· June, 2012

Stories about Human Rights from June, 2012

Armenia: Intolerant Society

Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts a video animation produced by the Civilitas organization illustrating how intolerant society in the virtually mono-ethnic Republic of Armenia can be. The blog also notes that according to the data compiled from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Caucasus Research Resource Centers...

China:Famous School Teacher Harassed Boys

  29 June 2012

FMN reported that a deputy principal of high school affiliated with East China Normal University has been accused of having harassing his male students at school. Several victims decided to break the silence after 15 years. Official news says Zhang is fired from his position now. Read the full story...

Pakistan: Who Killed Pashto Singer Ghazala Javed?

  28 June 2012

Ghazala Jawad, a charismatic Pashto singer was gunned down in the city of Peshwar. Mystery shrouds the identity of her real killers. Was this an honor killing by her ex-husband, who disapproved of her singing? Or was this an act by the Taliban, who she defied throughout her career?

Yemen: Electricity Woes in Yemen

Electricity, food and water are basic human rights and have been the main demands of the majority of Yemenis long before the revolution started and still continue to be so. Nothing seems to have changed with the overthrow of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and living conditions only seem to get worse under the new National Consensus Government.

Korean ‘Comfort Women’ Photo Exhibit Sabotaged in Japan

  27 June 2012

A South Korean photographer explains his ordeal in holding an exhibition in Japan that documents aging 'Comfort Women', the term used for Koreans drafted as sex slaves by the Japanese during World War II. Many South Koreans and fans of the photographer online, accused Japanese extremist right-wing groups of refusing to admit their war crimes and attempting to sabotage the art exhibition.

Puerto Rico: Francheska Duarte's Case Causes Outrage

  27 June 2012

The young mother Francheska Duarte was run over and later abandoned in an emergency medical centre by her ex-boyfriend. The judge presiding over the case found Francheska's former boyfriend Jorge Ramos guilty only of the less serious misdemeanor. The decision has caused an outrage in the island.

Saudi Arabia: Tweeps to Remember Detained Protester

Following the overthrow of Tunisian and Egyptian presidents, an anonymous call for a "Day of Rage" in Saudi Arabia on March 11, 2011, was spread. In response, the government deployed heavy police forces in all major cities to ensure that any protest remains virtual. One man, Khaled Al-Johani, turned out to protest and was arrested on that same day. Netizens rally to draw attention to his plight.

Arab World: People With Disabilities Raise Their Voices!

An online campaign was launched to shed light on the struggle of people with disabilities and their neglected rights. Campaign founder Abdallah AlShalaqi, an activist from Saudi Arabia said it aims at raising community’s awareness of the rights of people with disabilities; breaking media silence about it; and giving a message to government officials to take action towards this issue.

Armenia: Online Petition to Support LGBT Rights

Following the recent firebombing of a gay-friendly bar in Yerevan as well as homophobic comments from government officials and politicians setting the scene for the aggressive disruption of a diversity rally in the Armenian capital two weeks later, Unzipped draws its readers attention to a new online petition calling for...

Cuba: Papal Mass Dissident Still Protesting

  25 June 2012

Pedazos de la Isla reports that “Andrés Carrión Álvarez, the Cuban who shouted ‘Down with Communism’ during the papal mass in Santiago de Cuba this past March…is still on hunger strike.”

Brazil: Second Round of Occupy Belo Monte Started

  24 June 2012

Marcelo Salazar, a Brazilian engineer who works for the [river] Xingu Program of the Instituto Socioambiental, posted on Facebook a series of photos from the second round of “occupy” Belo Monte, which started on June 22, 2012, in the construction site of the hydroelectric power plant.

Puerto Rico: Impunity Island

  24 June 2012

Blogger Ed Morales comments on recently released American Civil Liberty Union's (ACLU) report (PDF) on police brutality in Puerto Rico: “The report echoes a previous, scathing one on police brutality and abuse of civil rights in Puerto Rico released last September (PDF) by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which put the island commonwealth’s...

Armenia: A Slow Descent Into Fascism?

Following the 8 May firebombing of a gay-friendly bar in Yerevan and the disruption by ultra-nationalists of a march for diversity two weeks later, the Huffington Posts asks if Armenia is slowly sliding towards fascism? In recent months nationalist actions have become more evident in the predominantly mono-ethnic country, including...