UKRAINE: Government interfering in the elections rector

Election of a new rector of the National University of Donetsk in Ukraine led to accusations of government interference and violence by staff of the university, according to reports from the Human Rights Protection Group Kharkov. During the elections on 10 December, the university staff were allegedly told they could vote for their favorite candidate, but that the "last word was with the Ministry."

Acting Rector Petro Yahoo the Ministry favorite candidate, won 29.6% of votes, one vote out of 30% required by law for the Ministry to impose its preferred candidate. The second candidate, Yuri Lysenko, won 48% of the votes and was nominated to the Ministry for approval by university staff.

Since then there have been numerous reports of government attempts to influence the outcome of elections or penalize Lysenko to be against a candidate backed by the government. The Interior Ministry has already announced that there will be a criminal investigation expropriation of funds of the University of Donetsk staff college, specifically Tatyana Lev woman candidate Yuri Lysenko and Pro Rector of the University.

After the election, Lev was dismissed from his post, but the court has already restored. On December 17, Tatyana Lev was attacked near his home by two men who beat him repeatedly in the head before throwing her to the ground and hit it. The two men told him "it was for her husband" before fleeing. She suffered concussion and bruises.

The university employees have said they believe that the opening of the criminal case to be directly related to the election of the rector. The appointment of Lysenko has stagnated even a court case brought by a police colonel teaching at the National University of Internal Affairs, which claims to have submitted his candidacy and has ignored.

Although the university staff and the Deputy Minister of Education had no knowledge of a third candidate at the time, the court has forbidden the Ministry to formalize the appointment of Professor Lysenko.

IRAN: religious scholar on bail

Ahmad Gabble, a theological researcher and critic of the government has released $ 50,000 bail, pending the ruling of the court of appeal in the case, said the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran 4 January 2010.

Gabble was arrested on September 14 and sentenced to three years in prison, three years of exile in their city of residence and a three-year ban on speeches, representing the maximum sentence on charges of acting against regime and national security.

After almost four months in prison, 16 months of his sentence of 36 months have become a cash fine of $ 4,000 and has remained on bail by Section 5 of Mashhad Revolutionary Courts, until Court of Appeals issues a decision.

Gabble was previously jailed in 2001 and spent 125 days in solitary confinement at Even Prison in Tehran after writing an open letter critical of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini.

He was arrested again on December 21, 2009 and released on bail on June 10 last year after serving 170 days in prison Fakirabad. He has not received a conviction for his arrest or detention.

It is believed Gabble was arrested and detained on 14 September 2010 in response to published reports and interviews given from the previous version regarding his view, prison and interrogation.

Gabble also published information regarding secret mass executions at Fakirabad prison. In interviews, Gabble stated that at least 50 prisoners were hanged during his detention in Hall 1.6 Fakirabad.