Front Line's Deputy Director Andrew Anderson is currently on mission in Kyrgyzstan where he had been given permission to visit imprisoned human rights defender Azimjan Askarov. Azimjan is serving a life sentence after an unfair trial during which he was routinely beaten and denied access to his lawyer.

Azimjan Askarov - a brave man in a cruel imprisonment

"We had the great privilege of meeting Azimjan Askarov in prison colony 47 today in Bishkek.

The prison is actually supposed to be a prison hospital although that is not immediately obvious as we arrive at the entrance and shiver in the icy cold whilst our permissions and presents are processed and checked. Its very much a Soviet era institution, apparently the x-ray machine is a genuine antique, but we are ushered across a frozen courtyard and up to the Prison Director's office to meet Azimjan.

We receive a warm welcome from Azimjan who is looking much better than he did at his appeal hearing. He insists he is feeling much better too, and is being treated well here in Bishkek.

Front Line's Deputy Director Andrew Anderson is currently on mission in Kyrgyzstan where he had been given permission to visit imprisoned human rights defender Azimjan Askarov. Azimjan is serving a life sentence after an unfair trial during which he was routinely beaten and denied access to his lawyer.

Azimjan Askarov - a brave man in a cruel imprisonment

"We had the great privilege of meeting Azimjan Askarov in prison colony 47 today in Bishkek.

The prison is actually supposed to be a prison hospital although that is not immediately obvious as we arrive at the entrance and shiver in the icy cold whilst our permissions and presents are processed and checked. Its very much a Soviet era institution, apparently the x-ray machine is a genuine antique, but we are ushered across a frozen courtyard and up to the Prison Director's office to meet Azimjan.

We receive a warm welcome from Azimjan who is looking much better than he did at his appeal hearing. He insists he is feeling much better too, and is being treated well here in Bishkek.

While Front Line welcomes reports that Nasrin Soutoudeh has ended her hunger strike the organisation remains concerned for her well being and reiterates its call for her immediate and unconditional release.

"Sotoudeh Ends Hunger Strike Following Trial Session (15 November 2010) Nasrin Sotoudeh’s first trial was held today at Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Pir-Abbasi. A source knowledgeable about Sotoudeh’s prosecution told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that, "She was very weak and has lost a lot of weight. After the trial, she took the advice of her lawyers and husband and agreed to break her hunger strike."

According to this source, Judge Pir-Abbasi agreed to reconsider the order to renew Sotoudeh’s detention. "The trial was held in the presence of Sotoudeh’s lawyers, Abdolfattah Soltani, Mina Jaafari, and Nasim Ghanavi.

While Front Line welcomes reports that Nasrin Soutoudeh has ended her hunger strike the organisation remains concerned for her well being and reiterates its call for her immediate and unconditional release.

"Sotoudeh Ends Hunger Strike Following Trial Session (15 November 2010) Nasrin Sotoudeh’s first trial was held today at Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Pir-Abbasi. A source knowledgeable about Sotoudeh’s prosecution told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that, "She was very weak and has lost a lot of weight. After the trial, she took the advice of her lawyers and husband and agreed to break her hunger strike."

According to this source, Judge Pir-Abbasi agreed to reconsider the order to renew Sotoudeh’s detention. "The trial was held in the presence of Sotoudeh’s lawyers, Abdolfattah Soltani, Mina Jaafari, and Nasim Ghanavi.

While their trial is postponed yet again the current violence and high levels of tension in Western Sahara will further prejudice the possibility of Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane and Ahmad Anasiri from receiving a fair trial.

1 Footage from Western Sahara

Video 2 Footage from Western Sahara

Video 3 Footage from Western Sahara

Video 4 Footage from Western Sahara

Front Line Urgent Appeal on behalf of Sahrawi 7

While their trial is postponed yet again the current violence and high levels of tension in Western Sahara will further prejudice the possibility of Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane and Ahmad Anasiri from receiving a fair trial.

1 Footage from Western Sahara

Video 2 Footage from Western Sahara

Video 3 Footage from Western Sahara

Video 4 Footage from Western Sahara

Front Line Urgent Appeal on behalf of Sahrawi 7

What is almost as shocking as the images of the violence in Western Sahara is the fact that, although tension has been mounting over the past week with 25,000 people leaving their homes to camp in the desert in protest at their deplorable living conditions, this has only become a news story receiving any kind of serious coverage when the body count started to mount.

Human rights defenders in this the "last colony in Africa" are routinely harassed, intimidated and arrested. Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane and Ahmad Anasiri have been in pre-trial detention since October 2009 and now their trial - again disrupted by pro-Moroccan elements chanting slogans and threatening lawyers and defendants alike - has been postponed until December.

The state has presented no credible evidence against the defendants and has so far failed to conduct a trial that could be seen in any way to comply with international standards.

What is almost as shocking as the images of the violence in Western Sahara is the fact that, although tension has been mounting over the past week with 25,000 people leaving their homes to camp in the desert in protest at their deplorable living conditions, this has only become a news story receiving any kind of serious coverage when the body count started to mount.

Human rights defenders in this the "last colony in Africa" are routinely harassed, intimidated and arrested. Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane and Ahmad Anasiri have been in pre-trial detention since October 2009 and now their trial - again disrupted by pro-Moroccan elements chanting slogans and threatening lawyers and defendants alike - has been postponed until December.

The state has presented no credible evidence against the defendants and has so far failed to conduct a trial that could be seen in any way to comply with international standards.

A few pictures from the neo-fascist Russian march in Moscow, the demonstration which has never been forbidden. The fact that Arbeit Macht Frei (Labour Sets You Free) which was on the sign over the gates of Auschwitz and which was used as a slogan by the marchers did not seem to bother the authorities.

Link to images from protest

Last week two Russian journalists were attacked, both are in a grave state. I saw the video of the attack and don't know how they survived.

Surprisingly enough it provoked a lot of reaction here, resulting even in a proposal to introduce amendments to the Criminal Code which would equate attacks on journalists to an attack on state officials.

Russian is now one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists and this climate of violent intolerance creates a very dangerous situation for human rights defenders.

The trial of Sahrawi human rights defenders Mr Ali Salem Tamek, Mr Brahim Dahane and Mr Ahmad Anasiri who have been held in pre-trial detention since October 2010 and the four other detainees who had been released on provisional bail Mr Yahdih Ettarrouzi, Mr Rachid Sghayar, Mr Saleh Lebayhi and Ms Idagja Lachgare reconvened on Friday 5th November and was almost immediately postponed until 17 December amid further scenes of violence and intimidation.

The earlier trial had been marked the presence of large numbers of pro Moroccan supporters in the courtroom who chanted nationalist slogans and harassed and intimidated the defence lawyers, the defendants and international observers.

On Friday 05 November as the trial reconvened the Security Services again allowed a large crowd to enter the courtroom so that there was no room for the international observers.

The Front Line observer refused to sit beside the defendants and the defence team and asked the Security Services to provide a special space for the international observers which included representatives from Sweden, Britain, France and Spain.