Stories about Law from March, 2008
Slovakia: Newspapers Protest Imposition of Interactivity
Information Policy links to a story in the International Herald Tribune on the protest of Slovak newspapers against the new requirement “to print responses by people or institutions to any news article even if the published information were true.”
Czech Republic: Micro-Fee vs “Micro-Bribe”
The Economist‘s blog, Certain Ideas of Europe, reports from the Czech Republic on how “charging patients a small sum for visits to publicly funded doctors” has more or less eliminated “micro-bribing.”
Bulgaria: Against Internet “Bugging”
This year, the Bulgarian government has issued a decree, which, among other things, allows the security services to gather from each internet user the data about who they have written to, who is on their contact lists, what instant communication agents they are equipped with, when they used them and the precise manner of using them. The majority of internet users in Bulgaria interpreted it as an encroachment on their civil liberties. Yavor Mihaylov reports on Bulgarian bloggers' attempts to resist the government's initiative.
Nepal: Law enforcement
Bahas explores the idea of a “culture of impunity” – the legacy of poor law-enforcement in Nepal.
Trinidad & Tobago: A Woman Scorned
“WOMAN's son is murdered by her husband and the first thing that springs to the Trinbagonian mind is that she must have been horning him”: Trinidad and Tobago's latest murder/suicide spurs Andre Bagoo to write a thoughtful post on gender issues, double standards and sexual stereotypes.
Lebanon: On censorship
Beirut Spring posts about “good censorship” versus “bad censorship” and on the difference between censoring the Da Vinci Code and censoring Persepolis in Lebanon.
Brazil: Blogs banned from the 2008 elections
Brazil is warming up for local elections later this year, but the Supreme Electoral Court has just passed regulations that have raised eye-brows throughout the blogosphere: only candidates' purpose-built web pages will be allowed. Blogs and 'social web' facilities have not been subjected to a more comprehensive legislation and as a result these are now left in limbo. Will the netizen be silenced?
Belarus: Freedom Day Protest
On Tuesday, March 25, police broke up an opposition rally in the capital of Belarus, beating protesters with truncheons and detaining dozens of people. Veronica Khokhlova translates two bloggers' first-hand accounts and a foreign political analyst's view on the Belarusian opposition's strategy.
Bahrain: Blogger in Jail for Four Months
Bahraini blogger and human rights activist Abdulla Mohsen (Ar) has been behind bars for more than four months, according to Nido, who calls upon bloggers and online activists to show support for his jailed comrade, who is still awaiting trial.
Saudi Arabia: Diplomatic Quarter Nightmare
Saudi Jeans complains about the trouble Saudi men have to go through to enter the high-security Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh, which houses embassies, offices and the living quarters of people who work in that district.
Ukraine, Poland: Tusk Visits Kyiv
Leopolis reports on Donald Tusk's visit to Ukraine: “The biggest development of the trip was the signing of a cross-border visa agreement for small-time Ukrainian traders living 50 kilometres from the border.”
Russia: A Scam
20 East writes about one of the popular scams that he became victim of during a visit to Russia three years ago.
Romania: Corruption
Public Policy Watch – Politici Publice in Moldova writes on the issue of “high-profile corruption” in Romania.
Belarus: Emanuel Zeltser's Detention
Eternal Remont links to a new blog whose aim is to draw attention to Emanuel Zeltser's case: FREE Emanuel Zeltser and Vladlena Funk – Illegally Imprisoned in Belarus Since March 12, 2008.
Macedonia, Greece: More on the Name Dispute
More on the Macedonia-Greece name dispute – at Halfway Down the Danube and Foreign Policy Blog.
Morocco: Journalist Fined $857,000 for Slander
“Rachid Nini, a popular Moroccan columnist and director of the daily Arabophone newspaper Almassae, was fined by a court in Rabat about $857000 for alleged defamation and slander of 4 prosecutors in the northern town of Ksar Kbir, said Almassae newspaper. The amount of the fine is exorbitant and unprecedented...
Morocco: Growing Sense of Civic Activism
A Moro in America draws our attention to the “growing sense of civic activism in Morocco” as more people continue to videotape and expose corrupt officers and guards, who are notorious for taking bribes on Moroccan rural roads.
Jordan: End of Pirates DVDs Era
“Will April 1st 2008 be doomsday for Jordan’s JD 1 DVD paradise?” asks Ahmed Humaid, from Jordan, who overhears people talking about the end of the era of cheap pirated DVDs.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Court Date
As the Prime Minister of St. Vincent & the Grenadines is scheduled to appear in court on charges of alleged assault, Abeni says: “Hopefully, we will learn whether this is the witchhunt of witchhunts. Meantime, views in the court of public opinion remain as divided as ever.”
Latvia: Referendums
Baltic writes in depth on “a strong possibility for holding two referendums in Latvia this year.”
Russia: Dmitry Medvedev
Streetwise Professor writes about “the contrast between [Dmitry] Medvedev’s words and the ongoing acts of the government that he will soon head.”
