Stories about Legal Threats from April, 2017
High-Profile Chinese Blogger Arrested for Online Comments, After Years of Police Harassment
Under China's "stability control" measures, it is increasingly common for netizens who are critical of the government to be summoned or detained by police.
Jailed Emirati Academic Endures Hunger Strike to Protest Ten-Year Jail Sentence
"I have no choice but to go on hunger strike to restore my stolen freedom".
Three Ways the Russian Government Is Trying to Control the Internet
“The Internet was created as a special project by the CIA,” Vladimir Putin announced three years ago. Since then, Russian authorities’ faith in the Internet has declined even further.
Russian Math Instructor Faces Criminal Charges for Online Posts He Says He Didn't Write
The arrest of a Moscow math instructor has raised questions about the safety of using internet anonymizers in Russia.
Ugandan Academic and Sanitary Pad Campaign Leader Faces Criminal Charges For ‘Computer Misuse’
Nyanzi's story has become a rallying opportunity for Ugandans who oppose the Musveni government.
Netizen Report: Censorship Spikes After Venezuela’s ‘Self-Inflicted Coup’
Venezuelan journalists face rising threats amid protests, Russia blocks Zello, and Southeast Asian lawmakers use ‘fake news’ fears to justify censorship.
News Website Cameraman Arrested While Broadcasting Protests in Venezuela
"Almost 30,000 people were watching the VPITV broadcast on YouTube when the Bolivarian National Police took the cameraman."
Criminal Case Against Indian Poet Provokes Controversy Over Speech Rights
The poem was posted on Facebook on World Poetry Day — but its verses were not welcomed by everyone.
A Brazilian Judge Demands a Blogger's Sources, Testing the Limits of Media Freedom
Judge Sergio Moro later reversed his decision, but the action highlighted the weakness of the legal protection mechanisms of citizen journalists in Brazil.