By: Marwa Rakha, Global Voices, January 20, 2010
More than 20 Egyptian bloggers, who were on their way to pay their respects to the families of the victims of the Coptic massacre, were arrested when their train arrived in the village of Naga Hammady in Upper Egypt. They were released shortly afterwards and they are now telling us their side of the story.
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Armenia: Prison term for opposition activist revives democratization debate
By: Marianna Grigoryan, EurasiaNet, January 20, 2010
The seven-year prison sentence handed down to opposition activist and journalist Nikol Pashinian on January 19 for his alleged role in Armenia’s violent 2008 election protests is stoking fresh debate about civil liberties and rule of law.
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Iran: This magic green bracelet
By: New Internationalist, January 2010
Ayatollah Khomeini’s grandsons supporting the reformers? Demonstrations in the holy city of Qom? This is a new generation of resistance, as Nasrin Alavi shows in her latest survey of the Iranian blogosphere.
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Iran: Death sentence issued for female Kurdish political prisoner
By: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, January 20, 2010
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran expressed serious concern regarding the increasing number of death sentences issued for Kurdish political prisoners following unfair trails. According to Kurdish human rights organizations, at least 20 political prisoners have been condemned to death.
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Fatemeh Haghighatjoo on how the United States should respond to Iran’s opposition movement
By: Inside Iran, January 20, 2010
Fatemeh Haghighatjoo was a member of Iran’s Parliament from 2000 to 2004, and a prominent advocate of women’s rights and political reform. She resigned in 2004 after a crackdown on reformers and left Iran in 2005. She is now a visiting scholar at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
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Israel/Palestine: ‘Nonviolent peacemaking is a threat’
By: Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss, January 20, 2010
Yet another sign of Israel’s fear of nonviolent activism and journalism: The two leaders of a Christian Peacemaker Team to Israel/Palestine were deported by Israel 3 weeks ago following an interrogation. On Earth Peace reports that the two were repeatedly asked, “What’s the purpose of your trip to Israel?”
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Israel/Palestine: Sheikh Jarrah heats up
By: Noam Shelef, Americans for Peace Now, January 20, 2010
Israeli police overstepped its bounds when they arrested 17 activists at a demonstration Friday against the settler take-over of homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ordered the activists released unconditionally after determining that the rally was legal and that the activists were arrested without cause.
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Israel accused of silencing political protest
By: Ben Hubbard, AP, January 19, 2010
Israel is arresting a growing number of prominent opponents to its policies toward the Palestinians, say critics who are accusing the government of trying to crush legitimate dissent.
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Iran opposition urges protests on Revolution day
By: Brian Murphy, AP, January 18, 2010
Iranian opposition groups flooded the Web on Monday with calls for a massive show of force during next month’s anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, openly taunting authorities who have warned of a punishing response to any disruptions of the most hallowed day in the Iranian political calendar.
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Iran: Ex-Tehran prosecutor rejects post-vote abuse report
By: Reuters, January 17, 2010
Tehran’s former chief prosecutor has rejected parliamentary criticism of his role in the alleged mistreatment of people detained after Iran’s election last year, accusing MPs of showing sympathy for a “bunch of hooligans.”
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OCEANIA
Fiji’s critics warned to “keep low”
By: AAP, January 21, 2010 Amnesty International has hit out at Fiji’s military regime for threatening critics to “keep low” and cooperate or be treated badly. Fijian citizens are coming under increased pressure from their government to behave and watch what they say as the junta cracks down on any signs of dissent. Read full article…
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AFRICA
Kenya: Muslim youths vow to defy demo ban
By: Galgalo Bocha, Daily Nation, January 21, 2010 Despite calls from different quarters to call off demonstration, Mombasa Muslims Youth have vowed to go on with their Friday’s planned peaceful protest in the streets of the coastal town. Read full article… Why I had to flee Zimbabwe By: Stanley Kwenda, ZimOnline, January 21, 2010 “Freelance journalist Stanley Kwenda was found dead on the outskirts of Harare. His remains were found dumped in a ditch along the Harare to Domboshava road . . . ” An imagined worst case scenario, yes — but one which after that strange and angry voice on the phone last Friday evening promised I would not survive the weekend, I could not say with certainty could never happen. I had to act immediately. Read full article… Zimbabwe: Air force officer leads ‘Kariba draft’ campaign in Manicaland Zimbabwe: MDC slams journalists’ harassment Angola: Activists arrested over Cabinda bus attack Zambia: Politician threatens to ‘gang rape’ opponent Protest in Nigeria over absent leader |
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NORTH AMERICA
US: Celebrating the dream
By: Danielle Strickler, The Breeze, January 21, 2010 Reverend James Lawson, a former friend of Martin Luther King Jr., believes that even today if we are to follow and honor King’s dream, then we need to start a nonviolent movement of change starting with ourselves. Read full article… US: Iranians reporting opposition crackdown ‘have inspired the world,’ says Hillary Clinton US: Remarks on internet freedom US: The emancipation proclamation of 2010 US: On human rights, Obama’s words soar above actions US Senator: Iran’s approach to opposition and nuke talks equally “obnoxious” |
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CENTRAL AMERICA/CARIBBEAN
Cuba, the internet and social media
By: Irving Wladawsky-Berger, Cuba Study Group, January 19, 2010 Last week I attended the Cuba, IT & Social Media Summit in New York City. The key overarching goal of the meeting was “to empower Cubans on the island through technology, helping them to communicate with each other more freely on the island and with the outside world, to access information more freely, and to share information with the rest of the world.” Read full article… El Salvador: Fallen anti-mining activists honored with vigil Assassinations continue in Guatemala Detainee was helping Cuban Jewish groups involved in U.S. democracy project |
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SOUTH AMERICA
Human rights organizations respond to the Wall Street Journal
By: Marcelo Virkel, Upside Down World, January 14, 2010 An article written by Mary Anastasia O’Grady and published by The Wall Street Journal last December has generated the emphatic reaction of human rights and grassroots organizations. The news story reproduces the accusations against the Colombian Peace Community of San José de Apartadó made by Daniel Sierra Martínez (alias “Samir”), a former guerrilla commander demobilized in 2008. Read full article…
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By: Reuters, January 21, 2010
Human rights protections in the Western Balkans lag behind aspirations for European integration, Human Rights Watch said today. In its World Report 2010, Human Rights Watch documents human rights conditions and issues in Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, and Kosovo.
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New political prisoners in Belarus
By: Charter 97, January 21, 2010
An influential international organization Human Rights Watch admits new political prisoner appeared in Belarus. New York based Human Rights Watch issued the 20th annual report on human rights, Radio Svaboda reports. The report 2010 records an increased number of attacks on human rights activists and organizations in some countries, including Iran, Burma, China and some post-Soviet states.
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Konstantin Popov, Russian journalist, dies after beating by police
By: Mansur Mirovalev, Huffington Post, January 20, 2010
A Russian journalist died Wednesday after being severely beaten by a police officer in the Siberian city of Tomsk, investigators and his editor said. The officer was arrested.
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