Stories about Freedom of Speech from March, 2014
Teenage Bloggers in Bangladesh Arrested For ‘Blasphemous’ Facebook Posts
Fellow bloggers accuse an Islamist student organization of distributing false propaganda that rallied a mob against the two bloggers and led to their arrest.
A Schism Over Ukraine in Russian-owned LiveJournal
Igor Bigdan (ibigdan), one of the most popular RuNet bloggers, announced yesterday that he would be leaving his position as Director of LiveJournal Ukraine starting April.
Embattled Opposition Blogger's Insanity Defense?
When attempts to silence Alexey Navalny, Russia's top blogger and anti-corruption activist, don't work quite as planned, it's time to shovel the dirt.
Top 10 Russian-Language Tweets, Week 13 of 2014
Every Friday, RuNet Echo collects the top ten Russian-language tweets and curates them for Global Voices readers.
China Strengthens Censorship on Foreign TV Online
Companies will now have to employ government-approved censors to green light videos before they can be broadcast online.
Creator of Quirky Movement Defends Kremlin Propagandist
Artyom Loskutov, creator of "Monstration", signed a letter in support of odious propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov. Was he right to do so?
Blogging about Russia's Crimea Annexation? You Could Be an Extremist!
Russian lawmakers are toying with the idea of levying extremism charges against bloggers who “incite xenophobic attitudes” when writing about the Crimea.
Russia's Media Crackdown Spills into Academia
Three days ago, MGIMO University fired Professor Andrei Zubov for so-called academic misconduct. His supposed crime was writing an antiwar op-ed criticizing Russia's intervention in Ukraine.
Brazil's Internet Bill of Rights Ignites Storm of Posts
Activists who support Brazil's bill of rights for Internet users, known as the #MarcoCivil, and who have Facebook or Twitter accounts are invited to participate in a large-scale campaign on social networks to pressure the National Congress to vote on the current version of the bill. An article by Julie Rovono on TechCrunch explains how...
Taiwan's Heavy-Handed Crackdown on #CongressOccupied Leaves Protesters, Journalists Injured
Some have blackened their profile photos on Facebook and Twitter in protest of the heavy-handed police response to a demonstration at government headquarters.
How Russians Are Outsmarting Internet Censorship
RuNet activists have created a sophisticated system of censorship evasion and counter-attack, which can potentially make life hard for both censors and pro-Kremlin websites.
The Perils Of The Dams Coming Up for Mumbai Region
South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) blog reports that as many as 12 dams are either being planned or are under construction to satisfy the increasing water demand of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in India. The Tribals and other affected groups have long been strongly opposing...
Tor Users on the Rise in Turkey
Human rights and ethics advocate Frederic Jacobs notes that the number of people using Tor is on the rise in Turkey: Tor usage is peaking in Turkey. > 35 000 connecting. More expected for the next few days. pic.twitter.com/1c7AOflm7h — Frederic Jacobs (@FredericJacobs) March 23, 2014 Turkey has just banned Twitter.
Video: Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah Released on Bail
Celebrations continue as prominent Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah is released from jail. In his first tweet after his release, the activist vows to "continue" the struggle.
Erdogan Vows to ‘Wipe Out’ Twitter in Turkey
Turkey has blocked Twitter – as well as Google's public DNS service, used to circumvent the block. It seems, however, that the Turkish government's plan to censor dissent has backfired.
What Is the Future of Russia's News Media?
Now that Moscow has formally annexed Crimea, following a controversial popular referendum, it's possible, if not extremely likely, that Russian journalists will face even greater difficulties.
Hungarian Far-Right Group Protests Against Fashion Designer
A group of far-right extremists occupied the exhibition opening of a Hungarian fashion designer on Friday, Kettős Mérce blog reported [hu]. The designer in question Koby's new fashion line was first withdrawn [hu] from a Hungarian sports brand shop in January 2014, after nationalist criticism rose against the t-shirt designs featuring some of...
As Elections Approach, Denial Runs Deep for Turkey's Erdogan
Turkey's Prime Minister is calling for democratic elections in a democratic state. Meanwhile, media outlets are under attack, Twitter is blocked, and protester oppression is at an all-time high.
Macedonian Students Demanding Better Living Conditions Called ‘Unpatriotic’
While most have supported Macedonian university students' online campaign to raise awareness about the unlivable conditions of dormitories in Skopje, one columnist called their efforts "unpatriotic".
Algerian Opposition TV Network Shuttered Ahead of Presidential Elections
Independent television network Al-Atlas TV, known for broadcasting Algerian opposition viewpoints without any restriction or censorship, was shut down by Algerian authorities on March 11.
Russia Today's YouTube Glitch Spurs Censorship Fears
Russia's liberals seemed to be torn between their principles and a clear opportunity for schadenfreude at a Kremlin-friendly station being blocked.
