Stories about Human Rights from January, 2013
Russian Teacher Briefly Fired for Defending LGBT Rights
As if Russia's liberals were not already outraged enough about a proposed federal law banning "homosexual propaganda", the firing of an activist school teacher protesting this law has sparked a...
Children Crisis in Syria: How You Can Help
An estimated 4,355 Syrian children have been killed so far in the on-going conflict in Syria. Earlier this week, we reported on the steep price Syrian children are paying in...
Saudi Arabia: 36 Days in Jail for a Human Rights Sign
Saudi Mohammad al-Olayan was detained for 36 days for having a sign against arbitrary detainment on his car. Although he denied the charge, saying he found the sign on his...
A Couple's Civil Marriage Rejected in Lebanon
A secular marriage in Lebanon is still not possible, but a couple's claim to the contrary reignites the debate and hope for partisans of civil marriage.
Iran's Newspapers Silent on Mass Arrest of Journalists
The world's leading jailer of journalists has struck again. At least 12 Iranian journalists were arrested by agents of the regime's over the weekend.
Indigenous Xavantes of Marãiwatsédé Fight for the Right to Their Land
Having inhabited the Marãiwatsédé territory in the north of Mato Grosso for centuries, natives of the Xavante ethnic group face occupation and threats from farmers who are trying to evictl...
Homosexuals – The Invisible Minority of Bangladesh
The LGBT communities in Bangladesh remain underground as they face discrimination, verbal abuse, physical abuse, social and legal challenges everyday. This invisible minority uses the internet and social networking to...
Brazil: “Massacre of Pinheirinho”, One Year Later
January 22, 2013 marked one year since the violent eviction of the Pinheirinho settlement in the city of São José dos Campos, Brazil. A demonstration to commemorate the date took...
Peace March: ‘Stop Violence in North Myanmar’
A peace march was organized in Myanmar to call for the end of hostilities between government troops and Kachin rebel forces. Renewed clashes in recent weeks have displaced more than...
Thai Activist Editor Gets 11-Year Jail Term for ‘Insulting’ King
Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a veteran activist and former editor of Voice of Taksin magazine (banned in 2010), received an 11 year jail sentence from a Thai court for publishing articles deemed...
Where Russia's Honest Ones Go to Die: Dolmatov's Suicide
On the morning of January 17, Russian political refugee Alexander Dolmatov was found having hanged himself in a solitary cell of a Dutch deportation center. Dolmatov left Russia last summer,...
Syrian Children Pay the Steep Price of War
Syrian children are the forgotten victims for the last 22 months of conflict. An estimated 4,000 Syrian children have lost their lives while hundreds of thousands are refugees without homes....
After 15-year Trial in Turkey, Pınar Selek Sentenced for Life
After three acquittals, Pınar Selek, a sociologist and a writer, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by Turkish courts for the 1998 Istanbul Spice Bazaar bombing.
Mauritania: Workers March 700km for Justice
On January 5, a group of illegal or "Journalia" workers (temporary or seasonal), started a long march from the city of Zouerat in order to reach the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott....
Russian Parliament Confronts Next Threat to Kids: “Homosexual Propaganda”
The Russian parliament's effort to defend the nation's children continues. In the last year, Duma deputies have labored feverishly to shield Russia's youth from child pornography and online enticements to...
