Is Civil Society Self-Regulation Effective?
This video has been produced by CISRUL PhD Law Candidate Domenico Carolei, based on his dissertation research into the self-regulatory systems in Italian civil society.
University of Aberdeen and CISRUL Graduate Hanifi Baris Arrested in Turkey
On 4 July 2018, our dear colleague and former PhD Student here at the University of Aberdeen, Hanifi Baris, was arrested by the Turkish police for allegedly posting “criminal content” to social media.
Hanifi is still imprisoned in the Silivri No. 5 Closed Prison, and waiting for a trial in Turkey’s 11th Penal Judgeship of Peace, as reported by Academics for Peace on Bianet. We have started a petition on change.org, demanding Hanifi’s release, and are really grateful to the nearly 4,000 international signatories from around the globe who have supported Hanifi’s cause. Among them are scholars Étienne Balibar, Judith Butler, and Ilan Pappé, among many others. Please sign and share the petition as widely as possible to continue showing support to Hanifi using! Don’t forget to use #FreeHanifi and#HanifiyeÖzgürlük
8 April 2015
How a group of Dominicans were stripped of their nationality and now face expulsion to Haiti
Eve Hayes de Kalaf, University of Aberdeen
Just because people feel that they are a national of a country does not mean the state necessarily agrees. While tourists flock to the Dominican Republic – the most visited destination in the Caribbean – few are aware of the struggle that tens of thousands of people are currently facing to prove their right to a Dominican nationality.
Born and raised in the country, many had the birth certificates, ID cards and passports to prove it. Yet the state is claiming that for over 80 years a bureaucratic mistake led them to issue this documentation. Those affected have been left stateless…

27 February 2015
Evo Morales champions indigenous rights abroad, but in Bolivia it’s a different story
The president of Bolivia styles himself as a champion of his indigenous peoples. In reality, he has turned his back on them and aligned himself with the colonial elites…
Business as usual in Mexico despite 43 murdered students

9 October 2014
Social welfare and energy policy drive Evo Morales to brink of historic third term in Bolivia
Mexico’s strategy to contain anti-mafia vigilantes is hanging by a thread
I write not an as an expert in Scottish politics, though I live in Scotland and was born and bred here, and in fact my expertise lies in Mexico. But my theoretical interests lie in the big questions of citizenship and political community at the heart of the referendum debate. This also led me to hold educational events in Scottish schools with young voters – the voting age was lowered to 16 for the referendum…
Egypt prepares to hail former army chief as president – once the election is out of the way
In May 2012, Egypt’s first democratic presidential election set an important precedent in a troubled transition process. At the time, there was no constitution, no clarity on the president’s powers, no…
Verdict in Al Jazeera trial shows regime’s contempt for press freedom in Egypt
Sarah Hynek, University of Aberdeen and Andrea Teti, University of Aberdeen
Three Al Jazeera English journalists have been convicted in the Cairo Criminal Court of spreading false news, threatening national security and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood – previously Egypt’s first…

Europe’s elites are more like Berlusconi than you think
Andrea Teti, University of Aberdeen
Silvio Berlusconi has finally learned the outcome of being found guilty of tax fraud last May. He was originally sentenced to four years in prison, but Italian law prevents over-70s from doing prison time…