Stories about Human Rights from March, 2018
‘They Beat Me Everyday With an Electric Cable…They Smashed My Head Into the Walls’
Lensa, who is from Ethiopia, is one of many migrant domestic workers in Lebanon forced to work and live in difficult conditions under Lebanon's notorious "kafala" (meaning sponsorship) system.
Netizen Report: Ethiopia Arrests Leading Journalists and Activists in ‘State of Emergency’
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Tunisian MPs Propose Legislation Criminalising ‘Cyber Defamation’
"This bill is the result of a repressive mindset restrictive of freedoms, reflecting a nostalgia for the dictatorship era".
A Journey for Justice in the Americas, Part 1: Three Women Tell Their Stories in Kingston, Jamaica
"To stop [my activism] would mean that I am giving another police officer permission to kill another of my brothers, or anyone else for that matter."
From the 2017 Global Voices Summit in Colombo, Sri Lanka: Into the Deep Podcast
In this podcast, a dozen Global Voices contributors take you to the latest Global Voices Summit and talk about their real life friendship, cross-cultural collaboration, and the value of community.
LGBTQI Rights Defenders Sound Alarm over Costa Rica's Presidential Election
"Imagine what a global disgrace, Costa Rica, flirting with the Middle Ages and asking to enter the darkest corners of fundamentalism that still exist on the planet."
False Reports Spread Online After the Murder of Brazilian Activist and Politician Marielle Franco
Fake rumors about the personal life and activism of murdered Rio de Janeiro city councillor Marielle Franco were shared by several right-wing groups and personalities.
The Sterilization War In India That Never Stops
In 2015-16, 82% of women who got sterilized did so at a govt-run center. For family planning, 85% of government funds are allocated to sterilization, and 13.5% to equipment, salaries.
Netizen Report: Network Shutdowns Threaten Communities in Syria, Venezuela, Pakistan
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
From Sydney Biennale Installations to Film Screenings, Ai Weiwei Highlights Treatment of Global Refugees
"How do we go from a darkness where we have dehumanized refugees and militarized responses, to one where we reclaim a shared human identity?"
Ghouta's Youth Become War Reporters to Shine a Light on Suffering Civilians
"I want to be a journalist to convey the innocents' suffering or study chemistry to make medicine to the people." - Noor, 12 years old, Eastern Ghouta
When Indigenous Girls are Raped and Assaulted in Bangladesh, a Queen Rises Up in Solidarity
From 2013 to 2017, violence was committed against 364 indigenous women and girls. In January 2018, 10 women and girls were raped and three of them were killed after rape.
Iranian Detainees Face Privacy Violations, Public Smear Campaigns
Two cases in Iran highlight new signs of violations of due process and in how personal electronic devices are seized and the right to privacy is violated.
Netizen Report: Internet Censorship Bill Looms Large Over Egypt
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
City Councillor and Leading Rights Activist Shot Dead in Downtown Rio de Janeiro
Marielle Franco was the fifth most voted councilor for Rio's City Chamber. She was murdered after denouncing police violence in favelas. The crime is being investigated as an execution.
Is Censorship Coming Back to Tunisia? Court Order Bans ‘Blue Whale’ Online Game
The implications of this decision, if upheld on appeal, would set a new precedent for internet censorship in Tunisia.
From Graffiti to Politics, Anti-Semitic and Neo-Nazi Speech Is Becoming More Visible in Eastern Europe
Activists in the region have been sounding the alarm about increasingly emboldened hate speech against Jewish people and apology for perpetrators of the Holocaust.
Societal Attitudes Are the Primary Threat Against Sexual and Gender Minorities in Ecuador
“We are about to celebrate 20 years since the decriminalization of homosexuality, but we must decriminalize homosexuality in people’s minds and hearts..."
Can Germany's ‘Lex Facebook’ Be Saved? A Business and Human Rights Analysis
Germany's NetzDG forces companies to police hate speech or face astronomical fines for persistent violations of up to 50 million Euro. Is this a good way to solve the problem?
Why Isn't Mexico's Government Surveillance Investigation Moving Forward?
"Most likely, the politicians who used this software are slowing down the investigation [In Mexico] it is still better to pray to the Virgin Mary for justice than it is to go to the authorities."
Aurat March (Woman March) Marks Resistance Against Misogyny in Pakistan
"There is a lot of anger that is finally releasing and this march was a way to direct that anger somewhere for something powerful and beautiful."