Stories about Censorship
The Bangladesh tinderbox
The recent Bangladesh unrest, which saw a death toll of more than 200, was not just driven by a demand for the abolition of a quota system for government jobs.
In Azerbaijan it isn't just the president for life, but the parliament too
Regardless of whether old faces will remain in the parliament, or will be replaced by their children, the upcoming snap parliamentary vote will have little impact on the country's future.
Fact-checkers condemn physical attack against journalist of Croatian fact-checking service Faktograf
Fact-checking and journalist associations condemned of the attack against the ward-winning journalist Melita Vrsaljko, who covers climate issues for Croatian fact-checking service Faktograf that took place on July 16 near Zadar.
Some Russian and Belarusian athletes will participate in the Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes
Initially, Russian athletes received 36 invitations from the committee, and Belarusian athletes, 27. However, some of those invited either declined straight away or first accepted and subsequently declined the invitations.
Pakistan's intelligence agencies gain legal cover for surveillance
Despite Supreme Court rulings against illegal surveillance, Pakistan's decision allowing it's spy agency, ISI, to monitor nearly all digital conversations has sparked outrage among political leaders, activists, and legal experts.
Guinea: Military regime delays return to civilian rule
In the Republic of Guinea, returning to civilian rule seems unlikely before 2025 after the military authorities announced their intention to extend the political transition period.
Inflatable wonders or graveyards? Hong Kong exhibition triggers an outpouring of mockery
Many said the white “inflatable Stonehenge” looked like tombstones and the green-lit “inflatable Pyramids” looked like the green tents that police use to cover dead bodies after road accidents:
Singapore files charges against three women for ‘illegal’ pro-Palestine rally
"The simple act of Singaporeans peacefully delivering a letter to the President’s office must be respected and protected."
Bangladesh: Meta accuses ruling party and think tank of coordinated inauthentic behavior
Meta's Quarterly Adversarial Threat Report 2024 noted the removal of 50 Facebook accounts and 98 pages in Bangladesh for “coordinated inauthentic behavior” and spreading misleading information targeting the opposition leaders and activists.
Serbia bans festival that enabled collaboration between artists from Serbia and Kosovo
The festival “Mirëdita, Dobar Dan!” was founded in 2014 to promote cultural exchange and create “a tradition of collaboration” that would contribute to permanent peace and normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
A year after environmental protests rocked Azerbaijan's village of Soyudlu, it is business as usual
A year since the protest, it seems the company, the ministry, and the government of Azerbaijan are back to business as usual, with no new monitoring reports or investigations.
In Georgia, a series of legal amendments are putting the country's EU aspirations on hold
A foreign agent bill, a ban on gender election quotas, and most recently an LGBTQ+ propaganda bill are just the latest legal amendments proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Ecuador revokes visa of critical Cuban–Ecuadorian journalist
It is not the first time that the Noboa government has been criticized for alleged authoritarianism.
War on citizens: How the junta’s VPN ban is strangling communication in Myanmar
"People should not underestimate what the regime is doing. Yet at the same time, they should not succumb to unwarranted fear. The regime can’t control everything."
Censorship and isolation as China bans thousands of mobile apps
Research on Apple censorship finds out, as of March 2023, 11,026 out of a total of 40,049 apps were unavailable in China Apple Stores. The ratio of unavailability was 27.53 percent.
The ingenious ‘network tree’ defying Gaza's connectivity blockade
An interview with renowned Italian film director Manolo Luppichini highlights grassroots efforts in Gaza to counter communication blockades using simple technologies like ”Web Trees,“ addressing global double standards and resistance of cultural genocide.
Central Asia press freedom scores get worse
The bleak situation for freedom of expression in Central Asia underscores the need for renewed international pressure to respect their international obligations.
Indonesia’s Broadcasting Bill could restrict investigative journalism and LGBTQ+ content
"With shrinking space caused by the internet and social media and struggling for sustainable financial support, more restrictions on journalism means sucking out the already limited air that we breathe."
Keeping the memory of Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Massacre alive in Taiwan
June 4, 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre of pro-democracy protestors in China.Today Taiwan remains the last Chinese-speaking society where public commemorations can take place to commemorate it.
The latest defamation bill further tightens restrictions on free speech in Pakistan
The Punjab Assembly recently passed the Defamation Bill 2024, which aims at curbing the spread of fake news across print, electronic, and social media platforms against government officials and institutions.
Ban on children’s book ‘Same-sex Parents’ backfires down under
One online petition to reverse the ban had over 40,000 signatures, with another exceeding 10,000 signatures before the Cumberland Council overturned its ban in a decisive vote of 12 to 2.
