Best of Dispatches: Top News Posts This Week

Russians thank President Vladimir Putin for Crimea; security in Ukraine; anti-LGBT actions in Russia; and what's the future of the internet? - these were among the most popular posts to Dispatches, our daily forum for breaking human rights news and commentary. You can find all our Dispatches here.

Dispatches: Many Russians Called to Say 'Thanks for Crimea,' Mr. Putin

Yulia Gorbunova
The annual “direct line” call-in televised broadcast with President Vladimir Putin brought few surprises. Crimea and Ukraine dominated the discussion...

Dispatches: Can OSCE Defuse Ukraine Crisis?

Hugh Williamson
On a recent visit to the headquarters of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna, I met diplomats and officials racing to keep up with the worsening events in Ukraine...

Dispatches: Russian Police Crash LGBT Film Viewing

Tanya Cooper
Few LGBT events in Russia these days happen without violent interruptions. Almost all public demonstrations in support of human rights of LGBT people last year were shut down by anti-gay protesters and police...

Dispatches: The Future of the Internet

Eileen Donahoe
What’s the future of the Internet and how should it be governed? 850 government officials, academics, and, crucially, members of civil society gathered in Sao Paolo, Brazil, to debate this question at NETmundial...

Dispatches: It's déjà vu as France Targets Roma for Eviction

Izza Leghtas
Francois Hollande’s administration promised a fairer approach for Roma than the previous ruling party’s. But a leaked internal order instructing police officers in Paris’ wealthy sixth arrondissement(district) to locate and “systematically evict” Roma living on the streets of the area suggests that, in practice, little has changed...