by Heather Hastie | Nov 1, 2015 | Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Middle East, Winners and Worries
It was announced on Thursday that Raif Badawi won the European Union’s Sakharov human rights prize. The Guardian reports : Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger and activist sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam, has won the EU’s Sakharov...
by Heather Hastie | Aug 9, 2015 | Democracy, Freedom of Speech, New Zealand, Religion, Winners and Worries
It’s a good thing I thought of a saint this week before I watched the rugby last night. Australia beat the All Blacks, and I have to be honest – Australia deserved the win. It’s all a bit depressing. Later this afternoon New Zealand time it’s...
by Heather Hastie | Mar 18, 2015 | Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Religion
I wrote about New Zealander Philip Blackwood here in January when he was still awaiting trial after his arrest on 10 December last year. 10 December is International Human Rights Day, and so I thought it particularly ironic that he was arrested for his particular...