Stories about Freedom of Speech from September, 2015
When Online Kremlin Propaganda Leaves the Web, It Looks Like This
"Material Evidence" is one of few pro-Putin Internet projects connected to Russia's "troll factories" with a significant offline trail. Because of this, we can trace its operations unusually well.
Six Ways Pro-Government Forces Went After Hong Kong's Occupy Movement
"The [Occupy Central] movement suggests that both the Internet and Hong Kong are at a crossroads, that both cannot take its freedoms for granted," writes Lokman Tsui.
Pussy Riot Performance in Banksy's Dismaland Highlights Plight of Refugees
Russian punk musicians and political activists Pussy Riot raised awareness of the cause of refugees in Europe with a violent and loud performance at Banksy's Dismaland park in London.
Serbian Journalists Harassed by Police While Reporting on Controversial Belgrade Construction Site
The journalists are not the first to run into trouble reporting on the 3.5 billion Euro Belgrade Waterfront project.
Jailed Activist and Artist Atena Farghdani Protests Mistreatment With Hunger Strike
“They have tarnished my daughter’s reputation in prison. They are playing with her integrity with their [ugly] words."
#PinjraTod Gives Voice to Indian Women Fed Up With Draconian University Hostel Rules
"What is clear from all these stories is the need for an all-out rejection of these restrictive rules and the patriarchal protectionism they are built on."
The Arrest of Arash Zad, Iran's Start-Up Kid
A popular technology blogger and pioneer of Iran's start-up scene is quietly arrested at Tehran's international airport. A strange turn of events for someone not involved in an dissident activity.
Zone9 Bloggers Are Not Alone: More Ethiopian Netizens Face Terrorism Charges
Alongside the now-famous case of the Zone9 bloggers, there are so many detained Ethiopian bloggers, online activists and politicians, whose names are not yet on the map. Last year on July...
Charlie Hebdo's Cartoons of Alan Kurdi Spark Another Round of Free Speech Debates
French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo kicks off a new free-speech debate with its latest cartoons about the refugee crisis and specifically deceased Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi.
Chilean Musician Victor Jara's Rethinking of Power Lives on Long After His Murder
The singer-songwriter, murdered in the aftermath of Augusto Pinochet's coup, invited listeners to dare to dream of a future in which society wasn't separated into powerful elites and disenfranchised masses.
Guinean Bloggers Battle the Digital Divide and Threats to Free Speech
Abdoulaye Bah reports Guinea's second blogcamp on how local bloggers are building the online community and opposing restrictions on free speech imposed before the elections.
Netizen Report: Refugee Crisis Inspires Both Love and Hate Online
As the refugee crisis spills into digital rights territory, authorities take aim at a leading media freedom NGO in Ecuador, and Austria's parliament proposes new state surveillance regime.
Truth Is Not a Crime: Ukraine Honors Fallen Journalist Gongadze
15 years after the murder of Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze, those who ordered his killing have still not been found by the investigators.
Resentment Against Hungary Grows After Serbia Border Clashes Injure Refugees and Journalists
Many expressed anger at Hungary and the European Union for their handling of the refugee crisis, including the closure of the Hungarian-Serbian border, without consulting their non-EU neighbors.
Russian Court Fines Google for ‘Reading Private Correspondence’ on Gmail
A Yekaterinburg academic has convinced Moscow city court to fine Google 50 thousand rubles ($765) for violating his "secrecy of correspondence" on Gmail with its targeted ads.
Iran's Hardline Supreme Council on Cyberspace Consolidates Power Over Internet Policymaking
Iran's Supreme Leader is strengthening his hold over Internet policy through the Supreme Council for Cyberspace.
Veteran Thai Journalist Detained After ‘Attitude-Adjustment’
"Freedom can't be maintained if we're not willing to defend it," Pravit tweeted on the day of his detention.
A Joke About Refrigerators Mocks China's Trend Toward Extreme Patriotism
"Long live the motherland, who knows which company sells refrigerators that are broad and flat?"
Umida Ahmedova оn the Burden of Censorship and Being a Female Artist in Uzbekistan
"There was a girl there who did not want to jump from a bridge into the water. We used this image as a metaphor."
Apple Caves To Data Localization Demands, Rents Out Space in Russian Data Center
Apple has decided to comply with the Russian data localization law and is renting out storage space at a data center on Russian soil, according to local media.
Kenyan Public Intellectual Accused of Using Hate Speech on Twitter
Kenyan political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi apologises to the Luo ethnic group and Law Society of Kenya head by offering a goat and a beer after attacking them on Twitter.
