Stories about Freedom of Speech from December, 2007
Iran:”28th December a Protest day”
In Azadi Barbari blog, we read that leftist students call all the international organisations and campaigns to join them on 28th December to protest against the Islamic Republic and raise their voice to free the students in Iran.
Saudi Arabia: Leading Blogger Arrested
The Arab Blogger's Observatory (Ar) announced the arrest of pioneer Saudi blogger Fuad Al Farhan. The site did not cite any reasons for his arrest.
China: Zuola on how citizen media should work
A fist-chop in the throat and surveillance by secret police seems to have put a swift end to the career of China's most popular investigative blogger Zhou “Zuola” Shuguang, but judging from his post earlier this month ‘Zhou Shuguang's understanding of citizen reporters and citizen media’, if you were to...
Russia: Kozlovsky's Forced Conscription
Robert Amsterdam's blog follows the story of a Russian youth movement leader's forced conscription to army – here, here and here.
Russia: “Espionage Obsessed State”
James of Robert Amsterdam's blog posts a translation of a Russian article on “the social reality of an espionage obsessed state.” The article's last line is: “Having lost vigilance, Russia may not only not notice the beginning of a new cold war, but may even fail to notice its transition...
Russia: More on Putin the Person of the Year
Further discussion of Time Magazine's Person of the Year pick – at Sean's Russia Blog (27 comments) and Scraps of Moscow (22 comments).
Russia: Robert Amsterdam's Alternative Person of the Year
Robert Amsterdam insists that “TIME’s choice is a great thing for Russia and her people, as we can all take a much closer look now at what is going on (and what’s going wrong) in this great nation.” He also picks his blog's own Person of the Year: The Russian...
Ukraine, Russia: On Tymoshenko, Yanukovych and Putin
Foreign Notes writes about Yulia Tymoshenko's TV address and Viktor Yanukovych's “shadow opposition government” – as well as Vladimir Putin's misrepresentation of Ukraine's Russophone population in his Time Magazine interview and a subsequent reaction of the head of Donetsk region, who “emphasized that the Russian-speaking population of his oblast, which...
Russia: “Nashi” and Feminism
Natalia Antonova writes about Nashi pro-Putin youth movement – and about feminism in the former Soviet Union: “So is there feminism in Russia today? Yes. Only in many instances, it doesn’t go by that name. And perhaps never will. Is there feminism among Nashi members? I don’t believe the members...
Armenia: Action Puts Bloggers In Media Spotlight
In countries such as Armenia where the mainstream broadcast media is firmly under the control of government-connected businessmen and/or officials, while the traditional print and online media largely reflects the opposition in the country, there is no doubt that blogs have an important role to play in the dissemination of...
The Balkans: Fighting Genocide Deniers
Srebrenica Genocide Blog has two new posts up: on the atrocities of 1943, and on Darko Trifunovic, a “Srebrenica genocide denier” employed by the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Security Studies. In a comment, Alan Jakšić of Serbian Anarchist recommends that Daniel of Srebrenica Genocide Blog file a “formal complaint”...
The troubled pasts of Burkina Faso
The United Nations Development Programme recently released its 2007/2008 Human Development Index. Burkina Faso dropped from the world’s fourth poorest country to its second poorest. Burkina Mom found it sadly ironic that development indicators are falling while the government throws itself a huge party for National Day, replete with a huge parade and many festivities.
Georgia: Authoritarian Tendencies
Resistance Georgia comments on the latest report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) which concludes that Georgia is veering towards authoritarianism. The pro-opposition blog thanks the ICG for using such words when the international community is reluctant to do so.
Russia, Moldova: Interview With Natalia Morar
An interview with journalist Natalia Morar by Grigory Pasko – at Robert Amsterdam's blog.
Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica: Death of Traditional Media
“I think blogs…and other online mediums can and should take the place of traditional media, if only because it saves trees…but also because…I do not think that traditional journalism is doing the job anymore”: Sungoddess foresees the demise of traditional media in the Caribbean.
Kyrgyzstan: “I don’t believe” arrests
Bektour Iskender posts an article about participants of the “I don’t believe” action that have been arrested for protesting against the official results of the parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan.
China: Netizens Want More Government Control?
Fons from China Herald links to a report done by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in which 41% wants more political control in the cyberspace.
Russia: Attacks on Ingushetia.ru
Window on Eurasia reports on the attacks on Ingushetia.ru, a site that “often reports news about conditions [in Ingushetia] that the authorities do not want covered.”
Russia: “Don Putin”
Sean Guillory of Sean's Russia Blog is reminded of Godfather as he reads about “Putin’s acceptance to be Prime Minister if his protege Dima becomes President.”
Russia: Rosstat vs Kremlinologists
Russia in the Media cites statistics to prove that two “brave Kremlinologists” engaged in “manipulations with numbers,” as they worked on a Russia piece for the International Herald Tribune.
Russia: New York Times’ Coverage
Perspectives on the New Russia updates a recent post on the New York Times’ coverage of Russia.
