It's Not About Gay Rights - It's About Human Rights For many, “gay rights” is associated with the debate over whether gay people should be allowed to marry, adopt children or serve openly in the military. But a discussion looming before the United Nations this week is far more basic: whether gays should enjoy the basic right to life.
Egypt: Calls for Minors to be Kept Out of Political Clashes The involvement of children in violence during ongoing clashes between protesters and police in Egypt should be addressed because it is against international norms, say child rights activists.
North African Road Trip: Hope Meets Hate in the New Libya One year after the Arab Spring, Spiegel correspondent Alexander Smoltczyk set out on a journey through the Maghreb to assess the region's transformation. On the second leg of his journey, he travels through post-revolution Libya and finds a country marked by a mixture of hope, desperation and the will to build a new democracy.
NGO Crackdown in Egypt: German Think Tank Chief to be Questioned in Cairo The head of a major German political think tank's Cairo office has been snared in the Egyptian government's crackdown on local and foreign non-governmental organizations operating in the country. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation and other institutions remained closed in the capital on Monday.
The World From Berlin: 'Democratic Deficiencies' Abound in HungaryThe Hungarian Constitutional Court may have struck down parts of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's controversial media law, but with a new constitution set to take effect on the first of the year, it is a hollow victory. German commentators say the decision was the "last twitch" of the rule of law there.
'Europe has Become Poorer': A Continent Mourns the Passing of Vaclav HavelLeaders from the Czech Republic, Europe and beyond have expressed their sorrow at the death of Velvet Revolution leader Vaclav Havel. Thousands gathered in the heart of Prague on Sunday evening to mourn the passing of one of the communist-era's greatest dissidents.
Sudan: ICC Warrant Request Advances JusticeThe ICC prosecutor has requested an arrest warrant for Sudan's Minister of Defense for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Burma Awakens: Newfound Freedoms Raise Hopes at Home and AbroadFor years, Burma's ruling junta has violently crushed its pro-democracy opponents. But now the pariah state is releasing political prisoners, tolerating open dissent and granting new freedoms to opposition politicians and foreign investors. Is this merely a tactical maneuver or a sign of genuine change?
Cote D'Ivoire One Year OnOne year on from the presidential elections that caused conflict across Côte d'Ivoire, ex-President Laurent Gbagbo has been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC), tensions have eased in most areas, the economy has improved, and almost all schools have reopened and hospitals are functioning. But reconciliation has a long way to go.
South Africa: 'Harsher Regime' for Asylum SeekersNearly half a million asylum seekers in South Africa may lose their right to earn a living or study while their refugee status is being determined after indications that the government plans to amend legislation governing those rights.
Mexican President Accused of War CrimesActivists Lodge Complaint against Felipe Calderon at the International Criminal Court over offensive against drug cartels.
Vietnam: Trafficked Workers Exploited in ChinaGrowing numbers of Vietnamese laborers are being trafficked to factories and plantations in China where they are exploited, according to the UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking.
Coalition of the DisenchantedOccupy Wall Street is rapidly spreading in the US, London and elsewhere, as protestors vent their anger at corporate greed. But is the movement against capitalism as such?
Egypt: Rule of Law Under SeigeDemonstrations in Cairo's Tahrir square against Egypt's interim military rulers have reportedly left at least 33 people dead and more than 1,500 injured since they began on 19 November.
Tripoli vs. the ICC: Who Should Bring Gadhafi's Son to Justice?Now that the fighting has ceased in Libya, the lawyers have taken center stage. The International Criminal Court in The Hague and Tripoli's new leaders can't agree on who should put Moammar Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam on trial -- or even whether the manhunt for the deposed dictator itself can be called off.
Testimony of Torture: Chinese Dissident Exposes Prison BrutalityChinese poet Liao Yiwu recently moved to Germany, where his books are best-sellers. His self-imposed exile has allowed him to finally publish his memoir, which reveals the abuses and torture he suffered during his years in prison. The book is a shocking indictment of the Chinese justice system.
Gadhafi's Death: The End of a TyrantBoth a dictator and his own court jester, Colonel Moammar Gadhafi was among the most enigmatic world leaders of our time. He was known for both extreme brutality and ludicrous eccentricity.
Supreme Court to Hear 2 Human Rights CasesThe US Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases regarding complicity of corporations and political groups in human rights violations abroad.
Syria: Concerns Over 'Rampant Torture'Six months into pro-democracy protests in Syria, allegations of human rights abuses perpetrated by supporters of President Bashar al-Assad's regime proliferate.
Kim Jong-Il's Human Rights AtrocitiesThis letter to the International Herald Tribune discusses the North Korean gulags and the relative silence of the international community.
AUGUST 2011
Warehouse of Horror: Evidence of Massacre Found Near TripoliLibyan rebels have discovered dozens of charred corpses in a warehouse near Tripoli thought to have been used by Moammar Gadhafi's Khamis Brigade. It is unclear who killed the men or why, but the evidence of a massacre is overwhelming.
What Are We Afraid Of? As Egyptians take to the polls, speculation has revealed fears of how the Egyptian population will vote and even some debates on the issue of universal suffrage.
When International Law is Found WantingIn an interviews, civil rights lawyer Chase Madar explains how international law has changed from a means of maintaining international peace to an instrument to justify war.
License for War in LibyaUnder international law, the UN Security Council blessed Nato's Libya campaign without the necessary debates over its consequences.
