Stories about Human Rights from April, 2017
The Return of the Butcher of Kabul: What Does It Mean for Peace in Afghanistan?
Global Voices spoke with activist, journalist and author Akram Gizabi about the potential implications of warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's return to the domestic political fold.
Brazilian Graffiti Artists and Young Syrians Are Painting Refugee Camp Walls Together
Brazilian and Syrians are hand in hand on "Painting on Camps walls" of refugee's school camp in Lebanon's Beqaa and more walls of hope inside Syria.
How Two Students in the US Turned Their Online Popularity Into Big Money for Famine Aid in Somalia
It began with a video of Liban Adam drinking a giant bowl of camel’s milk and ended in a one-month $80,000 fundraiser.
Rafael Braga Vieira: Symbol of Institutionalized Racism and Criminalized Poverty in Brazilian Justice
Braga was homeless and collecting recyclables to survive when he arrested the first time. But that was just the beginning of a darker saga.
Kashmiri Man Who Was Tied to an Indian Military Jeep as a Human Shield Says He Now Lives in Fear
"...I am afraid of going to a hospital. I’m afraid they will find me and kill me…I haven’t stepped outside my house in the last eight days."
Kyrgyzstan Bolsters Protections Against Domestic Violence
"Up until now, in order to get a protection order, women had to prove in court that the domestic violence had occurred."
High-Profile Chinese Blogger Arrested for Online Comments, After Years of Police Harassment
Under China's "stability control" measures, it is increasingly common for netizens who are critical of the government to be summoned or detained by police.
Indian Government Bans 22 Social Media Platforms in Kashmir including Facebook, WhatsApp
"By presenting the other side to the Kashmir storyline, the locals once again were able to own....the highly complex and conflicted Kashmir narrative."
Netizen Report: Censorship Spikes in India, Subsides in Cameroon
The Internet is back on in English-speaking Cameroon, while social media has been shut down in Kashmir. Journalists in Maldives mourn the stabbing death of a blogger.
Jailed Emirati Academic Endures Hunger Strike to Protest Ten-Year Jail Sentence
"I have no choice but to go on hunger strike to restore my stolen freedom".
How the United States Has Become a Problem for Indians
To learn more about the lives of Indians in Donald Trump's America, Global Voices spoke to two Indian young men about their aborted plans to study in the United States.
Maldives Blogger and Activist Yameen Rasheed Stabbed to Death
“So-called 'Paradise on Earth' has no public safety for it's citizens. Tomorrow, it could be me, you, or any of us," wrote a Facebook user.
A Colombian Philosopher Explores the Alternatives to Overusing Mother Nature
"It might sound like a cliché: 'We must unite to face worldly problems', but that unity is necessary. Divided peoples don't win."
Gazans Protest Against ‘Massacre of Salaries’ by the Palestinian Authority
Tens of thousands of Gazans are condemning the Palestinian Authority's salary cuts of public and security employees.
Students Protest in Kashmir Amidst School Closures and Mobile Internet Blocking
"Where in the world are student protests crushed with such force & brutality, pellets & tear gas shells rain today many got injured"
A São Paulo City Councilor Surprised Schools With an Inspection for ‘Leftist Indoctrination’
Fernando Holiday was inspired by the Escola Sem Partido (School Without Party) campaign, which divides opinion in Brazil.
The Day Russia Outlawed Jehovah's Witnesses
It’s strange to see this in writing, let alone know that it’s true, but here it is: Russia has formally banned Jehovah's Witnesses.
Ethiopia's Human Rights Commission Admits Protesters Were Killed, but Shifts Blame Away From Government
“God Save Us from Subservient Human Right Commission that intimidates the public”
Netizen Report: Mexican Journalists Were Threatened Online, Then Killed
Kashmiris see more cuts to basic communications services, a Japanese artist gets fined for her 3D vagina art, and Thailand tells Facebookers to "unfollow" state critics.
Critics Say Albanian Parliament Is Trying to Amnesty Crooked Politicians, Under Pretext of Judicial Reform
Following protests, Albania's president has rejected legislation that could have spared the hides of many corrupt politicians. But it could still become law, regardless.
The Viral Video That Showed a Kashmiri Man Tied to an Indian Military Jeep
The video is from the recent by-poll election in India's northernmost state Jammu and Kashmir, where more than eight protesters were killed and dozens were wounded by Indian security forces.