Stories about Human Rights from July, 2009
Russia: Riot Police Break Up Opposition Rally
Some 100 protesters gathered for an unsanctioned opposition rally in central Moscow on Friday. At 6 PM, hundreds of riot police broke up the rally, detaining 47 people, some of whom were said to be journalists and passerby.
Cuba: Political Prisoners
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports that while one former political prisoner has started a blog, another Cuban human rights activist “faces up to 8 years in prison if convicted...
Chinese NGOs: reading political signs in the fate of Gongmeng
David Bandurski from China Media Project translated an article written by Qian Gang which comments on the recent crack down of Gongmeng, a corporate registered citizen rights NGO, by the...
Armenia: Homophoia and intolerance
Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on a round table held in Yerevan on homophobia and intolerance in society. The blog says that Armenia cannot afford to allow xenophobia, homophobia and intolerance...
The Balkans: Mladic Update
Foreign Policy Association's War Crimes blog posts an update on Ratko Mladic.
Russia: Activists Appeal To Iranian Opposition
On July 26, LJ user dobrokhotov wrote (RUS) about a rally in front of the Iranian embassy in Moscow, organized by the Russian democratic youth movement “We” in support of...
Haiti: Secret Funeral
Haitian blogger Wadner Pierre reports that Kenel Pascal, “who appears to have been gunned down by UN occupation troops”, was given a secret funeral “because the priest and family were...
Hijablogging: On Burqas and Bans
Although the practice of wearing hijab has been around since pre-Islamic times, the debate surrounding it has increased in recent years. Whereas in some countries, hijab is mandated, in others, it has been banned in schools, workplaces, and sometimes altogether. But whether required or forbidden, Muslim women's dress is almost always a topic of hot debate.
Belarus, Russia: Bloggers React to Graphic Chechen War Video
On July 3, Belarusian blogger Tatsiana Elavaya posted a provocative video showing the assassination of captive Russian soldiers by Chechen guerrillas during the 1999 war in Chechnya. The video had been available elsewhere before, but when Tatsiana posted it on her blog, the reaction of the Cyrillic blogosphere was unprecedented.
Bermuda, Haiti: Standing Up
“In the 1980s Bermudians participated in the global anti-Apartheid anti-imperialist movement”: Catch a fire thinks “it is time that our new generation continue this tradition and pick up the mantle...
Haiti: What Happened to Pierre-Antoine?
“July 28 marks the 94th anniversary of the US occupation of Haiti…August 12th will mark the second anniversary of the disappearance of Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine”: The Haitian Blogger wonders what has...
Japan: Parental child abduction
Given the rise in cases where children born to a Japanese mother and a foreign father are abducted by the Japanese mothers and brought to Japan without the father's consent, the U.S., France, Canada and the U.K. have recently urged Japan to sign the Hague Convention.
DRC: Rape Epidemic Fuels Fistula Cases
Ongoing fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to take its toll on women's health. One consequence is more cases of a health condition called fistula, which is being caused by brutal rapes.
Iran: Kahrizak, a prison from Hell
Iranian authorities shut down Kahrizak, a prison in Tehran where the election protestors were held. Kodan Ba Estedad shares one ‘victim's story of torture in Kahrizak.
Trinidad & Tobago: Mother Earth
“It’s not how many tractors you have or how much oil you drill or how many smelters you build. But the humanity and the humility of what you do with...
Cuba, U.S.A.: Cabot Journalism Prize
Generation Y has been awarded the Cabot Prize by Columbia University and pledges to use its “prestige and protection…to continue to grow the Cuban blogosphere.”
Jamaica: Dancehall & Child Abuse
As the Jamaican government introduces a child pornography bill, Jamaica Salt makes it clear that the blame for the rise in child abuse on the island cannot be laid squarely...
China: One-Child Policy Heading for a Revision
According to Time magazine, the one-child policy, a cornerstone of contemporary China, will be changed when word got out late last week that Shanghai was encouraging couples to have additional...
Czech Republic: New Mosque in Brno?
The Czech Daily Word reports that “Christian Democrats oppose plans to build a new mosque in Brno.”
The Balkans: EU Visa-Free Travel Controversy
AriRusila of Blogactiv.eu‘s BalkanPerspective writes that the EU's intention to introduce visa-free travel for some Balkan entities but not others is dividing the region.
Russia: Mourning Natalya Estemirova
A Step At A Time translates LJ user kutuzov‘s comment “on the political background to Natalya Estemirova’s murder” and links to Prague Watchdog's photo report on “the vigil-cum-rally that was...
