Stories about Advocacy from July, 2014
“The Zone 9 Bloggers are Writing from the Outer Ring of the Prison, the Nation Itself”
The charges against the bloggers give a sense of what the Ethiopian government is fighting: dissent, not terror.
Spain on a Downward Spiral? New Law May Destroy the Digital Commons
Linking is what made the Web what is today -- restricting this function poses a threat to the very nature of the open Internet.
Tajik Blogger: “We Must Prove our Professionalism and Close the Case Against Alexander Sodiqov”
Global Voices community member Alexander Sodiqov has been released from jail, but still faces wrongful charges of treason. This blogger - his former student - hopes for Alexander's swift release.
China Monitors the Internet and the Public Pays the Bill
Experts say the billion-yuan “stability maintenance industry” is designed to help the government tighten its grip over public opinion online -- and to turn a profit.
Leaked Cybercrime Law Could Undo Tunisia's Pioneer Status on Internet Rights
Government officials renew calls for filtering and monitoring of the Internet under the pretext of "fighting terrorism" -- could this mean the end of Tunisia's Internet rights renaissance?
‘Terrified’ Founder Decides to Shutter Hong Kong Pro-Democracy News Site ‘House News’
Some are speculating that the site was pressured to shut down as part of a wider crackdown by Beijing on Hong Kong's media.
Twitter “Blocks” Access to Russia's Most Infamous Hackers
Russia's Twitter users no longer have access to @b0ltai, an account belonging to a hacker collective that has leaked several Kremlin documents to the Internet over the past 7 months.
Russia Offers 4 Million Rubles to Crack the Tor Network
Although unlikely, should Russia’s decryption project succeed, it could endanger millions of Internet users whose interest in online anonymity is far from nefarious.
Israel Struggles to Win “Hearts and Minds” in Media War on Palestine
Israeli social media strategist Niv Calderon is waging a war of words on Palestine. “There is a media war, and each citizen, each computer user, is a soldier,” he says.
Court Ruling Against Restaurant Reviewer Leaves French Bloggers Reeling
The presiding judge ruled that while the review fell "within the scope of freedom of expression" its title was defamatory.
Zone 9 Bloggers Charged With Terrorism in Ethiopia
The nine bloggers and journalists, four of them Global Voices members, have rejected the charges and are preparing a defense for their August 8 trial.
The World Shouts #FreeAlexSodiqov During Global Vigil
Global Voices' community member Alexander Sodiqov is not a British spy. And #FreeAlexSodiqov is an international movement. This vigil - a month after his arrest - proves it.
Vietnamese Government ‘Opinion Shapers’ Target Activist Facebook Pages
The Facebook accounts of prominent Vietnamese activists have been suspended after being reported for abuse by suspected government supporters known as 'opinion shapers'.
7 Cases That Prove Online Activism is Under Siege in Saudi Arabia
Learn about Gulf Center for Human Rights efforts to raise awareness about online activists facing harassment and legal challenges in Saudi Arabia.
As Rockets Rain on Gaza, Facebook Does Nothing to Stop Hate Speech Against Palestinians
A Facebook page featuring multiple posts in Hebrew calling for violence against Palestinians and Arabs has been active for three weeks.
Digital Citizen 1.8
In this edition of Digital Citizen, a review of human rights and technology news in the Arab World, we look at how conflict across the region is affecting online speech.
Saudi Human Rights Lawyer Waleed Abu Al-Khair Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
Abu Al-Khair was charged with “insulting general order” and “inflaming public opinion”.
Everything You Need to Know About Russia's Internet Crackdown
To help people keep track of what’s what in Russian cyberspace, we've compiled a list of the most important laws to hit the RuNet in the past two years.
Bahraini Satirist Blogger Takrooz Arrested
Bahraini satirist micro-blogger Takrooz is being held on accusations of "inciting hatred against the regime" on Twitter.
Russia's Cyber Nanny Calls for a Clean RuNet
In the eyes of parliamentarian Yelena Mizulina, the Russian Internet is a pretty scary place. Learn about the Cyber Nanny's latest filtering initiative with this handy breakdown from RuNet Echo.