Oleg Sentsov
Introduction The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine started back in February 2014 due to Russia’s invasion and occupation of Crimea. By March of the same year, Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea. He took control of the peninsula with the support of paramilitary groups and troops, justifying his decision as a way to protect Russian ethnicity. […]
Political prisoners: The case of Belarus
Following the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the declaration of independence by the Soviet Union republics, there was a sense of optimism regarding the establishment of democratic and liberal states by the newly independent nations.[1] It was widely believed that the principles of the rule of law, equality, and human rights would usher in […]
Fadzayi Mahere; Constitutional lawyer and opposition spokesperson in Zimbabwe
Genuine and meaningful political engagement is difficult in many parts of the world, especially for those seeking change or advocating for justice. For women, this journey is even harder due to persistent discrimination and resistance from political leaders, and prevailing bias among the public who struggle to accept women as leaders. This gender inequality in […]
Barefoot lawyers and Weiquan movement in China
In a country with a complicated of the rule of law in its modern history, barefoot lawyer Chen Guangcheng was able to make significant achievements before taving no other choice but to dramatically escape his house arrest and seek help from the US embassy in Beijing to end his and his family’s unlawful harassment. Among […]
Women, Life, Freedom: The Struggle of Iranian Women Against Oppression
On Tuesday, September 13, 22-year-old Mahsa (Zhina) Amini was arrested by Iran’s Hijab Police (Gasht-e Ershad, or Morality Police) for allegedly failing to properly cover her hair shortly after arriving in Tehran from her hometown of Saqqez. Police informed her brother, who was with her at the time, that she would be taken to the […]
Life Rays from Aleppo: Bana Al-Abed’s Chronicle of Vocality and Survival
In the midst of the harrowing tales from war-torn Aleppo, a young girl’s tweets depicted the resilience and hope that endures even in the darkest of times. Using her mother’s Twitter account, Bana Al-Abed shared snapshots of life surrounded by turmoil. Her tweets not only revealed a child’s innocence seeking refuge from the harsh realities […]
Russia Will Be Happy: Alexei Navalny’s Fight for Freedom in Russia
The outcome was preordained: Alexei Navalny knew that as soon as he returned to Russia, he would be arrested. He also knew he would face brutal conditions inside a Russian prison – and all of this after a world-famous attempt by the Russian government to assassinate him in 2020. It had taken him months in […]
A Sanctuary Amidst a Genocide: Paul Rusesabagina, an “Ordinary” Man
Introduction As a passenger on a chartered private jet, Rwandan political activist Paul Rusesabagina was supposed to land in Bujumbura Burundi, but he found himself transported to Kigali, Rwanda, where the Rwandan government charged him with several criminal titles, including terrorism. During the Rwandan genocide, Rusesabagina helped save hundreds of lives at the hotel he […]
Political prisoners: The case of Venezuela
Introduction This case study focuses on the human rights violations and experiences of political prisoners in Venezuela, within the context of the country’s historical trajectory from colonization to authoritarianism. The study explores how Venezuela, once a prosperous nation, has become one of the poorest countries in Latin America, with 96% of the population living in […]
Close up and long shot
