Stories about Advocacy from February, 2016
The Malaysian Insider News Website Blocked by Authorities for Posting ‘Unverified’ Report on Government Corruption
"Such unilateral action could also be construed as an attempt to intimidate the media against running critical news reports."
Anti-Extremism Police in Yakutia, Russia, Say They Have Ways of Finding You on WhatsApp
WhatsApp messenger is hugely popular in Yakutia—and the anti-extremist police force are on it.
Ukrainian Court Equates Social Network Profile With Mainstream Media
The social media pages containing "calls to overthrow authorities" were determined by the court to be "mass media" because they were public and accessible to an unlimited number of people.
Egyptian Writer Ahmed Naji Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for his “Sexually Explicit” Novel
A Cairo appeals court sentenced Egyptian novelist and journalist Ahmed Naji for two years in prison for publishing a chapter containing “sexually explicit” scenes from his novel The Guide of...
Hard Labor for Woman Who Reposted Online Criticism of Russia's Actions in Ukraine
A Russian court found Vologzheninova guilty of "discrediting the political order" and of "inciting enmity" by reposting or liking online material critical of Russia’s actions in Crimea and in Donbas.
Ghanaian Facebook Commentator Sued For Defamation by Deputy Attorney General
'Is there any fundraising effort to support our brother Evron Rothschild Hughes fight this impudence of a libel suit filed against free speech by Ghana's Deputy Attorney General?'
A Blogger Exposes Personal Data Protection Flaw on Macedonia's Election Commission Website
"The mishap is at a very amateurish level from the perspective of professional principles of working with personal data on the open Web."
Bangladeshi Authorities Arrest Publisher and Shut Down Book Fair Booth for ‘Hurting Religious Sentiments’
Bangladesh’s constitution enshrines the right to free expression, and atheists have the same rights as other citizens. But authorities have done little to stop attacks against those critical of religion.
A Pakistani Artist Remembers Sabeen Mahmud and her Valentine's Day Campaign
According to one of activist Sabeen Mahmud's killers, her '"un-Islamic" Valentine's Day rally was "the sin she eventually paid for."
Malaysian Police Threaten Internet Users for Sharing Clown Memes of Prime Minister
"Public scrutiny is part of the democratic process that serves as the foundation of Malaysia. Satirical images and comments made against government official[s] should not be considered as a crime."
A Colombian Official Takes Short-Lived Legal Action Against a Journalist Over His Tweets
"...limitation of freedom of expression must be necessary and proportionate, that is, it must be the only and most effective means, something which is not true in this case."
An LGBT Blog Is Suspended Over Mention of Cuba’s 1960s-Era Labor Camps
"I honestly hoped it was a technical glitch...I don't know how this 'defames the Revolution,' as the judgment issued to us says."
The Troubling Rise of Internet-Related Arrests in Cambodia
"They do plainly illustrate a deeply troubling trend, whereby those who criticize the political elite are routinely being arrested for expressing their views on social media."
Kremlin Censor Finally Brings Down the Hammer on the RuNet’s Pluckiest Freedom Advocates
Government censors have blocked the website of Russian digital rights organization RosKomSvoboda for a page with instructions on how to circumvent online censorship and access blocked websites.
“A Good Day for the Internet Everywhere”: India Bans Differential Data Pricing
Indian Telecom Regulatory Authority bans differential data pricing and Facebook's large plans for Free Basics come to an end.
Russia and Chile Join the Global Campaign to Save a Saudi Poet From Execution
Poets and activists in Moscow and St Petersburg expressed their solidarity with Ashraf Fayadh, who's been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. Similar events were held in Chile and Mexico.