Stories about Human Rights from September, 2009
Serbia: The Death of a French Football Fan
Brice Taton, a 28-year-old French citizen and a fan of the Toulouse football team, was brutally beaten by fans of the Partizan football team in downtown Belgrade on Sept. 17, before the Partizan vs Toulouse game. He died in a Belgrade hospital on Sept. 29.
USA: Immigrant Students in National Day of Action
The National Dream Act Day of Action was initiated by the United We DREAM Coalition and was supported by dozens of organizations across university campuses in the USA last week.
Sri Lanka: Testimonies Of Detained IDPs
GroundViews posts two short testimonies on the plight of IDPs released from Menik Camp. The testimonies highlight “significant challenges facing reconciliation and resettlement in post-war Sri Lanka and the urgent need for psycho-social counseling”.
Romania: “20 Years After the Revolution”
David Sasaki/El Oso writes about his trip to Romania and the country's recent history, and posts a video interview with the executive director of Casa Sperantei hospice.
Russia: “Afro Plus”
Adventures in Wheelville expresses solidarity with Moscow's African residents: “While Obama is busy making buddy with Medvyedev, scores of black folks on Moscow streets are looking over their shoulder every two seconds in fear. It's horribly ironic.”
Poland: Sexual Crimes and Roman Polanski
Polandian writes about Poland's plans to legalize chemical castration for those who commit sexual crimes against minors – and about the arrest of Roman Polanski in Switzerland and the Polish foreign minister's intention to ask the U.S. president to pardon the film director: “Now, if the 1977 charge had been...
CEE: History, Nationalism and Identity
Marietta Le of Remainder of Budapest writes about issues of history, nationalism and identity in Hungary and other states of Central and Eastern Europe.
Bangladesh: Banning Of Adult Websites
Joruri Khobor posts a hilarious take on the news that the government of Bangladesh has banned 84 adult websites that featured “well-known Bangladeshi celebrities in obscene poses”.
Guinea-Conakry: 58 Killed By Army
International news sites, French radio [fr], BBC Africa, Twitter [fr], journalists, NGOs and political leaders report of on armed forces shooting on unarmed crowd in Conakry, Guinea capital, today on sept.28th a number of 58 protesters, wonded or dead, were evacuated to the main hospital in Conakry. The crowd was...
Egypt: Another journalist to be deported
"Your name [is] on the computer." With those words Cairo-based Swedish journalist and blogger Per Bjorklund is being turned away from the Cairo Airport, where he landed a few hours ago. Egypt's bloggers are angry and speaking up against it.
Cuba: Concert for Peace
The "Paz sin Fronteras" concert organized by the Colombian singer Juanes and celebrated on Sunday September 20, 2009, at iconic Revolution Square in Havana, Cuba, ignited many passions and heated debates. Posts from Cuban bloggers, living in Cuba and in other countries, show the diversity of opinions on Cuba's political situation and future.
Iran: Green rage against Ahmadinejad in New York
Protesters against Iranian human rights violations and election irregularities demonstrated against Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York City, as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly.
Iran: Artists and Green Movement
Artists from different corners of the world have created posters to support Iranian opposition movement (Green Movement) and Iranian people struggle for democracy.
Trinidad and Tobago: against anti-gay violence
gspottt reacts to news that a member of Trinidad's GLBT community has been killed.”The murder comes … in the middle of an ongoing spate of internet dating-initiated violence and blackmail of community members…. It’s beyond time to take stronger community action to prevent and address such violence.”
Serbia: Gay Pride Parade Postponed
Sinisa Boljanovic writes about the cancellation of the gay pride parade in Belgrade and reviews bloggers reactions to statements made by politicians and ultra-nationalist groups regarding the event.
Egypt: Blogging Farouk Hosni's Defeat
Egypt's Culture Minister Farouk Hosni has kept bloggers busy over the previous few days. His failed bid to secure a seat at the helm of UNESCO has polarised the blogosphere, with some even cooking up conspiracy theories to justify his defeat.
Cuba: activist arrested and released
Uncommon Sense reports the arrest and subsequent release of Cuban activist and journalist Belinda Salas Tapanes in Havana. “Salas is president of the Federation of Latin American Women (FLAMUR), one of the more effective opposition groups in Cuba.”
Iran: “Bloggers persecuted”
Reporters Without Borders informed us that Ali Pirhasanlou (Alpar), one of the first journalists to start blogging in Iran was arrested last week. This organization adds that Iranian authorities continue to persecute the bloggers.
Iran: Shiva Nazar Ahari, Iranian blogger freed
According to several Iranian news sites Shiva Nazar Ahari, a female blogger and human rights activist was freed after being imprisoned for about 100 days in Tehran.
Mexico: Protests Against Nomination of Arturo Chávez for Attorney General
Human rights activists in Mexico are opposing the recent nomination of Arturo Chávez as Mexican Attorney General. They say he did little to solve the murders of women, when he served in the state of Chihuahua.
Serbia: No Gay Pride This Year
Belgraded, Cafe Turco, Balkan File and Anegdote write about the cancellation of this year's gay pride in Belgrade.
