· February, 2013

Stories about Human Rights from February, 2013

Turkish Women Speak Up: My Body, My Decision

  27 February 2013

Turkish women protested, and protected their rights by saying 'my body, my decision.' But it seems like they still have a long way to go and fight until it is 100% their decision what to do on their body or their life. Baran Mavzer tells us why Turkish women, though in a better position than many across the Muslim world, have a long struggle ahead of them to obtain and maintain their legal and human rights.

Brazil: Cable Car Goes Up, Houses Come Down for World Cup

  27 February 2013

The construction of a cable car for tourists in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in the Morro da Providência favela in Rio de Janeiro is kicking residents out. Demolished houses are being traded for a stipend of 400 reais (200 US dollars), and many families have been unable find a place to live.

Open Letter to China on Human Rights

  26 February 2013

Just prior to China's annual “two meetings” of the NPC and CPPCC, which are scheduled to convene on March 5, more than 100 prominent individuals — including academics, journalists, lawyers and economists signed an open letter calling on China's government to immediately ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The open letter, circulated on Chinese social media...

VIDEO: In Bolivia, Indigenous Women Draw Society's Short Straw

  26 February 2013

Marisol, an indigenous Bolivian woman, says that in her country "being an indigenous woman is the worst thing that can happen to you." Her testimony is part of a news report by Mario Munera which explores the lives of Bolivian women in the contexts of education, politics and sexist violence. The report "Women in Bolivia" was published in Periodismo Humano.

Defending Capital Punishment in Japan

  25 February 2013

Would you still be against it if someone you loved was killed by a psychotic murderer? Human rights organization Amnesty International called for the death penalty to be abolished in Japan and criticized the Japanese Ministry of Justice for hanging three inmates. Beth at JapanCrush takes a look at reactions from netizens who are in favor...

Sexual, Holy and Disruptive: One Billion Rising in the Caribbean

  25 February 2013

The "One Billion Rising" campaign, created in response to statistics which suggest that one in three women will be assaulted or raped in their lifetime, called on women across the world to dance together in protest of gender violence on February 14th. Various groups throughout the Caribbean participated...

Police Torture Continues in Egypt

  24 February 2013

On Egyptian Chronicles, blogger Zeinobia talks about how the police continue to torture people. She shares the story of Ayman Mehana, who was attacked, arrested and allegedly sexually abused at the hands of police. She reminds her readers about why Egyptians took to the streets on January 25, 2011: This...

Macedonian Anti-Fascists Protest Against Harassment

  24 February 2013

On Feb. 16, World War II veterans and their supporters protested against the forced neglect of the Allied Forces' achievements (which include the founding of the Macedonian state), and the continuous harassment of the veterans' organization by the current government at all levels. Filip Stojanovski reports.

Evacuate the Children of Fukushima

  22 February 2013

Parents, residents and lawyers are taking to the streets demanding that their children by evacuated from Japan's Fukushima region, where they claim radiation levels continue to be high.

A First for Africa: Ex-Dictator to be Judged on the Continent

  22 February 2013

A new court system, the Extraordinary African Chambers has recently been set up to allow the first ever trial of one of its own dictators on the continent. The tribunal to judge Hissène Habré, former president of Chad, opened in Senegal on February 8, 2013. Human Rights Watch has been working since 1999 with victims of the ex-dictator, currently in exile in Senegal, in order to bring him to justice.