· July, 2012

Stories about Human Rights from July, 2012

Kenya: Mau Mau Freedom Fighters Take Battle to British Court

  17 July 2012

Three former Mau Mau freedom fighters have taken the British government to the High Court in London demanding an apology and damages for brutality they suffered during the British colonial rule in Kenya. Tweets are pouring in in support of their fight for justice. @JeromeTaylor and @TandemLaw are tweeting live from the courtroom.

Iran: Kaboudvand's life in danger

Several bloggers reported Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand‘s life is in danger.This Kurdish activist has been on hunger strike for several days. Alireza Rezai says [fa] Kabudvand's hunger strike did not get enough attention in Iranian media.

Northern Mali: Resistance in the Streets and Online

  16 July 2012

Northern Mali has been de facto cut off from its central government since the Tuareg rebels then the Islamists drove the army out of their territory. On the ground, tension is rising. Women were the first to go out on the streets and in all the northern cities, the young have taken up protest.

Brazil: Video of Tribute to Murdered Forest Heroes

  16 July 2012

Watch the footage [en/pt] of Laísa Sampaio's speech at the UN on February, as she received a posthumous tribute to her sister Maria do Espírito Santo and brother-in-law José Cláudio, closing the International Year of Forests. Because of their efforts to protect the forest, they were killed. Laísa says “the...

India: Video of Sexual Assault Goes Viral, Media Ethics Questioned

  15 July 2012

Instead of helping an Indian girl being assaulted by 20 men outside a pub in Guwahati, the cameraman from a local Television channel shot a 30-minute video of the incident. The video has gone viral, with many raising media ethics questions and wondering whether India is becoming a nation of bystanders.

Laos: Prison or Drug Detention Center?

  14 July 2012

The Human Rights Watch is asking the United States to stop the funding of the Somsanga Drug Detention Centre in Vientiane, Laos until the Laos government has investigated the reported human rights abuses in the facility

Afghanistan: Adultery Execution Video Sparks Outrage

A 22-year-old Afghan woman was recently executed publicly for alleged adultery in a small village not far from the capital Kabul. Her killing has sparked outrage both in the country and abroad. In Kabul, women took to the streets to condemn the murder and demand protection for their rights.

Syria: Traymseh Massacre Evokes Rage and Sorrow

Last year, on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, Syrian forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad, killed around 45 civilians in the central town of Hama. This year, the bloodshed is in a village in the vicinity of Hama, Traymseh, but the death toll is believed to be several times higher.