Seychelles

A long chain of hashtags naming countries in alphabetical order, from San Marino and Saudi Arabia to Slovakia, Slovenia and beyond, is being shared and picked up across social feeds. Each post simply strings together the names of nations with hashtag symbols, with no additional commentary attached. The reason for the sequence and what it is meant to highlight remains unstated, though its alphabetical, near-exhaustive list of world countries has helped it spread.

A string of hashtags naming countries alphabetically from San Marino through Slovenia and beyond, including Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore and Slovakia, is circulating on social media and trending in several regions, including at the top spot in Singapore. No accompanying news or explanation has been attached to the list, leaving readers to speculate about its purpose.

Human rights defenders from Seychelles have raised concerns at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, calling for the preservation of their civic space. Speaking through the International Service for Human Rights, they urged authorities and the international community to protect freedoms of association, expression and assembly in the Indian Ocean island nation.