Stories about Human Rights from February, 2016
Love in the Time of Zika
An interview with Salvadoran reproductive rights activist Sara García. In El Salvador, abortion is defined by law as a criminal act, without exception.
An Alleged Male Prostitution Ring Ignites Debate About Privacy and Journalism Ethics in Colombia
"By publishing the video of the ex-deputy minister, you have made yourself I would argue an example of what future journalists should NOT do."
Albanian Police Use Force Against Protesters Defending the Capital's Last Public Park
One police officer was heard threatening them with the words: "There will be blood!"
Iranian Newspapers Document Abuse and Mistreatment of Afghan School Children
“There’s no official directive condoning physical violence against Afghan students. The problem is society’s views.”
Online Documentary Preserves Oral History Surrounding 1950s Yugoslav Anti-Veil Law
The law was adopted "... to achieve the goal of removing the century-old sign of subjugation and backwardness of of Muslim women..."
Protests at Indian Universities Add Fuel to Public Outrage Over Sedition Laws
The arrest of student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges has posed a rare legitimacy test for Prime Minister Nahendra Modi and his "intolerant" ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Oz Comedian's Song Challenges Cardinal to ‘Come Home’ for Child Sex Abuse Hearing
Tim Minchin has attacked Cardinal George Pell in a song and demanded he return home to give evidence to the royal commission on child abuse.
Colombia Introduces Harsher Prison Sentences for Acid Attacks
Every year, an average of 100 people suffer an acid attack in Colombia, where recently a law was passed to tough sentences and take judicial benefits away from the perpetrators.
Welcome to Manchay, the Neighbourhood in Lima Resisting the Arrival of Public Transport
What is it about life in Manchay that makes the residents protest so energetically against a fare rise that would to others seem negligible?
Violence Claims 49 Lives in an Overcrowded, Underguarded Mexican Prison
Forty percent over capacity, short on guards and supplies, and awash in violence. This is life in many of Mexico's prisons.
It's Finally Official: Port of Spain's Mayor Resigns Over His Victim-Blaming Remarks
"Some of these old dogmatic doctrines of […] rural Trinidad and, and the Trinidadian society of the 50s and the 60s are no longer relevant in a modern world."
Stranger Than Fiction? Two Puppeteers Charged With ‘Glorifying Terrorism’ in Spain
"Following this legal reasoning, Francis Ford Coppola could be charged for the crimes that happen in The Godfather."
One Man's Harrowing Experience Spurs Bangladesh's High Court to Ensure Emergency Treatment for All
Saif Kamal detailed in a Facebook post how he tried in vain to save a man who had been run over, but was turned away by hospital after hospital.
In Bahrain, Journalism Is a Crime
American journalist Anna Therese Day was arrested, along with her crew, and deported from the restive country as it marked its fifth anniversary of anti-government protests.
Bangladeshi Authorities Arrest Publisher and Shut Down Book Fair Booth for ‘Hurting Religious Sentiments’
Bangladesh’s constitution enshrines the right to free expression, and atheists have the same rights as other citizens. But authorities have done little to stop attacks against those critical of religion.
Kyrgyz Journalist Loses ‘One Som’ Court Case Against His Country's President
When it comes to conflicts between the state and journalists, Kyrgyz defamation suits are not a two way street.
Remember When the Mayor of Port of Spain Promised to Resign for Victim-Shaming a Murdered Woman? He Doesn’t.
Port of Spain's mayor promised to step down after blaming a woman's murder on her choice to wear a bikini. Then he un-promised, refusing to leave office.
A Pakistani Artist Remembers Sabeen Mahmud and her Valentine's Day Campaign
According to one of activist Sabeen Mahmud's killers, her '"un-Islamic" Valentine's Day rally was "the sin she eventually paid for."
In Trinidad and Tobago, Violence Has Been ‘Normal Normal’ For Way Too Long
In Trinidad and Tobago people have come—at their peril—to accept that violence is a part of life. But maybe it's time to push back against this idea?
Bahrain's Government Continues to Strangle Dissent Five Years After Uprising Began
"Despite pledges from the authorities to prosecute security forces responsible for human rights violations in 2011, the Bahraini people are still waiting for justice."
Serbia's Ombudsman Wants a Belgrade Police Chief Fired for Obstructing Journalists
“There was an unlawful use of force, there were threats...Many bad things were done,”
