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Free expression in the news

25 Jul 2013 | In the News

INDEX EVENTS
NSA, surveillance, free speech and privacy
Edward Snowden’s leaks about the US’s international mass surveillance programmes has prompted perhaps the definitive debate of our age: How free are we online? Can we ever trust technology with our personal details?
25 July, Time 6.30pm, Free, but RSVP required. Space is limited.
Doughty Street Chambers, WC1N
(More information)

BRAZIL
Brazilian sociologist threatened at gunpoint after criticising police
A Brazilian sociologist says he was threatened at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro last week, after he gave a newspaper interview criticising police action in recent popular demonstrations
(Index on Censorship)

GHANA
Why free speech is a non-negotiable …
Nurturing institutions of society is an important aspect of growing a democracy, and encouraging free speech is an important step on that road.
(Ghana Web)

RUSSIA
Minister attacks Putin’s ‘worrying’ free speech record
A Cabinet Minister has accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of presiding over a “worrying” clampdown on free speech.
(The Telegraph)

SYRIA
On the ground in Syria: Fear still rules political expression
More than two years after the start of the uprising in Syria, the security apparatus remains committed to stifling freedom of expression. In its monthly reports, the SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom, based in Beirut, has documented the arrest of 12 journalists and dissident intellectuals since January this year. Well-known media activists, such as Mazen Darwish, who was arrested in 2012, continue to be held under charges of terrorism.
(All Voices)

TUNISIA
Tunisia: Strengthen New Constitution’s Rights Protection
It is critically important to bring Tunisia’s new constitution in line with international human rights standards and Tunisia’s obligations under international law, four human rights organizations said today.
(Human Rights Watch)

Femen Activist Amina Faces New Charges
The latest twist in the court battle of Tunisian activist Amina Sboui continued Monday (July 22nd).
(Magharebia )

TURKEY
Yavuz Baydar sacked after columns criticising government
Journalist Yavuz Baydar has been fired by Turkish daily newspaper Sabah, after articles he wrote criticising the government were censored
(Index on Censorship)

UNITED KINGDOM
Miley Cyrus fires back at ‘We Cant Stop’ censorship
Former Disney star Miley Cyrus says she is not impressed with the way her ‘We Cant Stop’ music video has been censored in the UK.
(The New Age)

UNITED STATES
‘United we stand’ not just a motto
What is America ’s favorite freedom? It’s freedom of speech by a wide margin, according to the annual State of the First Amendment survey.
(TriCities.com)

‘United we stand’ not just a motto
What is America ’s favorite freedom? It’s freedom of speech by a wide margin, according to the annual State of the First Amendment survey.
(TriCities.com)

ZAMBIA
Press Freedom Group Helps Circumvent Net Censorship in Zambia
The non-governmental organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has made a strong statement in favour of freedom of the press by offering several banned websites solutions to circumvent the government’s efforts to block access by citizens.
(Zambia Reports)

Free expression in the news

24 Jul 2013 | In the News

BELARUS
Belarus internet infested with spammers
Almost 30% of all net addresses in Belarus are blocked by anti-spam firms because of the amount of junk mail passing through them, says a report.
(BBC)

CANADA
Threats against lesbian couple aren’t a free speech issue. They’re a crime
A lesbian couple in Kingston, Ontario, has been on the receiving end of a couple of appalling, hateful letters, which are also certainly against the law.
(National Post)

CHINA
Chinese censorship will fail to hide Shenhua’s ruthless water grab
A Greenpeace East Asia investigation exposing how a Chinese state-run coal company is overexploiting water resources and illegally discharging toxic wastewater has made global headlines today.
(Greenpeace)

INDIA
India moves toward media regulation
As talk in India turns to media plurality and regulation, attention is turning to murky ownership structures and monopolistic practices. But some see the government’s moves as attempts to muzzle the press.
(Index on Censorship)

CJI criticises media excesses, but bats for ‘self-regulation’
Less than a week after taking over as head of the apex judiciary, Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam plunged straight into key debates on the changing nature of the Indian media and the policy framework that should govern it. In a speech here on Tuesday, the CJI, while praising the media, also pointed to its excesses but favoured ‘self-regulation.’
(The Hindu)

