Stories about Freedom of Speech from February, 2020
YouTuber in Mozambique kidnapped after denouncing a self-proclaimed prophet
In some of his YouTube videos, the user "Beleza em pessoa" criticized Mozambican prophets.
What kind of rumours were circulating during the 2020 Taiwan presidential election?
"...a majority of the rumors were aimed at dividing the Taiwanese society. They provoke people’s emotions and split the community into two political camps."
Despite exile, Evo Morales’ influence in Bolivian politics endures
Morales was allegedly the kingmaker behind the candidacy of Luis Arce, the former Minister of Economy who will represent MAS in the upcoming presidential elections.
Literature as a gateway for exploring Indian-Nepali hybridity: Interview with author Prajwal Parajuly
"The book being read by the very people it was about, in the very language the characters speak in? Heart-warming. The book has reached the most remote corners of Nepal."
Justice for Tanzanian journalist Erick Kabendera comes at a steep price
Tanzanian freelance journalist Erick Kabendera was released from prison but faces hefty fines on charges of money laundering and tax evasion.
“Parental pin”: the Spanish far-right's fight to control public education
The Spanish political party Vox is demanding the right to prevent their children from being educated about feminism, equality or sexual diversity.
Rising attacks against journalists for reporting about the conflict in north Mozambique
There has been an alarming increase in the number of threats made against journalists who are covering the armed attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
Fiji poet and activist Peter Sipeli promotes storytelling for LGBTQ+ rights in the Pacific
"I wanted to create a human conversation about the pain that we endure, that ostracization, and unpack that for people to see into."
Can the anti-infiltration law successfully block pro-Beijing media in Taiwan?
Pro-Beijing media outlet announced it would leave the Taiwanese market in protest over the anti-infiltration law in Taiwan.
Political beliefs divide generations and strain family ties in Taiwan
While the outcome of the Taiwan 2020 presidential election is settled, generational conflicts continue.
Can a beloved Tashkent theatre resist the wrecking ball?
The famed Ilkhom Theatre may have survived decades of censorship and economic upheaval, but now it faces another foe: massive urban redevelopment in the Uzbek capital.
Despite calls to move, a women-led protest in India challenges the Citizenship Amendment Act
"If we can sacrifice so much for this protest, can’t people tolerate a slight inconvenience?"
Chinese censorship demonstrates it can afford the cost of ‘the death of media’
A massive number of groups and user accounts were removed by platforms following the death of Dr. Li Wenliang, which set social media on fire.
Pakistan's draconian rules on social media take activists by surprise
The new rules require social media companies to hand over user information and remove content deemed unlawful when requested by the authorities.
Groundbreaking film on Russia's HIV epidemic goes viral
Nearly one percent of Russia's population is HIV positive, but the authorities have remained silent about the epidemic. It looks like Yury Dud's latest YouTube documentary has broken that silence.
Positive energy floods Chinese social media as over 60,000 infected with COVID-2019
As of February 15, there are 66,577 infections and 1,524 deaths as a result of 2019-nCoV -- which has not stopped Chinese social media from being flooded with positive energy.
New report makes grim predictions for ‘Fortress RuNet’
The most recent annual report by Russian NGOs Agora and Roskomsvoboda draws some troubling conclusions about what lies in store for the RuNet in years to come.
In Lebanon, journalists and activists who cover protests face threats
Media professionals have raised their voices against the use of excessive force against them while they are trying to cover the mass protests.
Is the coronavirus epidemic China's ‘Chernobyl moment'?
"It is a system that turns every natural disaster into an even greater man-made catastrophe."
Broadcasters from Nigeria join global celebration of World Radio Day 2020
Nigerian broadcasters joined radio practitioners around the world to honor the powerful role that radio plays in global development on World Radio Day, February 13, 2020.
What do we know about the ‘Great Firewall of India’?
After a six-month-long internet shutdown, access to only 301 white-listed websites has been granted in Jammu and Kashmir, whereas social media, VPNs and many other sites remain banned.
