human rights activists investigating rights abuses in the south of the country. More  Turkish-Armenian Writer Reports Death Threats Turkish-Armenian newspaper columnist Sevan Nisanyan says he has received hundreds of deaths threats after altering a famous quote from the founder of modern Turkey to make a case for reforms in the country, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports. More  Muslim Women Arrested In Southern Uzbekistan Some 30 women have been arrested in the southern Uzbek city of Karshi since the beginning of November, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reports. More  Russian Activists Demand Beating Investigatation Protesters in Moscow are demanding the direct involvement of the government into the investigation of the severe beating of journalist Mikhail Beketov, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More Ali Hasanov, head of the Azerbaijani president's Social and Political Affairs Department, said Azerbaijani law "applies equally to everyone and there is no special treatment for intellectuals and those who are closer to the West, like the bloggers." More  Stifling Freedom of Assembly and Speech in Russia Moscow police have detained several supporters of Eduard Limonov, the jailed leader of the opposition Other Russia coalition, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More Azerbaijan Chides Germany, Norway Over Bloggers Case The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has accused Germany and Norway of interference in Baku's internal affairs in connection with the cases against Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports. More Ivan Khutorsky, the leader of the Russian antifascist movement Antifa, has been shot dead in Moscow, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Russian Activist Fined For Having Caviar A court in the southwestern Russian city of Astrakhan has fined a Russian activist for "illegally obtaining a jar of caviar," RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Iran's One Million Signatures Campaign Recognized As 'Women Of The Year' Iran's One Million Signatures campaign, which fights to gather public support against discriminatory laws in the country, has received the Women of the Year award from U.S.-based Glamour magazine. More  Amnesty Urges Ukraine To Release Belarusian 'Prisoner Of Conscience' The rights watchdog Amnesty International is demanding that authorities in Ukraine "immediately and unconditionally" release Belarusian activist Ihar Koktysh. More  Moldova Drops Charges Against 'Twitter Revolution' Figure All charges have been officially dropped against Moldovan journalist Natalia Morari, who was accused by the previous government of using social networking websites to organize violent street protests in Chisinau in the spring, RFE/RL's Moldovan Service reports. More  Armenian Newspaper Changes Name To Evade Ban A leading Armenian opposition newspaper has altered its name to get around a court order suspending its publication, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports. More |