11 May 2010 | Index Index, Uncategorized
On 7 May, police arrested activists at demonstrations marking the disappearance of government minister, Yury Zakharanka. Roman Kislyak and Andrey Sharenda were arrested as they distributed leaflets marking the 11th anniversary of Zakharanka, who was abducted in 1999. In a parallel incident, seven protesters were arrested at a demonstration in Minsk. There are suspicions that senior government officials in Belarus were involved Zakharanka’s disappearance.
9 Apr 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Following dramatic scenes in the capital Bishek in the last few days, Roza Otunbayeva, the leader of Kyrgyzstan’s Social Democratic Party said today that a coalition of opposition parties have seized control of the country’s security headquarters, state television and various government buildings. Otunbayeva called on President Kurmanbek Bakiyev — who fled the capital on Wednesday night — to resign and said she would lead an interim government until elections are called. In a press conference on Thursday morning, she claimed that the opposition’s actions were in response to the government’s attacks on freedom: “what we did yesterday was our answer to the repression and tyranny against the people by the Bakiyev regime. You can call this revolution. You can call this a people’s revolt. Either way, it is our way of saying that we want justice and democracy.” Since he took office in 2005, Bakiyev has cracked down on opposition parties and the independent media.
8 Apr 2010 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, Uncategorized
Security forces assaulted and obstructed the journalist covering protests on the streets of Cairo on April 6. In response to an appeal made by the 6th April Movement, dozens of civilians gathered on Midan Al-Tharir, in central Cairo, to call for constitutional change and more democratic elections. As the protesters marched through the capital, the Egyptian police intervened. Journalists reported being prevented from covering the incident, they were surrounded, insulted and violently attacked by police officers, many also had their cameras seized. Al Jazeera TV’s Cairo bureau chief, Hussein Abdel Ghani, told Agence France Press (AFP) his cameramen were searched and their video footage confiscated. Many demonstrators reported their mobile phones, with which they took pictures and videos of the assault, were seized.
7 Apr 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Large-scale riots have broken out in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, over what human rights groups claim are increasingly repressive policies of the president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev. One government minister has been killed, and the deputy prime minister has been taken hostage in a series of protests which started when a group of protestors stormed government offices in the town of of Talas on Tuesday. Since he took office in 2005, Bakiyev has cracked down on opposition parties and the independent media. Last Wednesday, a court suspended the newspaper Forum, on the basis that an article contained “appeals to forcibly overthrow the constitutional order”. On Thursday, financial police raided the Bishkek headquarters of the independent Web-based television outlet Stan TV, confiscating all computer equipment. The clampdown follows suspensions of two other newspapers Achyk Sayasat and Nazar on 18 March. All thee had reported on a March opposition convention, at which representatives demanded President Bakiyev dismiss his relatives from government positions, and that the government lower electricity and heating costs.
