Stories about Freedom of Speech from August, 2010
Russia: It's not the Kremlin
THIS summer Russians faced several state attempts to "filter" (selectively block) websites. And as in many other things, Russia has gone its own way with a slightly more complicated technique: regional filtering.
Uruguay: Journalist Álavaro Alfonso Sent to Prison for 24 Months
Qué Pasa Uruguay? [es] points out that local media have ignored the sentencing of journalist Álvaro Alfonso to two years in jail for libel, and the confiscation of his book “Secretos del Partido Comunista” (Secrets of the Communist Party). The blogger posts an article by the The Inter American Press...
Iran: Blogger May Face Charge of ‘Waging War Against God’
There is a growing concern that Shiva Nazar Ahari, a jailed human rights activist and blogger may be charged with moharbeh (waging war against God/enmity against God) in an upcoming trial. In Iran, this can carry a death sentence.
Cuba: Additional Releases
Havana Times reports that another six political prisoners are scheduled to be released.
China: Fujian Netizen, Fan Yanqiong, Released from Prison
The last of the Fujian 3 netizens still in prison, Fan Yanqiong, was quietly released today on medical parole with nearly a year remaining on her sentence. Watch He Yang's new documentary on her story, as well as that of netizens You Jingyou and Wu Huaying, below the jump.
Brazil: Competition Turns Blogs into Books
The idea is to turn the best Brazilian blogs to books, and the competition [pt] is open until September 12th. The participants can vote and apply through fifteen different categories, including Ecology & Environment, Religion and, a special topic for 2010, Sports.
China: VPN blocked
Tom Lasseter tested the boundary of forbidden virtual world in China after he failed to connect to his VPN.
Taiwan: Who Needs A Founding Father?
Does Dr. Sun Yat-sen deserve the title of “the Founding Father of Republic of China (R.O.C)”? Is he really a flawless idealistic political leader and the hero behind the revolution that overthrew Qing Dynasty? The myth around Dr. Sun has been under scrutiny in Taiwan where people largely do not identify themselves as “Chinese” anymore.
Russia: LiveJournal Communities as a Transparency Tool
Alexey Sidorenko explores how LiveJournal communities are being used to promote transparency and accountability in Russia.
Cuba: Blogger Arrested
Uncommon Sense and Blog for Cuba report on the arrest of blogger Luis Felipe Rojas Rosabal, with the former saying that the authorities are “especially persistent with its repression towards the more accomplished chroniclers of the reality of life in Cuba today.”
Tunisia: Doctored Photographs Symptomatic of the State of The National Press
The use of national media as an instrument of propaganda has been fairly well documented in Tunisia. The latest evidence of media manipulation was identified by Tunisian bloggers on August 20 when newspapers le Temps and Assabah illustrated on the sending of food supply by fundation Zitouna to the victims of the floods in Pakistan.
Cuba: Empty or Full?
“The truth is the rules of democracy and human rights agreements are instruments against which the government in Havana holds grudges”: Iván's File Cabinet wouldn't be surprised if Cuban prisons were to be filled once again.
Thailand: Thaileaks website
A group called WikiCong has set-up the thaileaks website to allow Thai netizens to access materials from the Wikileaks website which has been blocked in Thailand.
Russia: Bloggers Defend Opposition Artist from Discreditation
LJ users _o_tets [RUS] and crazymozart [RUS] disprove the series of discrediting materials against famous opposition musician Yuri Shevchuk [EN]. After Shevchuk got engaged in the political debates at the beginning of 2010, a number of online publications [RUS] accused the musician of alcoholism and mental sickness.
Russia: Mass Manifestations In Defense of the Khimki Forest Park
Photobloggers nl [RUS], bb-mos [RUS], zyalt [RUS] share pictures of today's concert in defense of the Khimki Forest Park. The concert, that gathered from 1,000 to 5,000 people in the center of Moscow, transformed into a political rally of people protesting against the government.
Russia: Bloggers Expose Death Rate Increase
Until the emergence of Web 2.0, the Russian government had enjoyed a monopoly on death rate information and could manipulate it. Gregory Asmolov investigates how the Russian bloggers have changed the situation.
Explicit Websites Blocked In Nepal And Violators To Be Criminalized
XNepali Blog informs that the Nepalese Government has decided to block all websites containing explicit contents and nudity and criminalize the violators who view or host such websites in Nepal.
Malaysia: Where is Press Freedom Heading Now?
The image you have on Malaysia may be one of fastest growing economies in Asia, but do you know it is languished at the bottom 3rd (ranked 131st) in the 2009 global press freedom ranking? Is it getting any better for the citizens and opposition parties that fight against censorship? We will find out from the recent press freedom situation in Malaysia.
China: The use of Documentary in Chinese Civil Rights Movements
Florence from interlocals.net has translated an article written by human rights lawyer, Tengbiao, on the use of documentary video in Chinese civil rights movement.
Venezuela: Violent Images Censored for a Month
The Devil's Excrement shares images of Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional with the word “Censurado” (Censored) over the space where images would normally appear. In a previous post, the blogger explains, “a Judge issues the following prohibition [es] ‘For the next four weeks, no newspaper, magazine or weekly of the country...
El Salvador: Cheerleaders Banned from Independece Celebrations
In the blog Gatos Frentudos [es] Chambita Hernandez writes about a recent decision to ban cheerleaders from independence celebrations, starting with the bicentennial. Since 1960, cheerleaders have been part of annual independence parades.