Stories about Law from June, 2012
Egypt: A Legal Tangle
The Arabist sheds light on a legal tangle in Egypt, which could force fresh presidential elections. “All of this is to say that the situation is extremely confusing […] the elections could be cancelled. In fact, if parliament is dissolved as well, the transition would essentially go back to square...
Russia: United Russia Deputy Wants to Sue Navalny for 60 Billion Rubles
Latest developments about wider crackdowns on the Russian protest movement and other campaigns specifically targeting the country's number one blogger.
Pakistan: The Kohistan Story Of Honor Killing of 5 Girls Gets Complicated
Omair Alavi provides the latest updates on the story of honor killing of 5 girls in Kohistan and questions the media's role in the whole debacle.
Germany: Anti-ACTA Rally in Berlin – Signal to Politicians, Reminder to Citizens
"Don’t forget to be against ACTA" – with these half-humorous words organisers of the anti-ACTA protest closed the demonstration that took place on June 9 in Berlin. Kasia Odrozek reports.
Poland: Obama's “Polish Death Camp” Gaffe Causes Controversy
In the last days of May, a storm of controversy struck the Polish public opinion when the US President Barack Obama used the expression "a Polish death camp" rather than stating clearly that what he meant was a Nazi Germany-operated death camp on the Polish territory. Anna Gotowska reports.
Saudi Arabia: Protests to Free Detainees Held Without Trial
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is believed to have thousands of detainees who were not allowed access to trials and many of them do not even know their charges. The families of detainees have been working the past months through social media to spread the word and have finally decided to take their cause to the street. Mona Kareem charts how one protest emerged on Twitter.
Tajikistan: Sharia Replaces Secular Law
Blogger Kayumars Ato writes [ru] that Sharia, or Islamic law, is gradually replacing secular law in Tajikistan. Excessive red tape and corruption in the country's courts increasingly lead Tajiks to consult Islamic leaders for guidance in disputes relating to marriage, divorce, and inheritance.
India: Blogger Gets A Take Down Notice For Exposing Corruption
Kracktivist informs that blogger Vidyut Kale of aamjanata.com had received a take down notice for an article being defamatory. In the alleged post the blogger exposed financial corruption of some influential persons.
Kyrgyzstan: Politician Slams Mini-Skirts and Tracksuits
A conservative MP in Kyrgyzstan has proposed to ban mini-skirts and sportswear in the national parliament building, triggering a debate among the country's netizens. While some netizens support the MP's proposal, others believe parliamentarians should focus their time and resources on more urgent tasks.
Cuba: Economic Deja Vu?
A few Cuban bloggers have been voicing their economic concerns - and wondering whether the island's recent reforms, some of which include a more open approach to self-employment - could translate into political change as well.
South Korea: Broadcasters Strike's Leadership
The Court dismissed warrant requests filed against union workers of South Korea's one of the largest network TV, MBC for leading an indefinite strike against the company president and its censorship on news content. @saveourmbc tweeted a photo of the leadership looking relieved after the victory.
Pakistan: Suspected Honor Killing of Five Girls for Celebrating with Boys
Five girls are reported to have been killed in Kohistan, Pakistan, for dancing and listening to music in the presence of boys at a marriage celebration after being convicted by a jirga tribal court.
Tajikistan: Lawyers Use Blogs to Provide Legal Advice
Internet users in Tajikistan can now get free legal consultation online. A Tajik NGO has trained [ru] a group of lawyers in running personal blogs through which they provide legal advice to anyone in the country.
Ukraine: A Roma Camp Burned Down in Kyiv
On its Facebook page, the Human Rights Information Center posted a photo report [uk] on the demolition of a Roma camp in Kyiv, which was home to some 70 people, most of them children, until May 31, when 15 men showed up and burned the camp down, ordering the residents...
Slovakia: SOZA Strikes Again
One year after having been defeated by public opinion, the Slovak Performing and Mechanical Rights Society (SOZA), which was asking fees for embedded videos on web pages, strikes again. Now SOZA wants fees for St. Nicholaus and Mother's Day performances, during which children recite nursery rhymes and sing folk songs...
Colombia: The Brutal Rape and Murder of Rosa Elvira Cely
Colombian netizens were moved and outraged when they found out about the brutal rape and murder of 35-year-old Rosa Elvira Cely. Hundreds of people attended a demonstration to demand justice, using hashtags like #RosaElviraCely and #NiUnaMás ("not one more").
Russia: Returning to a State Monopoly on Violence?
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, both the mafia and private and military security companies stepped in to supplement domestic Russian law enforcement. One private security company owned by opposition politicians was recently shut down, leading some to speculate on political motivations.
South Korea: Court Upholds Military Ban on “Subversive” Books
A South Korean court has upheld a Ministry of Defense ban in the army on 23 books labeled as "subversive", fueling public worries for the protection of free speech.
Mexico, USA: Who Will Pay the Price for Wal-Mart's Corruption?
One of the largest corporations in the world, Walmart, is taking a hit after evidence surfaced that their Mexican subsidiary paid $24 million US dollars of bribes to Mexican officials between 2002-2005.
Tunisia: Protesting the Military's Lack of Transparency and Censorship
Two Tunisian journalists have gone on hunger strike in protest at the military which had confiscated their video taping equipment while they were covering a court hearing on the murder of protesters during the 2011 Tunisian uprising. The journalists accuse the military justice of its lack of transparency in handling this case.
China: Lives of Kidney Sellers
Alia from ChinaBeat translated a local feature story on the lives of kidney sellers in China. What they gets in return is about USD5600 per kidney.
