First inmates for new prison

Adding an additional 20 prisoners a day, warden Edvard Remsel stated that "We expect to fill the prison by the end of May". According to Remsel, the prison is almost fully staffed. Of the 350 staff positions, 314 have been filled by today and candidates exist for most of the remaining positions, too, but we still lack psychologists, for instance,".

The builder, Merko Ehitus, will finish the final jobs on the complex by the end of July, mostly building roads and grounds work. More than 2,700 workers altogether were involved in the construction process of the 16-hectare prison complex located in the town of Johvi. Prisoners are separated from the outside world by two metal fences and one concrete fence guarded in addition by an electronic surveillance system.

The construction of the Viru Prison started in August 2006. The complex provides cells for 1,000 prisoners, administrative offices, a school, a church, a sports building, a library, workshops and rooms for social work.

Source http://baltictimes.com/news/articles/20117/

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Responses to cybercrime to be debated by Council of Europe

Taking the lead in the fight against computer-related crime is Estonia, the Internet-savvy Baltic country that came under a wave cyber attacks last year that paralyzed many of its businesses and institutions. A conference by the Council of Europe in France on Tuesday and Wednesday will review the implementation of the Convention on Cybercrime, the only legally binding international treaty to address online crime.

It also will discuss new guidelines for cooperation between police and investigators and Internet service providers in the fight against crime in cyberspace. Separately, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's summit in Romania beginning Wednesday will debate NATO's own guidelines for coordinating national cyber defense efforts. The convention also covers offenses involving electronic evidence such as child sexual exploitation, organized crime and terrorism.

As the Internet becomes an essential part of daily life across the world, experts from police forces, as well as technology companies Microsoft Corp. Bay, Inc., Council of Europe workshop in Strasbourg, France. The challenges posed by cybercrime are different from conventional terror attacks because of the fast exchange of data and the vast international reach of computers, said Marco Gercke, a lecturer in computer law at University of Cologne in Germany.

Compared to regular terror attacks, it is much easier for the offenders to hide their identity. There are at least 10 unique challenges that make it very difficult to fight computer-related crime," said Gercke, one of the conference participants. The success rate of cybercrime is very high," he added.

Tiny Estonia has been active in battling cybercrime since attacks last year that it blamed on Russia seriously affected its economy because so much of it was dependent upon the Internet. Russian officials deny any involvement in the cyber onslaught, which erupted during violent protests by ethnic Russians against the decision to move a Soviet-era Red Army monument out of downtown Tallinn, the Estonian capital.

As a result of the attacks, government institutions, mass media and private banks were forced to deny access to their Web sites to users outside Estonia. So Estonians who were traveling abroad, for instance, were suddenly unable to access their bank accounts. The cyber warfare included computer-generated spam and so-called Distributed Denial-of-Service, or DDoS, attacks.

The DDoS attacks involve a flood of computers all trying to connect to a single site at the same time, overwhelming the computer server that handles the traffic. Estonian authorities claimed they traced the attacks to Kremlin IP addresses. Blocking this type of Web assault is difficult or impossible because the host server has no way of distinguishing between legitimate and bogus requests for access.

Estonia has set up a center to tackle computer-related crime in Tallinn and wants a global treaty on combatting cyber attacks because in spite of the proliferation of online offenses, laws in many countries are inadequate, making the prosecution of cyber criminals difficult. New dialogue on mixed race Video See all videos » Olympic protests Pro-Tibet protesters disrupt flame lighting ceremony in Greece, calling for boycott of Beijing Games.

