Category: Blog Posts

AUTHOR: Antía Kornführer Romay The administrations of both the former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2022) and the current President Ferdinand (‘Bongbong’) Marcos Jr. (2022-present) have used digital platforms to spread misinformation and introduced vague anti-terror laws to target, discourage, and ultimately undermine the efforts of young human rights defenders in the Philippines. The main tactic behind the state-sponsored …

AUTHOR: Antía Kornführer Romay Three years ago, on the 15th of June 2021, the widely domestically and internationally criticised Propaganda Law was passed in Hungary. Three years of human rights violations. Background Since 2010, there has been a noticeable rise in the prevalence of discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals in Hungary, evident in both the rhetoric and laws endorsed by the …

AUTHOR: Annika Kannen The UNODC World Drug Report in 2023 reported that in 2020, an estimated 585,000 people died from drug use worldwide. Still, drug users often have to overcome huge hurdles to access treatment, which in many cases are not available widely, many even being prohibited in several countries. The right to health includes access to science-backed treatments, which …

AUTHOR: Tanaaz Shahariyar The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a history of human rights violations. This has been documented over the years with several organizations calling out the country for its disparities in gender treatment, the horrific treatment to its workers, the brutal suppression of opposing political thought and curtailing freedom of expression among others. A mechanism which allows human …

AUTHOR: Antía Kornführer Romay 15,700 politically-motivated arbitrary detentions were documented in Venezuela between 2014 and 2023.Around 300 individuals remain deprived of their liberty for political reasons. The politically-motivated arbitrary detentions carried out by Nicolás Maduro’s government are part of a systematic policy of repression, targeting political oppositions or critics of the authorities. Amnesty International indicates that these systematic attacks on Venezuelans may amount to …

Women’s Resilience in the Face of Violence  AUTHOR: Tanaaz Shahariyar  History is littered with stories of women, and their centuries of oppression and marginalization. From the witch hunts of the Middle Ages to the brutalities of slavery, to the current day, women have faced systemic violence and discrimination. Statistics paint a grim picture: an estimated one in three women worldwide …

The Use of Sexual Violence against Protestors in Iran AUTHOR: Annika Kannen Summary: In response to the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, Iranian authorities used extensive force, including sexual violence to intimidate protestors and extract confessions. The article outlines the systematic use of sexual violence against protestors by telling the story of Fatemeh, who survived sexual abuse following her detention at …

Bulldozer (In)Justice—A look at systemic discrimination in India AUTHOR: Tanaaz Shahariyar  During the period from April to June 2022, Amnesty International recorded the deliberate demolition of a minimum of 128 properties, encompassing residences, businesses, and places of worship, with the vast majority owned by Muslims. These incidents took place in various states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), namely …

Criminalizing homelessness: A short history of vagrancy laws AUTHOR: Annika Kannen Summary: This article is about the historical roots and discriminatory impact of vagrancy laws targeting people living in homelessness and poverty. It talks about ongoing struggles for reform and delves into why these vague, outdated laws undermine justice and perpetuate harm. Photo by hdabed on Freeimages.com First of all, …

Human Rights of Women in Afghanistan AUTHOR: Thirsa Rzepka The Alliance for Human Rights in Afghanistan made a joint statement on August 15, 2023. Hereby they condemned the ongoing and increasing human rights violations by the Taliban that particularly affect women and girls since the Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. Over the past two years, …