Stories about Human Rights from August, 2022
Disruptive technologies, demagogic governance: Data (un)democracy in India during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic not only resulted in a great loss of life in India, but also provided an impetus for authoritarian control.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Turkey
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Turkey is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Nepali activists protest Myanmar executions
On July 26, Nepali rights activists took to the streets of Kathmandu against the execution of four democratic activists by Myanmar’s ruling army junta.
In Turkey, religious values are used to censor online content
Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office claims the music streaming platform approved playlists that were "insulting religious values and state officials."
As peace and prosperity unravel, Central Asia braces for a surge of forced labor and sexual slavery
Economic crises, cuts in public spending and subsequent unemployment are commonly regarded as the factors that aggravate the risks for vulnerable groups of population to fall prey to human trafficking
Five songs to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Music is a way to push back against threats to Indigenous peoples' way of life, languages, and culture due to settler colonialism and violence, climate change, economic and racial discrimination, and cultural assimilation.
Bangladesh government instructs TV channels not to use the word ‘Indigenous’ when referring to ethnic tribes
On July 19, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a notice to 35 TV channels asking the media and civil society not to use the word ‘Adivasi’ (indigenous people).
Advocacy groups in the Americas focus on tackling rising surveillance technology
As digital surveillance continues to spread in the Americas, human rights groups raise awareness, research, and earn small judicial victories to limit its negative impacts on communities.
Why the conviction of rapists in Nigeria has remained atrociously low
Nigeria’s unconvicted rape cases are becoming unbearable for its rape survivors, who are struggling to overcome their experiences.
China: surveillance tech is extending from the classroom to kids’ summer holidays
China is now deploying surveillance technology to the education sector. Now students are required to do their summer homework with a "smart pen" that monitors and records them.
Undertones: How a composite sketch gone viral sparked a debate in Nicaragua
A digital campaign pressured the Nicaraguan government to show images of a political prisoner
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Sudan
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Sudan is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Brazilian lawyer after murders in the Amazon: ‘We need the state to maintain a presence in the region’
Eliesio Marubo recounted the efforts made in the search for Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips, and talked about the demands the Indigenous movement is making to state institutions.
How the government in Sudan legalized internet categorizing and content filtering
One regulation obliges telcos to block and filter a list of URLs, and to “daily monitor” the filtering equipment to verify that it is being updated
Azerbaijan court overlooks a hate crime against LGBTQ+ activist
The sentence omitted any mention of a hate crime and overlooked the perpetrator's targetted cruelty, including abusing the body after committing the crime, beheading Hafizil, and committing genital mutilation.