Stories about Human Rights from September, 2009
Latvia: Security Police Questions Blogger
Free Speech Emergency in Latvia highlights the case of a Latvian blogger who “harshly criticized the Latvian state and government as being little more than a rapacious mafia and has said in some posts that revolutionary violence against such a system would be justified” – and was later questioned by...
Russia: Ulitskaya-Khodorkovsky Correspondence
Robert Amsterdam's Blog links to OpenDemocracy.net's translation of correspondence between writer Ludmila Ulitskaya and former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky, published (RUS) in Novaya Gazeta earlier this month.
Russia: Valery Shchekoldin Asylum Photos
Russian photographer Oleg Klimov reposts (RUS, ENG) three graphic and disturbing photos of mental asylum patients in Ulyanovsk region, taken by his colleague Valery Shchekoldin in 1998 for Stern.
Australia: Kenyan women refused refugee status
Two Kenyan women are facing deportation from Australia after their asylum applications were rejected, despite risks that they may suffer forced genital mutilation if they are sent home.
Ukraine: Fundraising to Help Street Children
Scenes from the Sidewalk announces a “virtual fundraiser” to help “transform the lives of [Ukrainian] street and at risk children and reintegrate them back into families and society.”
Macedonia: Freedom Not Fear 2009
Information Policy cites an item on privacy-related citizen education activities that took place in Macedonia during this year's Freedom Not Fear action. The item was published on the website of Metamorphosis Foundation, a Macedonian NGO that was one of the event's organizers.
Harvard Forum: the complex world of ICT and gender
The live-blog continues with panel presentations on ICT for development by Clotilde Fonseca, Sabri Saidam, Ineke Buskens, Nancy Spence, and Ethan Zuckerman.
Lebanon: Anger Rebuilding of Palestinian Camp Suspended
Anger and protests erupted in response to the Lebanese Government's decision to suspend the reconstruction of the Nahr el Bared Palestinian refugee camp. Bloggers voice their outrage in this post by Antoun Issa.
Iran: Animations vs. Dictatorship
Many designs, posters, songs and videos have been created in support of Iran's "green" protest movement. Animators too, have declared war on the dictatorship in Iran.
Trinidad and Tobago: GLBT religious service
gspottt reports on a recent Anglican religious service in Trinidad “targeted to GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] people and their loved ones on the theme of peace, human rights and inclusion…. The sermon challenged GLBT people to not see our struggle as so unique … and to recognize that...
Belarus: Internet Issues
Andrei Khrapavitski of Belarusan American Blog comments on Evgeny Morozov's TED talk on “the ways the Internet can actually help oppressive regimes stifle dissent.”
Guatemala: The Activism of Massacre Survivor Jesús Tecú
Jesús Tecú survived the Río Negro Massacre in Guatemala. Since then, he has worked as an advocate for the Achí Maya indigenous community. However, Tecú still is under threat, as he received a call from an extortionist.
ILO Mission to the Philippines
A blog was set-up to highlight and report the activities and findings of the International Labor Organization High-Level Mission to the Philippines. The ILO mission aims to investigate the alleged human rights violations experienced by Filipino workers under the incumbent government.
Philippines: National Artist Under Surveillance
The Philippine Navy recently confirmed that the man caught stalking the home of Bienvenido Lumbera, a prizewinning poet, dramatist, literary critic, and National Artist on September 17 was one of its personnel carrying out a surveillance training exercise.
Afghanistan: Captain Semrau Goes to Trial
Joshua Foust reports that Captain Robert Semrau, a Canadian military man facing murder charges for the alleged shooting death of an injured, unarmed insurgent outside Lashkar Gah, is now facing a general court martial.
Vietnam: Sex Trafficking in Saigon
Fish Egg Tree is angry and disappointed to learn that sex trafficking is rampant in Pham Ngu Lao in District 1 of Saigon, Vietnam even though authorities are aware of the problem.
Kazakhstan: Propaganda Allergies
As megakhuimyak described it, last week in Kazakhstan “the senility grew ever stronger.” The country is astir over the president’s former son-in-law, Rakhat Aliev, now émigré enemy of the state # 1. People’s fear of the once-omnipotent oligarch and secret service official has turned into fear of being associated with...
Uganda: Family statement of the abduction of journalist
Buganda Post publishes a statement about the abduction of Ugandan journalist: “The Serumaga family has published a statement which describes in detail the events surrounding the abduction, torture and medical mistreatment of popular Muganda journalist, Kalundi Serumaga, by Uganda’s NRM government from September 11 through 15, 2009″
Morocco: Rage Against the Sandwich Continues
Eating in public during Ramadan is often seen as a disregardful and disrespectful act and might attract the anger of the public. Moreover it is punishable by law. Moroccan Bloggers and cyber-activists react to the attempt by some non-observants to brave the ban on breaking the fast in public during Ramadan.
Poland: Raphael Lemkin and the Katyń Massacre
Raf Uzar writes about Raphael Lemkin's life and work and the current discussion of the Katyń massacre in Poland.
India: Beer is against Indian culture?
Amit Varma, on India Uncut, wonders if beer is against Indian culture, after the Indian People's Party (BPJ) protested in opposition to a female minister who attended “a beer promotion party”.
