Stories about Freedom of Speech from January, 2011
Egypt: Countdown for Day of Rage Continues
Netizens from around the world are holding their breath, as widespread demonstrations are scheduled to begin in Egypt in less than an hour. International support is overwhelming, as well as a clear defiance to back Egyptian protesters and make their voices heard despite the total information blackout.
South Africa: Debate on secrecy bill resumes
Parliamentary hearings on South Africa's Protection of Information Bill resumed last week with heated debate over provisions threatening to restrict press freedom and access to information.
Liberia: The Liberian Saga
Aaron Leaf blogs about the Liberian saga: angry court, jailed editor, president's speech.
Egypt: Netizens Rise for the Support of Egyptians on their Day of Rage
The countdown for mass protests across Egypt has started, with very little information trickling from the ground after the Egyptian authorities shut down the Internet and virtually all other communication with the outside world. The aim is to clampdown on the protesters and netizens are fearing the worst.
Egypt: An Internet Black Hole
Over the past few days, as protesting Egyptians have utilized social media tools for organizing and disseminating information, they've also come across numerous obstacles to access. Tonight, the biggest barrier yet as the country's Internet access is cut off.
Ukraine: Police Treatment of Foreigners Raises Concerns Ahead of Euro 2012
Tetyana Bohdanova reviews the netizens' reactions to a recent episode of ill-treatment of foreigners by the Ukrainian police, a trend that is especially alarming since Ukraine is currently preparing to co-host the 2012 European Football Championship together with Poland.
Syria: Internet Users Race to Support Egyptian Protesters
As protests to take down the Mubarak regime in Egypt rage on, Syrians are rushing to aid the protesters in every way they can.
Cuba: Fariñas Arrested & Released
Uncommon Sense has been following the recent arrest of Cuban independent journalist Guillermo Fariñas and calls his detainment a “We told you so” moment. He has subsequently been released.
Arab World: New Media and the Egyptian Demonstrations
The Arab World is looking in awe at the developments unfolding in Egypt. Today, mainstream media is taking a back seat, while citizen media triumphs. Arab bloggers share their reflections on the protests in Egypt, as witnessed from their computer screens.
Iran: A blogger's life in danger
Hrana, human rights activists news agency, reports [fa] that Hossein Maleki Ronaghi ‘s life is in danger and he needs urgent medical care. Hossein Maleki Ronaghi has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Hussein Rongah Melki (also known as “Babak Khoramdin”) was one of the key cyberactivists behind Iran...
China: A Subversive New Years’ Video Card
C. Custer from ChinaGeek translates and analyses a subversive New Years’ video card, “Little Rabbit, Be Good!”. The video addresses most of the social conflicts happened in the past few years, such as poisonous milk, forced demolition, and etc.
Egypt: The January 25 Demonstrations in Photographs
A picture is worth a thousand tweets, especially when Twitter is blocked in Egypt in order to halt the transfer of information about the ongoing demonstrations in Egypt today.
Cuba: Marta's Victory
Crossing the Barbed Wire blogs about the experience of Marta Diaz Rondon, who was reportedly imprisoned and beaten by “men who claim to be patriots and protectors of Cuba’s security.”
Kenya: Sue: The Kenyan prostitute building a brand online
The Kenyan Blogosphere has just recently been graced by not your usual blogger and not your usual genre: a street prostitute building her brand online by sharing her experience and opinions.
Egypt: Tweeting the Day of Revolution
From reports of small gatherings to those of thousands of demonstrators marching across different cities in Egypt, Twitter is ablaze with reactions. This nationwide "Day of Revolution" coincides with Police Day and brings together people from different walks of life and a wide political spectrum to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
Cambodia: Blogspot still blocked by one ISP
Blogspot is still being blocked by one ISP even if it has been “unblocked” by other networks in Cambodia. The government was accused of ordering the networks to block Blogspot to shut down an anti-government blog.
Brazil/Tunisia: Cartoons on the Tunisian Revolution
Provos Brasil [pt] shares a series of cartoons by the Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff on the Tunisian Revolution, in two blog posts: The Fall of the Dictatorship in Tunisia and Cleaning Tunisia.
Pakistan: The Veenagate Controversy
Veena Malik, an aspiring Pakistani celebrity, was accused by religious hardliners of immoral behavior as she took part in the Indian reality show Big Boss. Reactions on this controversy show that Pakistan now stands divided amongst its conservative and liberal forces.
Afghanistan: Journalist attacked with acid
Nasim Fekrat reports that Afghanistani journalist and novelist Razaq Mamoon was attacked by an unknown assailant who sprayed acid on his face.
China: American tweets for Chinese net freedom
Hidden Harmonies blogger DeWang looks at New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's attempt this weekend to challenge Chinese Internet regulations with his microblog: “Look, Chinese people all over believe in Internet freedom. Your version of “freedom” is very much about subversion of state, which the Chinese people understand breaks their...
Egypt: Will January 25 be the Day of the Egyptian Intifada?
What is going to happen in Egypt on January 25? People are calling for demonstrations and sit-ins everywhere. Who is going to participate, and where? What are their demands? Isn't it possible that some people are against the whole thing? We just need to pay the Egyptian blogosphere a quick visit to find out answers for all our questions.
