Stories about Free Expression from July, 2012
Zambia: Pupils Expelled For Facebook Activities
Twenty one pupils at a secondary school in rural western Zambia have been expelled over vile messages against their teachers on Facebook. Meanwhile, ruling party boss wants Zambian citizen news website shut.
China: Beijing Arrests 5,007 Netizens in 2012 So Far
According to mainland Chinese media report, Beijing city steering committee and public security bureau had a working group meeting in July 24 on the control of the internet during summer vacation. The head of Beijing police Fu Zhenghua (傅政华）told the reporters that the public security authorities would strengthen law enforcement...
European Telco Proposal to ITU: A Threat to the Open Web?
A group of European telecommunications companies has made a proposal for global Internet regulation that could fundamentally alter the free flow of information online and undermine Internet neutrality. Parts of the proposal could disadvantage independent creators and content producers, particularly those in less-developed countries.
With Conviction of Eskinder Nega, Ethiopia Backslides Further
In this guest post from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the recent sentencing of Ethiopian blogger Eskinder Nega is viewed in the context of Ethiopia's participation in the war on terrorism.
“Don't Fear the Internet”: Testimonials on Domain Names and Freedom of Expression
Domain names in Chile have become a battlefield over the right to freedom of expression. In this new video from the campaign “Don’t Fear the Internet”, NGO 'Derechos Digitales' highlights two testimonies: elmercuriomiente.cl and estafadoscorfo.cl. Both are examples of how disputes over domain names seek to silence critical speech.
Mexico: Congress Resolves to Reject ACTA
On July 18, 2012, both the Senate and House of Representatives in Mexico passed resolutions calling for the country's new President, Enrique Peña Nieto, to nullify Mexico's signature on the ACTA treaty. Mexico's Ambassador to Japan, Claude Heller, signed the treaty a week prior, despite strong rejections of its terms by Mexico's Senate and the country's telecommunications commission.
Mexico: The Government Signed ACTA While Mexicans Were Asleep
The Mexican government signed its adhesion to ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) on Wednesday, July 11th. 2012 in Japan while it was the middle of the night in Mexico. Netizens showed their outrage complaining that the federal government acted against the will of the people and of the Senate.
“Don’t Fear the Internet”: New Campaign About Freedom of Expression by NGO ‘Derechos Digitales’
Building on the momentum of the UN's recent decision to designate online freedom of expression a human right, the NGO “Derechos Digitales” (“Digital Rights”) recently launched the online campaign “No temas a Internet” [es] ("Don’t fear the Internet"), to alert people about the fundamental importance of online freedom of expression.
A Campaign for Syrian Bloggers
The number of citizen journalists and bloggers arrested in Syria rises daily. A new campaign--for blogger Hussein Ghrer--seeks to raise awareness of the blogger's plight.
