Issue no. 365 - 15 August 2006

• CN - Rights group calls Net firms 'censors' in China (CNET News.com)
  A rights group accused Western Internet companies of complicity with censorship in China and called on Microsoft, Google and Yahoo to resist Beijing's demands. New York-based Human Rights Watch called the blocking of politically sensitive Web sites and search terms 'arbitrary, opaque and unaccountable' and urged the publicly traded firms to be upfront with their users about censorship. see "Race to the Bottom": Corporate Complicity in Chinese Internet Censorship.

• EU - European Parliament calls for code of conduct for Google, Yahoo! and others (out-law.com)
  The European Parliament has called on the European Commission to establish a code of conduct governing the online censorship of dissidents. It wants companies such as Google and Telecom Italia to pledge not to help governments censor their citizens. The Parliament has adopted a text denouncing the governments of China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia for persecuting political opponents for views expressed online. It also name-checks Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft as companies that help those governments censor their citizens.

Issue no. 364 - 7 July 2006

• EU - EU network of independent experts on fundamental rights reports (RAPDI)
  The network of independent experts on fundamental rights has just presented its report for 2005 to Mr Frattini, Vice-President of the European Commission with responsibility for completion of the European area of freedom, security and justice.

Issue no. 352 - 18 December 2005

• RU - After European pressure, Putin announces softer NGO law (Euractiv)
  After concerns expressed by the Council of Europe and European NGOs, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a controversial bill on nongovernmental organisations to be 'thorougly revised'.

Issue no. 350 - 4 December 2005

• RU - Russia: NGOs Say New Bill Threatens Civil Freedom (Radio Free Europe)
  A controversial draft law aimed at tightening state control over NGOs in Russia sailed through its first reading at the State Duma on 23 November. The bill particularly targets foreign-funded NGOs, which would become barred from operating directly in Russia. NGO leaders fear the bill may be used to curb, or even shut down, organizations that the authorities disapprove of, and have appealed to parliament to reject it. Most affected by the restrictions are foreign-funded NGOs. Under the new legislation, they would be barred from working in Russia through representative offices, as most of them currently do. They would be required to re-register as a financially independent structure - a status many NGOs fear they might struggle to obtain. The proposed legislation would also severely limit the ability of Russian organizations to receive foreign funding or employ non-Russian workers.

Issue no. 339 - 29 May 2005

• CoE - Human rights and the rule of law in the information society (Press Release)
  The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers has adopted a declaration on human rights and the rule of law in the information society of mobile phones, the internet and computer communication. The declaration updates the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights for the cyber-age. The declaration covers issues such as state and private censorship, protection of private information such as content and traffic data, education to help people assess quality information, media ethics, the use of information technology for democracy and freedom of assembly in cyberspace.

Issue no. 338 - 7 May 2005

• EU - Commission to check compatibility with Charter of Fundamental Rights (RAPID)
  The European Commission has adopted a new mechanism to ensure that all Commission legislative proposals are systematically and rigorously checked for compatibility with the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The new mechanism is based on a process of systematic screening of legislation from the earliest preparatory work through to inter-service consultation.

Issue no. 337 - 13 April 2005

• International Vote for freedom of expression blog award-winners ! (Reporters sans frontières)
  Reporters Without Borders is calling on Internet-users to vote online for award-winners from among 60 blogs defending freedom of expression. There are six categories : Africa and the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, Europe, Iran and International. Blogs have become significant sources of news for millions of Internet-users. In repressive countries they represent an alternative news source to state-controlled media. In regimes that show greater respect for freedom of expression, they can relay comments, articles and opinions that are not necessarily broadcast by the major media. These awards will be in tribute to webloggers who defend free expression and sometimes pay heavily for it. Two of them are, for example, still in prison in Iran. Voting closes on 1st June 2005 and the prize-winners will be announced two weeks later.

Issue no. 330 - 30 January 2005

• EU - Fundamental Rights Agency (RAVPID)
  Speech of Vice-President Franco Frattini, Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, Opening of the Public Hearing. Public Hearing; Brussels, 25 January 2005. Fundamental rights and Citizenship are the foundations of the European social contract. The decision to develop an Agency for Fundamental Rights by extending the mandate of the European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia is a logical consequence of the growing importance of fundamental rights issues within the European Union. It results from the proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in 2000 and its incorporation into the Constitutional Treaty, accompanied by the provision on the accession of the Union to the European Convention on Human Rights in the same Treaty in 2003.

Issue no. 327 - 16 December 2004

• EU - Public Consultation on the Fundamental Rights Agency (Europa)
  The Commission has launched a public consultation concerning the creation of a Fundamental Rights Agency. see Communication from the Commission. The Fundamental Rights Agency COM(2004)693

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