Stories about Human Rights from July, 2012
Armenia: Human Rights Record Scrutinized at UN
Armenia's human rights record was scrutinized by the United Nations Human Rights Committee earlier this week in Geneva, 14 years after its last consideration before the committee in 1998.
Bahrain: Elderly Men Arrested for “Protecting Women” from Police
The elderly are not immune to arrest for taking part in "unlicensed" protests in Bahrain, where demonstrations should be sanctioned by the state. According to netizens, two elderly men were arrested for "protecting women from the police" in the village of Karzakan.
India: Female Gendercide in Western Countries
Rita Banerji interviews Indo-Canadian and feminist artist Soraya Nulliah, who comments that everything the campaign against female gendercide in India addresses is happening to Indian women in Western countries as...
Jordan: Orphans Sit-in Attacked
Jordanian blogger Ali Al Hasani blogs about the brutal crackdown on a protest by orphans in Amman, Jordan. “They were protesting their horrible living conditions and how the Jordanian government...
Malawi: Joyce Banda's 100 Days in Office Amidst Controversy
Malawian President Joyce Banda became Africa's second female head of state after Liberia's President following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. How has she performed after 100 days in office?
Russia: The Denver Cinema Shooting As A Case for Gun Rights in Russia
Anti-Kremlin blogger Vladislav Naganov responded to this week's shooting in a Denver, Colorado, movie theater by arguing [ru] that American gun violence proves the need for expanded gun rights in Russia,...
Peru: Court Reduces Sentence for Members of Death Squad
On Friday, July 20, the Peruvian Supreme Court announced its decision to shorten from 25 to 20 years the imprisonment sentence for top members of the Colina Group, a death squad involved in human rights violations. They were also acquitted of having committed crimes against humanity.
Mauritania: A Journalist Behind Bars
Mauritanian journalist Obeid Ould Amegn, whose health is in bad condition [Ar], is still in the central prison of the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott. Obeid Ould Amegn, a journalist and an anti-slavery human rights activist, is the vice-president of the Club of Activist Journalists. Mauritanian police had arrested him on April 29, in the capital Nouakchott, after he gave a statement to Al Arabiya TV network regarding those arrested following a book-burning protest.
Colombia: Locals Demand End to Cauca Conflict
For years, the indigenous people of the municipality of Toribio in Cauca have put up with hundreds of battles provoked by the guerrilla, paramilitary groups, and the military. The conflict has generated the displacement of thousands of indigenous people. Now, the indigenous people of the area have decided to intensify their struggle to expel these armed groups from their territory.
Syria: Videos Document a Sharply Escalating Conflict
News from Syria set social media ablaze. Videos uploaded by activists on YouTube allowed viewers to follow key stages of a sharply escalating conflict.
China: Ai Weiwei's Tax Evasion Case
In April last year, prominent artist Ai Weiwei was detained by the Beijing authority without giving any reason and eventually state-run media said that he was under investigation for tax...
Afghanistan: Women Continue Suffering Violence and Abuse
On The Peace Cycle, Omid Bidar writes about a 16-year-old Afghan girl who was raped and murdered by a local strongman in the country's Bamyan Province. “We have forgotten many...
Video: Internet Society Discusses International Freedom of Speech and Censorship
Will the technologies of anonymization win out over new digital monitoring tools? And will new wireless data technologies foster democracy–or lead to more effective tracking and surveillance? A panel discussion in Washington, DC on 25 June, 2012 with 6 activists from Syria, India, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Venezuela and Azerbaijan aimed to answer these questions.
Bahrain: Tweeting Appalling Conditions at Jaw Prison
Bahraini netizens are rallying online to draw attention to appalling conditions at the central Jaw Prison, which houses political detainees, among others. Following the crackdown on Bahrain's February 14, 2011, uprising, hundreds of people were arrested, put on trial and imprisoned for taking part in anti-government protests.
Jordan: Women's Rights Demonstrators Face Barrage of Criticism
On June 25, 2012, more than 200 people created a human chain in the streets of Amman to raise awareness for some of the most controversial women's rights issues in Jordan. The reaction by readers of news websites in the following days reflected how unprepared Jordan was for this type of protest.
Russia: Yaroslavl Court Blocks Access to LiveJournal
Subscribers to Netis Telecom in Yaroslavl (an estimated 6,000 people) can no longer access LiveJournal, Russia's most popular blogging platform, after a local court today agreed to a request from...
Nigeria: Fury as Lagos State Government Demolishes #Makoko Slum
What is the reason behind the ruckus that has vibrated over the Nigerian social media platforms following the demolition of Makoko slum in Lagos? After all the hallmark of ‘development’ lies in substituting such 'ugly' urban spaces with more dignified habitable conditions. Our Nigerian author, Nwachukwu Egbunike, explains.
Maldives: Activist's Arrest During Protest Caught on Video
Two videos showing the July 13 arrest of activist Shauna Aminath in the Maldives during a peaceful protest calling for early elections have generated reactions all the way to Chile. While Shauna was released the following day after a court hearing, the Maldives Democracy Movement believes it is part of targeted arrests and intimidation of female protesters.
Lebanon: A Petition to Issue a Law about the Missing and Kidnapped
Following the missing people in Lebanon case that Global Voices Online posted about earlier, netizens are circulating a petition to issue a law about missing and kidnapped people on Daleel Madani website.
Brazil: Middle East Economic Policy Under the Radar
The current search for new trading partners in unexpected geographic areas demonstrates the extent to which Brazil has changed its foreign policy the last few years. With an agenda that has focused primarily on global business performance, the Middle East has emerged as a key area for Brazilians.
Russia: Facebook and “Gay Propaganda”
Alexandra Evans of FP's Passport blog links to an RT news item about a group of Russian Orthodox activists who are campaigning to have Facebook blocked in Russia because of...