RUSSIA
What Russia blocked in May
The Russian authorities came out with two new categories of website to be banned in May: on manufacturing explosive devices and bribery. If the first is the reaction of the authorities to the Boston bombings, the latter reflects major social problems of the society in Russia.
(Index on Censorship)

TUNISIA
Tunisia PM: Tamarod is danger to democratic process
Tunisia’s Tamarod movement, which has called for the dissolution of the National Constituent Assembly, is endangering the country’s democratic process, Islamist Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said on Monday.
(Middle East Online)

TURKEY
Turkey’s main opposition leader lambastes PM over media freedom
Turkey’s main opposition leader accused Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday of cowing local media into self-censorship after a journalist group said dozens of reporters were fired for their coverage of anti-government protests.
(Reuters)

UNITED KINGDOM
David Cameron’s online porn ban unravels amid debate over internet censorship
David Cameron is facing serious questions over how his plan for automatic internet “porn filters” in every British home would work – after he suggested that topless images such as those used on the Sun’s page three would be still be accessible online.
(Belfast Telegraph)

Author Marcus Hearn reveals censorship issues in his book The Bamforth Collection: Saucy Postcards
They have delighted millions in Britain’s seaside resorts over the years. But the cheeky cartoon postcards produced in Holmfirth also fell foul of the censorship laws. So much so that no less a figure than author George Orwell was involved in a campaign against them.
(The Huddersfield Daily Examiner)

UNITED STATES
East Bay commission tries to quell ‘hate speech’ directed at gays
Prompted by a series of controversies and ugly episodes at City Council meetings swirling around the local gay community and its critics, the city’s Human Rights and Human Relations Commission explored the line between free speech and hate speech late Monday.
(Mercury News)

#RushforSubway: Citizens show support for Limbaugh, free speech, and sandwiches
Mmm, freedom. Tastes like … sandwiches! While bitter #StopRush bullies and their doofus pals freak out over Subway having the gall to advertise on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show, hungry Dittoheads and free speech proponents are rushing out to show their support for the sandwich purveyor
(Twitchy)

Banned from campus over ‘Hot for Teacher’ essay, college student loses free speech suit
A federal judge in Michigan has dismissed a free-speech suit filed by an Oakland University student who was banned from campus for several semesters after writing an essay about his attraction to his creative writing instructor.
(ABA Journal)

Free expression in the news

23 Jul 2013 | In the News

BRAZIL
Pope visits Brazil amid social upheaval
Bringing his message of a “poor Church for the poor,” Pope Francis headed for Brazil on Monday to find a country facing a shrinking Catholic flock and anger over government waste.
(News24)

EUROPEAN UNION
Europe divided over mass surveillance?
There have been some sharply contrasting political reactions to the US and UK’s mass surveillance programmes in European countries in recent days. Could the US perhaps play divide and rule in managing the fallout from Snowden’s revelations in Europe? Or is there enough common ground between German, UK or even Russian politicians to push for real changes in US (and UK and French) snooping?
(Index on Censorship)

GREECE
Greece confirms libel complaint against former U.N. Ambassador Wallace
The Office of the Athens District Attorney in Greece announced on Wednesday it has confirmed receipt of a criminal complaint for libel against former United Nations Ambassador Mark D. Wallace.
(BioPrepWatch)

INDIA
Muslim leaders slam Shakeel Ahmed’s ‘irresponsible’ remark
Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed’s tweet that the 2002 Gujarat riots led to the formation of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) seems to have backfired. Muslim leaders said such an “irresponsible” remark, made with an eye on the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, would harm rather than help the community.
(Times of India)

MACEDONIA
Jailed Macedonian journalist begins hunger strike
A Macedonian investigative journalist has gone on hunger strike today, in protest against his continued detention.
(Index on Censorship)

PHILIPPINES
What PNoy didn’t say on the state of free expression
President Benigno Aquino III has again betrayed himself as enamored of his own propaganda, of valuing the form over the substance, of a glaring inability to keep what he claims is most precious to him – his word.
(National Union of Journalists of the Philippines)

SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa’s censors ban film about predatory teacher as ‘child porn’
Film board criticised for apartheid-style curbs on freedom of expression after first mainstream movie banned since 1994
(The Guardian)

UNITED KINGDOM
David Cameron’s King Canute moment
The Prime Minister’s touching belief that he can clean up the web with technology is misguided and even dangerous, says Padraig Reidy
(Index on Censorship)

