Posts Tagged ‘free speech’

Scotland: football hate law confused and unnecessary

November 16th, 2011

Government attempts to clamp down on sectarian abuse and violence are a recipe for uncertainty and censorship, says David Paton
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The paradoxes of free speech in Lebanon

November 10th, 2011

Lebanon’s media council now requires all news websites and blogs to register, amid speculation that authorities are preparing to censor the web in the wake of Syria’s uprising. Karl Sharro explores what the move means for free speech in Lebanon

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France: Court orders French “cop watching” site to be blocked

October 17th, 2011

A court in France has ruled that internet service providers must block access to a “cop watching” web site. The website, Copwatch Nord Paris I-D-F, shows pictures and videos of police officers arresting suspects, taunting protesters and allegedly committing acts of violence against members of ethnic minorities, was deemed to incite violence against the police. Free speech advocates have said that the ruling restricted internet freedoms. The first complaint against the site was filed by a Paris police officer who received a bullet in his mailbox after his picture had appeared on the site.

Index on Censorship at the Leveson Inquiry

October 12th, 2011

 

Index CEO John Kampfner

Index on Censorship chief executive John Kampfner addressed the Levesen Inquiry into culture, practices and ethics of the press yesterday, covering  free speech, journalistic standards, and journalism regulation

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Berlusconi’s gag law is no laughing matter

October 7th, 2011


While the Italian prime minister’s crude jokes are a source of amusement abroad, at home there are increasing fears over proposed new media restrictions. Giulio D’Eramo reports
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Interview with a troll

September 14th, 2011

Sean Duffy has been jailed for 18 weeks for “trolling” tribute pages to suicide victims.  But was he a “true troll” or was this harassment? And is there a philosophy behind trolling? 

In this extract from an interview in Index on Censorship magazine, Whitney Phillips speaks to troll “Paulie Socash” about tribute sites, free expression and where trolls draw the line

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USA: Stalker’s free speech defence rejected

September 13th, 2011

Oregon’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal made by a convicted stalker. John Norman Ryan began stalking a woman in 2005, eventually she took out a stalking protective order which forbade Ryan from making any contact. Ryan breached the order and was convicted by the courts. He appealed on the grounds that as the communication was not violent, he was expressing his First Amendment right to free speech. The judges ruled against him.    

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Belarus: President pardons nine convicted for December protests

August 12th, 2011

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned nine of the 41 people convicted for taking part in the December 19 protests that followed his higly disputed re-election. RFE/RL’s Belarus Service reported that the nine freed had requested an amnesty, admitted taking part in the demonstrations, and pledged not to engage in such activities again. Of the nine amnestied, four have been named as Dimitry Drozd, Artem Gribkov, Serguey Kazakov and Andrei Protasenya. Two more who are thought to have been released have been named as Vladimir Loban and Alexander Klafkovsky, while the names of the remaining three remain unknown.
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