Human Rights

Refugee Week: Meet the man who fled the Taliban and is now helping Afghan women in London

IBTimes UK interviews Nooralhaq Nasimi, director and founder of Londons Afghanistan and Central Asian Association.

Jun 19, 2017

Seeing stars over beef: MLA invokes Mammootty's Joseph Alex IAS to lampoon cattle sale ban

During the special session on Thursday, VS Achuthanandan, B Ganesh Kumar and Mullakara Ratnakaran too expressed their views on the ban of cattle slaughter in the country.

Jun 9, 2017

Candlelight vigil in Hong Kong commemorates 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown

Thousands attended a candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing. On June 4, 1989, the Chinese government deployed troops to crackdown on pro-democracy, student-led protests. It is estimated that hundreds, if not thousands, were killed that day, although Chinese authorities have yet to release an official death toll. Organizers estimated that 110,000 gathered for the vigil, while police estimated only 18,000 took part. Hong Kong is one of the few places under Chinese control that such commemorations are allowed. Nearly three decades later, any public commemoration of the protests is still banned on the Chinese mainland.

Jun 7, 2017

Former Maldives President on fighting corruption and climate change

Former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, shared his experience with defending democracy at the 2017 Oslo Freedom Forum. On 7 February 2012, Nasheed resigned as president under disputed circumstances, following weeks of protests by the opposition, which had then been joined by a majority of military and police forces.

Jun 5, 2017

Distraught Yazidi campaigner and former Isis sex slave makes tearful return to her village

Nadia Murad is now a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and works advocating for Yazidi women in Iraq.

Jun 2, 2017

#ThisFlag leader Evan Mawarire on Zimbabwes future

Zimbabwean pastor and activist, Evan Mawarire created the #ThisFlag movement in April 2016 with a simple video that spread across social media and created a movement that inspired thousands of Zimbabweans. At the 2017 Oslo Freedom Forum, he told his story and shared his views with Newsweek on the future of his home nation, Zimbabwe.

Jun 1, 2017

Lesbian dating app Rela shuts down in China where homosexuality was 'a mental disorder' until 2001

Some users link Rela's suspension to its support for the parents of LGBT children, who attempted to participate in a "marriage market" in Shanghai on May 20.

May 31, 2017

Palestinian prisoners end mass hunger strike after securing concessions

Around 1,100 hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners ended their 40-day fast. They reached a compromise with Israel on additional family visits. Israel agreed to allow the inmates a second family visit each per month. 18 prisoners are being treated in hospital because of the hunger strike.Palestinians rallied behind the hunger strikers as national heroes. More than 6,000 Palestinians are currently in prison for offences linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

May 27, 2017

Two men publicly caned in Aceh for having gay sex

The punishment, condemned by rights groups, marked the first application of anti-homosexuality laws introduced in the province in 2014.

May 23, 2017

Meet Jedhinda, taxi driver who helped reduced maternal mortality rates by 27% in Tanzania

A first-of-its-kind ambulance taxi service created by the Vodafone Foundation to save the lives of high-risk pregnant women in two Tanzanian districts the size of Belgium, reduced maternal mortality rates by 27% in its first year.

May 22, 2017

Jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawis wife: Free my husband

Ensaf Haidars visit to the UK marks the five year anniversary of her husbands arrest.

May 19, 2017

#YellowSunday campaign aims to support, train and empower women in DRC

#YellowSunday, a Congolese–led initiative, is hoping to raise funds to enable 1,000 women living in conflict and post-conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to train as nurses.

May 18, 2017

Why Irans election is important to the world

A year ago few would have believed that Hassan Rouhani would struggle to win re-election in Iran. But when Iran goes to the polls on 19 May, Rouhanis future is far from certain. Hardliners have coalesced around Ebrahim Raisi, a 56-year-old cleric that is sceptical of Irans nuclear deal with the West and is understood to have the favor of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans Supreme Leader.

May 17, 2017

Who is Chelsea Manning?

The U.S. Wikileaks whistleblower is to be released from prison on May 17 2017, but who is she?