Stories about Freedom of Speech from October, 2014
Anti-Censorship Play Receives Surprise Approval From Lebanon's Censors
Locked in a two-year battle with Lebanon’s General Security bureau, playwright Lucien Bourjeily never imagined his verbatim “docuplay” about the censorship process would make it past the censors.
Human Rights Activist Iyad El-Baghdadi Speaks Out on His Deportation from UAE
Iyad El-Baghdadi, who played a key role in social media activism around the Arab uprisings, was deported from the UAE April. Until last week, little was known of his fate.
Thailand's High School Civic Activism in a Time of Martial Law
A group of high school students in Thailand is organizing a series of protests, demanding education reforms from the military-led government.
Ukraine Elections Online: Crowdmaps To Report Voter Fraud, Hashtags To Vent About Politics
As Ukraine counts the votes in its parliamentary elections, we take a look at the online citizen tools that Ukrainians used to report violations and discuss the candidates.
Russia Step Ups Censorship of ISIS Social Media Content
The move to forbid ISIS’s media content joins a trend of growing Internet surveillance and censorship in Russia, but the feasibility of weakening ISIS by targeting social media is questionable.
‘Hunger Games’ Salute Gives Hope to Democracy Activists in Thailand
Attendees at a cremation of a former public official made a three-finger salute which was last used by activists denouncing the coup and loss of democracy in Thailand.
Thai Students to Hong Kong Protesters: ‘Do Not Give Up’
It is illegal in Thailand today to organize or join rallies, but a group of Thai students expressed their support for Hong Kong's protesters in a special Google Hangout discussion.
Hitting Below the Belt? Trinidad & Tobago President Tries to Gag Comedian Over Jokes About First Lady
A president, a first lady and a comedian walk into a bar...and what happens next, no-one could have anticipated. Did good-natured teasing hit below the belt?
Brazilian Bloggers Claim Presidential Candidate is Trying to Censor His Critics on YouTube
Users with similar names and similarly scant Internet histories have made intellectual rights claims against two YouTube videos that cast a negative light on presidential candidate Aécio Neves.
Russia's Justice Ministry Targets Human Rights Group ‘Memorial’
Russia hasn't elaborated its grievances against the human rights group, but Memorial says the main issue is that officials want it to adopt a more centralized organizational structure.
Venezuela: Twitter Users Detained After Socialist Party Deputy is Slain
Numerous Twitter users have been detained by Venezuelan police in recent weeks, all on accusations linking them to the assassination of Socialist Party Deputy Robert Serra.
Talk Show Inspires 1 Million+ Callers to Protest India's Anti-Gay Law
"Satyamev Jayate" aired an episode on October 19, 2014 called "Accepting Alternative Sexualities" that attempted to challenge misconceptions about India's LGBT community. Soon after, #FreedomForLGBT was trending on Twitter.
Cyber Attack Downs Mozambique's @Verdade News Site on Election Day
The attack began on the eve of the election and managed to bring down the site just as polls closed and votes were being counted.
Russian Opposition Leaders Support Ukraine, But Crimea Is Not Coming Back
Russia’s leading opposition figures Alexey Navalny and Mikhail Khodorkovsky have a message for Ukrainians: Crimea is gone, and Ukraine is not getting it back.
Russians, Rejoice! The Long-Awaited ‘Meduza’ News Portal Has Arrived!
A cross between news aggregation and independent reporting, "Meduza" is the coolest thing to hit online Russian journalism in recent memory.
Mexicans Demand President Peña Nieto Resign With Trending Twitter Hashtag
A spate of state violence, including the case of the missing Ayotzinapa students, has prompted Mexicans to demand the resignation of President Enrique Peña Nieto on Twitter under #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN.
False Ebola Alarm Provides Convenient Distraction for Macedonia From Unflattering EU Report
The arrest of 14 judges and an over-dramatized possible case of Ebola took over Macedonian media in October, overshadowing news of a damning EU progress report on the country.
Citizen Journalist Kidnapped and Killed in Mexico for Reporting on Organized Crime
María del Rosario Fuentes Rubio volunteered as a contributor with Valor por Tamaulipas (Courage for Tamaulipas), a citizen media platform that allows users to file anonymous reports on violence.
Hong Kong's Journalists Battle Self-Censorship, Intimidation and Police Violence to Report Umbrella Revolution
Four independent news sites issued a joint statement condemning police for intentionally attacking reporters. Reporters at other outlets have had to deal with management's self-censorship for fear of angering Beijing.
Building an Internet Fast Lane in Russia Could Be a Great Way to Stifle Independent Media
In Russia, where the online space for independent media is fast shrinking, the prospect of ending net neutrality and filtering Internet content poses significant dangers.
Ex-President's Return Triggers Media Warning from Government in Madagascar
The political situation is tense again in Madagascar after ex-president in exile Marc Ravalomanana's return to the country. The conditions under which he came back and the subsequent house arrest...
