Stories about Law from April, 2014
Kyrgyz Parliament Considers Anti-Gay Law
The parliament of Kyrgyzstan is considering a bill that criminalizes any activity seen as promoting “a positive attitude toward non-traditional sexual relations”. Very similar to Russia's anti-gay propaganda law, the bill is expected to become law soon. Meanwhile, a Kyrgyz blogger argues [ru] that the bill which is targeting the...
Army Drafters “Do Not Give a Damn About the President” in Tajikistan
In mid-February 2014, the president of Tajikistan ordered [ru] that recruitment offices stop using “illegal practices” in drafting young men into the army. Blogger Rustam Gulov who has written much about illegal drafting techniques in Tajikistan suggests [ru] that the president's order has not really changed anything: A lot of...
When Will Impunity End for Slave Traders in Mauritania ?
A protest coordinated by several Mauritanian civil society organizations and political parties was held on April 29, 2014 in Nouakchott. The protest was initiatied by members of Haratin tribe who demand more rights and the enforcement of existing laws. This protest marks the first anniversary of the Haratin Manifesto [fr]. The...
Does the Caribbean Sanction Violence against Children?
A blog that discusses issues of violence, sexual assault and child abuse is infuriated at Caribbean governments' response to recent allegations of child exploitation in some state institutions.
The Kremlin’s Internet Annexation
For some reason, lawmakers in Russia today continue to add new powers to the state’s censorship utility-belt, as though the current panoply of Internet controls weren’t enough.
Protesting in Venezuela Will Require Authorization
(All links are in Spanish otherwise noted as [en] for English) As the protests [en] in Venezuela draw upon 100 continuous days of demonstrations, the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice's recent verdict rules that the right to protest “is not an absolute right.” In order to carry out any type of demonstration, one needs to...
From Igor Sechin to Dick Cheney: the End of Russia's Zuckerberg
In February, Vkontakte's CEO joked in public that nothing would reverse Facebook’s “slow death.” What’s died instead, it seems, is Durov’s opposition to the world’s largest social network.
LiveJournal Fights Coming Censorship, But Don't Tell Anyone
Some RuNet giants are already fighting back against coming law that may be used to censor opposition bloggers.
Video of Mother Hitting Daughter With Belt Goes Viral in Trinidad & Tobago
A video depicting a mother's punitive idea of discipline has gone viral in Trinidad and Tobago, after it was posted on Facebook to supposedly teach the child a lesson.
Brazil Scores Before “the Internet World Cup” Begins: Marco Civil Approved by the Senate
Update (23 April 2014, 15:15 GMT): President Dilma has sanctioned the bill in the NetMundial event. Marco Civil is now a law in Brazil. Livestream: blog.planalto.gov.br In the eve of the global Internet governance event hosted in Brazil, NETmundial, the Brazilian Senate approved the one-of-kind bill of rights for Internet users,...
#EPNvsInternet: Mass Campaign against Mexican Communications Bill
A joint mass action between civil organizations and activist is pushing to revert the Telecommunications Bill proposal sent by president Enrique Peña Nieto for Congress' approval.
Peru: Blog Site for Women Claims Unethical Use of Web Domain
A blog site for women in Peru claims that its site domain was registered in bad faith by the PERU.com website after a brief association between the two entities.
Bad News & Worse News for Russian Internet Users
A Russian initiative to expand regulation over bloggers is still just a bill in the legislature, but it’s already harming the country's Internet freedom.
Censorship by Litigation in Russia?
Earlier this month, VKontakte minority shareholder United Capital Partners (UCP), filed a complaint against Durov for breach of VKontakte fiduciary duty for creating the secure messenger Telegram.
Southern Russia's Road Warriors
North Ossetians display a readiness for civil disobedience that has many asking about their willingness to take to the streets (or highways, as it were), when faced with injustice.
Germany's Migration Commissioner Throws Her Support Behind Migrant Voting Rights in Municipal Elections
In Germany, however, foreigners from the EU can take part in municipal elections; only non-EU citizens are excluded.
Chinese Court Rejects Lawsuit Over Lanzhou Water Pollution
Tap water in Lanzhou was found to have benzene levels 20 times the national safety limit.
Facebook Post Spells Legal Trouble for Russian Charity
Romanenko reported that no less than the governor of Vologodsk had filed a complaint against him with the local prosecutor's office because of the jocular post.
Russia's Largest Social Network Says No to Censorship
Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Russian social network VKontakte, has once again used his account there as a platform to speak out against Internet censorship.
Baidu Censors New Citizens Movement Website
After Chinese court affirms Chinese lawyer and activist Xu Zhiyong’s conviction of four-year sentence in prison for assembling a crowd to disrupt order in public places, New Citizens Movement website, of which Xu was one of the founders, disappeared from Baidu search results. This is not the first time that information relating...
Expat Life in China: A Review Of Unsavory Elements
Unsavory Elements is an anthology of true stories about foreigners “on the loose” in China. Through their stories, the authors and journalists from the book also explore illegality and ethics in China. As China Law Blog describes: Ranging from transactions and deeds that would raise the eyebrows of those enforcing America’s Foreign Corrupt Practices...
