Stories about Human Rights from December, 2013
“Good Tsar” Putin Pardons Khodorkovsky
The news that Khodorkovsky had potentially admitted guilt and would be imminently released sent the RuNet into a fit of speculation.
#Kality Tweet Chat on Ethiopian Imprisoned Journalists
Join Tweet chat on Ethiopian imprisoned journalist using the hashtag #Kality: Ethiopian journalists Reeyot Alemu and Eskinder Nega have been locked up in Ethiopia’s Kality prison since 2011 – simply for being journalists trying to hold their government accountable for its actions. Although they have been honored with numerous prestigious...
Mapping the ‘Urban Commons’ of Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul and Athens
Pablo de Soto's research project discusses the control governments have over societies' shared goods, and establishes a connection between the commons and production as collectively owned resources.
Indian Diplomat Devyani Khobragade's Arrest, Strip Search Earn Apology from US
US Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly expressed regret in a phone call to India's National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon over how the arrest of Devyani Khobragade was handled.
Dozens Detained on Human Rights Day in Cuba
Bloggers, punk rockers, intellectuals, dissidents, and a pair of Argentine tourists were all detained in Cuba last week, just in time for international Human Rights Day.
“We Are More Alive Than Ever:” Coral Herrera and the Struggle for Gender Equality
In this second part of an interview with scholar and blogger Coral Herrera we discuss the struggle for gender equality in Latin America and the road that remains before us.
Documentary: Mining's Terrible Consequences for Brazil's People and Environment
On the eve of the vote of Brazil's new Mining Code, a documentary produced by collective Mídia NINJA appeared to give voice to the communities in regions affected by mining.
Cuba: Madiba Was Great, But Not Perfect
Cuban blog Without Evasion says the best way in which she can pay tribute to Nelson Mandela is by “imitating him in forgiveness and reconciliation”: I forgive you…for the friendship with…the vilest dictator my people has ever had…for placing your hand –redemptive for your people- on the bloodied shoulders of...
Chungui: Digging up the Horror of Terrorism in Peru
30 years ago, hundreds of people were victims of terrorism in the remote communities of Chungui and Oreja de Perro.
Saudi Arabia Passes Criticized “Anti-Terrorism Law”
Calling for political reform in Saudi Arabia is now considered terrorism, according to a new law which came into effect today.
PHOTOS: Remains of Exhumed Guatemalan War Victims Returned to Families
In a new photo essay on MiMundo.org, photojournalist James Rodríguez follows residents of Pambach, Guatemala, as they receive the skeletal remains of six wartime victims who were “taken by the army after a military incursion to the village on June 3rd, 1982, during the de facto government of Efraín Ríos Montt,...
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Declares Executed Bangladeshi War Criminal Molla a Martyr
Farhan at Guppu.com informs: Jamaat Islami Pakistan has declared Bangladeshi Jamaat Islami leader Abdul Qadir Molla a martyr and his execution a judicial murder. Jamaat maintains Molla was punished because of his ‘love for Pakistan’. Jamaat has also announced on its official Facebook page that Jamaat Islami Pakistan’s top leaders...
Why Homosexuality Should Be Encouraged in India
Amit at Mashed Musings thinks that the decriminalization of homosexuality would have turned Indians into better humans over the coming decades and would solve a lot of problems like overpopulation, lesser dowry deaths, fewer female foeticide, etc. The Indian Supreme court recently reversed a Delhi High Court judgment and reinstated...
With No Easy Access to Medicine, Iranians Suffer Sanctions
Even after the lifting of some sanctions, Iranians still have difficulty acquiring the medicines they need to thrive or survive.
Abducted a Year Ago, Sombath Somphone Case Highlights Human Rights Abuses in Laos
Sombath Somphone, an NGO leader and educator, remains missing a year after he was abducted in Laos. His case puts a spotlight on other enforced disappearances in Laos
Jakarta Hotline for Victims of Sexual Violence
Jakarta has launched an emergency hotline to help women victims of sexual violence. The initiative is linked to the website developed by the National Commission on Violence Against Women to “make it easier for authorities to protect victims and bring perpetrators to justice.” Last year, there were more than 200,000...
Saudi Political Dissident to Be Flogged, Judge Rules
Saudi human rights activist Umar al-Saed has been sentenced to four years in prison and 300 lashes for his peaceful activism, in a secret trial.
VIDEO: Young Men Are Forced to Join Army in Tajikistan
As Tajikistan's military faces a struggle to get enough volunteer conscripts, recruitment officers often rely on illegal practices in drafting military-age men into the army. One of the most common among such practices is “oblava” which involves “military press gangs making sweeps of city streets, bazaars and bus stations, rounding up...
Bangladesh Executes Islamist Leader Abdul Quader Mollah for War Crimes
Abdul Quader Mollah was the first to die for war crimes committed during Bangladesh's struggle for independence. His execution sparked a wave of deadly violence from supporters, leaving several dead.
Haiti: The Reality of Abortion
The discussion of sex is a taboo in Haitian society. But the discussion of abortion is even more so. Haitian law outlaws the practice in all its forms. Haiti Grassroots Watch explains.
Haiti, Dominican Republic: Discriminatory Ruling
Haiti Chery reports that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ (IACHR) preliminary findings basically state that the “Dominican Constitutional Court Ruling TC168.13 is discriminatory and violates the rights of Dominicans of Haitian descent.”
