Stories about Human Rights from October, 2021
Kenyan government’s use of surveillance technologies to tackle COVID-19 raises human rights concerns
Kenya's 2019 data protection legislation was supposed to offer a framework for the government to acquire citizens' data in a transparent and rights-respecting manner, but some say it lacks independent oversight.
Pakistan's proposed media development authority could further curb freedom of media
The representatives of different press clubs of the country have declared the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) “a media martial law” and rejected it outright.
Supporters demand freedom for Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El Fattah
His lawyer spoke of Abd El Fattah's declining mental health and quoted Abd El Fattah saying, “I can’t carry on.”
Global internet freedom trends in Turkey and South Caucasus, new report
While Georgia and Armenia were ranked "free" in this year's report, Turkey and Azerbaijan ranked "not free" as a result of the challenging atmosphere around digital rights and freedoms.
Chinese citizen journalist held incommunicado after COVID reporting reappears
Chinese citizen journalist Chen Qiushi has returned. But other citizen journalists covering the COVID-19 outbreak in China are still missing. Among them Zhang Zhan has been sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Campaign to brand Russian journalists and media ‘foreign agents’ picks up pace after elections
The effects of Russia’s ‘foreign agent’ legislation against media and civil society have been direct and deeply troubling. They are now, in effect, deemed ‘enemies of the people’.
Animal rights activist in North Macedonia threatened after blowing the whistle on possible lion cub trafficking
While handling lion cubs is forbidden by law in North Macedonia, social media posts by nouveau riche or would-be-influencers revealed them bragging about socializing with a cub nicknamed "Simba."