· May, 2011

Stories about Law from May, 2011

“Shame for Brazil” Forest Defender Couple Murdered

  31 May 2011

Six months after he predicted his own murder in TEDx Amazônia, the environmentalist José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva was assassinated together with his wife in an ambush possibly articulated by loggers of the region. Bloggers mourn the loss on the eve of the approval of the new Forestry Code.

Bhutan: Perspectives From The Villages

  31 May 2011

Bhutanese blog Whatever Matters provides some perspectives from the villages on some contemporary issues of Bhutan including the wedding of the Bhutanese King and the controversial tobacco control act.

Vietnam: Ben Tre activists convicted

  30 May 2011

Seven land rights and non-violent democracy activists were found guilty of attempting to overthrow the government of Vietnam. The closed-door trial was held in Ben Tre, Vietnam. Supporters of the activists held a vigil in Saigon before the trial.

Serbia: Mladic Arrest Update

Bill Kralovec of Bill's Blog and Kirk Johnson of Americans for Bosnia share thoughts on the arrest of Ratko Mladic; YakimaGulagLiteraryGazett is posting links to English-language media stories on the issue.

China: Detained Rights Lawyer Interrogated About Sex Life

  30 May 2011

After three months in detention, Chinese lawyer Li Tiantian described on Twitter how her interrogators used intimate details of her personal life to harass her. In the past months, more than a hundred human right lawyers, activists, writers and artists have been arrested or prosecuted in China as a result of the crackdown on the Jasmine protests.

Zimbabwe: Fined US$400 for killing a woman

  30 May 2011

A man is fined US$400 for killing a woman in Zimbabwe: “Fungai Tichawangana is widely admired and respected in Zimbabwe. Fungai’s wife was killed by a drunk driver. A man who was fined US$400 and had his license suspended for 6 months. Fungai pointed out to us that people who...

Indonesia: Tweeting a trial on religious violence

  29 May 2011

The twitter account @cikeusiktrial was created to monitor the trial of a mob attack against an Ahmadi congregation in Cikeusik Sub District in Indonesia. The attack was witnessed by 30 police officers who did nothing to prevent the religious violence.

Russia: Moscow Pride 2011

This year's Moscow Gay Pride event ended in clashes almost as soon as it began, at least 18 gay rights activists and 14 of their opponents are reported to have been arrested, and a journalist who had blogged about her reasons for attending the rally ended hospitalized with a concussion.

Hungary: Corruption On the Rise

Hungarian Spectrum writes about corruption in Hungary: “A few days ago Ernst & Young made public its latest survey on corruption in Europe and came up with the startling result that Hungary is the most corrupt country within the European Union. It can be compared only to Russia.”

Cuba: Repressive Action

  27 May 2011

Cuban bloggers cite numerous cases of the authorities cracking down on dissidents, calling the arrests “part of a vicious series of repressive moves by the dictatorship to target the opposition.”

Bermuda: Gay Rights

  27 May 2011

“Bermuda has a long history of discrimination rooted in slavery, the restricted vote and racial segregation. Those who championed resistance to these injustices, those who have benefited from their elimination, should be sensitive to any discrimination set upon any other group”: Respice Finem wants to put gay rights back on...

Rwanda: Army Officer Refutes Claims of Arrest

  27 May 2011

Major Justus Majyambere, a Rwandan army officer who recently travelled to the US on official duty, has refuted claims of arrest: “Reports on some websites and blogs run by Rwandan exiles had insinuated that Major Majyambere had been arrested by US authorities over indictments issued in 2008 by a Spanish...