In Focus

Article from zeit.de: Immer aggressiver wird diskutiert, ob das Tragen von Burkas auch in Deutschland verboten werden soll. Die Verfechter dieser Forderung finden immer mehr inspirierende Praxisbeispiele: In Frankreich, Belgien und in einem Teil der Schweiz ist die Vollverschleierung in der Öffentlichkeit bereits verboten. Julia Klöckner, die Vize-Vorsitzende der CDU, möchte einen Burka-Bann auch in der Bundesrepubli

Article by Aaron Rhodes in EPOCH TIMES While many once believed access to the Internet would usher in universal human rights and democracy, in the hands of China and other tyrannical governments it has become an extraordinary instrument of repression and thought-control. While countless millions (indeed, 40% of the world’s population) have come to rely on the Internet as a primary source of information, censorship an

Article by Aaron Rhodes in The World Post Reactions to Prime Minister Cameron’s plan to loosen the United Kingdom’s relationship to the European Court of Human Rights have been predictably hysterical and infused with partisanship. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called the plan “appalling,” adding that“the idea that we take away human rights, I think, is just an awful suggest

Aaron Rhodes on human rights defenders in Iran at the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council. (Opens in a new window)

Freedom Rights Project’s Aaron Rhodes blogging from the Human Rights Council in Geneva UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues Rita Izsák reported to the Human Rights Council on 18 March, focusing on “hate speech and incitement to hated against minorities in the media.” In the report, it is acknowledged that “[t]here is no universally accepted definition of ‘hate speech,’” and that the concept poses an intrinsic pro

Fundamental rights risk losing importance due to an increase of international human rights conventions. This was the thesis discussed during an event on “Expansion of human rights – blessing or curse?” organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Brussels. The phenomenon known as “human rights inflation” could be counterproductive according to certain experts and could paradoxically lead to a further

“The Danish gunman didn’t target only Mr. Vilks. He targeted all participants in a debate on the relationship between free speech and Islam. This attack shifts the boundary of Islamist offense-taking beyond specific expressions to include critical public debate of Islam and free speech in general. This cancerous “offense creep” of extremist demands is allowing shooters to set the limits of acceptable debate. Without

Jacob Mchangama on freedom of speech and blasphemy. Location: The European Parliament Topic: In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack, the discussion on the scope of free speech has flared up again. Does the right to freedomof speech also include the right to blasphemy? The purpose of this meeting was to have an open discussion on the unlimited right to freedom of speech on one hand, and the desire to prohibit bl

Copenhagen is considering empowering its intelligence services to conduct covert electronic surveillance on citizens abroad without the need for a court order. Outraged privacy advocates have pledged to fight the initiative. Jacob Mchangama states in RT: “Those conditions that normally need to be met in order to get a court order are not present [in the Danish proposal]. And when there are weaker grounds for suspicio