Stories about Human Rights from August, 2014
30 August 2014
Bahraini Activist Maryam Al Khawaja Denied Entry to Her Country, Goes On Hunger Strike
Bahraini human rights activists Maryam Al-Khawaja was denied entry to Bahrain upon her arrival at the airport. Now in detention, she has started a hunger strike.
13 Photos by an Exiled Iranian Photojournalist of People Caught in Conflict in the Middle East
Maryam Ashrafi's portfolio spans Iran, Iraq, Turkey and France. Global Voices interviewed her about her work.
Azerbaijan's President Doesn't Really Get Twitter. He Doesn't Really Get Azerbaijan, Either
Azeri president Ilham Aliyev's official Twitter feed is so bad it is funny. But behind the comedy lurks the darker realities Aliyev's bumbling forays into social media are covering up.
28 August 2014
Powerful Video Shows a Syrian Toddler's ‘Rebirth’ From Under the Rubble of a Bombed Building
A barrel bomb destroyed little Ghina's home and killed her mother. She survived, despite being buried in rubble herself.
Activist Blogger in Vietnam Gets 3 Years Behind Bars for ‘Obstructing Traffic’
A court has sentenced a prominent Vietnamese activist blogger to three years in prison for posing a “serious obstruction to traffic.” Her two other companions will join her behind bars.
27 August 2014
A Private Hospital in Bangaldesh Held a Patient's Body Ransom Because the Family Couldn't Pay Up Immediately
The deficiencies in Bangladesh's government hospitals and the uncertainties regarding service prompts people to chose private hospitals -- at a huge expense.
Why Activists Sent 128 Tomatoes to Every Single Member of Lebanon's Parliament
Fearing that lawmakers will once again extend their term without elections, Lebanese are saying #NotoExtension in protests on and offline.
26 August 2014
India’s LGBT Community Dares to Hope After Health Minister’s Comment on Gay Rights
Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that everybody has human rights and it is the job of the government to protect them.
Does Venezuela's Smiling Tourism Cartoon ‘Cheverito’ Ignore the Country's Grim Realities?
In less than one week, 'Cheverito', the cartoon character created by the Ministry of Tourism to boost tourism in Venezuela, was the center of criticism, attack and debates.
25 August 2014
Experts Say Technical Issues Are Behind Egypt's Power Outages, but the Prime Minister Blames the Muslim Brotherhood
Egyptians suffer from daily hours-long blackouts while government officials make contradicting statements regarding the cause.
Blogger Law Traps Russia's Activists in Limbo
The new blogger law's vagueness makes it an extremely potent tool for controlling dissent in Russia.
24 August 2014
Education Is Syria's ‘Chance for Change’
Chance4Change aims to fund 15 schools in areas free of regime control in order to secure their curriculum and ensure they remain independent. Find out how you can help.
Critics Fear Bangladesh's New Media Monitoring Policy Will Stifle Free Expression
Questions have been raised by many about the new draft broadcasting policy of Bangladesh. Such a policy was much due, but analysts say its regressive and will control the media.
22 August 2014
Iranian Minister Says Government ‘Never Promised’ to End Web Censorship
ICT Minister Vaezi's words contradict President Hassan Rouhani's pledge to lift bans on popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
