Stories about Human Rights from January, 2007
Iran:Bus Drivers under Pressure
According to Otoobos2,Fazl Mazaheri,a bus driver was fired because of his participation in bus strike [Fa].
Israel: Jamming Against Forced Prostitution
Tel Avivian blogger Yohay Elam today attended a jamming session to make noise against forced prostitution. “Hundreds of women are held against their will in central cities in Israel, and “employed” as prostitutes. The authorities know where they are, and don’t act to release them. The media usually ignores these...
Iran:Donations for Arash Sigarchi
Marz Abi reports that Arash Sigarchi, journalist and blogger,who had been sent to jail because of his writing,is suffering from cancer.The blogger encourages people to send money to a bank account to help Arash to be able to follow medical treatment[Fa].Arash Sigarchi recently found his freedom again.
The Arabist: Saudi Arabia Persecuting Ahmadis
The Arabist reported today a Human Rights Watch plea to the Saudi monarch urging him to stop presecuting Ahmadis. According to the letter, “Saudi Arabia has so far arrested 56 non-Saudi followers of the Ahmadi faith, including infants and young children, and deported at least 8 to India and Pakistan.”
Russia: “Kremlin, Inc.”
Robert Amsterdam scans and posts a 14-page New Yorker article on Russia, which is not yet available online (“Kremlin, Inc.: Why are Vladimir Putin's Opponents Dying“).
Iran:Iranian Journalist and Dissident Akbar Ganji
Nikahang writes that Akbar Ganji, journalist and dissident,Thursday, will accept the prestigious International Press Freedom award from Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) awarded to him in 2000.He could not take award sooner because he was in prison.
Latvia: Border Dispute
Marginalia writes about Latvia's border dispute with Russia and about “putting things in order”: “When a state “puts things in order,” it has a sad tendency to forget real people and real places, methinks.”
Poland: HIV and Politics
The beatroot writes about the politics surrounding the case of the African refugee infecting women with HIV: “This time it's not AIDS and gays, however, it’s AIDS and Africans.”
Russia: Conversation With Litvinenko's Widow, Part 5
David McDuff of A Step At A Time translates the fifth installment of the Russian-language interview with Aleksandr Litvinenko’s widow Marina.
Elections in Serbia
The first preliminary results of the Serbian parliamentary poll arrived less than an hour after the ballots closed at 20:00 on January 21. Some started celebration while members of the parties that got less than the required 5 percent of the votes burst into despair. The Democratic Party (whose slogan...
Kenya: an update from the World Social Forum
An update from the World Social Forum, “Sometimes a little action can go a long away. The youth groups’ protest to the WSF Organising Committee has generated a positive change in policy. Yesterday, the gates were open to Kenyans for free. As the word had not spread not too many...
China: Danwei and private life
Recently a policewoman in Xian was forced to resign because the police unit (Danwei) found out that she had practiced sexual partner exchange activities. Li Yin-he criticizes that Danwei shouldn't interfere into a person's private life (zh).
South Asia: Human rights, blogosphere, traditions, democracy, discrimination, travel and festivals
Picks from different blogs from the following South Asian Countries: Bangladesh: After 5 years detention in Guantanamo, one Bangladeshi (Mobarak) was recently released by the US authorities. However he was arrested again by Bangladesh Airport police for interrogation as soon as he arrived in Dhaka. Naeem of Drishtipat blog is...
Iran:More Academics Under Pressure
Azar says that not only students are under pressure by authorities but academics and university professors get fired for different reasons[Fa]. The blogger writes, sometimes, the academics are accused of immoral behaviour by authorities.It is a new way to get rid of them and no news are in media.
Kurdistance: The End of Saddam
Since the hanging of Saddam Hussein at the beginning of this year, Global Voices has covered what the world has had to say about it, the only group left now is the Kurds. Kurdish reaction was fairly slow to develop. I believe this was because of shock. But don't take...
Egypt: Protest Against Atrocities Committed by Police
Egyptain blogger Asad informs us of a protest being organised to rally support against atrocitites being committed by Egyptian police at present (Ar). The protest is being held tomorrow (Thursday – January 25) to coincide with celebrations being held to commemorate the Egyptian Police Day.
Belarus: Mentioned in the State of the Union Address
According to TOL's Belarus Blog, Belarus gets a useless mention in this year's State of the Union address: “It turns out that when things go sour in Iraq, promoting democracy in Belarus and Burma are actually a good card to play for George Bush…”
Myamar: South Africa's Support for Burmese UN Vote
New Mandala highlights South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu's remarks on his government's vote against the US and British backed UN Security Council resolution on Myanmar.
Hong Kong: Impartial rule or discrimination?
難道同性戀的傾向是高度傳染的病菌？就連看一看也會受感染？ Is homosexuality a kind of contagious virus? And that by watching it on T.V and one would be infected? — Jovisky One Jan 20, the Broadcasting Authority (BA) issued a strong advice concerning RTHK’s television programme “Hong Kong Connection”(鏗鏘集). There were very strong reactions from the local blogsphere against...
South Korea: teachers arrested for mind crime
Two Korean middle school teachers have been arrested since 18 of Jan for quoting North Korea's view on the nuclear test. interlocals.net has some background about the issue.
Zimbabwe: what happened to Zimbabwean Pundit?
The three month deafening silence on Zimbabwean Pundit blog is explained, “Over the last three or so months, you have come here looking for a new helping of “the world as seen from the eyes of a Zimbabwean” and have been dissappointed to find no new servings. At first you...
