The World Movement for Democracy welcomes the release of Venezuelan political prisoner and prominent opposition activist, Rosmit Mantilla. On November 17, 2016, Mantilla was freed after being arbitrarily detained for 2.5 years in Venezuela due to charges stemming from the country’s 2014 student protests. In the 2015 elections, he became the first openly gay politician…
Last week, civil society mobilized thousands of people to demand justice for the late Astrit Dehari in Pristina, Kosovo. On November 5, 2016, Dehari, the 26-year-old Vetevendosje activist, was found dead in his prison cell after being detained for 68 days without charges. In August 2016, Kosovo police had arrested Dehari and five other Vetevendosje…
On November 26, 2016, hours after the announcement of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro’s death, state authorities arrested Cuban graffiti artist Danilo Maldonado “without any explanation or charges.” However, before Cuban authorities arrested him, Maldonado had posted a video on social media about the death of Castro. Cuban authorities frequently target individuals speaking out against the…
On November 18, 2016, Vietnam’s 14th National Assembly adopted the Law on Belief and Religion, which requires religious groups to register with the government, a violation of the right to freedom of religion or belief under Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Although the law does not come into…