Stories about Human Rights from March, 2016
Citizens Overwhelm Macedonia's Election Commission With Reports of Suspicious Voters’ Registry Data
The SEC published a new web app allowing Macedonians to report irregularities in the Voters' Registry online. Ten days later, they shut it down down because of too many reports.
Bahrain Arrests Activist Zainab Al Khawaja Along With Her One-Year-Old Baby
"#Bahrain seems to be tightening noose on dissidents, just don’t understand why one-year-old child is arrested."
#OccupyTheSquare Protest Wins a Victory Against Moral Policing in Sri Lanka
"It is crazy on how the power of social media, can influence a dozen people to silently protest for human rights."
Anonymous Artists Place ‘Monument’ to Antidepressants in Macedonia’s Capital
A unique sculpture appeared in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, on March 9: a monument to the antidepressant Diazepam (also known as Valium).
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy's Oscar-Winning Film Inspires Pakistan to Confront Honor Killing
"In Pakistan win an Oscar and become everyone's object of hate and be called a traitor. Kill a man and become a national hero"
Kurdish Reporter Faces Jail Time in Turkey for Twitter and Facebook Posts
Turkish authorities increasingly "conflate coverage of banned groups and investigation of sensitive topics with outright terrorism or other anti-state activity."
World Spotlight on Australia's Cardinal Pell at Rome Child Sexual Abuse Hearing
"So ends the testimony of one Cardinal George Pell. So, back to the safety of the Vatican apartments slinks that little ecumenical mind...So, for us Survivors…More Silence."
What More Do Latin American Women Want? Equality, Safety and Respect for Starters
"...we want to be able to travel alone without being killed, we want to be able to walk freely in the streets without fear..."
A Mexican Public Servant Is Using Periscope to Expose Lawbreakers, but Not Everyone Approves
"I’m in favor! The root of our problem is that corruption and illegality are socially accepted. Periscope encourages a change in mindset."
One Gambian Journalist's Story of Persecution
Alaghie Jobe lives in exile in Senegal, fearful that at any moment he could be sought out and detained by the Gambian authorities. His crime: practising journalism in The Gambia.
Macedonians Attempt to Exorcise the Phantom Voters Haunting Their Country
Macedonians tackle massive election fraud involving phantom voters and other "ghouls" through creative protest and combing the online Voters' Registry.
Human Rights Activist and Indigenous Leader Berta Cáceres Is Assassinated in Honduras
After years of environmental activism and fighting for indigenous communities, human rights champion Berta Caceres was assassinated in Honduras today.
Netizen Report: Facebook VP Arrested in Brazil for Refusing to Give Police WhatsApp Data
A Facebook executive is arrested in Brazil, Bolivia’s President says he wants to regulate social networks, and China shuts down 580 social media accounts for “misleading the public”.
Graphic Artists Launch Online Poster Campaign to ‘Free the Media’ in Malaysia
"We feel that the time has come for Malaysians to demand for media and internet freedom in light of the latest assault on freedom of speech in Malaysia."
No Country for Bhutan's Fatherless Children
Bhutan's strict citizenship laws, however, aren't doing much to boost happiness these days, as thousands of Bhutanese children abandoned by their fathers have been rendered stateless according to Bhutanese laws.
Protesters Demand ‘Soiled’ Macedonian Constitutional Court Justices Resign
"Pardoning for #ElectoralFraud is killing #Democracy in its core! How soon will it abolish itself!?"
In Bahrain, a Thousand Tears for One Hug
The families of some of Bahrain's estimated 4,000 political prisoners speak up on Twitter calling for better conditions for their loved ones whom they meet behind glass barriers during visits.