The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is calling for Sweden to provide asylum to Khalid Saeed, a Pakistani atheist and apostate from Islam who fled his homeland to live in Sweden.  Khalid’s initial request for asylum was rejected by Swedish authorities because they did not accept that his outspoken atheism had made it unsafe for him and his family in Pakistan.

The Pink Triangle Trust (PTT), a member organization of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (HEU), is protesting anti-gay legislation proposed in Russia. The legal committee of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly has introduced a draft law prohibiting the so-called propaganda of 'sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and paedophilia to minors'.

The Vatican made a big publicity push out of Pope Benedict XVI’s personal initiative to invite atheists to this week’s interfaith dialogue at Assisi, Italy. It was supposed to be a day of reflection and dialogue, but Benedict XVI, with four atheists in attendance at his invitation, turned the meeting into yet another attack against atheists.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is protesting the imprisonment of a Palestinian blogger for alleged atheism. Waleed Khalid Hasayin has reportedly been detained by Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank since October 31. The 26-year-old computer science graduate is accused of posting anti-religious writings on the Internet. He faces a possible sentence of life in prison as well as the threat of vigilante killing.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has accused Swiss authorities of behaving like “school yard bullies” towards a state school teacher who removed the crucifix from his classroom. Valentin Abgottspon was dismissed from his job as a middle-school teacher in the Swiss canton of Valais on Friday, 8 October. The dismissal came after the teacher raised concerns about the promotion of Christianity by state schools.

AN ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL CHALLENGES OF ‘THE PUBLIC ORDER MANAGEMENT BILL,’ 2009, UGANDA

THE HUMAN RIGHTS IMPLICATIONS

Every citizen has the right to participate in the affairs of government, to participate in peaceful activities and to influence the policies of government through civic organizations [1]. Every person shall have the right to freedom to assemble and to demonstrate together with others peacefully and unarmed and to petition.[2] No person shall prejudice the fundamental or other human rights and freedoms of others …no restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right beyond what is acceptable and demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.[3]