February 15th, 2010
France’s has fast-tracked a law allowing the government to block websites. Amendments seeking judicial oversight and clauses specifying pages not sites should be blocked were rejected. The law has been classified as urgent, bypassing the normal four readings in parliament, and will go to the senate for a final vote next week.February 12th, 2010
Laws protecting journalists and their sources are to be proposed next Tuesday. Julian Assange, editor of whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, has been advising parliamentarians and believes the parliament is receptive to the need for change. If the proposal succeeds it will require Iceland’s government to consider introducing new legislation.Tags: Tags: Europe, Iceland, laws, media freedom, wikileaks,
February 12th, 2010
Prime minister Silvio Belusconi’s party has pushed through rules which will drastically circumscribe political content during the run-up to Italy’s regional elections. State broadcasters must now either accommodate over 30 political parties on their talk shows or be transferred away from their prime-time slots. Belusconi has previously attacked state television, claiming the programme Annozero was a ‘criminal use of public television’ when it interviewed the call-girl Belusconi had allegedly slept with. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) criticised Italy’s new rules as the latest ‘nail in the coffin of media freedom‘.Tags: Tags: elections, Europe, Italy, media censorship, Silvio Berlusconi,
February 11th, 2010
Ozan Kilinc, editor of Kurdish newspaper Azadiya Welat, has been sentenced to 21 years in jail for publishing ‘Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) propaganda’. Comments or acts judged supportive of the PKK are a serious crime in Turkey. The PKK, branded a terrorist organisation, launched an armed campaign for Kurdish self-rule in 1984.February 11th, 2010
Police have seized a Polish cultural centre in the town of Ivyanets outside Minsk. An activist who was travelling to the centre has also been detained. President Lukashenko claimed in 2005 the organisation responsible for the centre was trying to destabilise his regime and set up a government-approved alternative. Both the EU and the US have condemned the actions. There are around 400,000 Poles in Belarus. Belarus has also recently detained 20 activists demonstrating in support of political prisoners.Tags: Tags: Belarus, culture, demonstration, Eastern Europe, EU, Europe, polish,
February 8th, 2010
Valentin Ceausescu is seeking to ban a play on the trail and execution of the former dictator. “The Last Hours of Ceausescu“, written by Milo Rau, depicts the 1989 trial and execution of former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife. Valentin’s lawyer said that the plaintiff is seeking to prevent his parents’ names being ridiculed. Valentin registered the “Ceausescu” trademark two years ago, meaning the name could no longer be used for commercial purposes without his consent.Tags: Tags: arts, Eastern Europe, Europe, Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania, trademark,
February 8th, 2010
Web users will be forced to show their passports or other ID before using Belaruse’s internet cafes from July 1. President Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s decree also requires ISPs to store data on individuals’ web usage for a year and to hand that information over to law enforcement agencies upon request. Lutz Guellner, spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, condemned the decree for further restricting free expression in Belarus.Tags: Tags: Belarus, Eastern Europe, Europe, internet, ISP, media freedom,
February 3rd, 2009
Dutch MP Geert Wilders has engaged one of the country’s top lawyers to fight a potential prosecution for incitement to hatred. (more…)Tags: Tags: Europe, Fitna, Geert Wilders, Islam, netherlands,