Stories about Legal Threats from December, 2016
In 2016, a Toxic Political Smog Spread Over China and Hong Kong
For more than two weeks, 23 Chinese cities have been under a red alert warning citizens to take extreme precautions in light of a toxic smog that has invaded their territories. The smog cloud carries more than 300 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter, which is hazardous to human health. Netizens have…
‘The Long Arm of the Kremlin': Kazakh Man Goes to Prison for Insulting Vladimir Putin on Facebook
With traditional media in the country heavily restricted, social media is an obvious forum for information warfare between the Kazakh nationalists and ethnic Russians.
Iranian Civil Rights Defender Continues Hunger Strike, Protesting His Wife's Arrest For Fiction Writings
The campaign to free civil rights defender Arash Sadeghi has reached a critical point. Two months into his hunger strike, many worry Sadeghi's life is on the line.
Imprisoned Iranian Activist Faces New Charges After Complaint About Mistreatment
"When asked to produce a warrant, they attacked me. One of the agents, who I’m embarrassed to say was a woman, started to beat me."
Former Kuwaiti Lawmaker Sentenced to 42 Years in Jail for Tweets, ‘Insulting Saudi Arabia’
Dashti is a critic of Saudi Arabia, in particular its war in Yemen. He is also known for his controversial support of the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad
Assaults on Rights Activists Harm Civil Society — And Saudi Arabia's Progress
Saudi Arabia's ongoing crackdown on peaceful activism is depriving activists of their freedom and basic rights -- and it's costing the kingdom the work and creativity of its brightest reformists.
#FreeMaxenceMelo: Authorities Charge Tanzanian Whistleblowing Website Owner Under Cybercrimes Law
"Mentioning 'Tanzania' and 'democracy' in the same sentence amounts to subjecting the term 'democracy' to ridicule."
Netizen Report: Discussion Platform Founder Arrested in Tanzania
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
The High Cost of Algeria's Crackdown on Speech: Life and Freedom
Will the Algerian government acknowledge the high cost of silencing its critics before more lives are lost or destroyed for a mere Facebook post?
Netizen Report: Sudanese Activists Sustain Calls for Civil Disobedience, Despite Arrests
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Military Trials of Journalists Cast Light on the Taboo of Criticizing the Army in Tunisia
Laws allowing military courts to handle cases involving citizens, including journalists and bloggers, continue to hold back Tunisia's democratic reforms.
Activist Arrested on Royal Insult Charges for Sharing BBC Article About Thailand's New King
Almost 2,500 Facebook users shared the post, but the police singled out an activist calling for the restoration of democracy in Thailand.
Two Young Activists Get 10 Years in Jail Each After Graffiti on Azerbaijan Patriarch's Statue
"I don’t want to be remembered by apologising in my final statement. I refuse to see myself as a prisoner. I am a lover of freedom."
Russian Blogger Launches Campaign to Annul Anti-Extremism Law He Was Convicted of Violating
Blogger Anton Nossik wants to annul Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code, a catch-all statute that prohibits "ctions aimed at the incitement of hatred or enmity."
Sudanese Government Targets Activists, Stifles Media Coverage of Civil Disobedience
The civil disobedience action began on 27 November after the government removed subsidies on electricity, fuel and medicine.