14 Jan 11 | Egypt, Middle East and North Africa
It’s no surprise that the Western media was a little slow to catch up to the unrest in Tunisia. The tiny country sandwiched between Libya and Algeria has always been notoriously opaque to outsiders.
Known as one of the world’s most quietly repressive regimes, Tunisia seems to actively discourage outside coverage. Several foreign correspondents have told me of reporting trips to Tunisia where any attempt they made to hold an actual conversation with a normal citizen was immediately broken up by heavy-handed security forces.
So it took a little while for the international community to grasp the significance of the current spasm of civil unrest that continues to rock the country. When 26 year old street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi publicly set himself on fire in mid-December to protest his inability to earn a living wage, it touched a nerve throughout the country and set off a wave of protests that has already spread to Algeria and is being closely watched by governments and civilians throughout the region.
The government’s reaction has been to clamp down hard on the flow of information. At least two Tunisian bloggers have been arrested, as well as one young rapper who dared to record a song critical of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. One of the arrested bloggers, Slim Amamou, cleverly managed to get word of his arrest out by using electronic ingenuity. Amamou posted his wherabouts on the Foursquare social network, which allows for geolocation of his phone. The network revealed his location to be inside the Tunisian Ministry of Interior.
The struggle is already playing out online, with both sides engaging in cyber-attacks. A group of international “hacktivists” operating under the collective name Anonymous has been targeting government websites with denial-of-service attacks. The government has apparently responded by hacking into the email accounts and Facebook pages of known activists, bloggers and journalists.
Despite the government moves to control the online information flow, cyberspace continues to be fertile ground for information and images documenting the unrest. The group blog Nawaat has become a thriving online clearing house for new information and videos—some of them graphically depicting the bloodshed in the streets.
24 Dec 13 | News and features, Religion and Culture
Art is one of the most prominent forms of freedom of expression, allowing people to express their thoughts through song, dance, prose and theatre. It is not uncommon across the world for performers to be attacked as a form of censorship, ultimately silencing what they are trying to say.
Ala Yaacoub- Tunisian rapper, two years imprisonment
Tunisian rapper Weld El 15, real name Ala Yaacoub, was sentenced to two years in prison after posting a song online in which he insulted and threatened police.
Yaacoub, 25, told AFP that in the rap, entitled The Police are Dogs, he used the same terms that the police use to speak about the youth: “The police have to respect citizens if they want to be respected. I am afraid because in a country like Tunisia the law is not applied; you can expect anything.”
Some of those involved in the production of the music video for the rap, including director Mohamed Hedi Belgueyed and actress Sabrine Klibi, were handed suspended sentences of six months. Yaacoub was freed a month after his trial and given a suspended six-month term.
Tunisia was the first country to be hit by the ‘Arab Spring’ after which a moderate Islamist-led government was elected after the overthrow of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Since then there has been an increase in ultra-conservative Islamists, Salafists, who have been campaigning for greater public piety in Tunisia.
Aron Atabek – Kazakh poet, 18 years imprisonment
In 2007 Aron Atabek was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment following his involvement in a 2006 protest against an attempt by Kazakh authorities to flatten a shanty town; the protest ended in violent clashes and the death of a police officer.
Whilst in jail Atabek wrote poetry and prose relating to the clash which was later smuggled out of his prison and posted online. The authorities, not happy with this, sentenced Atabek to two years in solitary confinement, serving one year until November 2013. This type of punishment, in which he was watched under 24 hour video surveillance, was nothing new to the poet having spent two years in solitary confinement previously for refusing to wear a prison uniform.
Since leaving solitary confinement and returning to his previous prison Atabek’s family are still yet to have any contact with him.
Malian musicians- 12,000 singers and musicians banned from working
Islamic militants first announced a ban on music in the north of Mail in 2012; since then the ban has spread to nearly two-thirds of the country, a country from which artists such as Ali Farka Touré, Rokia Traoré and Salif Keita have witnessed global success.
After armed militants sent out death threats nearly 12,000 musicians found themselves out of work, with some facing exile, as instruments were destroyed and live venues shut down. The 2013 Festival in the Desert, a world famous Malian music event, was moved to neighbouring Burkina Faso and then later postponed due to security risks.
