Stories from 16 February 2011
Jamaica: The “Dudus” Enquiry
Jamaica and the World identifies the key players in the “Dudus” Enquiry.
Russia: Blogger Pays for Badmouthing Putin Online
Rapid development of RuNet in recent years has only stared testing the limits of what one can say online. But the army of bloggers and their enthusiastic efforts to defend the online freedom paint an optimistic picture of the blogosphere's future.
South Africa: Tweets from Internet Freedom Workshop
Follow tweets from Internet Freedom workshop taking place in South Africa.
Sao Tome and Principe: Press freedom in jeopardy
The blog Autores e Livros (Authors and Books) writes [pt] and shares a petition against the censorship of “the only Saotomean TV program feeding the democratic system”, Em Directo (Live). In a letter to Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada, Reporters Without Borders condems the dismissal of its host, the poet and...
North and South Korea Mark Kim Jong-il's 69th Birthday
Whilst North Korea celebrates its leader, Kim Jong-il's 69th birthday today, South Korean human rights activists sent a rather unconventional birthday gift to Kim: gigantic balloons carrying leaflets lambasting the regime. South Koreans net users took the opportunity to speculate how to ignite social changes in North Korea.
Bahrain: Funeral Procession Marks Third Day of Protests
Wednesday February 16, 2011 is the third day of Bahrain's 'Day of Wrath' protests; it has kicked off with the funeral of Fadhel Al-Matrook, who died after mourners faced excessive force from riot police during Tuesday's procession for the first fallen protester Ali Mushaima.
Iran: Jailed blogger Hossein Ronaghi in Danger
Hossein Ronaghi Malki, an Iranian blogger, is serving a 15 year prison sentence, and is confined in the security ward of Evin Prison, deprived of contact with his family or his lawyer. Mojtaba Samienejad, a human rights activist and secretary of the Human Rights House of Iran, told BBC Persian that Ronaghi is in need of urgent surgery and is in critical condition.
Hungary: A New Blog on EU Council Presidency
Via Kosmopolito, a link to Kovács and Kováts – a new blog that's “supposed to denote [the two authors’] weekly adventures while working for the Hungarian [EU Council] Presidency.”
Russia: “Danilkingate” – or “Parfyonov/Volochkova Syndrome”
Power Vertical reports on Natalya Vasilyeva, “Russia's latest whistleblower” – who “[revealed] that the judge in Mikhail Khodorkovsky's recent fraud trial was pressured from on high […].” LJ user stas-kucher calls (RUS) the scandal “Danilkingate” (after Viktor Danilkin, the judge). Journalist Andrey Loshak notes (RUS) on the “Parfyonov/Volochkova syndrome,” referring...
Libya: Protests Against Gaddafi Start Ahead of Schedule
Hoping to emulate recent popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, Libyan pro-democracy activist have been calling for protests against the 41-year-old autocratic rule of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi. They set February 17 as a "Day of Rage", using social networking websites to convince millions to take to the streets to peacefully call for change. But it seems that Libyans are too eager to voice their rage and anger at their leader as they decided to demonstrate today.
Libya: Protests Begin in Benghazi Ahead of February 17 Day of Wrath
Libya's revolution date is pencilled in for February 17 - but it seems that the Libyans are too eager to voice their rage and anger at Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who has ruled their country for almost 40 years. News of protests in Benghazi is continuing to dominate my timeline and here are some reactions.
