Stories about Free Expression from November, 2012
Life Sentence for Qatari Poet for Insulting Amir
The poem is said to praise the Arab Spring, drawing comparisons to other countries living in repression and under dictatorship. According to Qatari journalist Abdulla Al Athbah, Al-Deeb's poem was seen as insulting to the Qatari Amir, and called for overthrowing his rule.
Syria Plunges Into Total Info Darkness
On Thursday, the US-based internet connectivity monitoring firm, Renesys, reported that internet was cut off in Syria. All of Syria's 84 IP address blocks were inaccessible, “effectively removing the country from the Internet.”
In Case of Disconnection: Preparing Gaza for an Internet Shutdown
For days, rumors have abounded that Israel—which controls the telecommunications infrastructure of Palestine—plans to shut down the Internet in Gaza. While thus far the rumors have proven false, various organizations and actors are working to ensure that Gazans are prepared.
Domain Names: Expression that Deserves Protection
The Initiative for Freedom of Expression on Internet (iLEI, by its Spanish name), a special program of the Center of Studies for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, has a new work where it addresses the relationship between freedom of expression, domain names and the various models countries adopt to administrate them.
Blogging on behalf of Hamid
Antonella has not blogged since long time. Her last blog post was on April 25, 2012 in which she wrote: “Dear Hamid, Every day I discover how vast a heart can be, like a new landscape at the horizon where sadness, hope, forgiveness, fear, joy and pain run far...
China: Beijing Twitterer Detained for Writing Micro-fiction
A Beijing Twitterer @Stariver has been detained since November 7th, 2012, at the eve of the 18th National Chinese Communist Party Congress. According to his friends who visited his family on November 17, the excuse provided by the police officers was that @stairver was “involved in spreading false and terrible...
Portugal: Activist blog silenced by Google
On the day of Portugal's general strike, Google's Blogger took down an activist blog maintained by one of Portugal's largest organizations advocating for "precarious" workers. The group suspects the move was motivated by allegations of defamation by a Portuguese company, accused of abuses by a commenter.
International Day to End Impunity: Join the Campaign
To demand justice for all artists, journalists, musicians and writers who are forcibly silenced around the world, IFEX has decided to name November 23 the International Day to End Impunity. Join in!
Egypt: Online Porn, Here to Stay?
The ongoing battle over the future Egyptian constitution and the more-than-a-month long strike of Egyptian medical workers are among the most pressing issues in the country at the moment… or are they? The Public Prosecutor apparently decided the people needed more drama and announced Egypt would start blocking porn sites.
Egypt To Block Porn Sites… Again
On Wednesday, November 7, the Egyptian Public Prosecutor decided that online pornography was “inconsistent with Egyptian traditions and values.” He ordered a general ban of all porn sites in Egypt.
Azerbaijan: “A Country that Portrays Social-Networkers as Mentally Ill”
While all eyes were on the presidential election in the United States, a major international conference started on Tuesday in Baku, the capital of the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. The 7th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) claims to bring “all stakeholders” as equal partners to discuss major issues relating not only to the future of the Internet but also to matters of policing, management, and of course, freedom of expression online.
Chile: Why do we Need Exceptions to Copyright?
We have already explained how copyright can clash with freedom of expression. But are there legal alternatives in a copyright system that is increasingly restrictive? If all works are always an interpretation of other works, can we have access to them without necessarily becoming “delinquents”? The good news is that yes, we can, although there are limitations. We have released a new video in the #NoTemasaInternet (Don’t fear the Internet) campaign and will soon upload more material about this issue.
Protecting the Open Web: Net Activists Unite
Netizens around the world are coordinating advocacy on the upcoming conference of the International Telecommunication Union, where member states will decide whether or not the ITU should cover Internet-policy matters—leaked treaty documents include proposals for global regulations that could place limitations on online privacy, free expression, access to information and ICT use around the world. Find out how you can get involved in the effort.
Azerbaijan: Open Letter to President Aliyev Ahead of International Governance Forum in Baku
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a UN-sponsored conference which aims to “bring[ ] together all stakeholders in the internet governance debate.” This year it is held in Baku, the capital of the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan where, starting on Tuesday, government officials, representatives of the private sector, the...
Spain: Journalists Fined After Revealing Corruption in Catalonia
Marta Sibina and Albano Dante, editors of the citizen media magazine Cafè amb Llet, have been fined 10,000 euro for libel. They uploaded to YouTube a video strongly criticizing the lack of transparency in public healthcare financing in Catalonia, implicating Josep Maria Via, president of Barcelona MAR Health Park Consortium and healthcare advisor to Catalan President Artur Mas.
Six Month Jail for Insulting Bahrain King on Twitter
One of four Twitter users, detained in Bahrain and reportedly charged with insulting the country's king, was sentenced to six months in prison today. Bahraini lawyer Mohammed Abdulameer tweets [ar]: @wastilawyeR: One of those accused of insulting the King of Bahrain was sentenced by the Criminal Court to six months...
EU to Tighten Rules on Surveillance Technology Exports
“It is unacceptable that regimes in Syria and Iran can use European technologies to violate human rights”. Marietje Schaake Activists have been fighting the battle against technology exports to repressive countries for years. To track and surveil citizens online, regimes such as Mubarak´s in Egypt or Assad´s in Syria have relied...
