· August, 2010

Stories about Freedom of Speech from August, 2010

Russia: It's not the Kremlin

  26 August 2010

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

  25 August 2010

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...

China: Fujian Netizen, Fan Yanqiong, Released from Prison

  25 August 2010

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

  25 August 2010

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

  25 August 2010

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?

  25 August 2010

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.

Cuba: Blogger Arrested

  24 August 2010

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.”

Cuba: Empty or Full?

  23 August 2010

“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

  23 August 2010

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.

Malaysia: Where is Press Freedom Heading Now?

  20 August 2010

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.

Venezuela: Violent Images Censored for a Month

  18 August 2010

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...