Stories about Human Rights from December, 2011
Ethiopia: Swedish Journalists Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges
The verdict against two Swedish journalists, Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson, detained in Ethiopia has caused strong reactions from defenders of press freedom. The judge in the case has called for a sentence of at least 15 years imprisonment to be handed down on 27 December.
Peru: Mass Graves Reported by Locals in Ayahuanco
In the blog Memory in Latin America, Lillie Langtry writes about the recent finding of “14 graves containing about 100 bodies, assumed to be victims of the Peruvian conflict of the 1980s,” in the district of Ayahuanco. She explains that “local people are generally well aware of the location of...
Iran: Blogger May Face Death Penalty
Several bloggers and news sites reported [fa] that Mohammad Reza Pour Shajari, a jailed blogger , may face charge of ‘Waging War Against God’ (moharebeh). A death sentence can be pronounced in this case. He criticized Islam and Islamic Republic in his blog, Iran Land's Report.
Armenia: Activists Demand Controversial Governor's Dismissal
Surik Khachatryan, the governor of Armenia's southern Syunik province, has been making headlines in the last month for all the wrong reasons. No stranger to controversy, activists are now demanding his dismissal.
Brazil: Blogging on the Archives of the Dictatorship
Journalist Niara de Oliveira published quotes [pt] from a selection of blogs that participated in the fourth blogging carnival #DesarquivandoBR (Unarchiving Brazil), that took place on December 14, on opening the archives of the Brazilian Dictatorship (1964 to 1985).
Brazil: Proposal for the Legalization of Abortion Approved in Conference
Journalist Maíra Kubik Mano comments on the approval of a proposal to legalize abortion in Brazil, during the Third National Conference on Women, in Brasília. She finalizes wondering “what the government will do if the proposed policy becomes part of the next Plan of National Policies for Women”.
CEE: More on Václav Havel and His Legacy
More posts on Václav Havel and his legacy from around the region's Anglophone blogosphere: Richard Byrne of Balkans via Bohemia; CzechFolks.com; Petr Bokuvka of The Czech Daily Word – here and here; Jeremy Druker of TOL's East of Center; Tjebbe van Tijen and Mary Kaldor for OpenDemocracy.net; Giustino of Itching...
Kuwait: Online Advocacy for the Stateless Bidoun
Since hundreds of Kuwait's 100,000 strong Bidoun were attacked by police for protesting in support of others detained earlier in the year, a number of bloggers and international organizations have been stepping up their support for the stateless people in the hope of drawing attention to their plight.
Czech Republic: A Tribute to Václav Havel
A tribute to Václav Havel, by Luboš Motl of The Reference Frame: “[…] Havel has been an unusually strong moral autority that has influenced even people such as me who ultimately found out that they disagree with him about many pretty fundamental things. He's been proposed for a peace Nobel...
Pakistan: Extra Judicial Killings in Balochistan
Mureed Bijenzo writes about extra judicial killings in Balochistan.
Brazil: Protest and Sit-in Against Belo Monte in Sao Paulo
Journalist Leonardo Sakamoto posts [pt] a picture and video of a protest in São Paulo, Brazil, against the construction of the Belo Monte Dam [pt], on December 17, 2011.
Egypt: Free Maikel Nabil Sanad – A Prisoner of Conscience
When Egyptians took to the streets at the start of their revolution last January, their chant “The People and the Army are One Hand!” was heard around the world. Today, after the army turned its guns on citizens, netizens are remembering the words of one blogger who had warned that the army and the people were never one hand. This is the story of Maikel Nabil Sanad.
Brazil: Blogger Murdered in the State of Rio Grande do Norte
Tiago Aguiar denounces the assassination of the blogger Edinaldo Filgueira, from the small town of Serra do Mel, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Edinaldo, who believed in “information as a form liberation of humanity”, was allegedly murdered due to a survey on public education he posted...
Syria: A Christmas Massacre
More than 250 Syrians have been killed over the past two days, sending shock waves around the world. Reports of “horrific massacres” come from the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC), which has urged the Arab League to condemn the killings and the United Nations to take measures to protect civilians. Netizens react to the crimes being committed against Syrian civilians under the Twitter hash tag #ChristmasMassacre
Kuwait: Stateless Protesters Attacked for Demanding Rights
Arrests, beatings and harassment face protesters championing for the rights of 100,000 stateless in Kuwait, struggling to have the rights to documents, education, health care, employment, and most importantly naturalization. Mona Kareem takes a look at protests over the past few days in Kuwait and the police crackdown that followed.
Mauritania: Bloggers Call for the Boycott of Government-Sponsored Conference
Mauritania announced plans it would host Arab bloggers and activists involved in Arab revolutions in its capital Nouakchott. Its bloggers have joined forces to call on their Arab counterparts to boycott the event which is being organised by a military regime, which bans protests in the country, to embellish its image. They also remind activists that their country's regime has stood against Arab revolutions, in support of Gaddafi in Libya and Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Peru: Racism Debated on Social Networks
A recent incident at a Lima movie theater has turned a spotlight on the issue of racism. Netizens are commenting on this and other similar incidents and on the bigger issue of racism in a multicultural society like Peru.
Russia: Alexey Navalny Released From Jail
“Everyone's waiting for Navalny ) 5 more minutes! pic.twitter.com/3BRHiuGa,” tweeted [ru] @varlamov a short while ago, posting a picture of the crowd waiting outside a Moscow prison for activist Alexey Navalny‘s release. @plushev tweeted [ru]: “Absolutely fantastic numbers. In the middle of the night, some 5,000 people are viewing [the...
Palestine: Planning a Virtual Funeral
It is extremely difficult for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to visit Israel, and for political reasons it is impossible for most other Arabs to do so. At the same time, Palestinian citizens of Israel are unable to travel to much of the Arab world, because they have Israeli passports. Rasha Hilwi has been reflecting on how these restrictions on movement will affect her – after she dies.
Malawi: Actor's Arrest Reminiscent of Past Dictatorship's Censorship Laws
Malawi police on Sunday afternoon December 18, stormed a stage on which a play was being performed, arrested the main actor mid-sentence and led him away into a waiting police van. Steve Sharra reports.
Egypt: Women Rally for Dignity
Thousands of Egyptian women took to the streets of Cairo today to protest for their dignity, after women were beaten up by soldiers during running battles between the army and protesters in and around Tahrir Square since December 16.
