Stories about Human Rights from August, 2018
Netizen Report: It’s not just Myanmar — ethnic hate speech runs rampant on social media in Cameroon, India
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
In Mozambique, new licensing fees have raised the cost of doing journalism — and may threaten media freedom
The fees were described by Mozambican online newspaper @Verdade as "astronomical".
Nicaragua's diaspora activists bear a ‘double burden’
The political and emotional challenges of diaspora activism are complex: "Receiving news firsthand also means feeling it firsthand."
Will France’s new street harassment law really benefit women?
"We refuse to let feminism be used to reinforce the French government’s tendencies toward racism and over-policing."
Artists rise up as Ugandan MP ‘Bobi Wine’ faces fresh charges of treason
"The extent to which violence is escalating in this country is worrying and we should all be concerned. We need to reflect on these matters and find a way forward."
Tajikistan releases whistleblower but leaves conviction in place
The #FreeKhayrullo campaign did its job and the government backed down. Now fearless Mirsaidov says he will appeal the conviction.
#FreeBobiWine: Protests mount over torture and arrest of a young political force in Uganda
"In our new Africa, there is no room for brutality, we cherish each other. Let us debate disagreements, not crush opponents."
Netizens flood the internet with support for monsoon victims in Kerala, India
"Kerala is striving together...to overcome the catastrophic flood. However...some are trying to malign this great effort with misinformation in the form of fake messages on social media."
Kerala floods: Tech-savvy Indian citizens mobilize to minimize the damage
"The spirit of unity, willpower, compassion, and dedication of thousands of volunteers belonging to state and non-state agencies in Kerala are indescribable."
Fearing reprimand, student protesters in Bangladesh go silent
The government has blamed social media users and activists for trying to create unrest by sharing provocative posts and content on Facebook.
Netizen Report: Elections in Mali marred by militant violence — and internet shutdowns
Bangladeshi students go quiet as police pursue online accounts, Brazil gets a new data protection law and Facebook is still floundering in Myanmar.
Latin America is the deadliest region on Earth — and this YouTube series wants to know why
Run by young reporters from the 130-year-old Colombian newspaper El Espectador, La Pulla combines hard analyzes with a raw sense of humor to delve into complex topics.
The ongoing water crisis in Iran's Ahwaz region looming towards disaster
"Why don’t the authorities listen to our voices? Our Buffaloes are dying because of the river drying up. [...] If these animals are starved, we will starve too."
#FreeKhayrullo: Human rights groups demand justice for Tajik journalist facing trial
A bold and popular journalist is appealing a 12 year-sentence he received after speaking out against official corruption.
In Pakistan's elections, animals were tortured for the sake of political stunts
"A donkey beaten to pulp, punched in the face and abdomen several times, nose broken, kicked all over his body until he collapsed."
Lebanon ramps up interrogations of online activists
“You cannot bring us up with a mentality of freedom and then try to oppress us.”
Four women icons of the Syrian revolution
One perished in a Syrian prison, two died in exile, the other is still missing. The personal histories of these four Syrian women challenge us to not to forget.
Netizen Report: Bangladesh protests trigger mobile network cuts, journalist arrest
Venezuela goes after journalists' cameras after drone attack, Iran re-routes Telegram (to government servers) and Google tries to go back to China.
For Cuba's transnational families, a little internet goes a long way
To understand the changing dynamics of the many Cuban families with members living abroad, spend some time in the country's public wifi parks.
The abortion legalization movement in Argentina gets a boost of global solidarity
Support for the movement has expanded on social media to include similar struggles in other counties.
To see the full brutality of ICE's impact on immigrants, look inside U.S. borders too
"The terror ICE raids sow in communities affects us all. In immigrant communities this often results in a reluctance to call police, cooperate with authorities or show up in court..."
