Stories about Law from November, 2021
Jamaicans mourn the passing of human rights defender Nancy Anderson, who worked to assist the island's most vulnerable citizens
As "a very proud advocate for human rights," one of Anderson’s key achievements was to help make legal services more widely available to the poor in Jamaica.
In Azerbaijan, bullying in schools is still a problem
Ali Malikov, a high school senior, is boycotting his school after lack of action by the school administration and the Ministry of Education to address bullying and harassment.
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan tighten the screws on media freedom
The Uzbek government banned entry to a foreign journalist, while in Kazakhstan journalists and activists were targeted by state security services.
Human-elephant conflict could lead to the extinction of elephants in Bangladesh
Around three dozens of resident and migrant elephants were killed in different parts of Bangladesh since January 2020, seven were killed in November 2021 alone.
Press freedom and the Indian judiciary
In India, journalists are being unfairly charged with defamation, sedition, and publishing fake news. Despite the constitutional guarantee of press freedom, threats to the press are rampant in the country.
‘Unfit for military service': How Azerbaijan stigmatizes LGBTQ+ military personnel
In Azerbaijan, though homosexuality is not legally considered a disease, when it comes to military service it is registered as either a neurological/psychological illness or a personality disorder.
Invisible scars result from patriarchal tolerance of gender-based violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Due to the deep-rooted patriarchal structure of society in Bosnia and Herzegovina, domestic violence is often perceived as a corrective measure of the strong over the weak family members.
Political dynasties and billionaires hijack ‘democratic’ party-list system in the Philippines
"The most urgent need of the hour is for legislation to be passed to revise the party-list act and install permanent safeguards to prevent abuses and misuses of the system."
Once more, Jamaicans debate whether states of emergency are an effective crime-fighting tool or a band aid
The murder rate in some communities in Jamaica has increased between 16 and 57 per cent in 2021, with the country recording 1,240 murders so far this year.
Legislating repression: Libya’s new cybercrime law
"The timing of promulgation, with presidential elections just around the corner, has left many people wondering about the purpose behind such a move."
More leeway to the ship recycling industry from the environmental authorities in Bangladesh triggers criticism
Activists in Bangladesh are criticising the recent decision of the environmental authorities who downgraded the status of the ship recycling industry from red to orange.
Paper lives: Turkey's trash collectors face deportations, arrests, and midnight raids
Istanbul police conducted raids on waste collectors' depots last month, allegedly to address potential health hazards, public security concerns, and the employment of unregistered migrants.
Nepal: Drowning in sorrow
Despite protests, defiant sand mining and quarry contractors have continued to leave large abandoned pits along Nepal’s rivers in which children drown by the dozens every year.
More voices call for the release of Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist who could die in a mainland Chinese prison
For months, international human rights groups have been urging China to release the jailed citizen journalist Zhang Zhan. The US government recently joined the cause as Zhang’s health is deteriorating.
Turkey: new report highlights the extent of censorship online
A new report explains how a series of amendments made to Turkish law No. 5651 will have a "burning and destructive effect" on freedom of expression in Turkey.
Thai protesters demand the abolition of royal defamation law
"We believe it would be better to live in a society where people are not imprisoned for simply expressing their political opinions, for demanding a better society..."
In Georgia, the ruling Dream Party wins in local election runoff vote
The local elections were held in an environment of protracted political crisis since October 2020, when opposition groups contested the ruling Georgian Dream Party's victory in the parliamentary elections.