Stories about Freedom of Speech from June, 2011
Russia: Yelena Bonner, Andrei Sakharov's Widow, Dies
Vladimir Kara-Murza of World Affairs‘ Spotlight on Russia and Vadim Nikitin of Foreign Policy Association‘s Russia blog write about Andrei Sakharov's widow Yelena Bonner, who died in the United States on June 18.
Macedonia: How the Protests Started
Tamara Atanasoska posts a personal account of the beginning of the protests against police brutality in Skopje, Macedonia: “We were walking, a handful of people, […] not knowing each other, hitting the streets to get attention. We just wanted an answer, someone to say what happened. We knew for sure...
Armenia: Rapping controversy
Ianyan says that a photoshoot for an Armenian singer is drawing controversy in Armenia. Featuring photographs of Sako Balasanyan (Super Sako) in a “series of photographs featuring violent, misogynistic imagery of a faceless woman and him in various settings,” it also includes a picture of the singer in front of...
China: Ai Weiwei Back Home
Prominent artist Ai Weiwei has been released on bail last night (June 22, 2011), Committee to Protect Journalists comments on the incident and points out that the whereabouts of Ai's associate, freelance journalist Wen Tao, missing since April 3 and presumed detained, is still unknown.
Bahrain: Opposition Leaders Sentenced to Jail
Opposition movements in Bahrain suffered a blow today after the military court, or National Security Court as it is called in Bahrain, sentenced 21 opposition figures to jail. Eight of them received life sentences. The sentences provoked criticism towards the regime of Bahrain because they came following calls for a national dialogue.
Bulgaria: E-Book On Internet and Mobile Tracking
Bulgarian blogger and Internet activist Bogomil Shopov allows to download his latest e-book [bg; .pdf], which is about Internet tracking in Bulgaria and ways to avoid it. The e-book is 13 pages long and covers legal aspects of the monitoring, explains how the state is tracking Internet and mobile phone...
Sri Lanka: Groundviews Briefly Blocked
Yesterday Groundviews, Vikalpa and even Transparency International’s sites were apparently blocked on Sri Lanka Telecom ADSL broadband Internet connections for a few hours. An update on the Groundviews site confirms that these sites are accessible again from Sri Lanka.
China: Is using a VPN in the People's Republic of China illegal?
Want to know whether or not using a VPN or other circumvention devices is legal in China? See the answers and discussions at Quora.
Russia: Video Reports From Anti-Seliger, Opposition Summer Camp
Oleg Kozyrev publishes a series of video reports [ru] from Anti-Seliger, a summer camp situated in the endangered Khimki city forest park. “The bloggers’ Woodstock” united digital activists, environmentalists, and opposition politicians.
Brazil: “SlutWalk” Throughout the Country in Images
Holding banners, posters and mottos, "sluts" from cities throughout Brazil rocked the streets and made the society think about gender opression. The movement is inspired by the SlutWalk in Canada last April, to stop exploitation of the female body and the culpability of women for being sexually assaulted.
China: Attack on a #netfreedom Blogger
For all the talk of Internet freedom, little of it takes into account the bleaker reality of inhabiting Chinese cyberspace. Influential tech blogger William Long addresses this with a post criticizing the destructive bent to China's hacker communities, which then brought on a multi-front attack against Long.
Malaysia: Hacktivist Group Attacks Government Websites
At least 50 other government websites in Malaysia were attacked by international ‘hacktivist’ group Anonymous last Thursday over the government’s proposed censoring of several file sharing websites. Online reactions were mixed.
China: Mixed Reactions to Communist Party Movie Epic
Beginning of the Great Revival, the epic cinematic tribute to the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was released in mainland China cinema on June 15, 2011. However, the suspended release of Hollywood movies in June as a result, has enraged many people. Find out netizens' responses here.
Macedonia: Concerns Over Anti-Protest Collusion of Facebook and Police
The people currently protesting against police brutality in Macedonia have published an Open Letter to Facebook, expressing concern over “swift deletion policy” of their Facebook pages and events on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior under excuse that they promote violence. This hampers the peaceful demonstrations, which, by definition,...
Cuba: Cervantes Continues Strike
“Protest by suicide is never an acceptable option,” says Uncommon Sense as he blogs about the failing health of a hunger striker, “but it is important to remember that Cervantes is fighting back against his jailers by the only weapons at his disposal — his health and maybe his life.”
India: Attack On Journalists
Sans Serif reports that in India there have been 17 instances of attacks on journalist in the last six months and at least three journos died.
Sao Tome and Principe: Hip Hop to Provoke Thought
Abri os olhos São Tomé (Open your eyes Sao Tome) [pt] is an intervention mixed song with “controversial lyrics” by santomean rapper PekaGBoom. On the blog Nação hip Hop (Hip Hop Nation) [pt], PekaGBoom's message is described as an invitation “to meditate”.
Cuba: Worry About Hunger Striker
“The regime cracked down on him once against after he assumed the posture of NOT ceasing his anti-government activities”: Pedazos de La Isla blogs about the hunger striker Jorge Cervantes Garcia.
Russia: New Initiative to Enforce TV Morality
An initiative to create a Public Oversight Board for media control in Russia may seem like a passage from Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four but it is a reality in the country, which still struggles to accept the concept of democracy and free speech.
North Korea: Photos of Secret Spots
UK-based photographer Charlie Crane took photos of the sterile landscape of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Abby Wilcox from the Live Fast site posted the photos with explanation.
Egypt: Exploring Twitter’s Potential on the Ground
Micro-blogging site Twitter has become an important discussion forum for young Egyptians since the start of the revolution, writes Lilian Wagdy. Activists recently hosted a Twitter forum (Nadwa) which brought users to discuss the issue of Islamists face to face. Lilian Wagdy sums up reactions to the event.