Stories about Human Rights from February, 2016
Saudi Arabia Sentences Twitter User to 10 Years in Prison and 2,000 Lashes for Apostasy
Saudi Arabia has sentenced a Twitter user to 10 years in prison in addition to 2,000 lashes for publishing 600 tweets "which spread atheism" online.
The Malaysian Insider News Website Blocked by Authorities for Posting ‘Unverified’ Report on Government Corruption
"Such unilateral action could also be construed as an attempt to intimidate the media against running critical news reports."
Bangladeshi Authorities Arrest Publisher and Shut Down Book Fair Booth for ‘Hurting Religious Sentiments’
Bangladesh’s constitution enshrines the right to free expression, and atheists have the same rights as other citizens. But authorities have done little to stop attacks against those critical of religion.
A Pakistani Artist Remembers Sabeen Mahmud and her Valentine's Day Campaign
According to one of activist Sabeen Mahmud's killers, her '"un-Islamic" Valentine's Day rally was "the sin she eventually paid for."
Malaysian Police Threaten Internet Users for Sharing Clown Memes of Prime Minister
"Public scrutiny is part of the democratic process that serves as the foundation of Malaysia. Satirical images and comments made against government official[s] should not be considered as a crime."
A Colombian Official Takes Short-Lived Legal Action Against a Journalist Over His Tweets
"...limitation of freedom of expression must be necessary and proportionate, that is, it must be the only and most effective means, something which is not true in this case."
An LGBT Blog Is Suspended Over Mention of Cuba’s 1960s-Era Labor Camps
"I honestly hoped it was a technical glitch...I don't know how this 'defames the Revolution,' as the judgment issued to us says."
The Troubling Rise of Internet-Related Arrests in Cambodia
"They do plainly illustrate a deeply troubling trend, whereby those who criticize the political elite are routinely being arrested for expressing their views on social media."
“A Good Day for the Internet Everywhere”: India Bans Differential Data Pricing
Indian Telecom Regulatory Authority bans differential data pricing and Facebook's large plans for Free Basics come to an end.
Saudi Arabia Reduces Ashraf Fayadh's Death Sentence to Eight Years in Prison and 800 Lashes
Saudi Arabia overturned the death sentence of Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh, accused of apostasy and other blasphemy-related offenses which he denies, to eight years imprisonment and 800 lashes.
Egyptians Call for the Release of Political Prisoners on the Fifth Anniversary of the Jan 25 Revolution
Some 41,000 political prisoners remain in jail in Egypt on the fifth anniversary of the Egyptian revolution. Mira G looks at how they are being remembered.
Russia and Chile Join the Global Campaign to Save a Saudi Poet From Execution
Poets and activists in Moscow and St Petersburg expressed their solidarity with Ashraf Fayadh, who's been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. Similar events were held in Chile and Mexico.