Stories about Human Rights from July, 2011
China: Chengguan kill handicapped street vendor in daylight
Jing Gao from MInistry of Tofu collects information about a mass incident happened in Guizhou province on July 26, in which two men and one woman from the Chengguan squad, killed a handicapped street vendor in daylight and riot police used tear gas to drive speculators away.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: The March of Peace
Earlier this month, Sarah Correia of Café Turco took part in the March of Peace (Marš mira), walking some “100 kilometres alongside more than 6 thousand people in tribute to the victims of genocide in Bosnia.”
Cuba: Attacks vs. Women
Pedazos de La Isla blogs about violence against women in Cuba, here, here, here and here.
Iran: Campaign to Free Last Two Jailed American Hikers
Sarah Shourd spent 410 days in solitary confinement in Tehran, Iran, on charges of "espionage". She now calls on the world to speak up for her two friends, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, who are still in prison in Iran since all three were arrested while hiking in July 2009.
Belarus: East and West and Nothing in Between?
"East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." This chronically misused Kipling phrase seems to catch the realities for an increasing number of Belarusians, who, waking to a wild and hostile world, are asking: "Who cares about Belarus?"
Saudi Arabia Blocks Amnesty International's Website
Saudi Arabia has blocked access to the website of the human rights organisation Amnesty International following their leak of a draft for a new Saudi anti-terrorism law that would introduce harsher penalties for political dissent or critique of the royal family.
Iran:Remembering Iranian prisoners in Persia, Iowa
Jahanshah Javid, from iranian.com,displayed the names of 150 current Iranian prisoners on stickers along with ribbons in Persia, Iowa.
Ukraine: Parallels to Khodorkovsky Case
LevKo of Foreign Notes draws parallels between Russia's Khodorkovsky case and the current legal processes against former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko and Minister of the Interior, Yuri Lutsenko, against the background of a debate in the Financial Times.
Saudi Arabia: The Marriage of #Tabukgirl
Mona Kareem brings us the tale of #Tabukgirl and how this controversial story about a young girl being forcibly wed to a 60-year old man has sparked a strong response on Saudi Arabian social networks.
Argentina: 17 Years After AMIA Attack, Case Remains Unsolved
July 18, 2011, commemorates one more year of the attack against the Israelite Argentinean Mutual Aid Association (AMIA) in 1994. Currently the case is open without resolution, yet the families of the victims and the Argentine community are still calling for justice for the 85 people killed.
South Korea: Women-Only Subway Car Meets Strong Opposition
As the subway sexual harassment is on the rise, especially during rush hours and late nights, Seoul city government has decided to launch women-only subway compartment to cut down the crime rate. However, the move has prompted fierce debate amongst South Korean netizens.
Sri Lanka: Anti-Government Websites Will Be Blocked
Freedom Of Expression In Sri Lanka reports that a special operations unit has been set up in Sri Lanka with the aim of controlling and banning anti-government websites.
Haiti: Wikileaks & Fr. Jean-Juste
“Father Gerry Jean-Juste, a Haitian priest, was a friend of…mine. For those who follow Haitian politics, the rest of the Father Gerry story is known”: Now, Dying in Haiti republishes Wikileaks cables that “[reveal] how the Haitian Interim Government and the US Embassy were very involved with the fate of...
Cuba: “The Lion of the East” Passes On
Cuban bloggers mourn the passing of Archbishop Emeritus Pedro Meurice Estiu, who died in Miami at the age of 79. Uncommon Sense calls him “a Cuban patriot and a true man of God”, while Babalu remembers him as “a fierce and unrelenting critic of the Castro dictatorship”; Generation Y honours...
Iran: Global Day of Action for Dr. Arash Alaei
Physicians for Human Rights launched a global action day and an oline petition to Dr. Arash Alaei who is in jail in Iran. Arash and his brother, Kamyar, two Aids physicians were arrested in 2008. Kamyar was released recently and moved to the USA.
Romania: Ceaucescu's Repressive Machinery
Nelson Duque at The View East discusses the repressive role of the security service, Securitate, in Ceaucescu's communist Romania.
Hungary: Acquittal of Accused War Criminal
Eva Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum writes about the trial against and acquittal of Sándor Képíró, accused of the 1942 Novi Sad Massacre, in Serbia during World War II.
Colombia: Challenges of the Victims’ Law
Paula Delgado-King writes about some of the challenges the recently approved Victims’ Law faces: “the process needs to provide loans and credits, guidance for which crops and animals are most suitable where, and access to markets,” and that “the law has no accompanying truth commission to create a national conscience...
Azerbaijan: Release Jabbar Savalan Campaign
Amnesty International has launched an online campaign calling for the release of Jabbar Savalan, a young activist in Azerbaijan who made calls on Facebook for pro-democracy protests in the oil-rich former Soviet republic. Those wishing to join the campaign can sign an online petition here.
Cuba: Approaching “Adulthood”
As her son approaches the age of majority, Generation Y says, “without maternal excess, that they are too young, too fragile, to face the burden of being considered adults by a legal system that does not correspond to international norms.”
Cuba: Activists Under Pressure
Cuban bloggers report on several arrests and attempts at intimidating independent journalists and activists, here, here and here.
