User:Khazar2/DYK

DYKs

Did you know...?

... that Slavery by Another Name argues that slavery in the United States continued after the Civil War?
... that Debby Applegate studied pornographic writing techniques for her Pulitzer-winning The Most Famous Man in America?
... that Dan Paul represented the Miami Herald before the US Supreme Court?
... that the Cebongan Prison raid in Indonesia was declared a human rights violation by the National Commission on Human Rights, but not by Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro?

... that, Jesús Blancornelas, a Mexican journalist, risked his life while reporting on the Tijuana Cartel, the drug trade in Mexico, and political corruption?
... that Yusak Pakage was sentenced to ten years in prison after raising a flag?
... that Édgar Morales Pérez, the mayor-elect of Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, was assassinated before taking office?
... that CPJ International Press Freedom Awards recipients (1991 recipient Tatyana Mitkova pictured) have faced imprisonment, raids, and assassination?
... that a fatal shooting on July 22 was the sixth shooting incident in less than a year involving Anaheim, California, police officers?

... that Abraham Samad was the youngest ever head of the Corruption Eradication Commission when he was chosen in 2011?
... that Bambang Widjojanto, once often imprisoned by the government of Indonesia, now works for it?
... that there were calls for Alexander Aan to be executed for posting on Facebook?
... that twenty Bahraini health workers (some pictured) were sentenced to up to fifteen years' imprisonment by a military court in a trial that lasted for only a few minutes?
... that shoe salesman Hamid Ghassemi-Shall was sentenced to death because of an alleged e-mail?

... that satirist Abdul Samay Hamed was attacked by a knife-wielding man, but succeeded in disarming his attacker?
... that due to his role in the national uprising, Bahraini human rights activist Mohammed al-Maskati received a number of death threats?
... that after a police raid, Ali al-Ghanmi, a Bahraini police officer, left his guard post and joined protests because he could no longer support "a killer institution"?
... that Mahdi Abu Deeb was arrested, allegedly tortured, and sentenced to 10 years in prison due to his role in the 2011–2012 Bahraini uprising?
... that Tajul Muluk, whose home and boarding school were burnt down by opponents of his preaching Shia Islam, was arrested for blasphemy?

... that Indonesian politician Marzuki Darusman was burned in effigy in Sri Lanka for his investigation into that country's civil war?
... that, as of 2010, 85 percent of the readers of the Indonesian daily Bernas are male?
... that despite being handicapped, Bahraini engineer Abduljalil Alsingace was allegedly tortured by being forced to stand on one leg without crutches for prolonged periods?
... that a police officer in Indonesia was sued for dumping blood to appease the Goddess of the South Sea while investigating the murder of Udin?
... that Ratna Sarumpaet's singing of the Indonesian national anthem was called "proof" of a crime?

... that Nigerian journalist Nosa Igiebor was held incommunicado for months because his magazine Tell criticised General Sani Abacha?
... that an entire print run of Svetlana Kalinkina's newspaper was seized by the Belarusian police?
... that attackers broke the legs and hands of journalist Tipu Sultan after he implicated a Bangladeshi MP in an arson attack on a girls' school?
... that Fadhila Mubarak was arrested by Bahraini police after approaching a checkpoint with "pro-revolutionary" music playing from her car?
... that editor Pap Saine was imprisoned for sedition after criticizing the Gambian government response to the murder of his co-editor and childhood friend?

... that journalist Musa Muradov was once trapped in a basement for 14 days by damage from an artillery shell?
... that Cuban journalist Yndamiro Restano Díaz was reportedly released from prison at the request of Danielle Mitterand, the wife of the former President of France?
... that journalist Freedom Neruda was imprisoned in 1996 for satirizing the Ivorian President, but was named one of the "50 World Press Freedom Heroes" in 2000?
... that journalist Pavel Sheremet triggered a "public row" between Belarus and Russia by hopping a border fence?
... that eleven of journalist Ignacio Gómez's colleagues at El Espectador were murdered in the first fourteen years of his career?

... that Tuhama Ma'rouf of the Syrian Communist Labour Party was designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International after her arrest in February 2011?
... that Jineth Bedoya Lima was abducted, tortured, and raped following her reporting on Colombian paramilitary groups?
... that Canadian national Naser al-Raas was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for attending a rally of the 2011 Bahraini uprising?
... that Steven Gan took advantage of a loophole in Malaysian Internet law to create the country's first independent news source?
... that International Press Freedom Award laureate María Cristina Caballero began reporting for a Bogotá newspaper at the age of 16?

... that journalist Musa Muradov was once trapped in a basement for 14 days by damage from an artillery shell?
... that Aboubakr Jamaï went on a hunger strike after his newspapers were banned in Morocco?
... that former journalist hostage Terry A. Anderson led a campaign for the release of Turkish editor Ocak Isik Yurtçu?
... that Amnesty International recruited writers to lobby at the Edinburgh Festival for the release of the UAE Five, imprisoned in 2011 for insulting political figures of the United Arab Emirates?
... that journalist Sony Esteus had his arm broken by the Port-au-Prince police while covering a story?

... that following Galima Bukharbaeva's eyewitness account of the Andijan massacre, the Uzbek government charged her with providing "informational support to terrorism"?
... that journalist Yelena Masyuk was held hostage in Chechnya for 101 days?
... that the wife of Guatemalan journalist Byron Barrera was murdered in 1990 in an unsuccessful attempt on his life?
... that Thepchai Yong won an International Press Freedom Award for reporting on Thailand's Black May uprising despite military pressure to censor coverage?
... that anti-communist activist Gheorghe Briceag pledged to shave his well-known Solzhenitsyn beard if Moldova united with Romania?