Fadimata “Disco” Walet Oumar was forced to flee as the conflict in Mali developed: “Life without music is not possible … I would rather die than never be able to perform, create or listen to music again in my life.”
The state of emergency has been lifted in the country and the Islamists driven out of the north of the country by the help of the French. But refugees returning to the country don’t yet believe that Mali’s problems are over.
Tunisian actors
Nineteen actors in the Tunisian city of El Kef were attacked by Salafist Muslims only to be arrested themselves by police under claims of ‘indecency’.
Whilst performing at a small theatre, to help raise funds for another venue that had been burnt down in an arson attack, the group of actors were attacked by the militant group. The performance, entitled “Guetlouh” (They Killed Him), was a tribute to opposition politician Chokri Belaid, who was assassinated in February by suspected Salafists.
The charge for indecent behaviour carries a sentence of up to six months imprisonment in Tunisia.
Lena Hendry
‘No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka’ was shown on Channel 4 in 2012, drawing in more than double the viewers of a 11pm broadcast despite the graphic content it showed. The ITN team behind the documentary went on to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Lena Hendry, on the other hand faces jail for organising a private screening of the documentary during a human rights event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Hendry was charged on 19 September for her involvement in the screening of the documentary on 9 July 2013 under the Film Censorship Act 2002, in connection with the screening of a video which was not vetted and approved by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia. If convicted she faces a fine of between $1,576 and $9,455, up to three years in jail or both.
The Magistrates’ Court scheduled a final procedural hearing for 17 March 2014, and set the trial dates for 31 March to 4 April 2014. Lena Hendry is bringing a High Court appeal challenging the charges.
03 Jul 13 | In the News
INDEX MAGAZINE
Index magazine: The Multipolar Challenge to Free Expression
Coming up in the next issue of Index on Censorship magazine, out Monday, is a special report on the shifting world power balance and the implications for freedom of expression.
(Index on Censorship)
AUSTRALIA
Police Monitor Vagina Art Exhibition, Make Censorship Suggestions
Police in Sydney, Australia, repeatedly turned up at an art exhibition titled “101 Vagina” to make censorship suggestions to photographer Philip Werner.
(Opposing Views)
BAHRAIN
The cost of tweeting in Bahrain
A Bahraini teenager has been given jail time for a tweet. Sara Yasin looks at how the country has pursued users of the popular social networking site
(Index on Censorship)
BRAZIL
Protesters give president a tenuous truce, as she says their voices are being heard
Cristiano Gulias took a deep drag from his mini-cigar and did the unthinkable — he started a political discussion in a coffee shop the morning after Brazil’s national soccer team won a major championship, rather than a debate on the team’s performance.
(Washington Post)
GHANA
Three Persons Has Been Cited For Contempt Over Scandalizing Supreme Court
Well, taking on the Supreme Court of Ghana has landed some disgruntled political pugilists in the dock. In something of a legal novelty, these persons have been cited for contempt by “scandalizing the Court after publicly criticizing and bringing into disrepute the Supreme Court Judges and their decisions”.
(Vibe Ghana)
Free Speech, Cheap Or Can Be Expensive?
Freedom of speech is said to be political freedom or right to express one’s thought or opinion. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Right and International Human Right Law recognise this right.
(Spy Ghana)
GREECE
Far-right publishing in Greece: Stories that ‘teach’ people a lesson
Taking their cue from the neo-nazi Golden Dawn, Greece’s far-right newspapers have recently been targeting alternative opinions. While hardly breaking news, the language and symbolism of the campaign is of vital importance because it represents just the tip of the iceberg, Christos Syllas writes
(Index on Censorship)
IRAN
Iran’s president signals softer line on web censorship and Islamic dress code
Newly elected Hassan Rouhani, an opponent of segregation by gender, says Iranians’ freedoms and rights have been ignored
(The Guardian)
PHILIPPINES
Solons to de-criminalize libel in cybercrime law
Two senators are moving to delete certain provisions of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which was signed into law by President Aquino in September last year but its implementation was deferred by the Supreme Court on the strength of a temporary restraining order.
