Stories about Freedom of Speech from October, 2013
Radio Licences in Zambia Cancelled Because of Opposition's Access
Zambia's President Michael Sata has publicly lambasted former Information and Broadcasting Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba for issuing national broadcasting licences to two private radio stations and non-Christian radio stations.
Ballett Dortmund's Red Dream Ballet Censored in Hong Kong
Scenes and images related to the Cultural Revolution were removed abruptly before and after Ballett Dortmund's Red Dream opening performance in Hong Kong.
Egypt: Urban Constitution Document
As the “50 member-committee” meets to amend Egypt's constitution, some civil society organizations and urban activists participated in producing what they called the “urban constitution document” [Ar]: We present this...
Egypt: Lawsuits Greet Bassem Youssef's Long-Awaited Al Bernameg
How ready is Egypt for Bassem Youssef's latest round of satire? Netizens react to the first episode of El Bernameg (The Programme), which was greeted with lawsuits.
International Organizations Call for a Swift Adoption of Marco Civil in Brazil
‘Internet Needs an Uncompromising “Marco Civil” in Brazil!‘, state international organizations that advocate for free speech and freedoms online in an open letter released on October 28, 2013 (on the eve of...
Journalists Fear Japan's Proposed Secret Information Protection Act
The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a bill [ja] on October 25, 2013 to impose tougher penalties on civil servants, lawmakers and others who leak national secrets and...
Wearing Putin's Insult as the Badge of Honor
The Greenpeace activists locked up in Murmansk may be suffering the worst luck of anyone in the ongoing scandal surrounding Russia's Arctic drilling, but they aren't the only ones hurting.
Brazilian Police Seize Activists’ ‘Subversive’ Books
"The warrant makes it clear that police are investigating the political organizations that are somehow embedded in this year's protests, trying to identify (read: forge) a conspiracy."
Catalan Man Sentenced to Prison after Refusing to Speak Spanish
Carles Mateu, who refused to speak in Spanish to officers during a routine traffic stop in Valencia, was sentenced to six months in prison and had his driver's license revoked.
Macedonia Imprisons Investigative Journalist For Reporting On Local Murder
Journalists and watchdog organizations are outraged by the sentencing of Macedonian journalist Tomislav Kezarovski to four and a half years in prison for an article he wrote.
Saudi Prisoners’ Children Put Into Solitary Confinement
Relatives of prisoners, including children, who were denied from meeting their loved ones during Eid Al Adha, are now being detained in Saudi Arabia, after staging an "illegal" protest.
#FreeBoussa: Moroccan Netizens Protest Teen Trial over Public Kiss
Three teenagers have been arrested in Morocco. Their crime? The first two were arrested for kissing in public, and the third for photographing them.
No Man's Land: Kidnapping Journalists Worsens in Syria
Activists are campaigning for the release of Syrian media activist Rami Al Razzouk, 25, who was kidnapped on October 1 after negotiations with his kidnappers reached a deadlock.
Morocco Censors the Web: Collateral Damage Allowed
A number of websites, among them popular social media platforms Instagram and Pinterest, have been blocked in Morocco. Also, one of the main independent media outlets, Lakome, has been censored.
Pakistani Web Rallies Against Proposed Ban on Whatsapp, Viber and Skype
Pakistan's online community has not taken kindly to the Sindh provincial government's talk of banning the messaging apps temporarily in the interest of security.
Dandin.me: Encompassing the Emerging Talent in the Middle East
October 10 saw the official launch of Dandin.me, a novel independent platform whose founders are based in Egypt. Abdel-Rahman Hussein, one of the people behind Dandin.me, explains what it aims...
Free Expression, Right to Information Focus of Blog Action Day Brazil
Online censorship and police repression on the streets are problems yet to be overcome in Brazil, bloggers wrote.
Declaration on the Future of Internet Cooperation
Representatives of the organizations that manage the technical infrastructure of the Internet meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay, have released a Declaration on the future of Internet cooperation [es], in which they...
Activists Demand Release of Angola's Youngest Political Prisoner
It has been more than a month since a 17-year-old activist from Angola was detained after allegedly having ordered the print of 20 t-shirts saying “[President] José Eduardo out! Disgusting dictator”. Manuel...
Arbitrary TV License Decision Undermines Hong Kong Freedom of Speech
Hong Kong people believe that the government screened out a new free-to-air Television competitor due to political reasons.
Tajikistan Introduces Controversial “Ethics Code” For Internet Users
As Tajikistan adopts ethical guidelines for the users of internet services and personal electronic devices, netizens fear that he authorities might use the document to control free expression.
