Stories about Human Rights from July, 2017
What Will it Take to End Child Marriages in Afghanistan?
Practices such as “baad” and “baadal” were prohibited under a 2009 law, but continue unhindered in the country today.
Bangladesh's ICT Act Paved the Way for Hundreds of Lawsuits Over Online Speech
There are currently 319 cases being heard in the courts under Bangladesh's notoriously broad ICT Act. Many of them involve lawsuits against journalists.
Censorship After Death: Chinese Netizens Quietly Mourn Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo
"After [Liu Xiaobo's] death, any mention of his name in English and Chinese is enough to get messages blocked."
Inspired by Ukraine, Venezuelan Protesters Create Shields With Their Own Symbols
The resistance in Venezuela creates shields with images that do much more than protect from tear gas bombs and National Guard attacks.
Netizen Report: Colombian Court Demands Password to Journalist’s Facebook Account
Mobile internet goes down again in Kashmir, Turkish human rights advocates are detained with no charges, and a Philippine Senator pushes anti-fake news bill.
Ethiopian Musicians Charged With Terrorism for ‘Inciting’ Song Lyrics
In the face of government repression, Afan Oromo musicians have risen as a visible -- and audible -- source of inspiration for the opposition movement.
Human Rights Defenders Are Still Behind Bars in Turkey
In a tweet on behalf of their staff, Amnesty International recalled their efforts to protect (Turkish President) Erdogan when he was arrested in 1998 during a stint as Istanbul's mayor.
Protesting Mistreatment in Prison, Emirati Activist Survives Six Weeks of Hunger Strike
Imran al-Radwan is serving a seven-year jail sentence for calling for reform in the UAE.
Air India Stops Serving Meat on Domestic Flights. Is It a Cost-Saving Measure or a Political Move?
"Present government has discontinued non-veg food in Air India economy class....no justification given...another act of moral policing..."
How Are Boys and Girls Supposed to Sit, Walk, and Dance? An Experiment in India's Gujarat
Pink versus blue, pretty versus brave: the childhood landscape is mined with pernicious gender stereotypes that dictate how we behave as adults.
Detained Venezuela Opposition Leader Transferred to House Arrest, but Hundreds of Political Prisoners Remain in Jail
Opposition leader Leopoldo López was sent home to finish his 14-year sentence under house arrest, but what will happen to the hundreds of political prisoners still behind bars?
Nine Responses From the International Community to China’s Treatment of Nobel-Winning Dissident Liu Xiaobo
"They must be able to meet and receive visits from whomever they desire, and be able to freely communicate with the outside world."
In Effort to Stop Anti-Korean Hate Speech, Osaka Mayor Wants to Loosen Internet Privacy Laws
For more than a decade, Osaka and other communities with large populations of ethnic Korean residents have struggled to deal with far-right organizations that target ethnic Koreans and other minorities.
Netizen Report: Working in the Public Interest Can Get You Arrested
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Violence in Arsal Is a Reminder of How Vulnerable Syrian Refugees Are in Lebanon
"Whatever happened, we have to recognize that the response towards these attacks where refugees/Syrians are all assumed guilty is inhumane"
The Fraught Relationship Between Ethiopia's Capital City and Largest State
A bill seeks to redress historical injustices inflicted on the Oromo people since the establishment of the capital Addis Ababa inside their state. Does it go far enough? Too far?
Turkish Authorities Detain Top Human Rights Defenders at Training Workshop
"[These] people who have dedicated their lives to human rights. A day will come when they will stand for the rights of those behind these vile news stories."
What's It Like to Live in a Brazilian Prison Cell? Cramped, Dirty, and Dangerous to Your Health
With the fourth largest prison population in the world, Brazil is facing a collapsed system that fails to prosecute appropriately and reintegrate people once they have been in jail.
With Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Blocked, Venezuelans Share Tech Advice
"Never underestimate a blockade on #internetVE just because you know how to change your DNS. It is a violation to EVERYONE's rights."
Myanmar Military Cracks Down on Independent Media, Arrests Three Journalists
"It is absurd that security forces are using outdated laws to silence and punish journalists who have committed no crime," wrote the editor of The Irrawaddy.
In Japan, Paraplegic Man Resorts to Crawling Up Stairs After Being Refused Help Boarding Plane
"Why is Japan's implementation of "barrier free" so excessively luxurious?"