Stories about Human Rights from July, 2009
“Resign or Else”: Portraits of Media Repression in Madagascar
VNR is a young journalist at one of the largest newspapers in Madagascar. When we first talked over the phone, her number was hidden and the first thing she said...
Cuba: Ferrer Arrested
Cuban bloggers react to the arrest of Dr. Darsi Ferrer on the grounds that he allegedly bought construction materials on the black market to repair his house: Blog for Cuba,...
China: Introducing Tibetan writer Jamyang Kyi
Jamyang Kyi is a Tibetan broadcaster, writer and blogger based in Xining. Her blog is very popular amongst Tibetans. High Peaks Pure Earth has translated third letter to her friend...
Azerbaijan: An interview with Arzu Geybullayeva
Despite the accent formed from education in the United States and the United Kingdom, Arzu Geybullayeva, now a regional analyst, has become one of Azerbaijan's most well-known bloggers on the country with her Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines blog.
Israel: A Belief In Coexistence – Interview With Activist Ibn Ezra
While Israel as a whole has moved to the right in recent years, there are nevertheless Israelis who oppose their government’s policies towards the Palestinians. Global Voices Online has interviewed activist Joseph Dana, who blogs at Ibn Ezra, about his involvement with the group Ta'ayush ("coexistence"), the state of activism in Israel, and using social media to get the message out.
Azerbaijan: Adnan Hajizade, Emin Milli appeal rejected
Despite significant outcry from leading human rights groups, press freedom watchdogs, and the international community itself, two youth activists and bloggers have been sentenced to two months pre-trial detention. Their appeal, originally planned for last week, was eventually heard on Monday, but few expected them to be released.
Turkey: Kurdish Newspaper Confiscated
Children of the Sun reports that the July 8th issue of the Kurdish newspaper Azadiya Welat was confiscated by authorities after it published allegations of a 23-year old woman who...
Pakistan: The Unheard Stories Of Pedophilia
Sana Saleem at Mystified Justice brings up the issue of the shocking presence of pedophilia in the conservative Pakistani society and talks about the affected children living the horrors of...
Cuba: Biscet's Birthday
Uncommon Sense marks the 48th birthday of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, a political prisoner “who by his example provides the moral leadership needed for that struggle [for freedom] to eventually...
Trinidad & Tobago: Stifling Democracy
In response to a move by the Trinidad and Tobago government to have the Director of Public Prosecutions consider laying charges against a group of citizens who protested outside the...
China: Defamation Can No Longer Be Used to Restrict Netizen Speech
Cool Knowledge has a translation of Hu Yong's comment on the Yan Xiaoling Defamation Case in which, the local authorities use criminal defamation charges to punish individuals who posted critical...
Russia: Medvedev Murder Mystery
Anna Politkovskaya... The mere name evokes images of Moscow's worst public relations nightmare in years - an ongoing ordeal for Russia's international reputation in the realm of rule of law. Still, the murderers have not been brought to justice, and Politkovskaya turned into a martyr for world voices critical of Russia - for them epitomising everything that is wrong and wretched with the country. So, should President Medvedev's quick reaction to this week's murder of Human Rights' acitivists Natalya Estemirova merely be regarded as lessons learnt from the Politkovskaya assassination? The answer might be more complicated, as voices from the Russian blogosphere have their say.
Morocco: Electoral Boycott Campaigners Acquitted
Ibn Kafka reports [Fr] on the acquittal of seven Moroccan pro-democratic activists. He recalls the circumstances and the legal basis upon which the defendants were sued in the aftermath of...
Nepal: Incentivising widow re-marriage
In the budget for fiscal year 2009-10, the newly elected government in Nepal has proposed an incentive scheme whereby USD625 would be awarded to any groom who married a widow....
Russia: Did Kadyrov kill Estemirova?
Reactions to the murder of Russian Human Rights’ avtivist, Natalya Estemirova, of Memorial have been frequent in recent days. Sean's Russia Blog discusses accusations against Chechen president Kadyrov of being...
Azerbaijan: Activists’ support site goes down
Yesterday, as Önər Blog [AZ] reported, the Appellate Court in Baku was to consider again the case of Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade, the recently beaten and detained youth activists and bloggers sentenced last week. Yesterday, however, one of the main websites created in their defense went down.
Russia: Kadyrov sues Memorial
Eternal Remont comments on Chechen president's, Kadyrov, plans to sue Russian Human Rights’ organization Memorial for libel, by accusing him to be guilty of Natalya Estemirova's murder.
Russia: Extremism law going to extremities
Sean's Russia Blog reports how the Russian law against extremism is increasingly liberally interpreted, now to include the registration of youth subcultures, in parallel to the registration of ideologically harmful...
Bangladesh: Practice of child labour
Monjuraul at Muktangan discusses[bn] the condition of child labourers in Bangladesh.
Latvia: Limiting civil liberties
Free Speech Emergency in Latvia argues that a new government proposal to expand security police powers would increasingly limit the scope of civil liberties in Latvia.
Brazil: Amnesty for illegal immigrants sparks hope and controversy
A new amnesty for illegal immigrants has just become law in Brazil, benefiting between 50,000 and 200,000 people. The hope is that the amnesty will bring at least better working conditions for those currently being exploited in sweatshops that cash in on illegal immigrants, and eventually compassion for Brazilians living illegally abroad.
