This year, the authorities had warned against demonstrations, harassing and detaining leading dissidents and mounting a tight security operation for the past two days in Prague.

In three days authorities in four regions have detained dissidents associated with the fledgling China Democratic Party.

Without their presence, she said, the security forces would feel that they have "carte blanche" to detain and torture dissidents.

Up to one million have died in North Korea's political prison camps which detain dissidents and their entire families, including children, for perceived political offences.

Despite the international attention focused on the case, the Cuban police detained several dissidents and discouraged others from attending the trial.

The hotel became the center for detaining Lebanese dissidents and synonymous with torture and human rights violations.

He led a delegation to the USSR and challenged the practice of detaining political dissidents in mental facilities.

Azerbaijan arbitrarily detains dissidents and rigs elections.

Medvedev was an early victim of official attempts to stifle opposition by detaining dissidents in mental institutions.

Vietnam must also stop detaining and harassing dissidents and journalists, and its prisoners of conscience must be released.