The Malaysian Home Ministry website has just published new censorship guidelines for films this week. Restrictions around profanity and displays of intimacy between adults have been relaxed, if they are “appropriate” to the context of the film. However the Board still remains firm on nudity, sex and negative depictions of Muslims, unless the filmmaker is wishing to “depict a person’s transformation from being evil to good”.
In past month many Iranian journalists and bloggers have been released on bail by authorities before the start of the Iranian New Year. Those currently on bail include Sasan Aghaei, Ali Moazemi, Kivan Farzin, Behrangh Tonkaboni, Arvin Sedaghat Kish, Hamid Mafi, Ehsan Mehrabi, Naimeh Dostar, Bahaman Ahamadi Amoee, Kivan Samimi Behbani and Saide Lylaz. However, several other journalists were denied bail or the right to visit during the festival period, including Masud Lavassani, Mehdi Mahmudian and Emadoldin Baghi. For more information about imprisoned journalists in Iran, please help support the campaign Our Society Will Be A Free Society.
Italy’s continued investment in Belarus masks the freedom of expression abuses that plague the country’s media. Cecilia Anesi reports
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A prominent Chinese professor at the Beijing Film Academy, has been barred from leaving China to travel to America. Cui Weiping was due to give a lecture at Harvard, and attend a conference in Philadelphia. Although authorities at her university have not provided her with a reason for her travel restrictions, Cui has speculated that the refusal is due to posts she made on her blog, and Tweets she made in support of imprisoned writer and activist Liu Xiaobo. To help petition her banning, contact NEAR for more information.