A bill before the Russian parliament that would expand the status of “foreign agents” to private persons, including bloggers and citizen journalists, should be a source for serious concern. This legislative initiative would have a detrimental impact on the already restrictive environment for independent journalism in Russia and become a strong tool to silence opposition voices. To allow for individuals to be labeled “foreign agents” is a proposed amendment to … Read more →
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Human Rights Opinion From Every Corner of the World
UKRAINE: Six months in, Zelenskiy’s human rights record is as ambiguous as his platform
As the Impeachment Inquiry against President Trump rumbles on, Ukraine dominates the headlines. But in this moment when Western analysis of Ukraine is obscured by U.S. political squabbles, it is more important than ever to hone in on the lives of the Ukrainian population themselves – and human rights offers an ideal lens with which to do so. In its 2018 report, Freedom House classed Ukraine as ‘partly free’. Since … Read more →
A Tribute to Hevrin Khalaf: “the loudest voice that fought for women’s rights in Syria”
On the afternoon of the 12th of October, Hevrin Khalaf was pulled from her vehicle, beaten and shot in an execution style murder on the side of a road, south of the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, also known as Gire Spi. She was also raped, and her body was … Read more →
Lebanon is burning and the people are rising
On Saturday, London saw the gathering of over a thousand people outside the Lebanese embassy in solidarity with the protestors in Lebanon. Millions of people all across Lebanon have been protesting for the last week. To an unfamiliar spectator, the current crisis in Lebanon may seem as if it has appeared all of a sudden, but in reality … Read more →
The true cost of citizenship: IOHR bring Children Not Profit to party conferences
Between Saturday 21 September and Wednesday 25 September the seaside city of Brighton played host to this year’s Labour Party Conference. Following a successful fringe event at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth last week, the International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR) once again ventured to the south coast to raise issues relating to citizenship in front of a crowd of policy makers, journalists and representatives of fellow non-governmental organisations. … Read more →
Malta Summit: A Landmark Agreement for Migration in Europe
Gone are the days of demagogy in Italy. No more unhealthy anti-migrant propaganda without the courage to find real solutions. No more live videos on Facebook, Twitter posts and interviews released at the seaside between a Mojito and the club. Politics is done in appropriate fora. Two weeks after stepping into power, the new Interior Minister, Luciana Lamorgese has shown that it is possible to find open solutions to the … Read more →