Europe
Turkey Cracks Down on Opposition in Mass Arrest of Lawyers and Journalists
March 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment
More than eighty Turkish citizens, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, and students, were detained as part of a mass arrest that took place in the early morning hours of January 18, 2013. The arrests occurred in seven …
Ukrainian Legislation Threatens Freedom of Expression of the LGBT Community
February 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment
A Ukrainian bill commonly referred to as a “gay gag law” passed its initial reading on October 2, 2012. If signed into law, this bill would drastically restrict the right to free speech of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) …
As the European Economy Struggles, Nationalist Parties Grow
December 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
As the economic crisis in Europe deepens, extremist right wing political parties in the region, taboo after World War II, are becoming more common due to their policies promoting both nationalism and protectionism. As the movement expands beyond domestic politics …
Russian Olympic Preparation Displaces Nearby Residents
October 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Russia’s preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi have elicited concern from nearby residents as well as human rights advocates that the rights of private landowners are being compromised in preparation for the Games. While residents have actively protested …
The Arrest and Deportation of Suspected Islamic Extremists in France
July 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Over a ten-day period in March 2012, Mohammed Merah, an Islamic extremist, shot and killed seven unarmed people in Toulouse, France. In the wake of these killings, the French government proceeded to arrest and detain nearly thirty suspected Islamic terrorists. …
Kosovo’s Draft Criminal Code and the Risk to Freedom of the Press
July 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The parliament of Kosovo is currently considering a new draft criminal code that has proven rather contentious with the Kosovo media and international human rights organizations. Two articles of the draft code, articles 37 and 38, may restrict freedoms of …
Election Fraud Protests in Russia
March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
For a brief moment in January and February 2012, it looked as if the Russian government had decidedly altered its public policy against opposition protests and public demonstrations. The Russian government allowed two successful, peaceful demonstrations to occur on December …
The Case of N.Ç.: A Turkish Child’s Presumed Consent to Prostitution
February 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In many countries, when a thirteen-year-old girl is sold as a child prostitute, courts presume the girl has been raped. The Supreme Court of Appeals in Turkey recently found otherwise. Two women, who purported to be thirteen-year-old N.Ç.’s employers at …
Religious Freedom and the French Law Banning Prayer in Paris’ Public Streets
October 25, 2011 By 1 Comment
In September 2011, the French government implemented a new law in Paris banning prayer in public streets. The government passed the law in response to increasingly overcrowded mosques from which Muslim worshippers overflow daily, spreading their mats upon the ground …
Refugee Rights and Italy’s Response to the Influx of North African Migrants
October 12, 2011 By 1 Comment
Tens of thousands of individuals from North Africa have migrated to Europe since January 2011. Most of these migrants have entered the EU through the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Sicily. An estimated 50,000 migrants have reached Italy in 2011 …