Index concerned by Cameron’s filter proposals
Index on Censorship is concerned that David Cameron’s internet filtering proposals may cause unwarranted censorship.
(Index on Censorship)

Our last, best, hope?
Technology writer and broadcaster Bill Thompson spoke at the recent ISPA Awards dinner. ISPA, the Internet Service Providers Association, represents the companies that connect us all to the Net, and Thompson called on them to stand up for freedom, however hard that may be. This is an edited version of his talk.
(Index on Censorship)

Full Text of Speech: David Cameron: Protecting our children online
Today I am going to tread into territory that can be hard for our society to confront, that is frankly difficult for politicians to talk about — but that I believe we need to address as a matter of urgency.
(Index on Censorship)

UNITED STATES
The Case for Censoring Hate Speech On the Internet
For the past few years speech has moved online, leading to fierce debates about its regulation. Most recently, feminists have led the charge to purge Facebook of misogyny that clearly violates its hate-speech code. Facebook took a small step two weeks ago, creating a feature that will remove ads from pages deemed “controversial.” But such a move is half-hearted. Facebook and other social networking websites should not tolerate hate speech and, in the absence of a government mandate, adopt a European model of expunging offensive material.
(Policy Mic)

State suspends vanity plates over free speech suit
Indiana will stop offering vanity plates until the outcome of a class-action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the agency’s restrictions on tags’ wording.
(Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly)

Free expression in the news

22 Jul 2013 | In the News

EUROPEAN UNION
EU justice chief vows new data protection laws
A Pakistani human rights organisation has called for an investigation into an alleged “secret censorship deal” between the country’s government and Facebook. Sara Yasin reports
(Business Recorder)

CHINA
A good lesson in Hong Kong on the value of free speech
Mike Rowse sees a civics lesson in two recent debates of public issues
(South China Morning Post)

INDIA
Mysore MP questions credentials of people who misuse freedom of expression
Mysore MP A H Vishwanath on Sunday said freedom of expression is not intended to insult or undermine the historic personalities and litterateurs, media people and film producers should desist from using the names of great personalities to market their produces.
(Times of India)

LIBYA
Libya moves step closer to new constitution amid boycott by minorities
Abusahmain signs law on election of committee to draft new permanent constitution for Libya as ethnic minorities announce boycott.
(Middle East Online)

Hardliners’ pressure forces Libyan women’s football team to stop playing tournaments during Ramadan
Abusahmain signs law on election of committee to draft new permanent constitution for Libya as ethnic minorities announce boycott.
(truthdive)

RUSSIA
Russia’s Anti-Gay Crackdown
RUSSIA’S president, Vladimir V. Putin, has declared war on homosexuals. So far, the world has mostly been silent.
(The New York Times)

TUNISIA
Tunisia lifts travel ban on blogger
A Tunis judge lifted the travel ban against blogger and journalist Olfa Riahi, Tunisie Numerique reported on Saturday (July 20th).
(Magharebia)

TURKEY
In Turkey, Media Bosses Are Undermining Democracy
THE protests that convulsed Istanbul and other Turkish cities last month exposed, among many other things, the shameful role of Turkey’s media conglomerates in subverting press freedom.
(The New York Times)

Turkey bars protestors’ wedding party at park
Police on Saturday fired water cannon and tear gas in downtown Istanbul to disperse anti-government demonstrators after barring them from entering a park where they had hoped to celebrate the wedding of a couple who met during last month’s widespread protests.
(Missoulian)

Turkey loses guest of honor status to Vatican at Turin book fair
Turkey will not be the guest of honor at next year’s Turin International Book Fair, which will instead host the Vatican in an unexpected move by the fair’s organizers, Turkish news agencies reported over the weekend.
(Missoulian)

UNITED STATES
Diversionary Theatre’s Freedom of Speech: One Woman’s Cross Country Journey to Find Out What’s Going On
An artist in the complete sense, Eliza Jane Schneider, can do practically anything on stage-from singing, to playing an instrument, to doing a 180 from one character to the next. Showcasing her many talents, Schneider opened Freedom of Speech on July 11th at the Diversionary Theatre. It is a Moxie Theatre presentation, directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg.
(San Diego Free Press)

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