Stories about Free Expression from June, 2021
Top Belarusian media website removes social media posts to protect employees
Tut.by editors removed virtually all of the content published on most of their social media channels in 2020 and the first half of 2021, at the height of the post-election protests.
Hong Kong digital news outlet Stand News removes articles and suspends subscriptions following Apple Daily closure
Pro-democracy digital news outlet Stand News has announced it will remove opinion articles it published before May and stop accepting donations to reduce risks under the national security law.
Myanmar journalists endure attacks for reporting the coup
"We're all just waiting for the knock on the door. Sometimes you hear footsteps on the stairs, it's like they're coming for you: you have this feeling all the time."
Security police interventions force closure of Apple Daily, Hong Kong's 26-year-old pro-democracy news outlet
In its inaugural editorial, Apple Daily had stated: "Are we not afraid of the changes 1997 could bring about? We are, but we are not willing to be daunted by fear."
Pro-democracy Apple Daily continues its operations despite raid, seizures and arrests
Among the five senior executives arrested, two were officially charged with with conspiracy to collude with external elements on June 18
Organiser of online map protest in Russia fined for crowdsourced obscenities
Unlike street protests, which require prior authorisation from local authorities, online rallies aren't technically subject to the same restrictions.
More internet security for many, not for Central Asians
Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are among the few countries that will not enjoy a new privacy tool unveiled by US giant tech company Apple for its users. Apple's focus in 2021 is privacy. On its website, the company states that “Privacy is a fundamental human right.” Yet this policy comes with...
Pressure on journalists, bloggers mounts ahead of Uzbekistan's presidential elections
A foreign journalist loses accreditation, a pro-LBGT blogger is beaten and another blogger gets a heavy sentence on dubious charges.
Barbados’ prime minister chastises musicians for violent lyrics; artists defend freedom of expression
Prime Minister Mia Mottley dismissed the “artistic license” defence by noting that some people in Barbadian society lack the maturity required to not interpret the musical message literally.
New report highlights ongoing pressure on Ukrainian activists and rights defenders
In the first quarter of 2021, physical attacks, destruction or damage to activists’ property, and attempted intimidation of human rights defenders were the most common, in addition to digital threats.
Twitter vs India: The battle of BJP and Congress over a ‘fake toolkit’ on COVID-19
Twitter expressed concern about the “use of intimidation tactics by the police” and “the potential threat to freedom of expression” for the Indian users.
