A Cambodian court has ordered the release of 13 women who were imprisoned after protesting in support of families whose homes were destroyed during forced evictions. The women were sentenced last month to two and a half years in prison, following a brief trial that rights groups described as hasty and unfair. Judge Seng Sivutha […]
Cambodia: Court Frees Land Eviction Protesters
Posted June 27th, 2012 at 6:30 am (UTC-5)
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Senate Panel Approves Sanctions Against Russian Human Rights Violators
Posted June 26th, 2012 at 7:00 pm (UTC-5)
A U.S. Senate panel has approved sanctions on Russian officials who violate human rights. The bill, approved by the Foreign Relations Committee, would ban travel visas and freeze the assets of anyone found to be a human rights abuser. But it specifically targets Russian officials responsible for the imprisonment, alleged torture, and death of Sergei […]
Russian Human Rights Activist Resigns From Presidential Council
Posted June 22nd, 2012 at 6:20 pm (UTC-5)
One of Russia’s oldest human rights activists, 82-year-old Ludmila Alexeeva, has resigned from the presidential human rights council after the administration decided to change the way it chooses members for the 27-member body. She fears the council may come under the influence of the government. Officially called the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human […]
Rights Group Calls On Russia To End Impunity In North Caucasus
Posted June 21st, 2012 at 6:10 pm (UTC-5)
Rights group Amnesty International has called on Russia to strengthen accountability of law enforcement personnel in the restive Northern Caucasus. In a report issued Thursday, the group says that law-enforcement agencies often pose as much threat to the security of local residents as do armed groups. In a new report called “Circle Of Injustice,” the […]
Vietnamese Dissident Gets 5 Years in Jail for Leaflets
Posted June 6th, 2012 at 7:20 am (UTC-5)
A court in southern Vietnam has sentenced a dissident to five years in prison for distributing anti-government material. Report say 53-year-old Phan Ngoc Tuan was found guilty Wednesday of collaborating with “reactionary groups and individuals” to spread documents defaming the Communist state. The court in Ninh Thuan province also ordered Tuan to serve three years […]
Freedom House: Hungary, Ukraine in Democratic Decline
Posted June 6th, 2012 at 12:45 am (UTC-5)
A U.S.-based non-governmental organization advocating for democracy and human rights says Hungary and Ukraine are at the forefront of an antidemocratic trend in Central and Eastern Europe. In a report issued Wednesday, Freedom House warns that negative developments in Hungary and Ukraine raise serious questions about the durability of the European Union’s young democracies, as […]
Thai Court Convicts Web Editor in Free Speech Case
Posted May 30th, 2012 at 5:15 am (UTC-5)
A Thai court has convicted a website manager on computer crimes charges for failing to act quickly enough to remove online comments that were deemed offensive to the country’s monarchy. The Bangkok Criminal Court on Wednesday gave an eight-month suspended jail sentence to Chiranuch Premchaiporn for not respecting a court order to promptly remove the […]
Thailand Convicts Web Editor in Free Speech Case
Posted May 30th, 2012 at 3:40 am (UTC-5)
A Thai court has convicted a website editor on computer crimes charges for failing to act quickly enough to remove online comments that were deemed offensive to the country’s monarchy. The Bangkok Criminal Court on Wednesday gave an eight-month suspended jail sentence to Chiranuch Premchaiporn for not respecting a court order to promptly remove the […]
Brother of Blind Chinese Dissident Returns Home
Posted May 27th, 2012 at 5:20 am (UTC-5)
A rights lawyer says the older brother of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has returned to his village in eastern China after escaping guards on Tuesday and travelling to Beijing. Attorney Ding Xikui said Sunday that he was told by a friend of the family that Chen Guangfu had returned to Dongshigu village after seeking […]
China Rejects US Report on Human Rights
Posted May 25th, 2012 at 5:20 am (UTC-5)
Beijing is rejecting an annual report by the U.S. State Department that says China’s human rights record worsened during the past year. The State Department report released Thursday categorized the human rights condition in China as “extremely poor,” saying authorities were stepping up efforts to stifle dissent and restrict freedom of speech. Chinese Foreign Ministry […]