(Manila Standard Today)
TUNISIA
Rapper Weld El 15 walks free
Tunisian rapper Weld El 15 (real name Alaa Yaacoubi) walked free from Tunis’s Court of Appeal today after his jail sentence for “insulting” police was reduced from two years to a six month suspended sentence, Padraig Reidy writes
(Index on Censorship)
UNITED KINGDOM
Stormont must give us a libel law fit for modern age
MLAs will today be told that reform of Northern Ireland’s outdated law is needed or else the province will lose out on investment, writes Mike Harris
(Belfast Telegraph)
Defamation Reform – New Law For A New Era?
The Defamation Act 2013 (“the Act”) received Royal Assent last month – it has not yet come into force, but is expected to do so soon. The Act has been long in the making and provoked much debate among practitioners, but in essence it is designed to modernise the law of defamation and also make it fit for purpose in the digital age. We shall examine how this is to happen by describing some of the major changes the Act will introduce.
(Mondaq)
Are Islam and Islamists taking over Britain?
Lee Rigby was a British soldier who was attacked, murdered, butchered and beheaded in broad daylight on a busy street near his barracks in London last month. He was attacked, murdered, butchered and beheaded by Islamists acting in the name of Islam.
(American Thinker)
UNITED STATES
Tennessee to appeal Occupy Nashville free speech ruling
Since when is free speech controversial? In the article “Director of Jihad Watch blog stirs controversy” (June 30) the largely one-sided article distorts a reality that is pretty clear to everyone not infected by an increasingly corrupt press.
(Times Free Press)
Free speech at stake as scandals break
Over the course of the past few months there has been cause for growing concern as we have learned about the Administration apparently violating law abiding citizens’ right to free speech and assembly.
(Chillicothe Gazette)
Daily Mail’s Martosko Cleared of Libel Claim
In mid-March, Mother Jones jabbed then-Daily Caller‘s Executive Editor and current Daily Mail U.S. Political Editor David Martosko with news of a libel lawsuit. Well, today the good folks over at MJ can read the following ruling and weep as the case has been dismissed by a unanimous 5-0 ruling in New York.
(Fishbowl DC)
North Carolina’s Anti-Sharia Bill is Now Also Anti-Abortion
The North Carolina Senate is not only considering an anti-Sharia (or Islamic law) bill passed in the state’s House earlier this year, they’ve tricked it out with a whole new issue. House Bill 695, which began as a cookie-cutter ban on the use of foreign law in family law and custody cases, now would implement several restrictions on abortion services in the state.
(The Atlantic)
Previous Free Expression in the News posts
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25 Jun 13 | In the News
INDEX POLICY PAPER
Is the EU heading in the right direction on digital freedom?
While in principle the EU supports freedom of expression, it has often put more emphasis on digital competitiveness and has been slow to prioritise and protect digital freedom, Brian Pellot, digital policy advisor at Index on Censorship writes in this policy paper
(Index on Censorship)
BRAZIL
Freedom of expression, an unfulfilled promise in Brazil
Brazil’s media is characterized by oligopolistic ownership and certain opinions dominate. Journalists and human rights activist call for new laws and regulations to safeguard freedom of speech and access to information in the host country of the 2014 World Cup.
(Journalism in the Americas)
Brazil president Dilma Rousseff proposes referendum on political reforms to try and quell protests
President Dilma Rousseff has announced a referendum on political reform along with £14 billion for public transport after more than a million took to the streets to protest in Brazil.
(The Telegraph)
BURMA
Literature needs freedom – and freedom needs literature
At this weekend’s session of the Edinburgh World Writers’ conference in Kuala Lumpur, the eminent Burmese writer – imprisoned under censorship laws for more than five years – used her own experience to reflect on censorship and imagination.
(The Guardian)
CANADA
Free speech integral to campus life
Opinion: University presidents must uphold the right of students to express unpopular opinions during peaceful protests
(Vancouver Sun)
CHINA
China Is Unblocking Some Search Terms — But Censorship Still Thrives Online
The Communist Party’s efforts to restrict political speech on the Internet have become increasingly sophisticated.
(The Atlantic)
EGYPT
Rights group condemns lawsuits against free speech
Lawsuits against media and opposition groups must stop says Arab Network for Human Rights Information
(Daily News Egypt)
G8
G8 governments sign Open Data Charter
During its summit in Northern Ireland, the G8 issued a declaration and signed an Open Data Charter on June 18, stating their intent to promote machine readable and publicly-available government data.
