Stories about Free Expression from October, 2019
Pakistan shuts art installation depicting extrajudicial killings
"The closure is both an attack on free expression and an attempt to sweep under the rug a longstanding human rights problem."
Netizen Report: How are protests in Lebanon affecting digital rights?
Protests continue in Lebanon, phone service is back in Kashmir (but the internet is still down) and Egyptians are getting censored on Twitter.
Angolan president's reforms drive positive impact on media — but limits persist
Under Angola's former regime, JES, prosecutions of activists and journalists were common. In 2017, João Lourenço (“JLO”) succeeded JES and journalists began to see reforms to press freedoms. But is it enough?
Iran’s drive to block international services continues with Google Play ban
The decision to block Google Play is consistent with the authorities' strategy to foist home-grown Iranian apps and services on Iranian internet users and limit the availability of international services.
Despite ban, Telegram survives in Russia — but for how long?
Most users still have access, but the authorities aren't giving up on attempts to block the instant messaging and voice app.
Mozambican journalists and activists targeted with threats in election year
Human rights organizations documented several cases in which journalists and activists were threatened and subjected to pressures interfering with their work in relation to the elections.
Nigerian journalist under threat of arrest for exposé of police and prison corruption
The intimidation of journalist 'Fisayo Soyombo exemplifies the precarious state of press freedom and free speech in Nigeria.
How Ethiopia's ruling coalition created a playbook for disinformation
Manipulation tactics used by Ethiopia's ruling coalition members against each other in their internal power struggle serve as a blueprint for opposition groups to attack their opponents and the government.
India partially lifts communications blackout in Kashmir, internet still down
According to a recent report, Kashmiris are resisting the clampdowns and shutdowns imposed by the Indian Central Government “through satyagraha or non-violent civil disobedience”.
Internet censorship in Sudan: Rethinking laws and tactics that served an authoritarian regime
Sudan's transitional authorities have taken small steps toward improving the climate for internet freedom in the country— but these remain inadequate.
Netizen Report: Iraq and Ecuador face network shutdowns amid public protests
Networks are down in Turkey, Iraq and Ecuador; US tech companies are cutting off Venezuelans; and gatekeepers continue holding back content related to Hong Kong protests.
Google removes Hong Kong protester role-playing game from its Play Store
The mobile game, entitled "The Revolution of Our Times", provides details on the political context leading up to the protests with a map on key protest sites in Hong Kong.
Nigerian journalist Omoyele Sowore remains in jail on trumped-up charges of treason and insulting the president
Rights groups see Omoyele Sowore's continued detention and the charges filed against him as merely a criminalisation of political dissent in Nigeria.
Bangladesh Regulator blocks engineering university web page containing reports of student abuse
The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission blocked an online page where over 175 complaints were anonymously made by current and former students of the top engineering university of the country.
Thai Twitter users face threats over comments on royal motorcade
The hashtag #royalmotorcade trended in Thailand after netizens reported traffic problems caused by a royal motorcade.
South Park creators mock the NBA with a sarcastic apology to China
One single tweet about Hong Kong demonstrations is able to set a war of words between China and the US and to end NBA's business prospects in mainland China.
Netizen Report: Human rights groups demand justice for Jamal Khashoggi, one year after his murder
The journalist's killing sparked widespread condemnation of the Saudi government and brought increased international scrutiny to the treatment of journalists and rights activists by the regime.
While El Salvador's security improves, it loses ground in freedom of press
While there are less murders in El Salvador than before, the government appears to show censorship tendencies towards the media and critical voices.
