· March, 2012

Stories about Law from March, 2012

India, Bangladesh: Caught In The Cyber War

  31 March 2012

A cyber war between Bangladesh and India broke out last month as Bangladeshi hackers defaced Indian border security Force's website in protest of the recent border killings by BSF. Indian hacker groups retaliated by defacing Bangladesh government ministry websites and a cyber war followed.

Kuwait: Call to Kill the “Infidel” Twitter User

A Kuwaiti Twitter user has been detained, pending investigation, over a tweet in which he allegedly insulted Prophet Mohammed. The issue is taking a sectarian twist in Kuwait as the Twitter user Hamad Al-Naqi denies the charges, claiming that his account was hacked, while others charge that it is a Shiite attack on Sunni Islam. Meanwhile, a protest was held calling for the Twitter user to be killed for his alleged blasphemy.

Brazil: Irregularities Denounced in the Council of Representatives of Emigrants

  30 March 2012

Founded at the end of 2012, the Conselho de Representantes de Brasileiros no Exterior [Council of Representatives of Brazilians Abroad], or the CRBE, linked to the Ministry of External Affairs, has provoked the indignation of expatriate Brazilians owing to allegations of irregularities in the election process for its representatives.

Guinea-Bissau: Constitutional Limits on the Presidential Elections

  30 March 2012

Claims of widespread fraud during the presidential elections in Guinea Bissau, on 18 March, allows for the possibility that the April ballot will take place with a single candidate – Carlos Gomes Jr. His concurrent Kumba Ialá, refuses to participate in the second round, and the Constitution doesn't allow the replacement of candidates.

This Week in the Caribbean Blogosphere

  29 March 2012

Again this week, the regional blogosphere was dominated by talk of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Cuba. With reports of repression at an all-time high, Cuban bloggers were dismayed by the outcome of the trip.

The Cuba the Pope Leaves Behind

  29 March 2012

Pope Benedict XVI's trip to Cuba has come to an end, a visit bookended by the Castro brothers: President Raul Castro greeting the pontiff at the airport and Fidel Castro meeting with him before his departure. But bloggers are suggesting that despite the Pope's message of change and hope for the future, it looks like business as usual on the island.

Tunisia: Bloggers Help Draft the Constitution

On October 23rd, 2011, Tunisians elected an assembly to draft its new constitution, following the toppling of the Ben Ali regime. Now, five months later, the assembly has just started studying the draft proposals. Yet, disagreements about the first article of the constitution is slowing down the work of the assembly and Islam and the Arab identity are at the heart of debates nationwide. Netizens are chipping in to help bridge the gap.

Cuba: Pope Arrives Today; What Will His Visit Bring?

  26 March 2012

Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive today in Cuba, even as bloggers chronicle the “wave of arrests and threats” preceding the papal visit. But top of mind for most bloggers, particularly from the diaspora, is whether or not the pontiff will decide to meet with the Ladies in White and other members of the political opposition.

Jamaica: Hoodie is No Excuse

  26 March 2012

“An excited man kills someone for the flimsiest of causes. And someone asks us to believe it’s due to clothing choices!”: Diaspora blogger Grasshopper Eyes The Potomac comments on the Trayvon Martin case.

Tibetans, the police and China

  26 March 2012

Tom Lasseter blogs about what he saw in his travel to Tongren, an ethnic Tibetan town in Qinghai Province where two men set themselves on fire last week.

United States: “I am Trayvon Martin”

  24 March 2012

The indignation of American citizens and Internet users around the world over the murder of Martin Trayvon Florida continues to grow. This young black man was shot at the exit of a store by a security guard of the city of Sanford. For many it is a racist murder, and the law "Stand your ground" (Defend yourself), that legitimate self-defense in Florida, must be challenged.