Stories about Human Rights from August, 2015
One Syrian Refugee's Long and Dangerous Journey to Europe
Before the war began, Thair Orfahli studied law in Lebanon and regularly visited his family in Syria. But as the violence intensified, he decided he had to leave.
This Ukrainian Artist Is Drawing Comics About His Imprisonment By Pro-Russian Militants in Donetsk
A Ukrainian guerrilla artist whose street art got him kidnapped and tortured by pro-Russian militants is working on a comic book to raise awareness of prisoners in occupied eastern Ukraine.
A Week Before a Huge Vote, Demonstrators Fill Guatemala's Streets, Calling For President to Step Down
University students, peasants, families, indigenous groups, artists, cities, towns, hospitals, and more are rapidly joining calls for President Otto Pérez Molina to step down.
Brazilian Police Are Preventing Poor Black Teens From Visiting Rio's Upscale Beaches
"They think we're thieves because we're black," a 15-year-old told a reporter.
Argentina Has Had Decades of Democracy, So Why Do the Disappearances Continue?
Despite 32 years of democracy, thousands of people—particularly women and young girls—are still unaccounted for in Argentina. And more keep disappearing.
Bahrain's Opposition, From Dialogue Tables to Prison Cells
Bahrain is closing in on Al Wefaq Islamic Society, the country's largest opposition group. One after the other, it's leaders are rounded up and jailed.
8 Ways Climate Change Is Already Affecting Africa
According to the Climate Change Vulnerability Index for 2015, seven of the ten countries most at risk from climate change are in Africa.
Videos Show How Lebanese Security Forces Violently Dealt With ‘You Stink’ Protesters
Videos capturing police violence against protesters in Lebanon are making the rounds online. Is protesting against mounting rubbish and government corruption worth being beaten up and teargassed for?
This Is What Happened When a Ukrainian Film Director Was Sentenced to 20 Years in a Russian Prison
When Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in a high-security Russian prison on terrorism charges, Russian and Ukrainian Internet users were less than pleased.
You Can Also Demand Justice for the Journalists Killed in Mexico
Writers around the world ask President Peña Nieto of Mexico to probe journalist murders. (Here's their letter) https://t.co/qAkZI5K2MR — Susana Hayward (@mediasayer) August 16, 2015 More than 500 journalists, writers, artists...
Everyday People Put Solidarity Into Action Helping Refugees in Greece
"It's not charity, it's solidarity from everybody to anybody...It's also love from human beings to human beings regardless of skin color, ethnicity or religion."
The Story of Salim Alaradi, a Canadian National of Libyan Origin Detained in the UAE
Libyan-born Canadian Salim Alaradi has been in a UAE prison for a year, with no charges or access to a lawyer. His 17-year-old daughter is campaigning for his freedom online.
Son of Green Movement Opposition Leader Comes Out in Support of Iranian Nuclear Deal
"As a professor of law who was banned from teaching in Iran, I strongly support the nuclear deal," Mohammad Taghi Karoubi declared in a video.
Peaceful Protestors Face Riot Police Brutality in Lebanon
A brutal response awaited the peaceful protesters of the #YouStink movement who gathered in Beirut on Saturday August 22 to demand a solution to the garbage crisis in Lebanon.
Is a More Child-Friendly Bangladesh Possible?
Weighed down by heavy schoolbags and neglected by the government, is life about to get better for Bangladesh's millions of miniature citizens?
Afro-Latin American Women Use Social Networks to Commemorate Over a Decade of Struggle
"The situation of women of African descent is a unique one: because of their gender they find themselves even more vulnerable and susceptible to exclusion."
Guyanese Police Officers Punished for Being Pregnant
Outdated laws in Guyana make it possible for the police service to dismiss female officers who get pregnant while on probation. Could that change sometime soon?
This Doctor Has Written Thousands of Postcards to Get Health Advice to India's Poor
He spent his career trying to deliver health care outside of expensive hospitals. Now, he's sick — but he doesn't want to get treatment.
Indonesian Court Orders Family of Former President Suharto to Return Embezzled Funds
Indonesia's Supreme Court has ruled that the foundation of the late President Suharto is guilty of embezzling state funds from 1976 to 1998. It ordered the family of Suharto to...
Malaysia Considers Forcing News Websites to Register with Government, As Political Scandal Unfolds
"It is highly unlikely that this move is intended to achieve anything other than the shutting down of criticism."
Argentinians Keep the Memory of Dictatorship Victims Alive on the Web
For almost 40 years, Argentinian human rights movements have fought to preserve the memory of their disappeared loved ones, a struggle that has adapted for the Web 2.0 era.
