Stories about Human Rights from February, 2013
Secret Life and Death of Mossad Spy ‘Prisoner X’
Revelations by Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) progamme Foreign Correspondent on 12 February, 2013 have fired up onliners. The mysterious Prisoner X who allegedly committed suicide in an Israeli gaol in 2010 was not only a dual citizen of Australia and Israel, but also a Mossad agent.
Saudi Women Protesters Arrested for “Impairing Development”
Last Saturday, February 9th, a small protest was organized in front of the building of Human Rights Commission in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by a group of women and children including the wife, daughter and granddaughter of Suliman al-Rushoodi, the detained chairman of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association. The women were set free today - but the case against them was not dismissed. They will stand trial again on February 27.
Video of Brutal Beating of Women Shocks Angola
On February 7, 2013, Angola awoke to the sounds of screams of pain and the sound of two women customers of a store being whipped. In just three days the 13 minute video that showed two women being brutally beaten had more than 25,000 views on Youtube, was aired on state television and shocked the Angolan community.
Crowdmapping Ukraine's Wheelchair Accessibility
At BiggggIdea.com (uk; “Velyka Ideya” – “a platform where people present their projects, and the community funds them”), Oleksandr Telyuk draws attention [uk] to Wheelmap.org, a crowdmapping project that allows users to evaluate and mark wheelchair accessibility of various locations worldwide. Telyuk notes that 96 percent of public places in...
The Idleness of African Leadership in Mali
Ousmane Gueye on the site Mondoblog writes [fr] about the slow deployment of African troops in northern Mali : If we were to judge the impact of the intervention in Mali by the jubilant euphoria of liberated populations, then it should be obvious that by deploying so slowly, African countries failed Mali...
Bangladeshi Women Join Shahbag Protests in Remarkable Numbers
Extraordinary numbers of Bangladeshi women have joined the groups of protesters occupying the capital city Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection demanding capital punishment for war criminals. The movement, spearheaded by bloggers and online activists, is seeking the death penalty for those who committed crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
Fatwa Snowballs, Kashmir's First All-Girl Band Calls it Quits
Pragaash, the first all-girl rock band from Kashmir, has quit after a local Muslim cleric issued a fatwa calling the girls' behavior un-Islamic. The short-lived musical group had also received online and offline abuse.
#Shahbag in a 140 Characters
As the #Shahbag movement of Bangladeshis is gaining its momentum, more and more Bangladeshis are using social network services like Twitter and Facebook to organize the movement. Shopan Awalin provides an in depth analysis on the activity of the hashtag #Shahbag in Twitter regarding the people, what they are talking,...
Hong Kong Activist Jailed for Burning Chinese Flag
A Hong Kong activist was sentenced to nine months in prison on Thursday for burning and defacing the Chinese flag and the Hong Kong flag during two separate demonstrations against the mainland's communist government, sparking many web users to upload their own desecration of the Chinese flag in protest of the heavy-handed sentence.
Philippines: Human Rights Watch 2012 Report
The overall human rights situation in the Philippines improved in 2012 with fewer extrajudicial killings and the passage of historic laws promoting rights. But the government has failed to address impunity for the most serious abuses. On prosecuting rights abusers, it needs to walk the walk, not just talk the...
Southern Brazil Marches in Memory of Nightclub Fire Victims
A week after more than 230 young people lost their lives in a horrific nightclub fire in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria, thousands gathered across the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul to pay homage to the victims.
One Billion Rising: Global Day of Action, Fighting Violence Against Women
Every third woman will fall victim to rape or abuse in her lifetime. On February 14, 2013 an action day will take place worldwide to demand an end to the violence against women and girls. Countless events have also been organised in Germany and Switzerland.
Bangladesh: All Roads Lead To Shahbagh
The protests at Shahbagh intersection in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka continue for the fourth day. Protesters demand capital punishment for Jamaat-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah and other war criminals on trial.
Dignity, Courage and Hypocrisy: Egyptian Man Stripped Naked by Police
A video showing an Egyptian man Hamada Saber being beaten and stripped by the police has gone viral, creating a wave of shock and disbelief in the country.
Mali: Threats All Around
The Malian army has committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) during the ongoing conflict against armed groups, including extrajudicial executions of civilians, according to testimonies collected by Amnesty International during a ten days mission in Mali.
Dreams Come Alive, Baseball Player José Contreras Returns to Cuba
The arrival of José Ariel Contreras to Cuba, a Cuban baseball pitcher based in the US since 2002, has moved the habitants of his native province, Pinar del Río, and also fans of the island's national sport, baseball. Elaine Díaz tells us about this emotional event and its historical and political meaning for Cuba at the moment.
Panic and Terror Walk Hand-in-Hand in Guinea-Bissau
As the world's attention is focused on another part of West Africa, the citizens of Guinea-Bissau struggle to bring a worsening human rights situation to regional and international attention. Guinean Human Rights League released a major report on the human rights situation today, a serious wake-up call for those who think everything is okay in the country.
Italy: Gay Couples Are Allowed to Raise Children, according to Supreme Court
A recent decision by Italy's Supreme Court has heated up the debate both online and offline. Judges seem inclined to reduce discrimination against LGBT couples, thus embracing the recommendations by the European Court of Human Rights.
“Hands up! This is a robbery!”: Protests Continue in Spain
People in Madrid have taken the streets in droves to show their fury with President Mariano Rajoy over new corruption allegations. Anna Williams shares her photographs of the protests.
Escaping Russia's “Vulgar, Primitive” Secularism
Vladimir Putin has given another speech in defense of Russian Orthodox values, this time calling on the Church to study the lessons of the twentieth century. "We must avoid a vulgar, primitive understanding of secularism," he told the Bishops' Council, a massive gathering of Orthodox clergy. Putin's comments are hard to divorce from several conservative legislative efforts in the last year.
Somyot Case Ignites Lese Majeste Debate in Thailand
Activist Somyot Prueksakasemsuk was found guilty by the Bangkok Criminal Court of violating the Lese Majeste (anti-royal insult) law. As editor of the Voice of Taksin magazine, Somyot was slapped with a 10-year jail sentence for publishing articles that ‘insulted’ the monarchy. Somyot's case ignited debate on whether it's time for Thailand to reform the controversial law
