· November, 2012

Stories about Freedom of Speech from November, 2012

Syria Plunges Into Total Info Darkness

Advox

On Thursday, the US-based internet connectivity monitoring firm, Renesys, reported that internet was cut off in Syria. All of Syria's 84 IP address blocks were inaccessible, “effectively removing the country from the Internet.”

29 November 2012

Tortured Sudanese Female Journalist Speaks Up

Sudanese journalist Sumaya Ismail Hundosa, 34, was abducted from near her house on October 29, 2012, later to be found thrown inside a mud pit in a remote area in Khartoum on November 2, 2012, five days after her abduction. As the details of Hundosa's unprecedented torture unfolded, Sudanese netizens largely responded with shock and outrage, showing sympathy and solidarity with the journalist, writes Usamah Mohamed

29 November 2012

Tunisian Police Use Shotgun Shells Against Protesters

Over the last two days, Tunisian security forces fired shotgun shells at protesters in Siliana (north-west of the country), injuring 265 persons. Clashes erupted in this impoverished interior province, when police clashed with protesters calling for the departure of the local governor.

29 November 2012

Life Sentence for Qatari Poet for Insulting Amir

The poem is said to praise the Arab Spring, drawing comparisons to other countries living in repression and under dictatorship. According to Qatari journalist Abdulla Al Athbah, Al-Deeb's poem was seen as insulting to the Qatari Amir, and called for overthrowing his rule.

29 November 2012

Egypt: Down with The Tyrant – Take Three!!

In what is being described as the third wave of the Egyptian revolution, Egyptians across the country and not only Cairo took to the streets again to make a strong message that they are more than willing to take down another tyrant in the making.

29 November 2012

Spotlight on China's ‘Re-education Through Labour’

Ren Jiayu, a former village official in Chongqing, who was sentenced to re-education through labour for criticizing the government was released and put under the spotlight of state-controlled media. Many believe it is a showcase for upcoming reform in China after the 18th National Chinese Communist Party Congress.

28 November 2012

Television Network Telecinco Sues Blogger in Spain

Pablo Herreros, the blogger who a few months ago successfully got sponsors of a television show to pull their advertising until TV executives committed to more ethical behavior, was sued by the TV channel Telecinco. After an uproar surfaced mainly through social media networks, Telecinco has withdrawn their suit.

28 November 2012

Angola's Sophisticated Censorship

The 37 years of independence of Angola don't translate into more press freedom. Rather, the model of Angolan censorship is getting increasingly sophisticated. The most recent attack was against the "Semanário Angolense" (Angolan Weekly), condemned to the fire for reproducing a critical speech by Isaias Samakuva, the President of the opposition party, UNITA.

28 November 2012

China: Top 10 horrible figures of 2012?

This week, Chinese internet users come up with their own list of the “10 Most Horrid People of 2012.” The list was shared on Sina Weibo by “Weekly Commentary” [zh]  (每周评论),...

28 November 2012

Spain: Minor Beaten by Catalonia's Police, Call for Minister to Resign

The use of force by Catalonia's police force, during November 14, 2012's general strike has brought about a wave of online condemnation. The events, which took place in the middle of an historic electoral campaign, has caused four of the region's political parties to petition for Catalonia's Interior Minister Felip Puig, to resign. One of the more controversial cases is of two minors who were attacked by the police.

25 November 2012

Spain: Catalan Newspaper Censors Blog for Reporting Hunger Strike

Catalan journalist and Global Voices contributor Lali Sandiumenge recently decided to disassociate her blog on digital activism, Guerreros del teclado or "Keyboard Warriors" from Catalonia's leading daily newspaper, La Vanguardia . The decision came after the publication's editorial staff decided to delete a post explaining a hunger strike in Barcelona by six workers of Telefónica, a telecommunications company in Spain.

25 November 2012