(Fierce Government IT)
IRAN
Internet Throttling Is Evidence of Iranian Censorship
One of the growing concerns for human rights campaigners is the increasing evidence of Internet censorship in many repressive regimes around the world. During the Arab spring, for example, Egyptian leaders “switched off” the Internet in an attempt to prevent activists from organizing protests or communicating with the outside world. The Syrian leadership appears to have done a similar thing on several occasions during the current civil war.
(Mashable)
NEW ZEALAND
Peters blasts ‘Orwellian’ censorship over stand on migrants
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has compared the country to an Orwellian state because he feels he is being censored for remarks on Chinese immigration to New Zealand.
(The New Zealand Herald)
TAIWAN
After Public Outcry, Taiwan Backs Off For SOPA Like Censorship
Freedom on the Internet is a far fetched idea but citizens are not giving up easily either. Recently we had shared that the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (IPO) had proposed an amendment to its Copyright Act, a proposal that is similar to the United States Bill, Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The good news is that Taiwan has temporarily stopped the bill.
(Business 2 Community)
TUNISIA
Tunisian rapper jailed for anti-police song
Tunisian rapper Alaa Yacoub has been sent two prison for two years for an anti-police song. Sara Yasin reports
(Index on Censorship)
TURKEY
Obama, Erdogan discuss Turkish protests
President Barack Obama spoke to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday about the importance of free expression, following days of violence in anti-government demonstrations.
(News24)
BBC reporters ‘intimidated’ by Turkey
The BBC says it is “very concerned” by a campaign by the Turkish authorities to “intimidate its journalists”.
(BBC)
In Turkey’s pious heartland, protests seem world away
“This Nation Is With You” declares a small billboard in the centre of this conservative central Turkish city, the words emblazoned on an image of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and a sea of his flag-waving supporters.
(EuroNews)
UNITED KINGDOM
Mass surveillance threatens freedom of expression
Index on Censorship is extremely concerned about the reported extent of mass surveillance of both meta data and content, resulting from the alleged tapping into underwater cables that carry national and international communications traffic.
(Index on Censorship)
Don’t turn Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer into free speech martyrs
The anti-fascist campaign group Hope Not Hate (HNH) has written to the home secretary Theresa May urging her to stop Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer from entering the UK to speak at an English Defence League rally on Saturday 29 June.
(Left Foot Forward)
UNITED STATES
US needs to protect whistleblowers and journalists
Index on Censorship calls upon the US government to uphold the First Amendment. Whistleblowers such as Edward Snowden — as well as journalists reporting on the Prism scandal, who have come under fire — should be protected under the first amendment, not criminalised.
(Index on Censorship)
Link Between Gun Violence and Video Games is Flawed, Says Media Coalition
The discussion about whether playing violent video games causes real-life gun violence has been raging for years. A new report today by Media Coalition Inc. is bound to fuel that fire, claiming that the harm of violent video games has “skewed the debate and fuels misguided calls for censorship.” Although the report’s headline focuses on “media,” its content focuses on violent videogames, and the Coalition’s press release was promoted by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which is responsible for the E3 video game trade show.
(Daily Game)
Shirt Focus of Free-Speech Fight
In West Virginia, the love of freedom is ingrained more directly in the fabric of the state’s legacy than in most places. It broke away from Virginia at the outset of the Civil War over slavery, becoming the 35th state in the Union 150 years ago this week. But even before that, West Virginia’s forbidding geography had stamped itself on the character of its people.
(Real Clear Poltics)
An important ruling for groups’ free speech rights
A Supreme Court decision rightly prevents the government from requiring certain stances by organizations receiving public funds.
(The Mercury)
Floyd Abrams Talks First Amendment Law At Google
The First Amendment is incredibly important in the Internet age. It’s frequently at the center of many debates on what constitutes free speech online. Now, one of the foremost First Amendment scholars of our time – Floyd Abrams – stopped by Google to talk about his new book, “Friends of the Court: On The Front Lines With The First Amendment”
(WebPro News)
U.S. presses Russia as mystery over Snowden deepens
The United States increased pressure on Russia on Monday to hand over Edward Snowden, the American charged with disclosing secret U.S. surveillance programs, and said it believed he was still in Moscow.
(Reuters)
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