Human Rights
India: Advocating laws to safeguard journalists
Guwahati: An untoward incident of physically assaulting a lady television reporter by the police personnel in northeast India recently, brought back the old debate of having a special law for protection of journalists on duty. The incident that took place at Latashil police station in the heart of Guwahati city… »
Same-sex partnerships to be legalised in Greece
As part of the programme of radical change being ushered in by the new Syriza government in Greece, Justice Minister Nikolaos Paraskevopoulos, today announced plans to expand civil partnerships to same-sex couples. Such partnerships have been available to heterosexual couples since 2008. Campaigners have been working for years to end… »
World Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
Human Wrongs Watch On the International Day , marked every year on 6 February, and this year focused on ending the ‘medicalization’ of the procedure, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on health workers around the world to eliminate what he called a ‘deeply harmful’ practice. “Change is coming… »
Mauritania: fighting against slavery
The manifesto of ProMosaik e.V supports the organisation’s fights against injustice, slavery, exploitation, human trafficking, poverty, and ignorance. Concerning slavery up to now, ProMosaik e.V’s book project focusses on Mauritania, where slavery still exists in society; also on slavery in post-modern times in general and about slavery in Mauritania in… »
Chile’s LGBT movement wins historic victory with approval of civil unions
By Monserrat Sepulveda Rarely, do we activists get the opportunity to take out our rainbow flags and banners, not to stage a demonstration, but to celebrate. On January 28, Chilean activists had that rare opportunity: after four years of intense work by LGBT organizations, a civil union… »
Canada Supreme Court lifts ban on doctor-assisted suicide
The Supreme Court of Canada has lifted a ban on doctor-assisted suicide for people with grievous and irremediable medical conditions. Based on the Friday ruling, federal and provincial governments will have a year to craft legislation consistent with the verdict, recognizing the right of consenting adults who are enduring unbearable pain to… »
FCC’s Net Neutrality Shift a Victory for Open Internet & Grassroots Activism Against Cable Giants
After much anticipation, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission has unveiled what he calls “the strongest open internet protections ever proposed by the [agency].” Tom Wheeler backed the regulation of Internet service like a public utility in order to uphold net neutrality, the principle of a free and open… »
Sealing Borders ‘Will Continue to Fail on Massive Scale’ – UN Rights Expert Warns Europe
Human Wrongs Watch Migrants will continue to arrive and stay in Europe “no matter what,” so the overall goal should be to ensure they use official channels to enter and stay, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants on 5 February 2015 said. In 2014 more… »
The war in Libya: Hillary Clinton pinned down by secret recordings
According to U.S. Intelligence the decision to attack Libya was unjustified and illegitimate and was carried on solely by the determination of Hillary Clinton. For readers familiar with geopolitical affairs or who follow them carefully this will certainly not be a surprise. It might even cause a sarcastic smile and… »
Boko Haram Facing Mounting Regional Military Pressure
Human Wrongs Watch By Obinna Anyadike* ABUJA , 4 February 2015 (IRIN)* – Nigeria and its neighbors have launched a major military offensive that has retaken a string of border towns from Boko Haram. The move comes just ahead of talks in Cameroon to… »