Stories about Human Rights from October, 2010
Armenia: Domestic Violence petition submitted
Following the recent outrage expressed by some Armenian bloggers following the death of a 20-year old woman at the hands of her husband and mother-in-law, Blogian says that the petition it set up to lobby the government to pass a law on domestic violence was signed by 3,196 individuals before...
Indonesia: Torture video
A video shows Indonesian soldiers torturing prisoners in West Papua. Human rights groups describe the footage as “Indonesia's Abu Ghraib.”
Haiti: Cholera!
As a cholera outbreak hits Haiti, bloggers discuss this latest assault on the already besieged country.
Cuba: Awarding Courage & Humility
“There is no name more appropriate than that of this journalist and psychologist whose main characteristic is humility, to be included in a list where we find Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and Cuba’s Ladies in White”: Generation Y and Iván's File Cabinet blog about Guillermo Fariñas’ award of...
A journey through the unheard voices of Haiti’s reconstruction
Solidar'IT in Haiti is a journey through the unheard voices of Haiti’s reconstruction, organized as a web-documentary in progress.
Cote d'Ivoire: Reports of Violence as Elections Approach
West Africa researcher for Human Rights Watch Corinne Dufka says:”While politicians and foreign diplomats have wrangled over election preparations, residents in western Côte d'Ivoire are consumed by fear of violent robbery or of being pulled from a bus and raped.” NGO Akendewa has set up a citizen reporting platform to...
Azerbaijan: Free Expression under Attack
Global Voices Advocacy features a guest post from Rebecca Vincent, Article 19's Advocacy Assistant for Azerbaijan. The post details the situation with freedom of expression in the oil-rich former Soviet republic and the case of imprisoned video blogging youth activist Adnan Hajizade.
Cuba: Hunger Striker Recognised
Uncommon Sense and Along the Malecon celebrate Cuban hunger striker Guillermo Fariñas being awarded this year's Sakharov human rights prize.
China: Maoist worker activist in jail
JJ from China Study Group looks into the significance of Zhao Dongmin's arrest and imprisonment. Zhao is a lawyer, labor activist and Maoist. He has been put in jail more than a year after his arrest for trying to setup a workers’ watchdog group to combat corrupt and illegal SOE...
Angola: Journalist Murdered: Repression or urban violence?
On the 5th of September, journalist Albert Graves Chakussanga lost his life at the hands of strangers who in cold blood shot him down inside his house, in the neighbourhood of Viana in Luanda. According to Reporters without Borders, Chukassanga was killed from behind with a gun equipped with a silencer....
The Balkans: Angelina Jolie's Bosnian War Movie
Greater Surbiton writes about “Angelina Jolie's Bosnian imbroglio”; Belgraded reviews “anti-Serb” movies.
Russia: Photos of Kurdish Refugees and Homeless People
At PhotoPolygon, photos of ethnic Kurdish refugees from Uzbekistan living in the woods outside Novosibirsk (by user Bender13, via English Russia), and of the homeless people in Blagoveshchensk (by user anikina).
Kuwait: Police Brutality Caught on Video?
Police brutality has been caught on video around the world. Here's one from Kuwait which was posted on a popular blog and attracted a lot of comments - many attacking the blogger for posting it.
Pakistan: The Case Of Missing Persons
CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan discuses about the Pakistan’s missing persons, “people who have disappeared under the government label of ‘terrorism suspects’ since the 9/11 attacks.”
Zimbabwe: What does Zimbabwe have to offer children?
What does Zimbabwe have offer children?: “Away from personal experience, the law protecting children or, more accurately, the lack of law protecting children in Zimbabwe is shocking. Looking at the current constitution as of February 2009, there is no particular area where the needs of children are addressed.
Cuba: Plea for Dr. Biscet
The daughter of political prisoner Oscar Biscet pens a letter to President Obama; Blog For Cuba republishes it here, while Uncommon Sense says: “This is the moment for friends of Cuban liberty to speak up and act on behalf of Dr. Biscet and other Cubans imprisoned because of their faith...
China: Student protested against the removal of Tibetan textbooks
A student protest took place in Qinghai Tongren at 8am October 19 against the removal of Tibetan textbooks at schools. (Via Twitterer @Iahu and RFA has posted the video to Youtube)
Brazil: Day by Day in a Favela School
Follow Tia Dag's stories on violence, poverty and drugs, in a school in one of Sao Paulo's favelas, Casa do Zezinho, where she educates children, aiming to prevent them from joining Brazilian criminal gangs.
Ukraine, USA: Kuchma and Clinton
Ukrainiana writes about the current political situation in Ukraine, the Gongadze case, and ex-president Kuchma's special relationship with ex-president Clinton – here and here.
Serbia: Two Internet Entrepreneurs Detained for Months Without Trial
Danica Radisic writes about the plight of Internet entrepreneurs Djordje Djokic and Dusan Jaglicic, who have been in jail for the past eight months, with no possibility of bail, no trial and no legal conviction, and about the implications of their case for the Serbian online community.
Zimbabwe: Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe Support Ministry of Health
Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe have released a statement supporting the call by the Ministry of Health to provide condoms to prisoners: “The danger of sexual violence in prisons is extremely increased under conditions of severe overcrowding and malnutrition such as currently prevails in Zimbabwe.Prison culture encourages men to have...
