Stories about Human Rights from July, 2014
Bahrain's Justice Minister Tweeted About Giving His Political Opponents a Political ‘Slap’
Slapping, kicking and other forms of physical violence were found to be part of the government's systematic mistreatment or torture of political opponents since the 2011 uprising.
“The Zone 9 Bloggers Are Writing From the Outer Ring of the Prison, the Nation Itself”
The charges against the bloggers give a sense of what the Ethiopian government is fighting: dissent, not terror.
#FreeZone9Bloggers: On July 31, We Tweet for Human Rights—and Human Beings
If convicted, they will find themselves in the company of at least eighteen other journalists who have suffered the same fate. All remain in prison today.
Tajik Blogger: “We Must Prove our Professionalism and Close the Case Against Alexander Sodiqov”
Global Voices community member Alexander Sodiqov has been released from jail, but still faces wrongful charges of treason. This blogger - his former student - hopes for Alexander's swift release.
Spanish Soldier Who Penned a Best-Selling Novel About Military Corruption Gets Jail Time
Luis Segura, a lieutenant in the Spanish army, is in prison for criticizing the military during interviews for his novel "Un paso al frente" (A step forward).
These ‘Poets With a Cause’ Are Defending Social Justice in Crisis-Hit Puerto Rico
"Poetas en Marcha is Felipe the janitor, Sofia the overworked and underpaid secretary, the young adults laughing while having a beer after their final exams, the noble lady selling fruit."
‘Shots Started Ringing Everywhere. Then What? Then People Being Hit, Screams, Utter Chaos’
A young Gazan man recalled on Facebook the death and devastation he witnessed during the Israeli assault on Khuza'a, which killed two of his cousins.
Bangladesh Authorities Shut Down a 200-Year-Old Brothel, Evicting Hundreds of Sex Workers
Pressure from religious leaders and conservative politicians is the suspected reason behind the closure. But the national platform of sex workers of Bangladesh accused local officials of land grabbing.
Thai Junta Issues New Gag Order Against Media
A new order from the Thai military government bans "criticism of operations of the [Junta], its officials, or any related individual," among other things.
“Shrinking Democratic Space” in Myanmar
The new United Nations Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, has concluded a visit in the country and issued an initial report about Myanmar's human rights situation: The opening up...
Indians Are Using Social Media to Tackle Racism Against Northeasterners
Many people from the India's northeastern states, called the “Seven Sisters,” face racial discrimination. The country has seen several cases of deadly violence against northeasterners in recent months.
Bahrain's Shia Muslims Tense as Politicians and Preachers Pledge Allegiance to ISIS
Back in 2011, Shia-Muslims complained of political and economic marginalization in the country of 1.3 million people, but recent events suggest a growing trend towards complete marginalization.
Kuwait, the Gulf's Poster Child of Democracy, Strips Opposition Members of Citizenship
Kuwait's decision to revoke the nationalities of opposition members and their families has sent shock waves across the Gulf. Noor Mattar tells us why.
Israel Struggles to Win “Hearts and Minds” in Media War on Palestine
Israeli social media strategist Niv Calderon is waging a war of words on Palestine. “There is a media war, and each citizen, each computer user, is a soldier,” he says.
2 Journalists Arrested for Alleged Defamation of a Minister in Madagascar
Two journalists from the daily paper Madagascar Matin were placed under arrest at Antanimora's jail, in the capital city of Madagascar, Antananarivo. Earlier this morning (July 23), both of them...
Sri Lanka Plans to Deport 1,500 Pakistani and Afghan Refugees
Facing persecution in Pakistan, many Ahmadiyya Muslims and Christians have taken refuge in Sri Lanka. These refugees are mostly held in Boossa and Mirihana detention centers and have to live on...
Fear, Love and Iran's Favorite Internet Enemy (it's Facebook)
On July 13, eight young Iranians were dealt long prison sentences for their activities on Facebook. Activists both in and outside the country know little more about the case.
Expired Meat Was on the Menu at McDonald's, KFC and Other Fast Food Restaurants in China
It's the latest food safety scandal to hit China, which has seen a spate of issues in recent years, including a 2008 milk contamination that killed six infants.
Dozens of Activists in Brazil Were Arrested Not for Protesting the World Cup, but for Possibly Planning to Do So
Thirty-seven people were preemptively arrested ahead of the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro because police believed they might protest violently in the future.
‘Syria Is With You, Gaza’
From poets to activists from the heart of Aleppo, where the bombs keep falling, shows of Syrian-Palestinian solidarity are constant. Syria Untold has the story.
As Trinidad & Tobago's Military Hunts Down a Killer, Some Wonder Who's ‘Guarding the Guards’
Trinidad and Tobago's military is accused of flouting the law in the search for a soldier's killer. This isn't the first time authorities there have policed at any price.
