Stories about Freedom of Speech from December, 2009
Azerbaijan: Education, free thought and development
Following a previous post from Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines on European concerns with the situation of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, and especially following the imprisonment of video blogging youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, the blog comments on remarks made by the country's Minister of Education. The...
Morocco: Another Blogger Imprisoned
On Monday, December 14th, Blogger Bashir Hazzam and Internet cafe owner Abdullah Boukhou were sentenced to four months and one year, respectively plus a fine of MAD 500 (USD 63) each, in a Goulmim court.
Iran:Twitter hacked by ‘Iranian Cyber Army’
Twitter was hacked overnight by so called Iranian Cyber Army. Neersy tweeted [fa] that this group is a pro Islamic State one and its mission is attacking green movement's (opposition) sites and blogs.
Bermuda: Of Crime & Injunctions
As the spate of violence continues in Bermuda, bloggers are further troubled by news of the government taking out an injunction against a newspaper, allegedly to prevent the publication of a news story.
Philippines: At The Barricades
A university professor shares a humorous account of her participation in a protest action against last week's planned visit of the Philippine president at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
Egypt: The Capital of Hell on Earth
Many Egyptian bloggers and activists have been detained by State Security on various occasions and for various reasons - real or fake - Wa7da Masreya interviewed several bloggers and posted a detailed post on torture techniques and psychological tricks those bloggers have been subjected to in State Security headquarters in the district of Nasr City.
China: No more individual domain name registration
Masaru IKEDA from Asiajin blogs about the recent ban on individual domain name registration in China.
Cuba: Growing Blogosphere
Generation Y is encouraged by the fact that “the alternative Cuban blogosphere continues to propagate itself.”
Belarus: New Plans For Internet Control
“Nasha Niva”online portal in Belarus published [Google Translation – ENG] a draft of the President's decree “On Measures to Improve the National Segment of the Internet.” The decree will significantly limit the Internet freedom and introduce new measures of online censorship.
Russia: Google Bus Stop Ads Hacked
While Russia and the U.S. were holding meetings on cyber warfare, Russian activists took the process of hacking from virtual space to real bus stops in Moscow where they slightly altered original Google ads.
Cuba: Say What?
Repeating Islands reports on the Pope's statements that “there are growing signs of religious freedom in Cuba”, while El Cafe Cubano says: “As a practicing Catholic I am troubled and saddened that the Pope…would laud Cuba for openness? Dr. Biscet is currently in prison serving 25 years simply for speaking...
Tunisia: Student Jailed for Media Interview
Tunisian activists have started a Facebook group and a blog in support of Mohamed Soudani, 24, who disappeared on October 22, 2009, in Tunisia, after giving interviews to Radio Monte Carlo International and Radio France International. Friends have since learned he was detained and tortured.
Russia: Government News Agency Reporter Detained by Police
A photo correspondent of RIA-Novosty, Russian government news agency, was detained by the police [RUS] when he was covering a recent opposition rally in Moscow.
Iran: Men in Hijab to Support Jailed Student
Hundreds of Iranian men have dressed as women in Hijab to support Majid Tavakoli, a student activist who was arrested on December 7. A YouTube video collects some of the new FaceBook profile photos.
Brazil: Police violence on National Anti-Corruption Day
Violence broke out during a demonstration against the latest bribery scandal. Meanwhile, in the run up to Christmas, Panettones have become the iconic image of anti-corruption protests in the country.
Cuba: Human Rights Day
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense says that today, which commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “is a day to remember and honor this document, and more importantly, those in Cuba and around the world imprisoned and suffering for demanding that their governments abide by its precepts.”
Philippines: Bloggers Raise Voices Against Martial Law
As the world commemorates International Human Rights Day, Filipino bloggers are eerily reminded of the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo imposed martial law in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao.
Russia: Online Media Should Be Responsible For What They Publish
A representative of the Russian Information Ministry urged online media in the country to moderate their blogs and forums. He reminded that online media are responsible for everything they “allow” to publish on their sites, Russian news agency “RIA Novosty” reported [RUS].
Tweets from Beirut: Day Two of the Arab Bloggers Workshop
The second day of the Arab Bloggers Workshop kicked off with a presentation about Herdict Web, a site which uses crowdsourcing to gather reports of Internet filtering from users around the world. Qatari workshop participant Muhammad Basheer tweeted a photo from the presentation: Following the first presentation, Egyptian blogger Manal...
Indonesia: Movie ban puts freedom of speech in question
The Indonesian Censorship Board has banned the public screening of Balibo, a film about a group of Australians who were murdered during the 1975 Indonesian military invasion of East Timor. Indonesia-based bloggers share their reactions
Arab Bloggers Workshop: Twitter Reflections on Day One
As the first day of the Second Annual Arab Bloggers Workshop comes to a close, we'll take a look at participants’ reflections from the whole day, to find out what they learned and how they're feeling. The day started off with a bang, as Global Voices organizers Sami Ben Gharbia,...
