Stories about Freedom of Speech from March, 2008
Cuba: Verifying Blocked Websites
Yoaní Sanchez of Generación Y [es] in Cuba details which blog and websites are currently being blocked within the island after verifying this fact at a local cybercafe.
Tajikistan: Politicized Navruz
Navruz is one of the main celebrations for Tajiks. This time — more than ever — it means end of one of the harshest winter in several decades. People could hardly wait for these warm days that have come with the beginning of spring. Navruz has been celebrated throughout the...
China: Petition to Stop the Ban On Tang Wei
Eric Mu from DANWEI translated a petition to stop the ban on Tang Wei – the main actress in the movie “Lust, Caution”.
China: The Wolves are Here!
Huge commented on the debate about Tibet news: When a kid kept on telling lies, one day when the wolves really popped up, no one would believe him anymore [zh].
China: Remembering Our Predecessors
A number of intellectuals, media and cultural workers have written a joint declaration [zh] to commemorate their predecessors, who died for seeking and speaking the truth, before Ching Ming Festival.
Kosovo, Serbia: Frontline Club Debate Video
From the Frontline posts a video of the recent Frontline Club debate on Kosovo independence.
Kosovo, Serbia: Reactions to Del Ponte's Organ Smuggling Story
Douglas Muir at A Fistful of Euros examines former Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's story on organ smuggling in Kosovo and links to the readers’ reactions at B92 site.
Russia: Blogging Kozlovsky
Grigory Pasko, over at Robert Amsterdam's blog, writes about the newest ordeal of Oborona leader Oleg Kozlovsky. Kozlovsky (LJ user welgar) reprints the text on his new English-language blog. Also, Kozlovsky has announced (RUS) the launch of his English-language column at Robert Amsterdam's blog.
Cuba: Blocking Bloggers
Want to get the Cuban blogosphere talking? Block access to a popular blog. Ever since Cuban authorities did just that to several less-than-supportive Havana-based blogs earlier this week, the blogging diaspora have come out in full support of Cuban bloggers – especially Yoani Sanchez and her popular Generacion Y blog,...
Egypt: Journalist Sentenced for Six Months
“Ibrahim Eissa received a prison sentence of six months for having spread false information about President Mubarak´s health in August 2007. The sentence was given by Judge Sherif Kamel Mustapha at Bulaq Court of misdeamenours this morning. He was found guilty of having harmed Egypt´s economy,” announced Ibn Al Dunya...
Bermuda: Retribution?
As the government pulls its advertising dollars from local newspapers, supposedly for reasons of retribution, Vexed Bermoothes asks: “Is this about governing or controlling Bermuda?”
Armenia: Opposition Diaries
Unzipped posts videos produced by the radical opposition on the post-election turmoil in Armenia. Although both government and opposition continue to disseminate propaganda, The blog says that until an independent and objective inquiry is held, a plurality of opinion should be heard.
China and Tibet: Information War
ESWN translated the anti-CNN website and commented on the debate between the Chinese Netizen and western media.
Yemen blocks Maktoob blogging platform
Maktoobblog.com, one of the most popular Arab blogging platform, has been recently blocked in Yemen cutting off Yemeni Internet users from the more than 46960 blogs the service hosts. According to MaktoobBlog, there are currently 1226 Yemeni blogs hosted by the service. All of them disappeared from the Yemeni Internet.
Russia, Ukraine: The Nose; Andropov vs Khrushchev
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis, in the March 25 entry, pays tribute to “The Nose” by Nikolai Gogol and quotes from Yuri Andropov's 1970 proposal to suppress Nikita Khrushchev's memoir.
Cuba: Blogs Blocked From the Inside
From Cuba, Generación Y [es] indicates that her blog and others on the Desde Cuba portal have been blocked within the island.
Bahamas, Cuba: The Cuban Five
Blogging at Weblogbahamas.com, Rick Lowe shares his perspective on The Cuban Five.
Cuba: Blog Access
Child of the Revolution reports that “the Castro regime has restricted (and in some cases, blocked) access to semi-critical blogs written from inside Cuba.”
Iran:Protest against filtering
Key1one says[Fa] that Cloob.com,a Persian-language social networking website, mainly popular in Iran, has been filtered for about one month.About 2000 people signed a petition and protested against this filtering.
Europe: Recognition of Kosovo
Balkan Baby and readers discuss Kosovo's independence.
Serbia, Kosovo: Milorad Cavic's Protest
Balkan Baby writes about Serbian swimming champion Milorad Cavic: “Many of us who firmly support Kosovo’s independence will have paradoxically supported Cavic’s protest though, seeing in it an expression of the democratic right of the individual to speak his mind. When so many athletes concern themselves solely with wearing branded...