Featured stories about Freedom of Speech
Stories about Freedom of Speech
22 January 2019
Azerbaijani prosecutors drop controversial charges against political prisoner
Activists cheered the concession as a victory of people power.
18 January 2019
Correspondence between Arundhati Roy and Shahidul Alam shares resilience and hope
"...the tide will turn, and the nameless, faceless people will rise. They will rise against the entire state machinery."
17 January 2019
Under Peña Nieto, Mexican journalists endured threats, killings — and digital surveillance, say researchers
"If they killed Javier Valdez [the] most protected member in the field, what can the rest of us expect? It is as if we all have a target on our...
Facing targeted attacks, Yemen's Christian minority struggles to survive
"Galileo" is a Yemeni who converted to Christianity three years ago. He's been arrested and tortured, and is now living in fear for his life.
16 January 2019
Netizen Report: Zimbabwe’s internet goes dark amid protests, nationwide strike
The update from Zimbabwe, plus: China fines VPN users, Cuba is censoring SMS messages and Iranian officials plan to block Instagram.
11 January 2019
Chinese authorities go after citizens for using VPNs, skirting online censorship
The news of two men being fined for using VPNs may serve as a wake up call to Chinese netizens.
8 January 2019
Azerbaijanis pressure government to #FreeMehman after blogger endures 12 days on hunger strike
Young, popular and politicized, video blogger Mehman Huseynov is a classic target of the Azerbaijani government's crackdown on civil society.
31 December 2018
Censored in 2018: Protest videos, court verdicts, real news — and Peppa Pig
From blocked websites to revoked media licenses to account shutdowns, censorship comes in many forms. Here are a few we saw in 2018.
30 December 2018
Indonesian military suspected of using chemical weapons against West Papuan separatists, reports Australian newspaper
"Villagers are traumatised and very scared. They have fled into the jungle. Christmas should be a time of peace but not a time of fear."
29 December 2018
To cast their votes on December 30, Bangladeshis will need to overcome many obstacles
Among the difficulties faced by voters are a ban on all unauthorized motorized public and private transportation and a complete shutdown of mobile Internet service.
28 December 2018
2018 across sub-Saharan Africa: Our favorite stories of epic change and transformation
From long-time leaders stepping down to citizens rising up, a cautious hope surges alongside the continuous struggle. Here are our favorite stories from across Africa in 2018.
Bangladesh braces for fiercely contested parliamentary election amidst opposition crackdown
On December 30, Bangladesh will hold its 11th parliamentary election to determine the 299 elected members of Jatiya Sangsad who will lead the country for the next five years.
22 December 2018
Netizen Report: Bangladeshis see censorship on all sides as elections approach
Bangladesh is blocking websites, Sudanese telcos are blocking WhatsApp and Slack is kicking Iranians off the platform, even when they're not in Iran.
20 December 2018
In Cardinal George Pell's sexual abuse trial, Australian court fails to suppress the ‘nation's worst kept secret’
"The alleged suppression order on #georgepell is allowing fake news and hearsay and speculation take the place of reputable news sources."
19 December 2018
For the first time, an Angolan president meets with the government's staunchest critics
The meeting appears to signal a pivot from his predecessor José Eduardo dos Santos, whose administration was notorious for the ill-treatment of activists, journalists, and international NGOs.
17 December 2018
What do Chinese internet users think of Google's ‘Dragonfly’ project?
Internet users remain divided over whether or not Google's supposed return to China is a good thing -- or not.
100 days for Alaa: Family of Egyptian activist counts the days until his release from prison
Alaa has been jailed or investigated under every Egyptian head of state who has served during his lifetime.
16 December 2018
Anti-violence protests continue in Belgrade, after journalist survives assassination attempt
Protests are estimated to have doubled in size after Serbian president vows "never" to meet demonstrators' demands.
14 December 2018
Russian reporter who faked his own murder named a ‘person of the year’ by TIME magazine
TIME ignored the murder of three journalists while including a staged one. Why couldn’t both be included?
12 December 2018
Serbian internet users ridicule disinformation broadcast by pro-government media
Local media misinformed the public about the scale and scope of the protest, sparking a cascade of online criticism.
