Stories about Freedom of Speech from June, 2010
Cuba: For the Bloggers
Generation Y posts interviews with Dr. Darsi Ferrer and Juan Juan Almeida.
Madagascar: A Strange 50th Independence Day Anniversary
The Anniversary of Madagascar 50th Independence Day is on June 26th and the festivities are already underway. Still, the atmosphere is not exactly festive because of the political and economic uncertainty.
Cuba: Ferrer Released
Several Cuban bloggers report that prisoner of conscience, Dr. Desi Ferrer, has been released, but must serve the remaining four months of his prison term under house arrest.
Iran: Derakhshan's trial started
According to [fa] several sites including Fars News, Hossein Derakhshan‘s trial started today. The Iranian blogger has been in jail for 21 months and he was accused of “collaborating with...
Iran: Mir-Hossein Mousavi Cartoon Upsets Greens
A leading Iranian cartoonist and blogger based in Canada, Nikahang Kowsar, posted a cartoon this month of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi that has caused numerous reactions in Iranian citizen media. It shows Mousavi 10 years from now, writing his 300th statement.
Cuba: Letter for Ferrer
“Just know I will be watching. And as I have done for almost 5 years on my blog, I will be holding you and your government to account what it...
Eritrea: Eritrean journalists in diaspora
An analysis of experiences and activities on Eritrean journalists in the diaspora by Adal Voices Of Eritreans.
Jamaica: Social Media Benefits
In light of the recent state of emergency in Jamaica, diaspora blogger Labrish calls social media “a strong wind at the back of citizen journalists and ultimately a benefit for...
Hungary: Sinning with Impunity
Twenty years after the transition to democracy, Hungary is discussing whether those who had committed crimes against citizens during the communist era should be called to account.
Iran: “9 file sharing sites got filtered”
Conservative Fars News site reported 9 “file sharing sites” including sharingmatrix،rapidshare،megaupload got filtered in one day in Iran.
Iran: A leading weblog service got filtered
Several Iranian bloggers including Persianweblog reported that Blogfa, a leading free Persian weblog service got filtered.
Russia: Analysis of Hacker Attacks On Bloggers
Over the last five years, more than 40 RuNet bloggers have become targets of hacker attacks, most of which were carried out by a group of hackers named The Brigade of Hell. The hackers' targets have been both political and commercial bloggers.
Myanmar: Opposition website hacked
The Irrawaddy reports that photayokeking.org, an opposition website in Myanmar was attacked by hackers. The website provides alternative information about the Myanmar military
Russia: Anti-Corruption Cartoon Competition
S-pravdoi.ru, civil society portal, launched [EN] an anti-corruption cartoon competition. After one day of work the competition gathered more than 100 works from all over the country.
Russia: Novaya Gazeta, An Opposition Newspaper Under Internet Attack
Novaya Gazeta is a liberal opposition newspaper in Russia that is famous beyond Russia's borders. Several of its journalists have been killed, and it continues to attract both online and offline threats. Sergey Sokolov, the deputy executive editor, shares with GV his perspectives on information security and the ongoing investigations into the journalists' murders.
Cuba: Cameras & Memory
Generation Y says that the “dozens, hundreds of cameras scattered throughout the city” are creating content that “will be stored in the visual memory of this country.”
Lebanon: E-transactions Draft Law Postponed
The Lebanese online community celebrated the temporary victory of postponing the vote in parliament for the new proposed E-transactions law for an extra month. More about this law and reactions in this post.
China: Southern Media Group bid on Newsweek rejected
Little is known regarding the reason why a prominent mainland Chinese media group's bid to purchase the American magazine Newsweek ended in failure and an interview this week with the man who reportedly led the bidding process leaves observers with yet more questions.
Peru: Shining Path at the University of San Marcos?
A video of a rally in favor of Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), which took place at the campus of San Marcos University, was seen by the media as a resurgence of the terrorist movement. Some students and bloggers think that the way the incident was handled by the media and the government exaggerates the facts; but, others consider it is important to pay attention to how this story develops.
Pakistan: Millat Facebook
Simbsi at Lawanai Sparashawe reviews Millatfacebook, Pakistan's answer to Facebook. An excerpt: “Millatfacebook was a very pathetic attempt to cash in on the anti-Facebook sentiment.”
Macedonia: Law on Electronic Communications Invades Citizens’ Privacy
On June 16, 2010, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia adopted changes to the Law of Electronic Communications, which now violates the privacy of the citizens. With these changes, the Ministry of Interior Affairs will have constant and direct access to the electronic communications networks.
