Stories about Human Rights from January, 2017
Algerian Blogger Merzoug Touati Could Face 25 Years in Jail for Interviewing an Israeli Official on YouTube
The interview focuses on Algerian government accusations that foreign powers stoked protests against austerity measures in the country. Blogger Merzoug Touati is charged with "exchanging intelligence with a foreign power."
Journalists of Closed Hungarian Newspaper Népszabadság Score ‘Symbolic Posthumous Victory’ in Court
A Hungarian court has ruled that last October's sudden closure of the country's leading opposition daily, Népszabadság, was illegal.
Originally Sentenced to Death, a Blogger Goes Before Mauritania's Supreme Court
In 2014, Ould Mkhaitir was arrested and convicted of "apostasy" over an opinion article in which he addressed Mauritania's discriminatory caste system.
Health of Detained UAE Academic Nasser Bin Ghaith at Risk, Rights Groups Say
Bin Ghaith was held incommunicado for nine months over and deprived of adequate food and clothing. Supporters are now concerned for his health.
Netizen Report: Bahrain Orders News Outlet to Stop ‘Using Electronic Media Tools’
Israeli lawmakers give nod to ‘Facebook Bill’, Oman suspends free speech cases against Facebookers, and Kenyans fear an election day Internet shutdown.
Bahrain Intensifies Media Crackdown Ahead of Protest Anniversary
On 16 January, the government banned the online edition of the country’s only independent newspaper al-Wasat, from "using electronic media tools".
#SaveArash: Jailed Iranian Activist Arash Sadeghi is Fighting for Human Rights — And His Life
Arash Sadeghi was on hunger strike from 23 October 2016 until January 3, 2017. He remains alive and conscious, according to close contacts of his family.
Digital Activists Are Disappearing in Pakistan
At least six bloggers and digital activists have disappeared thus far in 2017. Despite being a serious human rights issue, the number of people missing in Pakistan is unknown.
Will 2017 Be a Better Year for Turkey's Media?
Turkey's government continues to conflate journalism it doesn't like with terrorism and other crimes against the state.
After 71 Days on Hunger Strike, Arash Sadeghi Sees Iranian Authorities Release His Wife on Bail
Iraee was charged after Iran's Revolutionary Guards raided her home, looking for evidence against her civil rights activist husband, Arash Sadeghi.
The Best and Worst of Russia's New Year's Laws
Every year, the Russian State Duma schedules laws to come into effect on January 1st. RuNet Echo marks the highlights and lowlights of the 2017 New Year's laws.
Award-Winning Chinese Human Rights Journalist: ‘This is a Calling, Not a Career Choice’
Twenty-six-year-old journalist Zhao Sile won a Hong Kong Human Rights Press Award for her 2016 story, "The Fate of Chinese Rights NGOs."