Stories about Freedom of Speech from October, 2018
Israa Al-Ghomgham, a Saudi woman facing the death penalty for peaceful protest
Al-Ghomgham, and many other Saudi Shiites, took to the streets in 2011 to demand better rights.
Brazilian journalists face hacking, doxxing and other threats as election draws near
141 cases of threats and violence against journalists have been registered during the coverage of 2018 elections.
Death by bureaucracy? Russian regulators slap independent news site with sky-high fine
"It obviously means bankruptcy and imminent closure for the magazine."
Arrested in Saudi Arabia, and then disappeared: Yemeni writer Marwan Almuraisy
In the authoritarian kingdom, the crackdown against independent voices has escalated under Mohammed Bin Salman's rule.
No more photos of sleeping MPs? New rules restrict what media can cover in Tasmania Parliament
"Who do these politicians think they are? They are elected by the public, and the public is absolutely entitled to see how they behave."
Will Syria follow in the UAE's footsteps and censor VoIP services?
A policy banning VoIP services will present a direct threat to Syrians’ rights to privacy and freedom of expression.
In Iran, state-sanctioned messaging apps are the new hallmark of internet nationalization
Since they censored Telegram, Iranian officials have deployed aggressive measures in an effort to promote national messaging services.
Chinese artist Badiucao sends ‘Make Wall Great Again’ hats to Google, in protest of company's return to China
“I want [Google] to know it is a mistake to collaborate with China’s censorship. It is as shameful as Trump’s wall ... an invisible wall online — the great firewall.”
Six red carnations and one severed ram’s head: Deadly threats sent to Russian independent newspaper
The recipient of these grisly messages, the independent investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta, holds the record for the most of its reporters murdered on the job: six, including Anna Politkovskaya.
Macedonian propagandist calls for rape of female journalist, sparking outrage
The threat came from Cvetin Chilimanov, a well-known propagandist and dogged promoter of Macedonia's former ruling party.
Hong Kong Free Expression Week features Umbrella Movement activists and political cartoonist Badiucao
In recent years, Hong Kongers who support democratic rights and territorial independence have faced fierce repression.
When will Egypt release photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid aka Shawkan?
More than one month after a Cairo court verdict that many saw as the end to his ordeal, Shawkan remains in jail.
Pashtun human rights activist detained at Islamabad airport, released after social media pressure
Gulalai Ismail is a well-known Pashtun human rights activist and founder of Seeds of Peace network.
Will fake news carry Brazil's favored far-right candidate to victory?
Facebook and WhatsApp have seen a flurry of false and misleading posts promoting Jair Bolsonaro, who is likely to be Brazil's next president.
Why are African governments criminalising online speech? Because they fear its power.
The noise we make on digital platforms scares oppressive regimes. In some cases, it can even force them to rescind their actions.
Journalists across India share their testimony on the deteriorating state of media — and vow to fight back
Four journalists have been killed because of their work in 2018. Killings have evoked public outrage, but little response from the government.
Hong Kong rejects visa of Financial Times editor who hosted pro-independence talk
"The Hong Kong authorities’ visa renewal rejection—without explanation—of a journalist who’s done nothing more than his job smacks of Beijing-style persecution of critics".
Despite proven flaws, India's biometric ID scheme was upheld by the Supreme Court. Now what?
Legal scholars and social scientists are likely to pore over this significant judgment for its far-reaching impact on civil liberties and socio-economic issues.
