Stories about Freedom of Speech from March, 2016
Thailand Stops Journalist From Attending World Press Freedom Day in Finland
"If junta thinks forbidding me to travel abroad would silence me then they're mistaken. I will continue to scrutinize and criticize them."
Netizen Report: Ethiopia’s Zone9 Bloggers Go Back to Court
Chinese dissidents’ families torn apart over party controversy, courts in Morocco and Ethiopia drag out trials against advocates, and Russian tech moguls launch a new center for monitoring "information attacks".
Moscow Police Banned From Discussing Work Matters on Social Media
VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and WhatsApp are now officially off limits to Moscow police officers who want to discuss work-related matters or exchange official law enforcement data.
Chinese Police Tear Families Apart Over Letter That Demanded President's Resignation
An open letter urging China President Xi Jinping to resign has triggered a rash of political persecution against the family members of Chinese dissidents living abroad. Germany-based writer and Deutsche...
‘There is No Shame in Fear': Confronting Surveillance in Post-Revolution Egypt
"...as so many unjust things become normalized in our daily lives, the act of spreading information and informing others – however difficult – becomes an ever-more vital part of activism."
March 2016 Marks a Time of Change and Rage for Japanese Television Broadcasting
Japanese broadcasters heading for the exit are using their remaining airtime to highlight the government's increasingly autocratic approach to press freedoms.
Center for Monitoring Propaganda and Disinformation Online Set to Open in Russia
Russia already has agencies that oppose and respond to cyberattacks, but the center's creators say it would be the first of its kind, monitoring and preventing information attacks online.
Russian Censors Target Public Wi-Fi Spots in Crusade Against Blocked Websites
Russian censors are now policing public Wi-Fi in places such as cafes, shopping malls or public libraries, to make sure ISPs are blocking access to websites that are officially banned.
#Justice4Morocco: Human Rights Defenders’ Trial Postponed Again
Among those charged is Hicham Khribchi aka Hisham Almiraat, a medical doctor and long-time member of the Global Voices community.
Aliyev's Toys, or the Treatment of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan
"Our hostage life is over. We are free now! I wish freedom to all our friends remaining behind bars."
Albanian Activists Rally Against a ‘Concrete’ End for Tirana's Last Public Park
"...the voice and perspective raised by numerous civic movements has met with outright arrogance by the Tirana Municipality authorities..."
Netizen Report: Congo Shuts Down All Communications on Election Day
Bahrain court slams social media satirist in absentia, circumvention tools take another hit in Russia, and Facebook is off the hate speech hook in Germany (at least for now).
Yahoo Reports First Content Removal Requests from the Russian Government
This is the first time Yahoo has reported receiving Russian requests requests to remove user-generated content from services such as Flickr and Yahoo Groups.
Teacher's Intolerant Tirade Raises Questions About Education in Trinidad & Tobago
"Fixing" homosexuality and atheism by wielding a gun is not talk you would expect to hear from a teacher -- yet, at one Trinidad school, students are in full support.
Russian Journalists Create New Independent Trade Union
Russian journalists have founded a new independent trade union organization to boost professional solidarity and provide more support for reporters working in the country.
Is Exposing Corruption Becoming a Crime in Botswana?
Does it matter how journalists get hold of public information to expose corruption?
Netizens Mock Mark Zuckerberg's Love Affair with China
"Mark, you have six people in your running team. Did you apply for authorisation to run on the street? If not, this is illegal in China."
Twitter Through the Years: The RuNet Edition
For Twitter's 10-year anniversary, the Russian news outlet Kommersant collected dozens of "the most emblematic" tweets published throughout the platform's history. We picked out the ones coming from the RuNet.
Nigerian Police Beat Up Yomi Olomofe, Who Was Assaulted Last Year Over His Corruption Reporting
"Arresting magazine publisher Yomi Olomofe for beating the men he says beat him to a pulp is nothing short of obscene."
Russia Plans to Fine Websites for ‘Propaganda’ of Circumvention Tools
The Kremlin is so worried about internet circumvention tools it now seeks to make mere mentions of them illegal and introduce fines for "propaganda" of ways to access blocked websites.
Netizen Report: Uganda and Nigeria Seek Stricter Controls for Social Media
Thuggery runs rampant in the MENA region, Chile bans spy balloons and Google gears up to expand implementation of the "Right to Be Forgotten."
