Stories about Activism from August, 2013
Russia's Political Firebrand: What Makes Navalny Tick?
Russia's best-known political blogger earned his fame fighting corruption in the private sector, but may now face five years' jail time on (possibly trumped-up) embezzlement charges. In the meantime, he's running for mayor of Moscow.
Why was Facebook Blocked in Cambodia?
On August 7, Facebook was inaccessible in Cambodia for several hours. Government officials and ISPs claimed that the blockage resulted from technical complications, but media freedom groups remained suspicious of a foul play by authorities.
Taiwanese Government Alters Search Engine Ads to Favor Nuclear Energy Policy
Activists in Taiwan are fighting to halt the operation of nuclear power plant that could be highly hazardous for the island state. Early this week, a Yahoo! search on anti-nuclear activists' names suddenly began yielding ads linking to a government website promoting nuclear energy.
Fifty Bloggers Demand the Release of Bahrain's Mohammed Hassan
On 31 July, blogger Mohammed Hassan was arrested from his parents' house in the Bahraini town of Sitra without an arrest warrant. Hassan is accused of “promoting a forced change of the regime.”
Government Critic Arrested on Drug Charges in Mexico
Supporters suspect that Gustavo Maldonado was arrested in retaliation for his online activities. Just hours before his arrest on a small-scale drug charge, Maldonado posted a YouTube video accusing local officials of corruption.
Minister Ridiculed Over Website Closure Statement
Independent citizen media site the Zambian Watchdog switched to an Australian hosting company earlier this year in an effort to thwart attacks on the site. Readers ridiculed Zambia's Deputy Labor Minister when he mistakenly suggested that this would make the site accessible only in Australia.
The Religious Right Rises! Advocates Face High Stakes in Pakistan
State institutions create new lists of URLs each day and block them routinely. Advocates who challenge state censorship and surveillance practice face increasingly grave threats from both the government and the religious right.
