Stories from December, 2016
Activist Arrested on Royal Insult Charges for Sharing BBC Article About Thailand's New King
Almost 2,500 Facebook users shared the post, but the police singled out an activist calling for the restoration of democracy in Thailand.
Two Young Activists Get 10 Years in Jail Each After Graffiti on Azerbaijan Patriarch's Statue
"I don’t want to be remembered by apologising in my final statement. I refuse to see myself as a prisoner. I am a lover of freedom."
The Thin Line Between Political Censorship and Fighting Fake News in Iran
Iran wants to regulate social-media news accounts with more than 5,000 followers because of the dangers of fake news. But what about the danger to free speech?
Russian Blogger Launches Campaign to Annul Anti-Extremism Law He Was Convicted of Violating
Blogger Anton Nossik wants to annul Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code, a catch-all statute that prohibits "ctions aimed at the incitement of hatred or enmity."
Sudanese Government Targets Activists, Stifles Media Coverage of Civil Disobedience
The civil disobedience action began on 27 November after the government removed subsidies on electricity, fuel and medicine.
A Major Leak Exposes How Chinese Loan Sharks Make Female Debtors Take Nude Selfies
Taking nude photos in exchange for a loan may seem bizarre, but that's exactly what's happening in China. A major online leak has cracked the scheme wide open.
Netizen Report: China's New Cybersecurity Law Hardcodes Surveillance Practices Into Law (And Technology)
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Polls Open Amid Communications Blackout in The Gambia
The Gambia has shut off all external communications as citizens cast their votes in the country's presidential elections, by blocking both the internet and international phone calls.
Award-Winning Chinese Citizen News Site Founder Detained Amid Crackdown on Human Right Defenders
The founder of a Chinese citizen news site has been detained in what one human rights organization is calling "the escalation of President Xi Jinping’s relentless crackdown on civil society."
