Ukraine: Management meddling in preacher election

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

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

There has since attempts numerous allegations of government to influence the outcome of the election, or penalize Lysenko for opposing a government supported candidate. The Ministry of Interior has since announced that there will be a criminal investigation into the expropriation of funds from Donetsk University by university staff, specifically Tatiana Lev, the wife of the candidate Yuri Lysenko and Pro Rector of the university.

Following the election, Lev dismissed from her post, but the court since her recovery. On 17 December, Tatiana Lev attacked near her home by two men who punched her several times on the head before knocking her to the ground and beat her. The two men her "it was your husband" before fleeing. She concussion and contusions.

Employees at the university said that they believe that the opening of the criminal case directly related to the election of the rector to be. The appointment of Lysenko was further stalled by a court case brought by a police colonel teaching at the National University of Internal Affairs, which claims to put his candidacy forward and ignored.


Although university staff and the Deputy Minister of Education had no knowledge of a third candidate at the time, the court banned the Ministry of formalizing Professor Lysenko's appointment.

Iran: Religious scholar released on bail

Ahmad Gable, a theological researcher and government critic released on $ 50,000, pending the decision of the court of appeal on his case, reported the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran on January 4, 2010.

Gabble was arrested on 14 September and sentenced to three years in prison, three years of exile from his city of residence and a three-year ban on speeches, the maximum penalty for accusations of action against the regime and national security .

After almost four months in prison, 16 months of his 36-month sentence was converted into a $ 4,000 cash fine and he was released on bail by Branch 5 of Meshed’s Revolutionary courts, until the appeals court issues a ruling.

Gabble was previously imprisoned in 2001 and 125 days in solitary confinement in Even prison, Tehran's after writing an open letter critical of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khom