Stories about Freedom of Speech from July, 2008
China: VPN to beat Olympic internet censorship
Via PandaPassport‘s Rick Martin on Facebook: “For anyone inside China, this is a great way to be able to view whatever content you like. Just a quick software install and you're ready to go…give it a try.
Cuba, Venezuela, U.S.A.: Empty Dialogue?
Cuban bloggers Babalu and Ninety miles away…in another country focus on U.S. Republican senator Arlen Specter's upcoming Latin American trip, during which he hopes to meet with both Raul Castro and Hugo Chavez: “The Cuban government has made clear that the only thing it is interested in is the unilateral...
Serbia: More on Belgrade Rally
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia writes about yesterday's pro-Karadzic rally in Belgrade: “Meanwhile the only element of the meeting that made news was the violent confrontation between skinheads and police, who this time around did not have orders to let the hooligans destroy anything they wanted.”
No to Kuwait's New Internet Law
Kuwaiti bloggers are angry at a proposed new Internet Law, which they claim would make their days as free bloggers numbered, after Attorney General Hamad Al Othman announced that a new law dealing with Internet crimes will be issued soon. Abdullatif Al Omar takes a closer look at the Kuwaiti blogosphere and their reactions to the impending law.
Nepal: On China, media and the Olympics
Blogdai on China deciding to reverse its pledge to offer complete media freedom, and planning to censor the Internet used by foreign media during the Olympics.
Trinidad & Tobago: Searching for Truth
“One man says we are living under a dictatorship. The other asks, ‘What are you talking about? This isn’t dictatorship. Pinochet, now that was a dictator.’ Sometimes it’s so easy to identify with the first guy”: The Manicou Report plays “the armchair analyst” after an on-air showdown between a reporter...
Guyana: Blogger covers journalist ban
On 12 July, news broke in Guyana that a senior journalist had been banned from entering the office of the country's president, allegedly in response to a critical news report. As media representatives and others denounced the move as an instance of press censorship, the Living Guyana blog continued its trend of media rights scrutiny with hard-hitting online coverage of the story.
Iran: Cleric's Protest Walk Ends in Jail
An Iranian cleric named Ali Reza Jahanshahi was arrested about two weeks ago, shortly after beginning a 960 kilometer (590 miles) protest walk from the southern Iranian city, Sirjan to Tehran. The cleric was protesting corrupt land appropriation in Sirjan, and complained the government was not doing enough to stop...
Serbia: Pro-Karadzic Rioting in Belgrade
Balkan File writes about the pro-Karadzic rally in Belgrade and reports that the city's center “now looks a complete mess.”
Latvia: Teasing the Guards
Arnis Balcus posts photos from the early 1990s, when it was still possible to “tease the guards at the Freedom Monument in Riga.”
Macedonia: New Law for “Preventive Surveillance”
Metamorphosis reviews Macedonian NGOs’ and bloggers’ negative response to “the recent changes in the Law on Criminal Procedure and the Law on Interception of Communications, allowing special investigative measures (surveillance).”
Syria: In The Economist
The Blog and the Shower remarks on a recent article in The Economist on censorship in Syria.
Egypt Silences the Voice of Iran
Egyptian authorities shut down the Cairo office of an Iranian TV network over a film that justifies the killing of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by Islamic militants. Marwa Rakha sums up the opinions of Egyptian blogger Dina Ayoub about the incident in this post.
Cuba: Carnival Time
“It is a time to shrug off the slogans, the shortages and the frustrated expectations. Dancing is a magnificent way of forgetting. And so we will have a festival along the same perimeter where, fourteen years ago, Havanans demonstrated their discontent in a social explosion”: Yoani Sanchez looks beyond the...
South Korea: Law and Order?
Jamie from Two Koreas highlights two recent incidents showing how the government intends to impose law and order by repressing the civil society and freedom of speech.
Egypt: Activists released, then detained
“An Appeals Court in Alexandria has ordered the release of 14 activists from Shabab (youth) 6 April ,that was arrested on the 23rd of July,” reports Egyptian blog Fustat. Ibn Al Dunya further adds: “The prosecution appealed the order on the release, and then the appeals court refuted the prosecution´s...
Egypt: Radio 6 April Launched
Radio 6 April [ar] is a new blog launched by Egyptian activists to draw attention to their plight, activities and the arrests of activists. The site includes reports, interviews and podcasts.
Cuba: July 26th
This past weekend, on July 26th, Cuba marked the 55th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago that came to be recognised as the start of the Cuban Revolution. Bloggers react to President Raul Castro's much-anticipated speech at the event.
Morocco: Saying Goodbye to Youssef Chahine
Moroccan blogger cinema and movies bids adieu to legendary Egyptian director Youssef Chahine.
Brazil: Who is behind the ‘Cybercrimes Bill'?
Blog do Tião writes [Pt] about the companies and political groups behind Eduardo Azeredo, the Brazilian Senator that proposed a controversial Cybercrimes Bill that's being largely discussed in the Brazilian Blogosphere. The same post presents data that links Azeredo to some recently uncovered corruption schemes in the country. This link...
Bangladesh gets a ‘Blog-Ban’ scare
On 15th of July, Bangla bloggers were disconcerted to find that they could not access Sachalayatan , a popular Bangla blogging platform that focuses on literature and contemporary issues, from within Bangladesh. Those living outside Bangladesh, however, had no problems with accessing the site. In the beginning, people thought it...
