Stories about Human Rights from July, 2012
Kenya: Mau Mau Freedom Fighters Take Battle to British Court
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.
Syria/Turkey: Syrian Refugees Protest Water Shortages at Kilis Camp
Syrian refugees at the Kilis Refugee camp, on the Syrian-Turkish border, protested against water shortages. Four policemen and 10 refugees are reportedly injured.
Social Media and Armenia’s 2012 Parliamentary Elections
Following a bitterly disputed presidential election in 2008, parliamentary elections held on 6 May 2012 were a crucial test for Armenia’s democratic system. What role did social media play?
Iran: Is the State Afraid of a 13-Year Old Girl?
An Iranian security court created a stir recently by banning foreign travel for jailed human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband and their 13-year-old daughter, Mehraveh Khandan. Nasrin Stoudeh has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Northern Mali: Resistance in the Streets and Online
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.
World: Is a Declaration of Internet Freedom What the Internet Needs?
More than a week after rights groups unleashed the Declaration of Internet Freedom, the blogosphere continues to weigh in on the document.
Lebanon: Fresh Attention For Lebanon's Missing and Abducted People
Recent kidnappings carried out since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution have made abduction a constant threat once again and drawn new attention to the issue of Lebanon's missing people.
Syria: Mapping Rape Allegations
Women Under Siege charts “Syria's use of rape to terrorise its people.” Check out its crowdsourced map here.
Brazil: Video of Tribute to Murdered Forest Heroes
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
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.
Sudan: Women Targeted as #SudanRevolts Enters Second Month
This Friday paying tribute to the revolutionary women (Kandaka) of Sudan's past, women chanted for the fall of the regime and demanded release of political detainees. Many were tear-gassed and arrested. The day came to be known as 'Kandaka Friday.'
Lebanon: Segregation against Migrant Workers at Beaches
Following the first video released by the Anti Racism Movement showing blatant segregation at one of the Lebanese beaches, another video is published and this time is featuring 10 more resorts clearly discriminating against migrant workers.
Ethiopia: Online Reactions to Prison Sentence for Dissident Blogger
Five days before his arrest, prominent Ethiopian dissident blogger Eskinder Nega wrote, “Freedom is partial to no race. Freedom has no religion. Freedom favors no ethnicity. Freedom discriminates not between rich and poor countries. Inevitably freedom will overwhelm Ethiopia."
Laos: Prison or Drug Detention Center?
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.
Iran: A jailed blogger released on $500,000 bail
Human rights activists and social networking sites reported that Hossein Ronaghi Maleki released on $500,000 bail.
Zambia: Police Thwart Xenophobic Attacks Against Congolese Traders
The Zambian law enforcement agencies prevented what could have been deadly retaliatory and xenophobic attacks on neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo citizens living in Zambia following the burning to death of a Zambian driver in the border Congolese town of Kasumbalesa.
DR of Congo: Controversial Sentence for Thomas Lubanga
On 10 July, the International Criminal Court convicted Congolese Thomas Lubanga Dyilo to 14 years in prison. He was found guilty of war crimes for having recruited and enrolled children under 15-years-old. Congolese bloggers lament over the restrained sentence.
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.
Hong Kong: Foreign Domestic Workers Protest Mandatory Live-in Policy
A popular singer's outrageous treatment of her maid, who is forced to sleep in a customized bed on top of a toilet bowl, sparked protests outside the immigration office against Hong Kong's mandatory live-in policy which makes foreign domestic workers vulnerable to ill-treatment.