150 writers and academics have signed an open letter saying the forces of illiberalism are gaining strength throughout the world
Ruth Smeeth: “Free speech is a force for good”
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CATEGORY: Opinion
Ruth Smeeth: “From Ethiopia to Hong Kong, we will not abandon you”
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="114148" img_size="full" add_caption="yes" alignment="center"][vc_column_text]Following the news this week has been harrowing. Beyond the ongoing awful deaths from Covid-19 and the daily redundancy notices...
Bahrain’s grand prix problem
Bahrain’s top news during the past 48 hours say a lot about the troubled country: glitzy races are welcome; experts on torture are not. Bahraini officials yesterday claimed that UN special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, had cancelled his...
Kazakhstan crackdown set to continue
Kazakh prosecutors last month achieved international notoriety, as they sought to close eight newspapers and 23 web sites, and sued Google, Facebook, Twitter, and LiveJournal. Journalists in the country fear that this latest crackdown will destroy...
Why is Kim Kardashian going to Bahrain?
Kim Kardashian flew into Bahrain's capital today to launch the country’s first Millions of Milkshakes shop --- but "sources" close to the reality TV star told TMZ that her trip to Kuwait and Bahrain is about more than promoting frozen drinks....
Bahrain revokes citizenship of 31 activists
Bahrain is preparing for the first anniversary of the Bahrain Independent Commission for Inquiry (BICI) by placing even greater restrictions on free expression. As violence escalates in the Gulf kingdom, the country's government has taken new...
Free expression: you’re doing it wrong, Bahrain.
Bahrain has a funny definition of free speech. After jailing human rights activists and social media users critical of the government and even going as far as banning protests, the country’s government still insists that it protects its citizens’...
India discusses proposals to regulate the internet
The Indian government’s proposal to the United Nations General Assembly, to form a 50-member United Nations Committee on Internet Related Policies (CIRP) to “regulate” the internet has been met with controversy since it was tabled last October. On...
What will Morsi mean for free speech?
Cairo’s Tahrir Square exploded in joyous revelry and fanfare on Sunday afternoon after Counsellor Farouk Sultan, the Head of the Elections Commission announced the results of the presidential run-off vote in a nationwide televised address....
Bahrain authorities play games with Nabeel Rajab’s freedom
OPINION This week Bahrain continued its game of cat and mouse with human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, releasing him once more on Wednesday after re-arresting him on 6 June. The outspoken activist and president of Bahrain Center for Human Rights...