Stories about Human Rights from February, 2019
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.
As India's elections draw near, right-wing leader is arrested for shooting Mahatma Gandhi's effigy
A right-wing leader creates controversy after shooting effigy of Gandhi to celebrate the leader's assassination.
Nigeria's presidential elections — a test for democracy in Africa
"If the upcoming presidential election in Africa’s most populous country are free, fair and credible, it sets a strong example for the continent’s other democracies."
Decorated army major accused of “beating youth” in Kashmir
Controversy after decorated Indian army major accused of beating a young man in Kashmir.
Venezuela's humanitarian crisis puts Trinidad and Tobago's refugee policy under the microscope
Venezuelans fleeing their country have been seeking refuge in Trinidad and Tobago in increasing numbers, but the country is yet to get its act together to deal with the influx.
11 February 2019
Every vote counts? Tackling voter apathy and low voter turnout in Nigeria's national elections
Will every vote count in Nigeria's 2019 national elections? Voters are the missing link to a strong democracy. Understanding voter apathy is key to successful elections.
Bulgaria's parliament and an educational institute named top privacy violators in ‘Big Brother Awards’
The Bulgarian edition of the Big Brother Awards is back as a means of shaming the worst violators of citizens’ privacy.
10 February 2019
In Bangladesh, vigilante justice leads to the death of three alleged rapists by self-proclaimed ‘Hercules’
In Bangladesh, three alleged rapists are executed by a vigilante who signs his victim's death "confessions" with the name 'Hercules'.
9 February 2019
‘I won't stop': Kazakh man seeks justice for family caught in China's Xinjiang crackdown
UN experts say over a million people may be interned in Chinese "re-education" camps. But how many have died inside the facilities?
Why Bahrain's ‘torture prince’ can still visit the U.K. despite calls for his arrest
Despite allegations that Bahrain's Nasser Bin Hamad personally took part in torturing protesters, he has repeatedly traveled to the UK where he faces calls for his arrest.
7 February 2019
Netizen Report: Philippine news outlet faces ‘cyber libel’ charges
Philippines DOJ takes another swing at Rappler news site, Facebook tackles disinformation in Indonesia and Russia moves to outlaw fake news.
For the first time, transgender candidates will run for seats in Bangladesh's National Parliament
"There is no one from our community who can understand and raise our concerns. That is why we are running for the seats."
5 February 2019
The complicated narratives of the Venezuelan conflict
"This is is not a left-wing, right-wing conflict"
