Bangladesh: Arrest of Journalist Investigating Corruption
(New York) – Bangladesh authorities should drop all oppressive charges against the renowned Bangladeshi journalist Rozina Islam, Human Rights Watch said today.
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Censorship
A collection of 765 articles
Uganda: Drop Charges Against Law Student
(Kampala) – Ugandan authorities should drop the abusive charges against a 24-year-old law student over a tweet, Human Rights Watch said today.
Michael Muhima was charged on May 14, 2021, with “offensive communication” for a tweet he posted in November 2020, parodying the police spokesperson, Fred Enanga. Muhima was jailed and
Turkmenistan: Threats Against Relatives of Dissidents Abroad
(Vienna) – Turkmen security officials have questioned and threatened a 14-year-old boy in retaliation for the outspoken views of his uncle, a Turkmen activist and journalist who lives in Turkey, four independent human rights groups said today.
The threats, in early May 2021, are part of a wave of harassment against
Human Rights Watch Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Singapore
Introduction Freedom of Expression and Peaceful Assembly Criminal Justice Migrant Rights Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Acceptance of International Norms [1] Recommendation 166.58.
Blogger Jailed for 6.5 Years on Dubious Charges in Uzbekistan
An Uzbekistan court’s decision to jail Otabek Sattoriy, an independent blogger who has investigated alleged corruption by local authorities, is a miscarriage of justice and blow to freedom of speech in Uzbekistan. On May 10 a Surkhandaryo region court found Sattoriy guilty on three counts of extortion and two
Myanmar: Junta Bans Satellite Television
(Bangkok) – The Myanmar junta added a ban on satellite television to existing restrictions on the internet and media, tightening its grip over information in the country, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 4, 2021, the ruling State Administration Council announced that anyone using satellite dishes to watch television faces
How to identify COVID Propaganda
Professor Mark Crispin Miller has taught classes on mass persuasion and propaganda at the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development for the last two decades
UN: Stand with Bangladeshi Journalists on Press Freedom Day
(New York) – The Bangladesh government’s increasingly violent crackdown on media freedom is of urgent concern on World Press Freedom Day, eight nongovernmental organizations said in a letter today to Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Bachelet and UN experts should publicly and vigorously express concerns
EU: Prioritize Rights at India Summit
(Brussels) – European leaders at the May 8, 2021 summit with their Indian counterparts should prioritize the deteriorating human rights situation in India, including the right to health, eight organizations said today.
With a devastating Covid-19 crisis affecting the country, Europe should focus on providing support to help India deal with
What Press Freedom Looks Like in Rwanda
Celebrating World Press Freedom Day in Rwanda may well require journalists, activists, and diplomats to toe the line of the government’s ever-growing list of forbidden topics.
Myanmar: End Threats Against Rights Group
(Bangkok) – Myanmar’s military junta should immediately stop threatening the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a leading human rights monitoring group, Human Rights Watch said today.
The group has documented security force abuses since the February 1, 2021 coup, including killings of protesters, arbitrary arrests and detentions, enforced disappearances,
Troubling Cases of the Malaysian Government Criminalizing Speech
With GE15 on the horizon, there is a grave risk that arrests will continue to rise.Respect for freedom of speech in Malaysia is in free fall - a decline illustrated by two recent arrests.
The Myanmar Junta’s Assault on the Truth
Myanmar security forces have launched a full-scale attack on the country’s media, targeting journalists for arrest, raiding the offices of newspapers and online media, and banning five outspoken media outlets. At least 71 journalists, including a Japanese freelancer, have been arrested, of whom 48 remain in detention. In the
Russia Closing Down Media Freedoms
April was a terrible month for freedom of expression in Russia.
Maldives Advances Media Freedom, But Long Way to Go
After years of ignominy as one of the worst countries in Asia for media freedom, the Maldives has risen to 72nd place in the latest rankings of the World Press Freedom Index, up from 120th place three years ago. That improvement reflects how far the island nation has come since