Stories about Human Rights from June, 2019
Visas now required for Venezuelans as Trinidad and Tobago concludes migrant registration process
A group of protestors outside a registration centre in the nation's capital called for the "closure of the borders" of the twin-island nation.
Netizen Report: Amid demonstrations for democracy, Sudanese civilians face military violence — and internet shutdowns
From Kazakhstan to Khartoum to Hong Kong, protests brought internet shutdowns and online attacks this week.
Bhutan takes first steps toward decriminalizing homosexuality
The bill will be discussed in the National Council, the upper house of the parliament, during the upcoming winter session starting in November. Bhutanese activists eagerly await the results.
In Hong Kong, authorities arrest the administrator of a Telegram protest group—and force him to hand over a list of its members
A list of members of the group-- which numbers between 20,000 and 30,000 people--, as well as all the messages exchanged in the secure chat, have been exposed to the police.
Paraguay's road to democracy is slowed down by its political ghosts
"Although Paraguay transitioned to a democracy in the years after the dictatorship ended, subsequent elections saw circles close to Stroessner stay in power"
#KuToo: Japan petition against high heels in the workplace gains worldwide support
In Japan, employers are legally entitled to demand female employees wear uncomfortable high heels or pumps.
Sudan’s democratic spring is turning into a long and ugly summer
"The worse outcome is the prospect of systemic military violence like Darfur, without intervention by the international community. The same folks are in charge, and we are already looking away."
In Tanzania, advocates pressure police to investigate ‘teleza’ rapes and robberies
Women in Kigoma, Tanzania, say armed men have terrorized their communities for years, but little has been done to investigate, arrest or prosecute — until now.
A decree by President Bolsonaro could threaten civil society group investigating deaths under Brazil’s military dictatorship
An order ending Brazil's civil society committees has raised alarms in the Perus Working Group, which investigates human remains found at a 1970s cemetery in the suburbs of São Paulo.
Arrest of investigative journalist Ivan Golunov marks turning point in Russian society
Golunov's arrest has galvanized a rare show of support from all sides of the Russian political spectrum.
Argentina resumes the fight for legal abortion with new draft bill
In 2018, Argentina's Senate rejected a bill that would legalize abortion in the South American country. Will it be different this time?
Could the PetroCaribe scandal be the end of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse?
The corruption scandal surrounding PetroCaribe, a regional energy programme that supplied petroleum products to Haiti at preferential rates, was at the heart of the violent protests earlier this year.
Xi Jinping has muzzled Chinese social sciences, says French sinologist Chloé Froissart
As China's GDP slows down, and unemployment grows, the situation will get worse with the absence of any mechanism for social dialogue. One cannot rule out violent riots.
Reactions to the presidential pardon of Sri Lankan rightwing religious leader
"Given Gnanasara’s past record of hateful speech, the Presidential pardon amounted to disrespect to all those who had suffered religious freedom violations in Sri Lanka."
Publisher of Macedonian edition of Hitler's ‘Mein Kampf’ releases book by former PM Nikola Gruevski
Gruveski led North Macedonia's right-wing government from 2006 to 2017, a period of sharp democratic decline.
Record crowd commemorates Tiananmen Massacre at Hong Kong candlelight vigil
"Even though it is a crime to remember / The truth will find its courage to be told /The history that has happened will be revealed..."
Tiananmen commemorations: an inconvenient truth for Beijing, a dire warning for Hong Kong and Taiwan
As many witnesses and activists asked: when will Beijing finally acknowledge historical facts? When will it apologize to the families of the victims?
As Afghanistan's war rolls on, its mental health toll grows greater
“The doctors wanted to discharge me. I begged them to keep me in longer.”
