The prosecutor has presented the list of expressions allegedly used by Zelenyak, though has not seemingly heeded the other criticisms of the Judge in November – that the prosecution has not specified the aims and motives of the “offence”, nor proven its public nature. However the plan seems to be to get a new judge …

The Belarusian authorities want to force Internet cafes to collude with them in spying on their citizens. Help break down such senseless tyranny by swamping Big Brother. Publish information about Belarusian political repression on every website and forum you can!

International organizations monitoring press freedom have called on the Uzbek authorities to release independent journalist and human rights researcher who has been arrested and charged with “illegal border crossing” and “smuggling of subversive literature”

Latest encroachment on freedom in Belarus: those using Internet cafes will have the sites they visited recorded, with this information available on demand by the security and enforcement agencies

Russian journalist Alexander Kosvintsev, who has asked for political asylum in Ukraine, may receive ordinary refugee status, although admittedly with the wording “for political convictions”. This is since Ukrainian legislation does not have the status “political refugee”.

Russian human rights defenders have declared Mikhail Khodorkovsky and all those involved in the YUKOS case victims of political repression. Chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Ludmila Alexeeva, says that from now on Russian human rights defenders will themselves determine which Russian prisoners are victims of political repression.

Regional correspondent for the newspaper “Novaya gazeta”* in the Kemerovsk region, Alexander Kosvintsev, fled his home after accusations from the law enforcement agencies which he says were prompted by his journalist work

The Belarusian authorities have extended the Committee’s lease which means that it no longer faces closure. The Committee’s Chair believes that support from the EU and USA was instrumental in this change of heart by the authorities

The Belarusian authorities have now ordered the Committee to vacate their offices in the latest attack on this independent human rights organization

The prominent Russian journalist believes that the level of journalism in Ukraine is unequivocally higher than in Russia. He says that at present Russian journalism, in particular that on television, is deteriorating, and turning into propaganda

The refusal comes just one day after the European Court of Human Rights found Russia guilty of torturing two Chechens in custody. RJI represented the applicants in the case, the first torture case from Chechnya to be heard by the European Court

If the present Russian authorities believe that they can force us to give up, they are mistaken. We hereby notify that in Finland on 25 January the civic organization “Russian – Chechen Friendship Society in Europe” was registered. This organization is the successor of the Russian – Chechen Friendship Society, which was closed down yesterday in Russia

The Russian Supreme Court has upheld the decision to close down the Russian – Chechen Friendship Society

In his letter to Vladimir Putin, Elie Wiesel expresses serious concern over the rise in authoritarian trends in Russia reflected in the possible closure of the Russian – Chechen Friendship Society, the murder of Anna Politkovskaya and the worsening situation in Chechnya.

Gulbakhor Turaeva witnessed the bloody events in Andijon in May 2005 and was one of the few who reported what she had seen to western correspondents

Elections reminiscent to those of Soviet times and despondency and disunity among the Belarusian opposition as the 16th of the month approaches - Belarusian Solidarity Day.

One of the heads of the European Commission Benita Ferrera-Valdner spoke of a flagrant lack of “democratic pluralism”

The Alliance “Human Rights Defenders of Uzbekistan” has accused the Turkmenistan Security Service of involvement in the disappearance of Nurberdi Nurmamedov who has disappeared after attempts by the Unioon of Democratic Forces to put him forward as candidate for the coming elections.

We extend our sincere sympathy to Volodymyr Senyshyn’s family and friends, and hope that this crime and the disturbing link with a potentially fatal attack on his wife so recently are properly investigated and those responsible brought to justice

Since the death in unexplained circumstances of journalist Ogulsapar Muradova, nothing has been heard of her colleagues who were tried with her on 25 August - Annakurban Amanklychev and Salardurdy Khadzhiev. They are among the thousands of political prisoners in Turkmenistan