... that Ales Bialatski earned a PhD in Belarusian literature before becoming the vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights?
... that journalist Ahmad Taufik was acquitted after being taken to court by both the Suharto government and Tomy Winata, one of Indonesia's richest businessmen?
.. that Bill Foley's photograph "The Last Smile" shows Anwar Sadat only moments before his assassination?
... that Beatrice Mtetwa, "Zimbabwe's top human rights lawyer", has secured the release of reporters from The New York Times and The Sunday Telegraph?
... that Indonesian journalist Bambang Harymurti originally wanted to be an astronaut and qualified as a potential candidate?
... that the 2005 Gwangju Prize winner Wardah Hafidz was told to vacate her office after disclosing that numerous groups had used social security funds for "money politics"?

... that journalist Ricardo Uceda helped locate the mass grave of the La Cantuta massacre victims?
... that Burmese journalist Aung Pwint was imprisoned on charges of "sending news" and "illegal ownership of a fax machine"?
... that in 1993, the car of Algerian journalist Omar Belhouchet was machine-gunned while he was driving his children to school?
... that Russian journalist Nadira Isayeva called her 2010 trial "a test for the institution of press freedom" in Dagestan?
... that Muhammad Al-Saqr won an International Press Freedom Award for his work as a journalist before becoming chairman of the Arab Parliament?

... that Modeste Mutinga won an international prize for his journalism before being elected to the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
... that Civil Courage Prize laureate Ali Salem was ostracized by the Egyptian intellectual community following a 1994 book in which he promoted peace with Israel?
... that award-winning journalist Paul Kamara has also been a priest, a cabinet minister, and the manager of Sierra Leone's national football team?
... that Dandeniya Gamage Jayanthi founded the group "Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared" following the abduction, shooting, and burning of her fiancé?
... that Jigme Gyatso was re-arrested after his allegations of torture by Chinese security forces were re-played on Voice of America?

... that the American Repertory Theater and System of a Down's Serj Tankian dedicated their 2011 Prometheus Bound to jailed Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen?
... that adivasi activist Kartam Joga has been accused of joining the deadliest Naxalite attack in India's history?

... that the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission is named for the only Holocaust survivor (pictured) ever to serve in the United States Congress?
... that the European Parliament issued a resolution condemning the drug arrest of Azerbaijani activist Jabbar Savalan?
... that Burmese democracy activist Ohn Than is serving a life sentence for holding up a poster in front of the US Embassy in Yangon?

... that in 2010, Wipas Raksakulthai became the first Thai man arrested for committing lèse majesté on Facebook?
... that Women's League of Burma activist Khin Ohmar evaded arrest during Burma's pro-democracy 8888 Uprising when a Japanese diplomat allowed her and other students to hide from police in his home?
... that Ugandan Rolling Stone editor Giles Muhame alleged that a gay rights group conspired with Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab in the July 2010 Kampala suicide bombings?
... that Khun Htun Oo, a former head of Burma's Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, is now serving a 93-year sentence for treason?
... that Zaw Htet Ko Ko, a photographer for the pro-democracy 88 Generation Students Group, is serving an 11-year prison sentence for his involvement in Burma's "Saffron Revolution"?

... that in 2008, Burmese 88 Generation democracy activist Mie Mie was sentenced to 65 years imprisonment for "illegally using electronic media" and "forming an illegal organization"?
... that Yan Yan Chan, whose band Acid released Burma's first hip hop album, spent nine months in prison for involvement in the pro-democracy group Generation Wave?
... that the journalism of Siamak Pourzand ranged from film criticism for Cahiers du cinéma to coverage of the "Chain Murders" of Iranian dissidents?
... that imprisoned Burmese singer Zayar Thaw's group Generation Wave distributed anti-government hip-hop and copies of banned movies, including Rambo IV?
... that Khun Bedu was sentenced to 37 years in prison for offenses including organizing Loikaw youth to release balloons and rafts in protest of the 2008 Burmese constitutional referendum?

... that in 2005, lobbyists attributed George W. Bush's increased "outspokenness" on Burmese human rights to a 50-minute meeting with Shan activist Charm Tong?
... that Bono personally lobbied for Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to investigate the treatment of imprisoned conscientious objector İnan Süver?
... that Sudanese human rights activist Mudawi Ibrahim Adam has been imprisoned four times for his work in Darfur?
... that Burmese democracy activist Aye Aung is serving a 59-year prison sentence for distributing leaflets and organizing protests in Yangon?
... that Gwangju Prize for Human Rights winner Angkhana Neelaphaijit has been investigating the forced disappearance of her husband for more than seven years?

... that Bertrand Teyou is serving two years in jail for attempting to read publicly from his book about Chantal Biya, the first lady of Cameroon?
... that democracy activist Htay Kywe was described as Burma's "most-wanted man" following his leadership role in the 2007 anti-government protests?
... that Buddhist monk U Gambira was sentenced to sixty-three years in prison for his leadership role in Burma's Saffron Revolution?
... that after the Rwandan Genocide, social worker and survivor Godeliève Mukasarasi founded a group to help widows and orphans further their socio-economic rights?
... that in 2007, the foundation headed by Guatemalan human rights activist Norma Cruz helped to convict over 30 individuals accused of murdering women?

... that US actor Martin Sheen has advocated on behalf of imprisoned Kyrgyzstani activist and journalist Azimzhan Askarov?
... that Burmese prisoner of conscience Nilar Thein once evaded police capture by rickshaw taxi?
... that Burundian Internet journalist Jean-Claude Kavumbagu was arrested and charged with treason after writing a blog post criticizing his country's security forces?
... that Filep Karma is serving a 15-year jail sentence for raising the flag of West Papua in Jayapura, Indonesia?