Archive for January, 2011

Turkey’s media still pressing for freedom

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

On the anniversary of the death of Hrant Dink, David Judson reflects on the difficulties facing Turkey’s journalists

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Iran: Imprisoned lawyer’s husband arrested

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Reza Khandan, husband of imprisoned lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been detained by authorities. His detention occurred after he was summoned to Evin prison court. One opposition website has claimed his arrest is due to his activities and interviews in support of his wife. Nasrin Sotoudeh was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment and 20-year travel ban.

Naomi Campbell case: Strasbourg rules “success fees” violate free expression

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

The European Court of Human Rights today unanimously ruled that the payment of success fees of up to 100 per cent in privacy and defamation cases, under CFA agreements, constitutes a violation of the right to free expression. (more…)

Hungary’s new law a threat to democracy

Monday, January 17th, 2011

Judit Bayer says Hungary’s new media law is a serious attack on press freedom
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WikiLeaks turned the tables on governments, but the power relationship has not changed

Monday, January 17th, 2011

This article was first published in Media Guardian

The information genie cannot be put back into the bottle, however hard authorities try. But the authorities continue to exploit the internet as a means of control

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Tunisians will not be easily unplugged again

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

Rohan JayasekeraDiscreet coup or “Jasmine Revolution”, the departure of Tunisia’s despot Zine el Abidene Ben Ali will not end his networked citizens’ calls for reform. Rohan Jayasekera comments.
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Tunisia: France’s faux pas

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

French ministers denied Tunisia was a dictatorship and offered Ben Ali’s regime police support to deal with the recent protests. Myriam Francois-Cerrah explains how France found itself on the backfoot
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Yemen: Online news editor arrested

Friday, January 14th, 2011

State authorities have arrested Fouad Rashid, editor of the on-line news website Al- Mukalla. The former assistant editor of Al-Massila has been arrested before, on May 4 2009 he was held by police over his coverage of the protests in south Yemen. The journalist’s website covers the political situation in Southern Sudan, the south is voting in a referendum on secession from the north.