Stories about Freedom of Speech from March, 2012
Cuba: Bloggers Uncomfortable as Pope's Visit Looms
As Pope Benedict XVI's controversial visit to Cuba draws closer, online discussion is heating up. Bloggers are upset over what they perceive as a partnership between communism and Catholicism, especially in light of reportedly ongoing human rights abuses and other surreptitious methods of curtailing personal freedoms.
Russia: “Anatomy of a Protest” Film Causes “NTV Lies” Scandal
On Sunday, March 18, there were old TV sets, a mock coffin, and plenty of flowers and cookies outside the Ostankino TV tower in Moscow, where a few hundred protesters gathered for a mock funeral of the "truthful television."
Brazil: Solidarity March for Syrian Revolution
Syrian revolution support reached Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 18. Hundreds of activists in Sao Paulo rallied to show their solidarity with the Syrian struggle on its first anniversary.
Cuba: Bloggers Respond to Archbishop's Action
Bloggers are reaching boiling point over the political/religious acts of repression that have been taking place in Cuba - and the Pope hasn't even arrived yet. The latest controversy involves the request to remove protesters from a church, which reportedly came from the Archbishop of Havana.
Cuba: Aggression Against Women
Pedazos de la Isla blogs about the wives of two dissidents who maintain that they suffered miscarriages as a result of “violent operations carried out against them by the Cuban political police.”
Macedonia: Peace March – Enthusiasm, Controversy
The upcoming March for Peace in Skopje has overwhelming support, evident through the positive uproar in social media. Lone voices, however, warn the initiative is used as a PR opportunity by celebrities, and even as a hypocritical alibi for known hatemongers.
South Korea: Twitter Photos of One-Person Relay Protest against Jeju Naval Base Construction
South Korean Tweeters have joined rallies against the Jeju naval base construction that has been blamed for disrupting residents’ livelihood and destroying a rare ecosystem. Each Twitter user has volunteered to take turns to one-person protest against the construction and to tweet the photos, such as user @okeeffe00, @sirdy10 and @yds5921 did in...
South Korea: Cartoonists Protest against Censorship of Online Cartoon Contents
Cartoonists rallied against the Korea Communications Standards Commission's recent decision to more tightly censor the online cartoon contents and label innocuous cartoons as x-rated. NoCut_Toon.com blog [ko] posted related photos such as well-known cartoonist Gang Pull one-person protesting in front of the Commission building.
Saudi Arabia: Tweets for Jailed Saudi Activist Draw Global Attention
Saudi Twitter users have joined forces to highlight the plight of a political prisoner Shaikh Yusuf Al-Ahmad on the micro-blogging site. Their effort has made the Islamic scholar's name become a worldwide trend, raising awareness about his imprisonment without charges and access to a fair trial.
Arab World: Hands Off Clooney!
The United States has arrested actor George Clooney and his father Nick at a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington DC. Arab Twitter users register their protest on their arrest on Twitter.
France: The Human Rights Film Festival Awards
Youphil [fr] published the full list of the recent 2012 Human Rights Film Festival awards in France [fr]. This year, the jury award went to an investigation documentary, Affaire Chebeya: un meurtre d'Etat? [fr] (The Chebeya case: murdered by the State?) by Belgium director Thierry Michel on the murder of human rights activist Floribert...
Guinea: Journalist Assaulted by Police Officers
Following an assault on a journalist by overzealous security guards at the Central Bank of Guinea on February 27, there was intense indignation among journalists and Guinean and African bloggers.
Cuba: Antúnez Released
Uncommon Sense reports that “Cuban human rights activist Jorge Luis García Pérez Antúnez was released from jail Wednesday, three days after he was arrested.” Pedazos de la Isla supplies more details.
Azerbaijan: Investigative Journalist Defiant After Blackmail Threat
According to Freedom House, Azerbaijan continues “to imprison journalists and bloggers who express dissenting opinions.” However, as one journalist discovered last week, there are other ways to silence critical voices in the oil-rich former Soviet republic.
South Korea: Major Network TV Journalists and Producers Joined Forces in Protest For Fair Journalism
Following MBC workers’ indefinite strike against the company president and his censorship of news contents, journalists, producers and union workers of other major TV networks have joined the protest calling for fair journalism. One well-known journalist appeared on this video clip [ko] that encourages people to attend a rally planned on...
Brazil: Ministry Silences Report on Human Rights in Belo Monte
Brazilian journalist Leonardo Sakamoto comments [pt] on a news [pt] about a report he wrote for the government that denounces human rights abuses [pt] in the region affected by the Belo Monte Dam. The news points that almost one year after the visit, the report hasn't been formally discussed by...
Syria: Crackdown Against Journalists Continues
With thousands killed, tortured, arrested and disappeared, the Syrian struggle continues amid unprecedented brutality. In its attempt to silence activists, the regime has stepped up its crackdown against journalists, bloggers and video activists. Salma Yafi, a student of Journalism and member for the National Development Party, is one of the regime's latest victims.
Macedonia: March for Peace Scheduled for Saturday, March 17
The people of multi-ethnic Macedonia are organizing a March for Peace this Saturday as an expression of concern that the recent hate crimes are a harbinger of civil war. Filip Stojanovski reports.
Cuba: Debate on Yoani Sánchez's Twitter Account
An opinion article published in the Mexico City-based daily newspaper La Jornada has called Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez a "fraud" because of her high levels of activity and popularity on Twitter. Critics and supporters weigh in.
Both Koreas Appear on Reporters Without Borders’ Annual List on Internet Censorship
Reporters Without Borders released its annual report on internet censorship. North Korea again appeared on the “enemies of the internet” list and South Korea joined the list of “countries under surveillance” due to the government's clamp down on online contents considered “Pro-North Korea”. North Korea Tech blog wrote a brief analysis on this.
Georgia: Bloggers assaulted
Shota tweets that two bloggers were physically assaulted allegedly by representatives of Tbilisi University's Student Union, itself reportedly controlled by the ruling party of power in the country. News of the alleged attack [GE] was spread on Facebook and in the form of a video report by Net Gazeti on...
