Stories about Human Rights from December, 2009
South Asia: Looking Back At 2009
The year 2009 is ending and its time to retrospect how the year has been for the South Asian region. In a two-part review we will look back at some of the major events which took place this year in the South Asian countries seen through the eyes of the citizen journalists.
Caribbean: 2009 Regional Roundup
As Global Voices celebrates its fifth anniversary, the occasion has given us all an opportunity to reflect on why we do what we do and how our work makes a...
Ethiopia: Death penalty is meant to terrorise Ethiopians
Berhanu Nega, one of the men sentenced to death by an Ethiopian court says he is not suprised by death penalty.
Ethiopia: Mother of political activist appeals to Prime Minister
Arefe reports that the mother of the leader of the leader of Ethiopia’s biggest opposition party and political activist, Birtukan Mideksa has sent a letter sent to Prime Minster Meles...
Cuba: History & Hope
“Hopefully, 2010 will bring, finally, an end to this sad, torturous chapter of Cuban history”: Uncommon Sense remembers Cuba's past and expresses his hopes for its future.
Caucasus: 2009 Blog Review
If the Armenian and Georgian blogospheres attracted most interest during 2008 after one disputed presidential election in the former and an albeit short war with Russia in the latter, Azerbaijan was the undoubted focus in 2009. In particular, youth activists quickly embraced both new and social media to spread their message online.
The Balkans: Sarajevo-Belgrade Train
Balkanology Blog reports on the recent launch of a direct Sarajevo-Belgrade train, the first one “in almost two decades.” CAFÉ TURCO recalls Serbia's recent history in a post titled “Serbia...
China: Akmal's death sentence, a resolute No to memory of humiliation?
Akmal Shaikh, a British citizen convicted of smuggling heroine into China, was executed on Tuesday although his families along with the British government had pleaded for reprieve, claiming that he...
Indonesia: Email mom ‘not guilty’ says the High Court
Prita Mulyasari, a housewife who was charged with defamation by a hospital for an email complaint against a bad health service, was found not guilty by the Indonesian High Court. Bloggers and twitterers are happy with the ruling.
Bahamas: Inefficient Judiciary
As a suspected murderer out on bail allegedly kills again, Weblog Bahamas‘ Sidney Sweeting asks: “How long should the Bahamian people have to put up with this nonsense and get...
Poland, China: Lack of Response to Akmal Shaikh's Case
Polandian writes about Poland's lack of response to the execution of Akmal Shaikh in China: “[…] Akmal spent quite some time in Poland, was married to a Pole and is...
China: Cui Weiping tweets elite views on Liu Xiaobo
Many Chinese public intellectuals take flack for keeping quiet on major social issues. Beijing Film Academy professor Cui Weiping has sought to change that by tweeting her peers' views on the recent sentencing of China's most prominent democrat.
Trinidad & Tobago: 500
Trinidadian bloggers comment on the country's record murder rate – Jumbie's Watch: “The message is clear. We’re screwed.” B.C. Pires: “Not even when Mr Manning and Mr Panday achieve Trinidad's...
Cuba: Show of Support
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports on “the arrests over the past several days of numerous activists attempting…to show their support for political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who has been...
Palestine: Twitter accused of silencing Gaza tribute
Twitter has been accused of attempting to silence tributes to Gaza one-year after an Israeli onslaught devastated the Palestinian enclave. Pro-Palestinian and human rights activists used the influential Twitter to express support for the besieged territory. Tweets using the hashtag #Gaza flooded in on December 27th, peaking at number 3 on Twitter's top ten Trending Topics list.
Guatemala: Ongoing Search for Remains of the Disappeared
James Rodríguez of Mi Mundo documents one of the ongoing searches in the community of Villalobos for the remains of some of the disappeared victims during the armed conflict in...
Iran: When Rage Overcomes Fear
Iranian protesters poured into Tehran and several major cities in defiance of the Iranian government on Sunday, as large crowds gathered for Ashura, a major religious observance.
Global: Tweeting for #Gaza
In honor of the one-year anniversary of Israel's attacks on Gaza in December 2008, a number of activists have planned a targeted "tweet for Gaza" campaign on Twitter. Jillian C. York has more.
D. R. of Congo : Human rights activist's house burnt down
Ouvertures website [fr] reports that the house of human rights activist, Emmanuel Kabengele Kalonji, in Congo has been burnt down while he is in Morocco to receive the Harubuntu Award...
China: Liu Xiaobo sentenced to 11 years
C.A. Yeung pointed out that the harsh sentence of Liu Xiaobo to 11 years on subversion charges implied a open rejection of public demands for democratic reforms by the Chinese...
India: Surviving Child Abuse
Mumbai based creative professional Harish Iyer, who blogs at The Pregnant Thoughts, discusses how he was subjected to child sex abuse in his teens and how it changed his life.
