Stories about Freedom of Speech from May, 2011
India: New Internet Rules – Unregulated Power To The Government
Law And Other Things debates the proposed new Internet Rules in India, which grants unregulated powers to the Government.
Azerbaijan: Interview with released video blogging activist Emin Milli
TekVibes posts a video interview with Emin Milli, one of two video blogging youth activists conditionally released last year in Azerbaijan.
Russia: State Duma Whistleblower Intern's Case
Sublime Oblivion writes about the case of Evgeny Starshov, who was tweeting and blogging about his internship at the Russian State Duma until he got fired for it.
Mexico: ‘Información Cívica’ Summarizes Week in Civil Society
David Sasaki in Información Cívica explains they will “begin publishing weekly summaries of what Open Society Foundation partners in various countries around Latin America are sharing via their websites, blogs, and social media accounts.” Their first summary focuses on their partners in Mexico.
Mexico: Blood Fountains
During the last weekend of May 2011, activists from the movement "Let's stop the bullets, let's paint the fountains" stained the water of a famous statue in Mexico City blood red. Participants walked around the monument shouting slogans like "Not one more dead!" and "Out Calderón!"
Thailand: American blogger arrested for insulting royals
A Thai-born American citizen was arrested in Thailand for violation of Lese Majeste. How did he insult the King? He linked and translated some parts of a banned book in his blog in 2007.
Russia: Famous Sci-Fi Writer's Blog Removed for ‘Anti-Semitism’
Following President Medvedev's speech on extremism in the Russian Internet, security services began a campaign against online neo-Nazis and vocal nationalists. On May 28, 2011, the campaign against racial and religious extremism found an unusual enemy – Leonid Kaganov, one of Russia's oldest bloggers, a poet, and a science fiction writer.
Azerbaijan: Twitter as a tool for activism
Global Voices co-founder Ethan Zuckerman comments on the use of Twitter in last week's campaign by Amnesty International to call for the release of prisoner of conscience Eynulla Fatullayev. Although the imprisoned journalist was released, argues Zuckerman, several questions have been raised by the online action and not least in...
Russia: Moscow Pride 2011
This year's Moscow Gay Pride event ended in clashes almost as soon as it began, at least 18 gay rights activists and 14 of their opponents are reported to have been arrested, and a journalist who had blogged about her reasons for attending the rally ended hospitalized with a concussion.
Syria: Personal Letter to President Assad
In a letter addressed on May 8th, 2011, to Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, blogger, Syria to Freedom, expresses his disappointment with the president's behavior in the current crisis and implores him in the end to:“Do fulfill your people's demands of freedom and dignity and you will see those people...
Uganda: Police Raid Newspaper Printing Press
Police raid newspaper printing press in Uganda: “The police have raided and searched premises of Prime General Supply limited a company which offers printing services to Ggwanga news paper, barely hours after the newspaper premises were raided. The Ntinda based company also prints for the Razor – a daily publication...
Cuba: Any True Democracy?
“When Castro says that Cuba is the most democratic country in the world, I am uncertain if he is being serious or it is black humor”: Iván García says that he will only “believe in the Socialist democracy, as advocated by the regime in Havana, when you see a negative...
Cuba: Repressive Action
Cuban bloggers cite numerous cases of the authorities cracking down on dissidents, calling the arrests “part of a vicious series of repressive moves by the dictatorship to target the opposition.”
Azerbaijan: Eynulla Fatullayev Pardoned Following Twitter Action
Just two days after the UK branch of Amnesty International launched its Twitter campaign to call for the release of Eynulla Fatullayev comes news that the imprisoned journalist and prisoner of conscience has been included in a list of prisoners to be pardoned ahead of the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
Nepal: Codes Of Ethics For Bloggers
Considering the growing popularity of blogs in Nepal and some recent issues, Nepali journalist and blogger Ujjwal Acharya has taken steps to initiate talks about a code of ethics for bloggers in Nepal and is inviting suggestions and comments from netizens.
Angola: Organizer Arrested on the Eve of Protest Against Poverty
Luis Bernardo, the president of MRIS (Revolutionary Movement for Social Action) who organized a protest against poverty [pt] in Luanda today, was arrested on the eve of the event [pt]. A few days before, Bernardo had denounced threats against him by the Angolan regime, as reported [pt] on the blog...
Russia: Reporters’ Open Letter Highlights TV Censorship Concerns
Censorship on the majority of Russian television channels has been around forever, but a recent open letter by REN TV reporters showed how even remaining small islands of media freedom could get washed away.
Cuba: Prisoner & Dissident Deaths
Uncommon Sense links to a report which alleges that the death of a prisoner was at the hands of prison guards, while Babalu links to new medical reports of the late Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia, noting that “the report from the most recent beating…mentions the bruises found on his body;...
Bolivia: New Ministry of Comunications Raises Doubts
Rodrigo Reque Mejía, owner of the blog Puro Papo [es], compares the Bolivian government's newly created Ministry of Communications with the fictitious Ministry of Truth in Geroge Orwell's 1984 novel. His concerns have to do with potential Internet censorshio, among others.
Chile: Should State TV Play Hidroaysen Ads?
Luis Cuello in El Quinto Poder, describes how [es] Television Nacional de Chile, the State's television channel, played the latest of ads by Hidroaisen campaign during the night news (prime time in Chile). He asks readers whether this is the right approach, considering that thousands have repeatedly protested in past weeks...
Brazil: Forest Defender Shot Dead
As the Brazilian Congress debates a new Forest Code, and as the Environment Ministry launches new raids on illegal deforestation in Brazil, forest defender José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva was shot dead [pt]. He had announced his life was under threat in the TEDxAmazonia conference, last November.
