16 Jan 2012 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
The Kuwait government has supported the suppression of “stateless” protesters by security forces over the weekend.
Protests demanding citizenship rights turned violent, and riot police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse protesters.
A statement issued after Kuwait’s weekly cabinet meeting said: “The council of ministers expresses its backing and support for the measures being taken by the interior ministry to … confront all forms of violence.” The statement also said that only “enemies of Kuwait” benefited from such unrest. Dozens were wounded and over 100 arrested during the protests.
16 Jan 2012 | Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
A 10,000 copy print run of a private Belarusian newspaper has been seized by police. Copies of Vitebsky Kuryer were seized by officers on Friday night, as a car carried them from the print house in Smolensk. Police pulled over the car, and ordered the driver to a nearby police station, where the print run was impounded. Yuliya Kanaplyova, a journalist from the newspaper, who was driving the car was charged with having dirty license plates. The newspaper was apparently seized following the article “Ten Facts about the Case of Ales Byalyatski,” detailing the proceedings against the prominent human rights defender.
12 Jan 2012 | Americas, Index Index, minipost
An independent journalist and human rights campaigner in Honduras has received several death threats following her involvement in a free expression march last month. Itsmania Pineda Platero was told “We’ll skin you alive, bitch!” in one of four death threats over three days. During one of the calls, there was the sound of a gun being loaded in the background. Platero walked at the forefront of the “Journalism for life and free expression” march on 13 December, which was violently dispersed by soldiers and members of the presidential guard.
11 Jan 2012 | Middle East and North Africa, News and features
Unable to travel freely or look for work, five political activists still face extreme hardship after being pardoned by the Emirati president. Sara Yasin reports
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