Stories about Human Rights from October, 2015
Bangladesh Book Publishers Suffer Fatal Attacks in Wake of Blogger Killings
Both publishers had ties with Bangladeshi-American blogger and author Avijit Roy, who was attacked and killed in February 2015.
Iranian Student Held Without Charge, Pressured to Make False Confession
"Judicial officials...should not arrest youths and pass heavy judgments against them every time they criticize. My son should be sitting in class and studying right now.”
Free Alaa Campaign Takes Social Media by Storm on the First Anniversary of His Imprisonment
Alaa Abd El Fattah has spent a year behind bars for his activism. Netizens are calling for his freedom on the first anniversary of his imprisonment.
Two Tanzanians Accused of Posting ‘False Information’ Face Charges Under New Cybercrime Law
According to the state, both men have violated Section 16 of Cybercrimes Act, which prohibits "publication of false information." Little more is currently known about their cases.
Global Voices Welcomes the Release of Zone9 Bloggers, Pledges to Keep Fighting for Free Expression in Ethiopia
"Supporters have built incredible momentum around the #FreeZone9Bloggers hashtag. Let's use this to keep moving forward, pushing to protect human rights in Ethiopia and around the world."
Ethiopia's Zone9 Bloggers Acquitted of Terror Charges
Many supporters on Twitter put words like "acquittal", "court" and "judiciary" in quotation marks to emphasize the degree to which the case exposed Ethiopia's failed judicial system.
Turkey Puts a Gun to the Media's Head in Lead-up to Elections
Information campaigns and physical intimidation that once targeted Kurdish and leftist media are now being aimed at major media outlets of all kinds.
Open Letter: Facebook Must Change its Broken “Real Name” Policy
"Facebook maintains a system that disregards the circumstances of users in countries with low Internet connectivity, exposes its users to danger, and curtails free speech."
Fears for Imprisoned Syrian Bassel Khartabil, Transferred to an Unknown Location
Activists are calling upon the Syrian government to immediately release imprisoned Syrian-Palestinian blogger Bassel Khartabil (Safadi) after he was moved from his prison to an unknown location earlier today.
Indonesian Student Detained Under Cyber Law for Police Extortion Video
"Is defamation the reason for Adlun's arrest or was he arrested for revealing facts about police [behavior]?"
