Stories about Freedom of Speech from April, 2019
Jailed Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor's life is at risk, after six weeks on hunger strike
Mansoor was awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2015. He has been jailed multiple times since 2011.
Benin sees internet blackout on election day
A nationwide internet shutdown that lasted well into the night, leaving voters in the dark about their election day choices.
Netizen Report: Saudi Arabian authorities arrest three bloggers and execute 37 prisoners, several of them protesters
Saudi Arabia's assault on free speech continues, Careem might be sharing your number with drivers, and the internet is still shutdown in Chad.
Tanzanian authorities detain and deport Ugandan human rights leader
Human Rights Watch says Tanzania has witnessed "a marked decline in respect for free expression, association and assembly" under the current government.
Malaysian activist under police probe after LGBT speech at the United Nations
"The police investigation into Numan’s statement merely serves to highlight the harassment, bullying and discrimination faced by LGBT persons in Malaysia."
Leica's promo video referencing Tiananmen Square massacre went viral on Chinese social media. Then, it disappeared.
For days, users were forbidden from writing the words "Leica" in English and "徕卡" in Chinese on Weibo.
India bans China's TikTok for ‘degrading culture and encouraging pornography’
People in India have been banned from downloading TikTok, a hugely popular quick video-sharing app based in China.
Government actions in Sri Lanka Easter bombings raise the question: Is social media helping or hurting?
The swift decision to block certain social media platforms suggests that in the eyes of the Sri Lankan government, these services can make an already bad situation worse.
Netizen Report: If protecting your privacy is ‘part of a conspiracy,’ then we’re all in big trouble
Digital privacy tools draw suspicion in the US and Ecuador, India tackles Tiktok, and a Chinese man learns that facial recognition works -- even while you’re sleeping.
After a year of protests Nicaraguans don't want just Ortega's departure — they want a new beginning
"[We need to] eradicate authoritarianism, sexism, personal autocracy and other ills that have penetrated the political culture of the country"
China's Censored Histories: Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre
The crackdown on internet freedom in early June has become an iconic source of panic for the Communist Party of China.
Russian state media scolds independent outlets for ‘neutral’ word choice in counter-terror operation reports
RT’s Russian-language website attacked other media outlets for using the word “killed” instead of “liquidated” or “neutralized.”
Jailed UAE activist Ahmed Mansoor continues hunger strike
Mansoor is serving ten years in jail after a court convicted him of publishing false information and rumours on social media.
Inside the Lebanese campaign to stop a World Bank-funded dam project
An anti-dam project campaign is trying to "contest the World Bank's ill-advised and destructive water policies in Lebanon."
Free by day, jailed by night: Egyptian activists speak out against conditional release
Activists, who have recently been released from prison, only enjoy freedom from 6am to 6pm.
Slovenian officials rebuff Hungary, refuse to censor cartoon satire ridiculing Viktor Orbán
Slovenian officials pledged to "never interfere in any of the media’s editorial policy."
Censored on WeChat: How a fatal bus accident in Chongqing symbolized China's ‘left turn’
Many people saw the bus accident, the result of a fight onboard, as an allegory of China's political turn in recent years.
Rumors of Russia's first ‘fake news’ case against a media outlet might just be fake news
Media were quick to suggest that a bogus yoga ban story could be the first victim of the Russia's 'fake news' law.
Hungarian state media are attacking a high school student who criticized government
Nagy has endured criticism of her intellect and even sexual harassment, with one pro-government media outlet calling her a "whore".
Censored on WeChat: Revelations of toxic ingredients in Hongmao medicinal liquor
Tan Qindong was arrested after revealing the presence of toxic herbs in a popular medicinal liquor. Posts about his ordeal were censored on WeChat.
All you need to know about India's 2019 general elections
After a campaign season complete with hashtag battles between candidates, Indians are gearing up to take to the polls for the 2019 general elections.
