Stories about Freedom of Speech from May, 2023
Poet Galal El Beheiry’s poetic protest and the perils of expression in Egypt
Imprisoned Egyptian poet Galal El Beheiry, detained since March 2018 for a poem, smuggles a letter from prison, vowing to escalate his 81-day hunger strike with a water strike starting June 1.
Russia may ban transgender transitioning
Over the past year, the situation for the transgender community in Russia has significantly deteriorated. in May 2023 the Ministry of Justice actively discussed either making more difficult or completely banning transgender transition.
‘Almost all famous artists have left or will leave [Russia], and those who remain will be blacklisted and banned’
For Russian rock, the “golden era” was the years of the underground, the end of the 70s and the first half of the 80s. The question is, will this “new underground” emerge?
#FramedinBelarus: An art group makes embroidery depicting the stories of political prisoners
The project aims to create portraits of each illegally convicted citizen in Belarus (political prisoners) using the traditional Belarusian embroidery technique of red thread on a white background
Cameroon: Report the Anglophone conflict and perish
Journalists who are critical in their reports on the Anglophone conflict, both online and offline, are either jailed or forced to desert the conflict zones and journalism or die in the process.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Hungary
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Hungary is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Mongolia embroiled in a major corruption scandal over the allocation of educational loans
The main finding of the two-month long investigation is that 90 percent of the loans were issued to high level officials, their children, and those who had access to closed information.
Aboriginal Australian journalist Stan Grant steps down from post after enduring racial abuse
"I want to find a place of grace far from the stench of the media. I want to go where I am not reminded of the social media sewer."
Interview with the author of “The Fugitive of Gezi Park”
Ten years ago, a group of environmentalists gathered at Istanbul's Gezi Park resisting the demolition of one of the remaining green spaces in the heart of this cosmopolitan city.
In Azerbaijan, violence against LGBTQ+ people continues unabated
According to ILGA Europe, an international non-governmental organization advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms, Azerbaijan occupies the last place among 49 countries on the organization's Rainbow Index consecutively for three years in a row.
Pakistan invokes draconian Army Act to put protestors on trial
The political situation in Pakistan is escalating after the National Security Council decided to invoke the Army Act and Official Secrets Act to try civilian protestors.
How the school massacre in Serbia played out on TikTok
Comments demanding the release of the detained teenager who committed the school shooting in Belgrade were common on TikTok videos, expressing “love” for him as a “hero” and a “legend”.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Venezuela
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Venezuela is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Kenya and the fallacy of trading individual privacy for national security
When the right to privacy is fractured on a national scale by actions such as surveillance, a myriad of other human rights suffer in a sort of domino effect.
Journalists from Serbian KRIK convicted for criticizing SLAPP suits against newsroom
"The judgement clearly indicates that SLAPP lawsuits have become the main tool of the regime for closing down the few independent media left," stated Stevan Dojčinović, editor-in-chief of the Serbian investigative outlet KRIK.
‘Post at your own risk': An interview with Indian journalist Srishti Jaswal
Global Voices conducted a telephonic interview with Srishti Jaswal, an award-winning journalist from India who became the target of online harassment from right-wing trolls, receiving thousands of threats.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Philippines
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in the Philippines is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Importing illiberal practices: The Kyrgyz state’s attack on media, journalists and bloggers
The Kyrgyz government is importing illiberal practices from Russia, and these changes have impacted public lives and affected the activity of media, journalists and bloggers.
With the death of Pema Tseden, Tibetan cinema just lost its most iconic director
Contemporary Tibetan cinema just lost its most famous and avant-garde film director, Pema Tseden, who specialized in portraying the clash of Chinese modernity and traditional Tibetan society.
Turkey heads to election run-off on May 28
These elections also showed how the main opposition coalition underestimated the societal split and the priorities that mattered — nationalism, big infrastructure projects, identity, and security to name a few
ÒCTele, a private TV station broadcasting in Occitan brings the language to France's public space
In southern France, a private TV initiative takes the safeguarding of the Occitan language to the next level by mainstreaming Occitan content for all age-category audiences over traditional and social media.
