· September, 2009

Stories about Human Rights from September, 2009

Serbia: The Death of a French Football Fan

  30 September 2009

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.

Sri Lanka: Testimonies Of Detained IDPs

  30 September 2009

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”.

Russia: “Afro Plus”

  30 September 2009

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

  30 September 2009

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...

Bangladesh: Banning Of Adult Websites

  29 September 2009

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

  29 September 2009

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...

Cuba: Concert for Peace

  26 September 2009

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.

Trinidad and Tobago: against anti-gay violence

  25 September 2009

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.”

Egypt: Blogging Farouk Hosni's Defeat

  24 September 2009

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

  24 September 2009

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”

  24 September 2009

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.