Stories about Freedom of Speech from January, 2012
Poland: Government Will Sign ACTA Despite Massive Protest
Despite a massive Internet protest and controversies around the secret manner of negotiations, the Polish government will sign the anti-piracy agreement ACTA on January 26, as planned. Katarzyna Odrozek reports.
Cuba: “Bad” Reporting on Hunger Striker's Death
“Wilman Villlar was a political activist accused of murder, contempt and who knows what other charges. Now we can expect our press to report it, belatedly and badly”, says Bad Handwriting, while Havana Times links to that “belated and bad” reporting here and republishes a counter-argument here.
Cuba: More on Wilman Villar Mendoza
Bloggers continue to share their thoughts on the death of Cuban dissident and hunger striker Wilman Villar Mendoza.
Cuba: “Intolerance for Dissent”
Cuban bloggers draw attention to Amnesty International's stand on the recent death of prisoner of conscience Wilman Villar Mendoza.
Cuba: The Loss of a Decent Man
“We are 11 million common criminals, whose misdeeds range from buying milk on the black market to having a satellite dish”: Generation Y says that “now, with the death of Wilman Villar Mendoza, once again the old system of State insult repeats itself…[because] it would be very dangerous if people...
Tunisia: ”Do Not Censor Pornographic Content”
In early February, the Tunisian Internet Agency will appeal to the Court of Cassation's verdict issued in May 2011 by a court in Tunis ordering the agency to block access to pornographic content on the web. For Tunisian netizens, and free speech activists, this kind of censorship is not a solution, but rather a threat to freedom of speech.
Poland: Netizens Protest Government's Plan to Sign ACTA Next Week
With the world still talking about the aftermath of the SOPA/PIPA Blackout Day, Polish netizens are confronted with another backstabbing development in the fight for free Internet. Katarzyna Odrozek reports.
South Korea: ‘Torture Expert’-Turned-Pastor Loses Pastorship Amid Criticism
Lee Geun-an is a former ‘torture expert’, notorious for his brutal ways of torture on numerous democratic activists under authoritarian rules in 1970s and 80s. After serving 7 years in prison, he became a Protestant pastor, but was kicked out of his job as his shameless and unrepenting comments prompt public criticism [ko].
Cuba: “Free Isn't Easy”
Blogger and Global Voices author Ellery Biddle reflects on freedom of speech in thinking about the recent struggle against the United States proposed anti-piracy bill Stop Online Piracy (SOPA) and Cuba: “As I juxtapose SOPA and Cuba’s limitations on free speech, it may sound like I’m comparing apples and mangoes—on...
Cuba: Bloggers React to Death of Hunger Striker
It has been a sad day for the Cuban blogosphere, as netizens received news of the death of political prisoner Wilman Villar Mendoza, who has been on a hunger strike since last November.
Russia: Security Services Put Pressure on Parents of the Protest Group Moderator
Ilya Klishin, creator of the Facebook groups that organized Russians to participate in Bolotnaya [ru] and Sakharov protest demonstrations, wrote [ru] that his mother had received a call from FSB (Federal Security Services) and his father was summoned to the local police department. Later he added [ru] that he might...
Russia: Echo of Moscow Under Fire
Streetwise Professor discusses Putin's recent critique against the Russian independent radio station Echo of Moscow.
Turkey: Post-Murder Trial, Thousands Remember Hrant Dink
Thousands have marched in Turkey to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist and Agos newspaper editor Hrant Dink.
Iran:”Facebook prisoner” celebrates birthday in prison
Hanieh (Sharareh) Farshi Shotorban, an Iranian young woman who was arrested last year, reportedly, for her Facebook activities, celebrates birthday in Evin prison in prison. Hanieh is sentenced [fa] to seven years of imprisonment.
Bahamas: A Belief in Democracy
“To date, my country has not put in place anything to serve and build me; to every politician who has served in parliament in the time I have been voting, people like me have been invisible. In our democracy, we do not count”: Hence the reason Blogworld puts forward her...
Cuba: Hunger Striker in Coma
Uncommon Sense posts an update on this Cuban political prisoner, saying: “Courageously taking his protest to the brink of death, Wilman Villar Mendoza tonight remains in a coma brought on by a hunger strike he started in late November to demand his release.”
Brazil: Movement Claims Right for Public Space During Carnival
The Carnival of Salvador, in Brazil, is one of the biggest street parties in the world. People from the city, however, have been fed up by the excess of commercialization and the transformation of public spaces into private provisional balconies. Organizing themselves through Facebook and Twitter protesters took action on January 14 demanding for private companies to withdraw their infra-structures from the streets.
Romania: “A Tsunami” of Protests Against Austerity Cuts and Corruption
The Romanian online community is trying to explain why people have taken to the streets all over the country, what the authorities' response was and what the outcome of the protests might be. Oana Maria Dan reports.
Slovakia: TV Show on Corruption Cancelled
The Slovak public TV channel STV cancelled [sk] a scheduled live talk show on the alleged widespread corruption of 2005-2006 [en], which involved many of the country's past and present politicians. Head of RTVS (Radio and TV Slovakia) said [sk] that broadcasting such a program, produced by an external producer...
Sudan: Sudanese Activist, Alim Boushi, Freed from Prison
A case that Sudanese bloggers have been highlighting in recent days, indicating the current repressive state of affairs in Sudan, is the arrest of the Sudanese political activist and engineer Mohamed Hassan Alim, nicknamed Boushi.
Caribbean: Solidarity with SOPA Protest
A few regional bloggers have joined “the largest online protest in history”, against the proposed PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), here, here, here and here.
