Stories about Human Rights from October, 2021
Bangladesh’s upcoming Data Protection Act may suppress, not protect, citizens rights
Analysts fear that a proposed data protection act in Bangladesh contains some loopholes including the indemnification of government agencies, which could be weaponized like the existing controversial Digital Security Act...
The son of dictator Ferdinand Marcos wants to become the Philippines’ next president
The danger that Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos Jr., son of the hated Philippine dictator, being elected as president in the May 2022 elections is real and a grim possibility.
‘I wrote the book you all wish you had when you were 15,’ says Afroczech Obonete Ubam
Czech Nigerian activist and writer Obonete Ubam interviewed ten prominent Afroczechs in his latest book, to talk about discrimination, integration and role models for an emerging community in the Czech...
I was invited to celebrate ‘Columbus Day.’ This is what I answered
"The 'National Day of Spain' is a mockery and offense to our Indigenous and Afro-descendent peoples."
Basque separatist group ETA lowered its weapons 10 years ago. Has reconciliation truly happened?
A lot has changed for the better in the past 10 years … but Basque society is still working out a public memory about the previous four decades of violence.
Chile rejects the migrants it once welcomed
In a study, Chileans considered themselves mostly 'whiter' than other Latin Americans and considered migrants 'dirtier.'
Between two borders: you can’t get through
By offering its territory as a transit zone, Belarus created a problem for the EU and a financial opportunity for itself, charging refugees for Belarusian visas.
Indigenous artist depicts the hidden history behind the creation of Bangladesh's Kaptai Lake
Few of the tourists flocking to Bangladesh's Kaptai Lake know the dark history behind the site's creation. With a stunning visual story, artist Tufan Chakma sets out to change that.
Combatting stereotypes: The need to recognize male victims of wartime sexual violence in Bosnia
According to testimony, the systematic scope and nature of conflict-related sexual violence against men demonstrate that it was an instrument of ethnic cleansing through the destruction of families and communities.
Three graphics that explain Portuguese colonialism
From the occupation of territories to the colonial war, passing through the abolition of slavery, we dismantled some myths of Portuguese colonialism.
Dark tales from Uruguay: How mothers and grandmothers search for victims of the Cold War
The women who fought for the truth about their children who disappeared during the military dictatorship are “role models of courage,” according to author Tessa Bridal.
Indigenous reporters risk death telling stories of community liberation in Colombia
"The Indigenous put up a fight in Cauca by having their own channels of communication."
Female foeticide to football in Nepal
Srijana Singh Thakuri of Nepal's national women's football team: "My story is not unique. It is just what happens when girls and women are given a chance, opportunity, and investment."
Kenyan government’s use of surveillance technologies to tackle COVID-19 raises human rights concerns
Kenya's 2019 data protection legislation was supposed to offer a framework for the government to acquire citizens' data in a transparent and rights-respecting manner, but some say it lacks independent...
Pakistan's proposed media development authority could further curb freedom of media
The representatives of different press clubs of the country have declared the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) “a media martial law” and rejected it outright.
Supporters demand freedom for Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El Fattah
His lawyer spoke of Abd El Fattah's declining mental health and quoted Abd El Fattah saying, “I can’t carry on.”
Global internet freedom trends in Turkey and South Caucasus, new report
While Georgia and Armenia were ranked "free" in this year's report, Turkey and Azerbaijan ranked "not free" as a result of the challenging atmosphere around digital rights and freedoms.
Chinese citizen journalist held incommunicado after COVID reporting reappears
Chinese citizen journalist Chen Qiushi has returned. But other citizen journalists covering the COVID-19 outbreak in China are still missing. Among them Zhang Zhan has been sentenced to four years...
Campaign to brand Russian journalists and media ‘foreign agents’ picks up pace after elections
The effects of Russia’s ‘foreign agent’ legislation against media and civil society have been direct and deeply troubling. They are now, in effect, deemed ‘enemies of the people’.
Animal rights activist in North Macedonia threatened after blowing the whistle on possible lion cub trafficking
While handling lion cubs is forbidden by law in North Macedonia, social media posts by nouveau riche or would-be-influencers revealed them bragging about socializing with a cub nicknamed "Simba."
