Belarus: Eviction of Belarus Helsinki Committee

Belarus: Eviction of Belarus Helsinki Committee

The United States condemns the Government of Belarus' decision to evict the Belarusian Helsinki Committee from its offices, a move which forces the closure of the country's most significant human rights NGO. This latest attack by the Belarusian authorities on independent civil society underscores the steady deterioration of the human rights situation in the country.

The United States urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately reverse this decision against the Belarus Helsinki Committee and to honor its international commitments -- including the 1975 Helsinki Accords -- to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Press Statement, Sean McCormack, Spokesman, Washington, DC. January 29, 2007

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Arab Democracy Fellows

Arab Democracy Fellows Begin Four-Month Academic and Professional Experience in the United States

A group of 22 civic leaders from the Middle East and North Africa arrive in Washington today to kick off a new academic and professional development experience that includes a one-month program at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University and a three-month skill-building fellowship in New York or Washington.

The fellows, who are part of the inaugural group of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Leaders for Democracy program, are coming from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. They range in age from 21 to 37.

Fellows were selected through a competitive application process based on leadership skills, professional experience working on democratic reform issues, and commitment to continued advocacy work in the future.

The MEPI Leaders for Democracy fellows will meet with U.S. officials at the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, and the State Department, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State J. Scott Carpenter. The fellows also will participate in a series of seminars, meetings with non-government organization leaders, and several other events in their honor, including an event at the Embassy of Jordan.

Fellows will travel to the Maxwell School of Syracuse University for the academic portion of their program, which will be followed by a three-month fellowship with a non-governmental, private sector, or public policy organization. Examples of internships include working for city and county governments, a newspaper, an NPR station, think tanks, and a national teachers' organization.

This program is part of the U.S. Department of State's Middle East Partnership Initiative, which supports greater freedom and opportunity for people in the region. The initiative has devoted more than $293 million in four years to reformers so democracy can spread, education can thrive, economies can grow, and women can be empowered.

For more information, journalists may contact Jill Leonhardt at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, (315) 443-5492, or Chad Bettes at the U.S. Department of State, (202) 776-8572.

2007/056, Released on January 29, 2007

Media Note, Office of the Spokesman, Washington, DC, January 29, 2007

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