Stories about Free Expression from May, 2016
Netizen Report: Chilean Copyright Bill Could Eliminate Public Domain for Video, Music
Journalist Khadija Ismayilova wins court challenge in Azerbaijan, Vietnam censors Facebook and Instagram in the face of protests and the Nigerian Senate throws out ‘anti-social media bill’
China’s Independent Journalists Face High Risks — And Are in High Demand
Outside the umbrella of the media institution, independent journalists face many risks, but their work is becoming increasingly influential in China's media ecology.
Ghanaian Minister Vows Not to Ban Whatsapp, Skype and Viber Calls
"Methinks the telcos need to smell the coffee because the traditional 'voice game' is over, and with it, the monopoly profits they used to make."
Venezuela: Research Confirms Censorship of News Platforms, Currency Websites
The study also confirmed that all local Internet service providers using DNS (domain name system) blocking, technique through which domain name servers respond incorrectly to requests for a particular domain.
The Iranian State Versus Kim Kardashian
The story is so absurd that it seems funny, at first glance. But the Iranian state's problems with Kim Kardashian are no laughing matter.
Kenyan Blogger and Photographer Goes Missing
Before disappearing, he wrote on Facebook about how his arrest and 'terrorism suspect' label have destroyed his career and livelihood.
Netizen Report: Facebook and Twitter Disappear in Uganda Amid Election Tensions
Mapping “disputed” areas could become a crime in India, Nepal gives Canadian man the boot over controversial tweets and a Russian social mediaite is convicted of promoting “separatism” online.
Social Media Blocked in Uganda Ahead of President Museveni's Inauguration
"Darkness hovering over Uganda...VPN is the only way to go now"
Russian Court Sentences Internet User to Two Years Behind Bars for VKontakte Reposts
A court in Tver region, Russia, has sentenced Internet user Andrey Bubeyev to two years and three months in prison on extremism charges for reposts on social network VKontakte.
Canadian Man Forced to Leave Nepal Over Controversial Tweets
Robert Penner, a Canadian man who currently finds himself mired in a controversy about a series of provocative tweets, left Nepal after the Supreme Court postponed his appeal hearing.
Uganda's Defiance Campaign Will Not Be Televised
"Hot on the heels of #WorldPressFreedomDay comes #UgandaMediaGag. Ironic"
In Bangladesh, Extremists Use Social and Mainstream Media Data to Target Victims
A series of killings have alarmed critics and intellectuals about the power that main stream and social media sites possess.
Iranian Blogger Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki Freed on Bail
"With every departure there is a return. Even when weak and ill we must stand and smile. We must go on..." writes Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki.
Russian Internet Experts Push ‘Real Name’ Policy for Comments on News Websites
A new initiative by Kremlin-friendly Internet experts seeks to make anonymous comments on online media websites a thing of the past.
Netizen Report: LGBT News Site Editor is Latest Victim of Attacks on Bangladeshi Intellectuals
The assault on free thinking continues in Bangladesh, Mexico's Supreme Court upholds the "Stalker Law", and WhatsApp faces another shutdown in Brazil.
‘I Was Forced to Drink My Own Urine’: ‘Freedom’ For Netizens After 647 Days Locked Up, But Not For All
Ethiopia's Federal High Court acquits two men who spent more than 600 days incarcerated on terrorism charges that critics allege were politically motivated. A third man was not so lucky.
Iranian Cartoonist Atena Farghadani Goes Free on World Press Freedom Day
On May 3, just in time for World Press Freedom Day, Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani was released from Evin Prison.
It’s Open Season on Online Hate Speech in Myanmar
Activists have launched a page on Facebook dedicated to addressing the rising number of hate-speech cases in Myanmar. Meet the “No-Hate Speech Project.”
