Stories about Freedom of Speech from February, 2014
A Love Story With No Kissing? That's Cinema in Iran
Whether for romance or just a hug between family members, male and female characters in Iranian movies are not permitted to touch.
Ecuador Makes List of Countries Where Press Freedom Has Declined
Ecuador is the only Latin American country featured on the Committee to Project Journalists’ (CPJ) annual Risk List. CPJ explains: The list is based on the expertise of CPJ staff, but also takes into account press freedom indicators such as journalist fatalities and imprisonments, restrictive legislation, state censorship, impunity in anti-press...
Bosnian Protesters Demand Bread, Social Justice and Freedom of Speech
When the citizens of Bosnia’s second largest city, Tuzla, went out to protest on February 4, 2014, few expected to witness the countrywide unrest that erupted a week later.
Rap Musicians Take on Guinea-Bissau's Drug Trafficking Problem
"This is Guinea-Bissau for those who don't know / This is where the traffickers are given more privileges than college professors / I swear pigs wear ties and suits here."
Self-Censorship in Hong Kong Claims Another Popular Radio Host
In the past ten years, a large number of newspapers columnists, editors, radio and TV hosts have been sacked for their critical stance towards the Hong Kong and Beijing governments.
Journalists in Hong Kong and Taiwan Battle Beijing's Influence
Committee to Protect Journalist released a report on self-censorship practice in Hong Kong and Taiwan under the increasing influence from Beijing: Self-censorship–it's like the plague, a cancerous growth, multiplying on a daily basis.
Russia's Patriotic Overdrive in Sochi?
The Soviet Union may have defeated Hitler, but modern-day Russia’s war against fascism wages on. And the Sochi Olympics have amplified the fight.
Brazilian Activists Fight Back Against Mass Surveillance
As the world comes together to take a stand against mass surveillance on February 11, 2014, Brazilian citizens, organizations and collectives are bringing momentum to #TheDayWeFightBack campaign.
Media Overblowing Extreme Right's Role in Ukraine's #Euromaidan Protests
Protesters include liberals and conservatives, socialists and libertarians, nationalists and cosmopolitans, Christians, non-Christians and atheists, according to a group of scholars pushing back against the media's misrepresentation of Euromaidan.
Tanqeed's Bi-Weekly List of Recommended Readings On Pakistan
Tanqeed, a quarterly magazine on politics and culture on Tumblr, is an experiment in critical reflection on Pakistan. It is a blogzine, a scrapbook and a reporters’ notebook. This year, Tanqeed is accepting recommendations of lectures, essays, articles, videos on a range of subjects including politics, culture and society from...
Egyptian Satirist Bassem Youssef is Back On Air
Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef's satire show is back on air on MBC Masr, after it was taken off air by CBC last year.
Anniversary of The Shahbag Movement
February 5th marks the one year of the Shahbag Movement in Bangladesh. A three day long event (5-7 of February) was celebrated in the country and abroad to mark this movement. Images and information of the celebration can be found in the Gonojagoron Moncho Facebook page.
When Genocide is, apparently, a Laughing Matter
French humorist Nicolas Canteloup has come under fire for a sketch making light of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda [fr]. Following the outrage, Mr Canteloup has yet to apologize for the sketch. Audrey Kucinskas, a blogger for the Plus asks the logical question: “can anything be a laughing matter?” [fr]: Rire du...
Asking After Prisoners’ Screams Lands Angolan Journalist in Jail
A journalist passes by a police station in a town of the outskirts of Luanda, the capital of Angola, and hears prisoners screaming. He enters the police station to ask what is happening. He is arrested on accusations of slander and defamation. That is what happened to Queirós Anastácio Chilúvia, deputy editor of the...
A Riot Within Pussy Riot?
"Since we are now on opposite sides of the barricades with Nadya and Masha, separate us. Remember, we are no longer Nadya and Masha, they are no longer Pussy Riot."
Meet the Hard-Working Ukrainians Helping to Keep #Euromaidan Alive
Euromaidan participant and Global Voices author Alya Shandra describes in detail some of the profiles of fellow Euromaidan protesters and citizens of Ukraine.
Some Kazakh Bloggers Dine With the Mayor, Some Get Jail Terms
Three Kazakh bloggers have been sentenced to 10 days in jail for protesting outside a restaurant where a mayor was meeting with their fellow bloggers.
A Call for More Religious Tolerance in Mauritania
Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed, a 28 year old blacksmith in Nouadhibou (a town 465 km north of Nouakchott, Mauritania), was charged with apostasy by the penal court for questionning on online forum some of the decisions of the Prophet Muhammad regarding Djihad. Following the charges, Professor Mustapha Ely, author of a dozen books and an international...
Pakistani Journalists on Taliban Hit-List
The Taliban have issued a fatwa against some Pakistani media houses and prepared a hit list with the names of two dozen journalists and publishers.
Four Months in Jail and Counting for Algerian Blogger Who Criticized President
24 years old, Abdelghani Aloui, Algerian Cyberactivist is incarcerated since the 25th of September 2013. His charge ? Posting on Facebook , photos and caricatures deemed offensive of Algeriant President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Blog Carnival Shows the Caribbean Some Love
Netizens from all over the Caribbean took part in a month-long blog carnival called e-Mas: "To the Caribbean, With Love", hosted by the online feminist collective CODE RED.