By: Euasia, September 16, 2009
Testimony began on September 16 in the high-profile prosecution of two Azerbaijani youth activists and bloggers on charges of hooliganism. Defense attorneys ridiculed one of the government’s chief witnesses, alleging that officials didn’t do a good job in coaching his responses. The trial is seen by civil society activists both inside and outside Azerbaijan as a pivotal case concerning free speech in the South Caucasus country. Over 100 supporters gathered on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse jockeying to gain entrance to the proceedings. After permitting family and international observers to enter, court guards padlocked the front doors to the courtroom.
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Uzbekistan: Arbitrary land redistribution feeds discontent
By: Eurasia, September 15, 2009
When Marfua heard the pounding at her door, she knew the men knocking wanted to take her land. She was determined to resist the Tashkent District hokkim’s efforts to corrupt the purpose of presidential Decree #3077, signed in October 2008. The ostensible aim of the decree was to rationalize agriculture, coalescing smaller plots into larger ones. However, according to farmers and farmers’ advocates, in practice the decree has become an exercise in arbitrary land re-distribution, in which local political leaders reward friends, family, and those offering bribes.
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Kyrgyzstan: Police detain rights activist in Osh
By: Radio Free Europe, September 15, 2009
Police in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh have detained a human rights activist, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports. Ravshan Gapirov, the director of A Just Court — The Truth, a human rights center in Osh, told RFE/RL that his colleague, Ravshan Azizov, was charged by police with being a member of the banned Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir and with illegal gun possession. Gapirov and other local rights activists say Azizov’s arrest is politically motivated and connected with his professional activities.
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EUROPE
Bosnian Muslims protest against UN tribunal ruling
By: Radio Free Europe, September 16, 2009 About 200 Bosnian Muslim relatives of victims of the 1992-95 war protested have against the UN war crimes tribunal’s decision to grant early release to former President Biljana Plavsic. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) decided to release Plavsic, a former Bosnian Serb President, after she served two-thirds of an 11-year sentence for persecuting Muslims during the war. Read full article… Belarus: The Washington Post about the Belarus Free Theatre Belarus: Mass arrests on Solidarity Day… again Belarusian opposition activist fined over flag Russia: Opposition activists detained in Moscow
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MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA
Palestine: Bil’in night raid
By: Bil’in Village, September 16, 2009 Shortly after 1:30am, Israeli forces invaded Bil’in again. They raided the house of Abdullah Mahmoud Aburahma , Coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall, in an attempt to arrest him. However, he was not home at the time. Watch the video… Egypt: People power cleans up Cairo’s streets
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OCEANIA
West Papuan activist arrested
By: Fiji Daily Post, September 16, 2009 A peaceful resolution to West Papua’s long-standing conflict with Indonesia has suffered a serious set-back with the arrest by Indonesian authorities of leading pro-peace activist Jonah Wenda. Australian-based spokesperson for the WPPWG (West Papua Peace Working Group, formerly known as West Papua Peace Task Force), Ms Paula Makabory, described the arrest of Mr Wenda as a serious set-back to finding a peaceful resolution to the continuing troubles in West Papua. Read full article…
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Meet the 2010 School of Authentic Journalism faculty
By: Al Giordano, Narco New, September 17, 2009 Your correspondent once had a dream in which he was the father of twins named Anarquía and Libertad. In a more recent dream they appeared again, all grown up, informing that they, too, wanted to work as authentic journalists, and would I please point them in the right direction? To whom would I send them to learn the ropes? I wouldn’t send them to an official “journalism school,” no way, after which they’d have to unlearn so much of what they would be fed there (and they or I would, additionally, end up deep in bank debt). The better idea would be to send them out across this hemisphere to study and understand how this work is done from the masters of this field we call authentic journalism. Read full article… Nonviolent resistance in post-communist countries Bluetooth – to say without words On the International Day of Democracy, a call for introspection
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By: America.gov, September 2009
The Challenge – Create a video short that completes the phrase “Democracy is…” The Prize – An all-expense-paid trip to Washington, New York and Hollywood to attend gala screenings of the winning videos, gain exposure to the U.S. film and television industry and meet with creative talent, democracy advocates and government leaders.
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Nominate a peacemaker in action!
By: Tanenbaum Center, September 15, 2009
Tanenbaum will be accepting applications for its Peacemakers in Action and Women’s Peace Initiative Awards beginning October 1st. Each year, Tanenbaum recognizes religiously motivated men and women throughout the world who are putting peace into action by working to resolve conflicts involving religion. These individuals are fueled by faith to stop human suffering and foster reconciliation.
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