Stories about Freedom of Speech from October, 2015
Bangladesh Book Publishers Suffer Fatal Attacks in Wake of Blogger Killings
Both publishers had ties with Bangladeshi-American blogger and author Avijit Roy, who was attacked and killed in February 2015.
Iranian Student Held Without Charge, Pressured to Make False Confession
"Judicial officials...should not arrest youths and pass heavy judgments against them every time they criticize. My son should be sitting in class and studying right now.”
Indian Scholars Return Their National Awards to Protest Rising Intolerance
"We have never seen an atmosphere like this in India before. There never was any fear to freely voice one’s opinions."
Ukrainian Official Dismissed for Using Russian Email Service for Official Correspondence
Ukrainian authorities believe that using Russian email services could potentially "jeopardize the country's information security" in view of the ongoing information war between Ukraine and Russia.
Netizen Report: US Tech Companies Grapple with EU Data Rules in a Post-Snowden World
Ukraine rolls out Russian-style Internet blacklist, Cuba releases artist-blogger "El Sexto" after 10 months in prison, and Bahrain jails Zainab Al-Khawaja for insulting the king.
Fans Step Up After Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei Hits Brick Wall With Lego
"No Lego on my Christmas-Burthday shopping list @LEGO_Group. Not supporting Ai Wei Wei @aiww is very disappointing"
Free Alaa Campaign Takes Social Media by Storm on the First Anniversary of His Imprisonment
Alaa Abd El Fattah has spent a year in prison for his activism. He has four more to serve. Netizens are making noise on his first year anniversary calling for his freedom.
Jailed for Anti-Monarchy Graffiti, Thai Musician Gets Support on Social Media
Opas C, a 68-year-old Thai, is serving a three-year jail term for writing an anti-monarchy graffiti in a mall toilet.
‘Our Detention Tells a Broader Story About Our Country': Reflections From Ethiopia's Zone9 Bloggers
"To our incarcerators who gave us those ordeals, even if you are not asking us for forgiveness, here we are."
Ukraine's New Banned Websites Registry: Security Measure or Censorship Tool?
Ukraine's new cyberpolice say they want to protect Ukrainians online, but a banned websites registry is causing Internet users to worry about adverse effects on free expression.
Netizen Report: Uganda Vows to Step Up Online Censorship
Free speech is under fire in East Africa: Two Facebook users have been charged under Tanzania's new cybercrime law, while new social media regs are on the horizon in Uganda.
3 Mexicans Who Refuse to Stay Silent on Injustice
Father Solalinde, poet Javier Sicilia, and the families of 43 missing students in Ayotzinapa are all raising their voices against the problem of violence and impunity in the country.
Bahrain Government Renews Crackdown on Religious Rituals
Security forces and youth clashed in Bahrain today as police attacked villages, forcefully removing banners placed on roadsides to commemorate Ashura. Several people were injured from buckshot fired at protesters.
Two Tanzanians Accused of Posting ‘False Information’ Face Charges Under New Cybercrime Law
According to the state, both men have violated Section 16 of Cybercrimes Act, which prohibits "publication of false information." Little more is currently known about their cases.
Angolan Rapper Breathes New Life Into ‘Freedom Now’ Movement, As Hunger Strike Threatens His
Activists fight for their lives in Angolan jails. Thanks to a new online portal that collects and publishes photos showing solidarity with political prisoners, the movement is stronger than ever.
Chinese Nationalist ‘Hawks’ Form Online Volunteer Army Against ‘Enemy Forces’
In addition to the Chinese Communist Youth League's online civilization volunteers, the right-wing nationalists are also self-organized, creating a online volunteer army to promote their ideas and silence critics.
Ethiopia's Zone9 Bloggers Acquitted of Terror Charges
Many supporters on Twitter put words like "acquittal", "court" and "judiciary" in quotation marks to emphasize the degree to which the case exposed Ethiopia's failed judicial system.
Myanmar ‘Cartoonists Have Been on the Side of the People’
"Many say that cartoonists or journalists should not be biased, but must be neutral. It is wrong. They should have bias. They must. By bias, I don’t mean prejudice."
Egyptian Facebook User Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Putting Mickey Mouse Ears on Sisi
Egyptian Facebook user Amr Nohan has been sentenced to three years in prison by a military court for adding Mickey Mouse ears to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's image.
The Murky Ethics of Publishing Data on Russian Servicemen ‘Bombing Syria’
Ukrainian "civic investigation" project Mirotvorets, previously preoccupied with exposing the Russian military presence in eastern Ukraine, has published personal data of Russian servicemen allegedly engaged in airstrikes in Syria.
Refugees Take Over Danish Daily Newspaper For a Day to Tell Their Stories
The Danish daily newspaper Information invited 12 refugees, some newly arrived, all professional journalists, to take over the entire 48 pages of the newspaper on Friday, October 9.
