Stories about Human Rights from November, 2015
Bangladesh Keeps Blocking Social Media, Threatens New Surveillance Tactics
With the lack of accountability shown by the government, a move towards more stringent controls of the Internet is worrying for the state of free expression in the country.
Death in Diyarbakır: Shooting of Human Rights Lawyer Deepens Turkey's Political Strife
"We have lost a very important lawyer who gave all his life to peace and the human rights struggle. Please get to know him better and do not forget him."
Gambia's President Bans Female Genital Mutilation, but There's Still Much Work to Be Done
"Lost in all the celebrations...is the fact that FGM is not banned in The Gambia, at least not yet. There is no enforceable law on the books"
Ahmadi Muslims Once Again Become a Target for Violence in Pakistan
"We bleat about the West callously turning back refugees while we sit in abject silence at continued Ahmadi persecution in Pakistan."
‘If There Is One Thing the Angolan Government Is Scared of, It Is People’
Read part two of an interview with Laurinda Gouveia, who is accused of inciting rebellion against the Angolan government for participating in a book group.
Iranian Cartoonist Who Drew Sadness of Paris Attacks Jailed
It's not the first time Iranian cartoonist Hadi Heidari has been a target for arrest.
With Messaging Apps Still Banned, Bangladeshis Turn to Tor (and Twitter)
It is not clear whether the government has blocked the Facebook portal or banned the use of Facebook altogether.
An Interview With Laurinda Gouveia, a Young Woman Charged With Conspiring Against the Angolan Government
"Even today, physically, I bear physical evidence of this beating. And, obviously, my way of looking at these men is not the same as it was before..."
How the Ruling Oligarchy Imperils Japanese Democracy
How committed is Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo to Japan's national defense, and what does that mean for the country's Constitution?
If You Want to Know What #1in5Muslims Thinks, Don't Ask UK Newspaper The Sun
The British tabloid inspired the hilarious hashtag after twisting the results of an already dubious telephone poll into the Islamaphobic headline: "1 in 5 Brit Muslims' sympathy for jihadis".
Women at Work: The Collective Now Transforming Hip-Hop in Mexico
A multidisciplinary collective has successfully combated Mexico's stereotypes and faced gender discrimination in the art scene and in Mexican society more broadly.
The Indian Sub-Continent’s Domestic Workers Deserve Much More Than This
Poor pay, lacking legal protections, abuse. That is the abysmal treatment that domestic workers often receive. But change is slowly but surely taking root, one house at a time.
Who's Afraid of Simone de Beauvoir? How a National Exam Had Millions of Brazilians Talking About Gender
Feminists celebrated the national university entrance exam as it asked people to write about the persistence of violence against women. It was a sad day for the trolls.
Inside Big Brother: How Russians Created the ‘Red Web’
In a special report for RuNet Echo, Darya Luganskaya speaks to Andrei Soldatov about his new book with Irina Borogan about the past, present, and future of Russian Internet censorship.
Ecuadorean Man Faces 18 Months in Jail for Clapping at a Protest
Although the evidence shows that he only applauded on that day, an Ecuadorian citizen was condemned to 18 months imprisonment for co-conspiracy in the attacks against Ecuador's state TV channel.
International Tribunal Reopens Indonesia's ‘Forgotten Genocide’
The Indonesian government is accused of orchestrating an anti-communist purge that killed at least half a million people. What kind of reconciliation is possible today?
The Refugees Stopping at Vienna's Train Station of Hope
A look back at the scenes at Vienna's central train station in September, two months before the deadly violence from which many refugees are fleeing would touch Beirut and Paris.
After the Paris Attacks: For It to Be Unity, It Can't Be Partial
"Scrolling up and down Facebook, reading impressions, testimonials, opinions, statistics, I see that the main victims of the attacks are people of all colours, and over 15 nationalities."
The Streets of Paris Are as Familiar to Me as the Streets of Beirut
"We do not get a "safe" button on Facebook. We do not get late night statements from the most powerful men and women alive and millions of online users..."
Thousands March Against Gender Violence in Spain
Even at a moment like this, after such a display of support from the public, feminists are hardly celebrating. Just days after the mass protest, crime stats are rising again.
#FreeBassel: Death Sentence Rumored for Syrian Web Developer
Rumors are circulating that imprisoned Syrian-Palestinian software engineer Bassel Khartabil, also known as Bassel Safadi, has been secretly sentenced to death by the Syrian government.