Stories about Human Rights from February, 2019
27 February 2019
Sexual violence in the family. A taboo topic in Armenia
Cultural taboos and victim-shaming means women subjected to sexual violence at home often do not come forward.
26 February 2019
Will Felix Tshisekedi bring an end to turmoil in Democratic Republic of Congo?
President Felix Tshisekedi said that the court's confirmation of his win was a victory for the entire country and promised to build a nation of unity, peace and security.
After an unarmed teen is killed at a supermarket, netizens share stories of growing up black in Brazil
"The first time I was stopped and frisked I was 11 years old. I was on my way to the mall, with my brother, we were going to the cinema."
25 February 2019
How Saudi leaders are using religion to consolidate power and silence critical voices
''Oppression is a comprehensive system, and [in our country] it is enabled by religion.''
Journalists, teachers, and activists targeted in attacks on free speech in the Philippines
"These are attempts by those in power to drown out the voice of the marginalized...displaying Duterte’s fear of committed journalism that seeks to inform, educate and guide the public."
23 February 2019
Singaporean activist sentenced to 16 days in jail after hosting video chat with HK youth leader Joshua Wong
"There’s no sentence that I’d consider fair, because he should never have been charged."
Tension between India and Pakistan mounts after terror attack in Kashmir
"amidst the political upheaval, some are urging the public to remember that when there is violence -- everyone suffers"
22 February 2019
Facebook, robot vacuum cleaner and pro-surveillance politician voted worst privacy intruders in Czech Republic
The Big Brother “anti-awards” ceremony is designed to shame those who violate people's rights to privacy and data protection.
As Putin preaches ‘sovereignty’ and tech modernization, experts lament loss of online freedoms
As Vladimir Putin promises Russians a faster, more reliable internet, two reports by independent expert groups paint an unrelentingly bleak picture of more crackdowns on online freedom of speech.
Kashmiri students face persecution in India after 46 soldiers were killed in terror attack
Kashmiri students face violence and discrimination after a terror attack that killed 46 soldiers.
Bangladeshi government targets world's largest Bengali blogging platform in porn censorship spree
The incidents of moral policing and the extension of the ban to a Bangla blogging platform and Google Books suggest that the authority's definition of “objectionable” may go far beyond.
20 February 2019
A Tibetan-Canadian student was attacked online after winning student council elections. She thinks Beijing is to blame.
Chemi Lhamo faced a barrage of threatening comments on social media from overseas students who appeared to be from mainland China.
19 February 2019
‘Man returns to his native Xinjiang and disappears’ — a story too common for the headlines
Nurbolat Shalayit is one of hundreds of thousands of Xinjiang minorities whose current whereabouts are uncertain.
18 February 2019
EU proposal pushes tech companies to tackle ‘terrorist content’ with AI, despite implications for war crimes evidence
AI tools can assess whether a video is violent or graphic. But can they determine the video’s intended purpose?
16 February 2019
Cameroonian justice minister rationalizes Holocaust on national television
The comments are distressing given how it feeds into the renewed reliance worldwide from far-right movements on the tired, racist trope that the Jewish community controls the finance world.
15 February 2019
Venezuelans see the politics of humanitarian aid play out in online attacks
A unique and technically sophisticated attack this week targeted VoluntariosxVenezuela, an opposition-aligned humanitarian aid website.
14 February 2019
The Caribbean needs to work on its homophobia, but it doesn't need a lecture
"To Gabriel’s credit, he […] accepted he was wrong. That is a solid first step."
Netizen Report: Will India’s regional internet shutdowns ever end?
Internet shutdowns continue apace in India, Venezuela's opposition websites are under pressure and Uganda's social media tax is driving down internet use.
13 February 2019
#MetooUyghur campaign asks Chinese government to prove that Xinjiang detainees are still alive
Uyghur communities from all over the world are using the #MetooUyghur hashtag to demand answers about the welfare of their loved ones.
12 February 2019
Iranian environmentalists fear death penalty after a year behind bars
Public prosecutors built much of their case against the group from a forced confession made by one of the activists.
