Stories about Human Rights from May, 2020
Women in Nigeria face a caustic landmine of political advocacy online
“I’ve grown a really thick skin,” said Fakhriyyah Hashim, co-founder of the #ArewaMeToo movement in northern Nigeria.
A glimpse at Thailand's digital ID through the biometric profiling of Malay Muslims
"The discriminatory nature of these measures could amount to racial profiling, which subjects Malay Muslims to disproportionate and unnecessary surveillance based on ethnic prejudice rather than objective signs of suspicion."
Nepali Muslims eye India's growing Islamophobia with fear
The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the status of already vulnerable minority Muslims in Nepal.
Hong Kong reveals the city's agenda to construct an Orwellian ‘truth’
The release of a report on the police's use of force in protests seems to be "part of a wider set of coordinated announcements designed to deliver the new ‘truth’".
Photo contest asks Rohingya community to document their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic
A photography competition for Rohingya people is being held from April 23 – August 23, 2020, featuring two broad categories – “Rohingya life” and “Response to Coronavirus” and entries can be submitted online.
Women journalists in Uganda carry ‘double burden’ with online attacks and harassment
Women journalists in Uganda carry the double burden of gender-based abuse online and potential threats related to political reporting. These threats have led women journalists to withdraw from public discourse.
Cameroon’s 3-year separatist crisis: Online threats, attacks on identity and freedom of expression
Journalists in Cameroon have to be very careful about reporting on atrocities related to the separatist conflict. Appearing to side with separatists or the government can lead to online attacks.
Truck drivers blamed for spread of COVID-19 in East Africa
Truck drivers in East Africa face an onslaught of new COVID-19 mandates and restrictions in borders towns — causing confusion, fear, endless traffic queues, protests and disrupted trade.
In Burundi, four journalists jailed for months await appeal
The four jailed journalists with Iwacu were accused of threatening state security on the basis of a WhatsApp message sent as a dry joke while reporting on a rebel attack.
In Afghanistan, the war does not spare newborn babies inside maternity wards
When Afghans woke up on the morning of May 12, and found out about two new terrorist attacks, they were reminded that the ongoing war had reached new levels of brutality: this time, not even newborn babies and their mothers were spared. Kabul maternity under attack That day, three militants stormed...
Mali holds elections despite COVID-19 pandemic and terrorist threats
Mali's elections were held under unique circumstances: the ongoing threat of Islamist terrorism and governmental restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Amid COVID-19 pandemic in Niger, government violates whistleblowers’ freedom of speech
Today in Niger, freedom of demonstration, assembly and speech are endangered, flouted by the unelected administrative authorities of various municipalities in the country.
China to its anxious youth: ‘Believe us, things are better in your day!’
"We have to struggle for our rights, not sit and wait. Youth in China should yell out -- we want freedom of press!"
In Bangladesh, criticism of government response to the COVID-19 pandemic is risky
"Would it be wrong if someone says that the authorities in Bangladesh, equipped with Digital Security Act, launched a crackdown on those critical to the government?"
COVID-19: Switching online is not an option in conflict-stricken countries in the Middle East
While the internet provides a lifeline in wealthy countries during COVID-19, this is not the case in conflict-stricken countries in the Middle East.
The nightmare in Syria continues amid new coronavirus fears
The gathering of displaced persons in Idlib, Syria, has sparked international concern that this community — living under the harshest conditions — could be deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Benin's partial withdrawal from African Charter of Human Rights is a retreat from democracy
Benin drops 17 places in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, following the withdrawal from a key document of the African Charter of Human and People's Rights.
After disappearing for 53 days, Bangladeshi journalist is found and sent to jail
Fifty-three days after his abduction in from of his office in Dhaka, Bangladesh, photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol was found alive in Benapole, near the border of Bangladesh with India.
‘While I breathe, I hope’: In conversation with Ali Gharavi of the #Istanbul10
Gharavi, a security consultant, was among ten human rights defenders arrested in Turkey in July 2017 at an information management and well-being workshop.
Baloch journalist found dead in Sweden
In recent months, several Pakistani activists and bloggers living in Europe have claimed to have been targeted for speaking up against human rights violations in Pakistan.
Nigerian atheist faces death threats for blasphemy against Islam
"Nigeria is a secular state and freedom of speech is one of the fundamental characteristics of a modern democratic state. Criticizing a religion is not a criminal offence."
