· May, 2011

Stories about Human Rights from May, 2011

Russia: Medvedev and Press Freedom

Vadim Nikitin of Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog writes that while the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev “had no problems embracing iPad and Twitter,” he “seems to be a late adopter when it comes to good old fashioned press freedom.”

Greece: A Proposal to Reform the Police

  23 May 2011

Greek blogger Leonidas Irakliotis proposes several measures [el] to reform the police and restore public trust, in light of recent police violence and failure to deal with a wave of anti-immigrant attacks in Athens. “As long as we tolerate this incompetence, we will suffer from an under-performing police force; resulting...

Cuba: Cultural Center Closed

  23 May 2011

Generation Y blogs about “the shock of the correctives” in the form of “the closure of the cultural center run by the painter Pedro Pablo Oliva”.

Uruguay: Congress Upholds Amnesty Law for Military

  22 May 2011

The Latin America News Dispatch writes about the Uruguayan Congress’ decision to uphold a 1986 amnesty law that “prevents the prosecution of military officials from the 1973-1985 dictatorship for crimes against humanity.” Hours after the Congressional vote, 8,000 Uruguayans marched in Montevideo in a “March of Silence,” an annual walk to...

Cuba: Musings on the Sixth Congress

  20 May 2011

Laritza's Laws blogs about “the trap of socialist democracy”, while Octavo Cerco says that “after the close of the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party…the only point on the official agenda that seems to be right on the mark is the repression of the alternative groups that have been growing...

Russia: “Violence, Death and Cover-Up in the Russian Army”

At OpenDemocracy.net, six tragic cases of hazing of new Russian army recruits: the Russian NGO Mother’s Right Foundation “used the highly popular Russian social network http://www.odnoklassniki.ru to publish selected profiles of young men who died while serving in the army. They were no longer alive, so couldn't write anything themselves,...

Cuba: Effects of a Beating

  19 May 2011

Crossing the Barbed Wire blogs about his efforts to make a film about “Alberto Lairo Castro, a young Holguin native who in 2007 was a victim of a ‘Double Nelson’ lock applied onto him by the National Revolutionary Police” and was left disabled as a result.

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Eurovision Diplomacy?

Global Voices’ Caucasus Editor rounds up opinion to the possibility that winning this year's Eurovision Song Contest could contribute to change in Azerbaijan. The post looks at the situation in terms of LGBT and political rights, in addition to the ongoing conflict with Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno...

Bermuda: Gay Rights = Human Rights

  18 May 2011

Wishful Thinking says that “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation” is a human rights issue and asks compatriots to “send a message that we've waited long enough and leave no doubt in the minds of our parliamentarians that we expect action now.”

Panama: Remembering Raúl Leis

  18 May 2011

On April 30, sociologist, writer and committed member of Panamanian civil society Raúl Leis passed away. His death has left a void and also a place full of fond memories and learning, shared both by traditional media and by the Panamanian blogosphere.

Russia: Navalny Called In For Questioning On Rospil Logo

Kevin Rothrock (@agoodtreaty) reports that anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny (LJ user navalny) has been called in for questioning about the logo of his Rospil [ru] anti-corruption project: “[…] Does it desecrate Russia's state emblem?” Navalny's post [ru] about the investigation, launched at a United Russia MP's request, has so far...

Cuba: Uncertain Internet Future

  17 May 2011

“Cuban civil society is looking forward to what will happen in July when the network structure of the island is connected to to the fiber optic cable that came in early February to Cuba from Venezuela”: Still, Laritza Diversent says that “the future of the Internet in Cuba has a...