Stories about Law from May, 2016
Four Years and an Impeached President Later, Paraguay's Curuguaty Massacre Is Still in the Shadows
"The Curuguaty massacre can be seen as an event orchestrated to feed the trial and the parliamentary coup against Fernando Lugo’s government."
Hindu Religious Leader Tells Child Marriage Critics in Trinidad & Tobago to ‘Mind Your Own Damn Business’
"That’s exactly the sort of idea that, if you let bounce around in your head for a bit, leads to an aneurysm."
Russian Officials Make Plans for an Autonomous, State-Controlled Internet
Although the bill is in its early stages, should it become law, all of the RuNet's critical infrastructure would fall under complete control of the Russian state.
Netizen Report: Chilean Copyright Bill Could Eliminate Public Domain for Video, Music
Journalist Khadija Ismayilova wins court challenge in Azerbaijan, Vietnam censors Facebook and Instagram in the face of protests and the Nigerian Senate throws out ‘anti-social media bill’
Now's Not a Good Time to Wear a Hammer and Sickle T-Shirt in Indonesia
"Fear of communism, fear of liberalism, fear of LGBT, fear of Chinese and foreign powers: personalities of those with inferiority complexes. Fearing their own stupidity."
Bloggers Boggled Over Why Child Marriage Is Still on the Books in Trinidad & Tobago
"This is not just an issue of age and maturity, but once again, of power."
‘Soldiers’ Mothers’ Launch Mobile App to Protect Draftees’ Rights in Russia
Soldiers' Mothers of Saint Petersburg, a non-profit providing legal aid and advice to army draftees in Russia, has launched a mobile app to help draftees protect their rights.
In Japan, the Panama Papers Are Met With a Collective Shrug
"If the government doesn't get mad and stays quiet, it's the Japanese people who will have the last laugh."
Leading Russian Independent Newspaper Suspends Deputy Editor After Blackmail Scandal
Novaya Gazeta has suspended its deputy chief editor, following revelations that he instructed reporters to blackmail suspects in a recent investigation.
Trinidad and Tobago Reconsiders Marriage Act After Push to Recognise Child Marriage as Abuse
Trinidad and Tobago is a society of contradictions: the legal age of sexual consent was recently raised from 16 to 18, even as another law on marriage differs significantly.
Chinese Demand Harsher Laws to Stop Bullying After a Teenager's Beating Death
"We can't clean out the weeds by pulling them out one by one. School bullying, teenage violence, all these uncivilized behaviors are rooted in society and family."
Netizen Report: Two of Egypt’s Leading Human Rights Defenders Face Legal Challenge
Social media is back on in Uganda, but off in Iraq; a new tool helps Russians make friends (and target victims); and @Verdade reveals that Mozambique is conducting mass surveillance.
Mexico Launches National Transparency Platform
Mexico has a new tool to combat the opacity of public servants and of those who govern. But its effectiveness in practice remains to be seen.
Prepare for Pushback If You Call Jamaica Violent (Even Though It Can Be)
"These pockets of violence [...] are not as insignificant as we think. We have not begun to uncover the various forms of violence [...] in our society. Violence is pervasive."
Beijing Police Really Want You to Know a Man Who Died in Custody Was Accused of Soliciting a Prostitute
As if that really matters. The troubling case has left some netizens believing that police are trying to cover up a young environmentalist's death after he was arrested.
Bulgarian ‘Green’ Activist Faces Lawsuit Over Facebook Post
Bulgarian eco-activist Borislav Sandov was sentenced for "insulting" the director of a mining company through a Facebook status. Court of appeals will hear his case at the end of May.
After Months of Investigation, More Doubts Than Certainties Remain in Mexico's Ayotzinapa Case
Where are the 43 Ayotzinapa students? That is the question which remains unanswered 19 months after the group of young teaching students were detained by local police officers in Mexico.
Panama Papers Database Only Fuels Indians’ Frustration With Government's Response
"This could help investigators, if they are serious, to at least begin a meaningful investigation."
Russian Court Sentences Internet User to Two Years Behind Bars for VKontakte Reposts
A court in Tver region, Russia, has sentenced Internet user Andrey Bubeyev to two years and three months in prison on extremism charges for reposts on social network VKontakte.
Facebook Posts Tell the Tale of a Kazakh Land Reform Furore
As Kazakhstan's economic crisis rumbles on, the authoritarian government's PR blunders go from bad to dangerously worse.
For Trinidad & Tobago, the Olympics Gymnastics Furore Is About Perceived Corruption
Netizens weren't happy with one blogger's take, which seemed to brush aside concerns that there was something more sinister behind the last-minute replacement of the country's representative gymnast.