Stories about Human Rights from November, 2013
Polish Right-Wing Nationalists Hijack Country's Independence Day
Poland's National Independence Day, traditionally celebrated on November 11, ended in violence this year during a march organized by a nationalist movement. Police detained around a dozen individuals.
Pussy Riot's Tolokonnikova Transferred to Krasnoyarsk
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova's exact whereabouts were unknown for the past three weeks, after prison authorities announced that the Pussy Riot icon would be transferred from a prison in the Republic of Mordovia to an unknown location. On November 12, 2103, authorities finally revealed some information about Tolokonnikova's new home. The federal human rights...
Bangladesh’s Hijras Win Official Recognition as Separate Gender
The country's decision comes not long after Germany's announcement that it will begin to offer a third gender option on birth certificates.
Peace Unlikely as Pakistan's New Taliban Chief Swears Revenge
The Pakistani government has shelved planned peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban, following the election of a new chief who doesn't seem interested in talks or peace.
Ethiopians: #SomeoneTellSaudiArabia to Stop Immigration Crackdown
Saudi Arabia has began enforcing a crackdown on illegal immigrants after the expiry of an amnesty period given to illegal immigrants. Ethiopian immigrants find themselves a target.
Bolivian Twitter Users Arrested For Photographing Historic Building
Two Bolivian Twitter users were arbitrarily arrested by the police for taking photographs of historic buildings. Bolivian netizens came to their defense immediately after being alerted by a tweet.
An Investigation into the World of Prostitution in Burundi
Cedric Soledad Urakeza from Burundi reports on his investigation into the world of prostitution in Bujumbura [fr], published on the community blog Les voix du Burundi: Notre enquête montre trois catégories de prostituées. Il y a celles filles qui viennent de l’intérieur du pays pour chercher du travail domestique...
200,000 Dominicans of Haitian Descent are Stripped of Citizenship
A myriad of NGOs and social activists have demonstrated against a sentence which has denationalized almost 250 000 Dominicans of Haitian descent.
Iran: Blogger's Jail Sentence Reduced to 17 Years
The “Justice for Hossein Derakhshan” blog announced on October 16, 2013 that Iranian authorities have reduced the jail sentence of Iranian blogger Hossein Derakhshan (also known as “Hoder”) to 17 years from 19.5 years. Derakhshan was arrested on November 1, 2008.
Sadness and Anger in Kidal, Mali
Blogger Wirriyamu mourns the two French journalists killed [fr] in Kidal, Mali. But beside his immense sadness, Wirriyamu also feels angry at seeing Northern Mali left helpless yet again to terrorists attacks. He writes [fr] about his silent anger at the situation there : Tant qu’il ne sera pas possible...
Regional Bloggers Targeted for “Extremism” by Russian Police
Regional authorities in Russia are cracking down on local opposition bloggers, persecuting them for alleged "extremism."
Saudi Women Insist on Driving Despite Ban
Saudi women continue to challenge the driving ban imposed on them in the absolute monarchy. This video shows a woman named as Azza Al Shammasi driving in Saudi Arabia on November 9.
Saudi Women to Continue to Challenge Driving Ban
Now that the Saudi government's position on the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia is clear, activists intend to continue to challenge the ban and “focus their effort on changing the government’s position instead of spending time trying to convince observers that society is not against lifting the ban.”...
Tunisian Police Blamed for Torturing Young Man to Death
Only few weeks after the adoption of a new anti-torture law in Tunisia, Walid Denguir, died in police custody. Pictures of his dead body, show bruises and head injuries.
Turk-Arab Youth Congress: Middle East Needs Greater Regional Cooperation
Global Voices author from Pakistan Fakiha Hassan Rizvi attended the 2nd Turk Arab Youth Congress (TAYC) held in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct 25-27, 2013 and reports what she learned.
No Justice for Battered Russian Journalist
Journalist Oleg Kashin was severely beaten and almost killed three years ago, presumably for his political writing. His assailants are still at large.
Egypt: Police Violence Video Revives Fear of Return to Old Regime
The emergence of a torture video in a police station in Egypt has sparked anger online. Are the police back to their dirty tactics or is police torture systematic?
Mobile App Offers Indian Women Lifeline in Fight Against Rape
The Smart Suraksha App is an Android application that puts a cry for help only one click away.
Russian Maternity Ward Turns Away Illegal Immigrant in Labor
A Vladivostok maternity ward reignited Russia’s immigrant debate, when obstetricians refused to admit a woman in labor, because she lacked both health insurance and money to pay the delivery fee.
‘How Can We Stay Indifferent?': A Concern for Niger's Orphans
“To be an orphan in Niger is..a situation very close to my heart” writes one of the newest bloggers from the Rising Voices grantee project Mapping for Niger.
Cuban Government Agency Investigates Incident of Homophobic Violence First Reported Online
A Cuban author reported an incident of physical violence against a group of homosexual men in the city of Cardenas, Matanzas, in his blog. Now it is under investigation.
