Archive for April, 2009

‘A government more concerned with silencing critics than addressing its own failures’

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

chris_huhneNews that anti-terror officers trawled Damian Green MP’s personal emails for information, including details of Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti, has further highlighted the government’s worrying attitude to civil liberties, says
Chris Huhne MP
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South Korean Blogger found not guilty

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

A financial blogger, Park Dae-sung, known online as Minerva, accused of spreading false information on the internet has walked free from court in South Korea. The “innocent” verdict is being seen as a victory for freedom of speech. Read more here

Diplomats walk out of UN conference after Iranian ‘hate speech’

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused Israel of being the ‘most cruel and racist regime’, sparking a walkout by angry Western diplomats at the UN Durban II conference on racism. Read more here

Iran: president calls for ‘fair investigations’ for Saberi and Derakhshan

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written to Tehran’s prosecutor calling for ‘fair investigations’ in the cases of journalist Roxana Saberi and blogger Hossein Derakhshan. Derakhshan, also known as ‘Hoder’, is shortlisted for the Economist New Media Award at the 2009 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards. Read more here

Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards 2009: Lal Wickrematunge

Monday, April 20th, 2009

awardsSri Lankan newspaper the Sunday Leader has been nominated for the Guardian Journalism award at the 2009 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards. The awards will be presented on 21 April in London.

In advance of the awards ceremony,
Sunday Leader editor Lal Wickrematunge was interviewed on 19 April by the BBC World Service’s The World Today. He spoke movingly about the assassination of his brother Lasantha and the future of Sri Lanka.
You can listen to the interview here

Iran: journalist Roxana Saberi found guilty of ‘spying’

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi has been sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment after being found guilty of spying for the US by a Tehran court. Read more here

These pirates won’t be sunk

Friday, April 17th, 2009

the_pirate_bay_logoThe conviction of the Pirate Bay Four is not just a breach of the right to free expression, says Sean Dodson, it’s an absurdity in an era when free online content seems the only way forward for the entertainment industry
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US releases torture documents

Friday, April 17th, 2009

President Barack Obama has released four top-secret memos detailing US torture techniques. Read more here