Source http://iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/31/europe/eu-gen-eu-cyber~.php

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A cool country with a warm heart

What is the best expression of Estonia’s character? Is it the grey limestone, used in the walls of medieval houses and churches, that pushes its way through the soil and takes the form of majestic cliffs when it reaches the sea. The Baltic Sea, which touches the beaches of Estonia’s thousand islands, sometimes gently, sometimes angrily. The forest, which covers the whole country and has for centuries provided Estonians with a roof over their heads, warmth and a place of refuge. Excitement about the melting of the snow and the touch of the warm spring sun on one’s face – an indescribable joy that one can only fully comprehend in a northern country. The Midsummer Night bonfire on the beach or in a meadow, the enchantment of white summer nights when the sun only sets for a moment… The three colours of the Estonian flag – blue representing the sky, black the soil and white the snow. Or perhaps the hard work, thirst for education, perseverance and stubbornness of a million people, whose greatest monument is the Estonian nation itself – which has survived all of its conquerors and difficult times.
At the end of the day, it is people who shape the face of their country. Estonians are not light-hearted, but that is what is interesting! We do not praise without reason, but at the same time we never forget real friends. In this country, level-headedness and good judgement are highly respected – “Measure nine times, cut once,” says the Estonian proverb. We want everything to be better, and we sometimes even strive too hard to achieve that.
“Still waters run deep” says the Estonian proverb. Estonian humour is apparently distinctive – there have not been many periods in history when we have been able to breathe and speak freely. Living on the edge of Scandinavia, on the border between East and West, has made us not only serious, but also flexible and creative, and also quite cheerful! Thus Estonians are definitely not just serious and modest – the old and dignified Hanseatic city Tallinn is gradually becoming the entertainment capital of Northern Europe, although good food, cold beer, hot saunas and adventures in nature can be enjoyed throughout Estonia. It is not accidental that Estonians are eager Internet surfers and keen mobile phone users. They are also responsible for inventing and applying new solutions – in order to make life even more comfortable and save even more time for communication, enjoying life with one’s friends and relatives or instead perhaps being alone.
What one sees when travelling around in the city and in the country is inseparable from our history. Estonians are among the oldest peoples in Europe, and they already lived in their home by the Baltic Sea when the first pyramids were being built in Egypt. Estonia has an extraordinary building of its own – in the 16th century Oleviste Church, whose tower is 159 metres high, was the highest in the world.
Since the 13th century, we have been conquered and ruled by Germans, Danes, Swedes, Poles and Russians – but they also left some good legacies. As members of the powerful Hanseatic League, Estonia’s cities flourished, and throughout the country there arose not only manors and fortifications for the conquerors, but also churches, monasteries and schools. The Republic of Estonia was declared on 24 February 1918, and for a little over twenty years, the people felt enthusiasm and happiness about their home, work, children and creative work. In 1940, in accordance with the Molotov- Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union forcibly annexed this small, peaceful Baltic country and occupied it for nearly half a century. The existing way of life was destroyed, and the Communist terror that was launched meant, among other things, mass deportations and the elimination of dissidents. The occupation arrested the development of most areas of the country’s life, which until then had been at the same level as that of Finland.
In 1991 Estonians regained their independence, during the “singing revolution”, and reassumed their place in Europe and the world. In 2004, the Republic of Estonia became a member of the European Union and NATO. Today Estonia, which has chosen the path of decisive reforms, is attempting to strike a balance between nature and modern technology, dynamic economic development and social security, openness and its historical roots. Estonia has become one of the most successful e-countries in Europe, and a hotbed of new ideas and solutions in the areas of Internet banking, the raising of efficiency in production, communication between citizen and state, and entertainment.
Estonia has no high mountains, great plains or deep canyons. Estonia is, however, larger on the inside that it is on the outside – such diversity in landscape types, vegetation, seasons, weather and moods cannot be found in many places. In addition to modern amenities and its vibrant nightlife, there is still an abundance of unspoiled nature, air and space in Estonia – room for everyone to be himself. For me, Estonia is above all a country where everything has a human dimension – nothing is too big or too insignificant to attract attention. It is a place where history and the present meet in a genuine and personal manner; a country that is not yet finished – where life does not stand still, where people are open and curious, and tomorrow always promises to be better than the previous day.
VANO ALLSALU
editor, artist
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