Stories about Law from October, 2016
After a Well-Known Artist's Tragic Death, Taiwan's LGBT Community Demands Marriage Equality
"Don't just pay lip service to "equal rights for the LGBT community". Words are empty! As long as same-sex marriage is not legalized, it means nothing!"
Leaked Xinjiang Police Report Describes Circumvention Tools as ‘Terrorist Software’
The report describes using VPNs as an indicator of criminality, or a “pre-criminal” behavior, perhaps a harbinger of tighter restrictions to come.
Russia Is Reportedly Banning LinkedIn
LinkedIn, the world’s largest online professional network, is at risk of being blocked in Russia, where federal censors have convinced a Moscow court to outlaw the network.
Venezuela's Government Blocks the Recall Referendum Process, and the Opposition Cries ‘Dictatorship!’
"A democratic government consults the people. A dictatorship flees the electoral vote."
In Trinidad & Tobago, Video of Shooting Aftermath Doesn’t Boost Public Trust in the Police
"This has nothing to do with what happened before [...] or what led to his shooting. This has to do with what passes for police procedure in this place."
Russian Search Engine Will Only List Top News Stories from State-Registered Media
Yandex is coming under pressure to register with Roskomnadzor, the state agency that regulates Russian media.
A Portuguese Woman's 20-Year Legal Battle Over a Scholarship Ends in Her Imprisonment for Defamation
"It is unfortunate that the law is not applied to all people in the same way..."
Sri Lanka Pays the Price for Past Government's Extravagance
The huge sum of money spent canceling an order for new Airbuses could have funded a whole lot more.
Chinese Netizens See Human Rights Violations in Child Protection Bill
The new regulations attempt to protect children by requiring hardware companies to install surveillance software on their devices, and by promoting treatments for "Internet addiction."
A Social Media About-Face in Trinidad & Tobago Highlights the Complexity of Domestic Violence
"The fact that she’s decided to return to that relationship […] means she can be seduced by affection and scared of retribution, like all human beings."
Journalists Call on Timor-Leste PM to Drop Defamation Complaint Against Reporters
Around the world, reporters are trying to get the prime minister of Timor-Leste to abandon a criminal complaint against two journalists who say he was involved in government corruption.
An Animated Video Explains the Powers of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Not sure what the court does? This video might help.
Iceland Is Trying to Elect Politicians Who “Know Who They Work For”
Icelanders' campaign to get their citizen-drafted constitution enacted "could be a rare victory for democracy reform this election cycle—and one that could inspire many elsewhere."
Trinidad & Tobago Opposition Member Slammed for Using Photos of Minors With Guns to Score Political Points
Were laws broken? Was the whole thing a red herring? Have politics sunk to a new low? After photos of children brandishing guns were shown in parliament, netizens have questions...
More Naughty Than Nice: The Dutch Government’s Approach to the Black Pete Tradition
Evidence shows that the tradition of Black Pete is having a negative impact in the Netherlands, especially on young people, but the Dutch government has failed to tackle the problem.
The U.S.'s Deportation of Haitians Shows That Asylum Applicants Are Far From Equal Under the Law
"Events like the 2010 earthquake should be basis for humanitarian asylum. Does sending people back to a country without a working infrastructure and facing famine and disease constitute justice?"
Only ‘Foreign Agents’ Share Stories About Happy Times in the U.S., Says Russian Court
The American Alumni Club joins a list of 146 organizations that have been designated as "foreign agents" by the Russian Ministry of Justice. The club's crime? Reposts on social media.
Netizen Report: Brazilians Find the Limits of Free Speech on Facebook
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
New Abortion Ban Proposals in Poland Mean the ‘Black Protest’ Movement Isn't Over Yet
"I am counting on another Black Protest against the barbaric statement of Kaczyński who wants to create a hell. A protest that will defeat him."
Blinded, Married, and Turned Loose in the Ring: Three Stories of Girls in Modern-Day India
Global Voices reviews a few stories covered by the Video Volunteers community's citizen journalists, showing how girls in India face and cope with various gender-related challenges.
Indonesia Drafts New Ban on Cyberbullying, But Activists Say They're the Target
"The cyber law is used as an effective tool to spread fear against voices who want to unmask injustices in this country."