· June, 2011

Stories about Freedom of Speech from June, 2011

Brazil: 40 Cities Make the Freedom March

  30 June 2011

Forty Brazilian cities had their streets taken over by the Freedom March on Saturday 18 June. A multitude of groups, collectives, movements, entities and outraged people rallied around the country dreaming and fighting for freedom.

Macedonia: Taboo on Protesting Against Police Brutality

Ribaro wrote [mk] that public figures and music “stars” of Macedonia act as if the protests against police brutality are taboo, evidenced by their lack of participation offline and online. Later he reported [mk] that immediately after tweeting about this article, 17 Twitter users unfollowed him (according to FriendorFollow.com).

Swziland: AFP Correspondent Phone Bugged

  29 June 2011

AFP correspondent in Swaziland says her phone is bugged: “At first I believed it must be some kind of mix up at the phone company. People who tried calling me when my phone was off told me they got through to someone else who said not to worry he would...

Iran: Solidarity with Hunger Striking Prisoners

Protests were organized in at least 25 cities around the world on Saturday June 25, 2011, to show solidarity with the approximately 18 political prisoners who are on hunger strike at two Iranian prisons. The prisoners began their hunger strikes to protest the death of two political activists, Reza Hoda Saber and Haleh Sahabi.

Azerbaijan: Photojournalist detained, deported

whatwaswritten, the blog of Global Voices author Leyla Najafli, translates a story from RFE's Azeri service reporting that Diana Markosyan, a photojournalist from Bloomberg, was detained at Baku airport earlier today. The American-Russian dual citizen of Armenian origin attempted to enter Azerbaijan without a visa as CIS citizens can. However,...

Michael Sandel in China

  28 June 2011

Last month, renowned Harvard professor Michael Sandel delivered a lecture on justice and morality at Tsinghua University in China. He also talked about how his theories relate to contemporary China in an interview with the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolitan Weekend.

Cuba: Methodist Pastor Replaced

  28 June 2011

“When Cuba is free, those who accommodated, appeased and apologized for the Castro regime to preserve their own standing will not be absolved”: Uncommon Sense blogs about the actions of Cuba's Methodist Bishop, who reportedly replaced one of the church's pastors, allegedly “because of his good relations with Cuban dissidents.”

Azerbaijan: Bakhtiyar Hajiyev Video Campaign

Supporters of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, the Harvard graduate, parliamentary candidate, Facebook activist and Amnesty International prisoner of conscience recently sentenced to two years in prison on what human rights groups consider to be politically motivated charges, have launched a video campaign calling for his release. Details of how to participate in the...

Cuba: Hunger Striker to Leave Island

  27 June 2011

Uncommon Sense reports that hunger striker Jorge Cervantes Garcia has ended his protest and “will be allowed to leave Cuba once he has recovered from the physical effects of his protest.”

Jamaica: Call for End to Anti-Gay Violence

  27 June 2011

Labrish remembers the life and work of her cousin, who was murdered on account of “his outspoken efforts to bring about an end to homophobia in Jamaica”, saying: “It is beyond time that the appalling homophobia that is a blight on certain parts of Jamaican society come to an end.”

Syria: Blogging Day for Syria

Today marks the 100th day since the protest movement found its foothold in Syria. A 100 days later, more than 1,400 deaths, and three presidential speeches, the protest movement is still in full force. This Friday is being billed "friday of delegitimization".

A Syrian Solution for North Korea

  24 June 2011

Libyan and Syrian cases are significant to North Korea's possible change by exhibiting how quickly ruthless totalitarian regimes can become unstable in the face of resistance, wrote Joshua from the One Free Korea.

Slut Walk is Besharmi Morcha in India

  23 June 2011

Slut Walk, a fresh feminist movement that originated from Toronto Canada, and had been taking rounds of various western cities, is now coming to New Delhi, the Indian capital. Amidst criticism of the use of the word slut, which is uncommon in India, the event organizers attempted to contextualize the movement by renaming it 'Slut Walk Delhi Besharmi Morcha'.