Brazil’s Federal Police seized a journalist’s equipment – including his computer – during an operation to remove indians from a farm in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The seizure was decried as illegal by the reporter’s employer, one of the country’s most prominent aid agencies aimed at indigenous peoples, Rafael Spuldar reports.
Ruy Sposati, who works for the Indigenist Missionary Consel (Conselho Indigenista Missionário, CIMI), was covering a land repossession operation carried out by the Federal Police in the city of Sidrolândia on Saturday May 18th.
During the operation, Federal Police official Alcídio de Souza Araújo ordered the seizure of the reporter’s equipment — a laptop computer, an audio recorder and camera lenses.
The confiscation took place without a warrant or any explanation, an act regarded as illegal by the journalist’s employer. When told that Sposati worked for CIMI, Araújo said he had never heard of the organization. A video recording of the action was posted on YouTube.
Index on Censorship Events Caught in the web: how free are we online? June 10, 2013
The internet: free open space, wild wild west, or totalitarian state? However you view the web, in today’s world it is bringing both opportunities and threats for free expression. More >>>
CIMI filed complaints against Araújo with the Ministry of Justice, the Federal Public Ministry and the Federal Police’s Magistracy. According to CIMI’s attorney Adelar Cupsinski, this is a case of misuse of authority.
A public statement by CIMI denounced the “militarization” surrounding events related to the indigenous peoples’ struggle for rights in Brazil.
“The institutionalization of this practice is a brutal attempt against a journalist’s professional duty, the social organizations’ freedom and, even more, the democratic and law-ruled relations in our society”, says the statement.
Federal Police says an inquiry about the case is already open. Araújo is expected to present a report justifying his acts.
Yesterday, open source advocate and software engineer Bassel Khartabil spent his 32nd birthday in prison. He was arrested by Syrian security forces on 15 March last year, and he has been in jail ever since. Khartabil was awarded an Index on Censorship Digital Freedom Award, sponsored by Google for his important work earlier this year. The Free Bassel campaign has started an initiative to shed light on Bassel’s situation called Free Bassel Sunlight, where they have called on supporters to advocate for Bassel’s release through using their resources to unearth more details about his situation.
We shared some birthday wishes to Bassel yesterday, but many more wishes were posted online yesterday —- here are just some of the heartfelt messages sent to him:
Eight Vietnamese human rights activists are appealing their convictions today.
Paulus Le Son is one of the bloggers appealing their sentences. (Photo: Front Line Defenders)
Index on Censorship has joined a coalition of organisations to pressure the Vietnamese government to end its persecution of the activists. The eight activists, along with six others, were charged under Article 79 of Vietnam’s penal code for “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration”.
According to Frontline Defenders Ho Duc Hoa was arrested on 30 July 2011 and faces thirteen years in prison followed by five years of house arrest. Thai Van Dung was arrested on 19 August 2011 and faces five years in prison followed by three years house arrest. Paulus Le Son was arrested on 2 August 2011 and faces thirteen years in prison with five years house arrest. Nguyen Xuan Anh is a social activist who faces five years in prison with three years house arrest. Tran Minh Nhat is a journalist with the Vietnam Redemptorist News; he was arrested on 27 August 2011, and was convicted to four years imprisonment with three years house arrest. Ho Van Oanh was arrested on 16 August 2011 and sentenced to three years imprisonment. Nguyen Van Duyet was arrested on 7 August 2011 and was sentenced to six years in prison with four years house arrest. Nguyen Dinh Cuong was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Index on Censorship Events Caught in the web: how free are we online? June 10, 2013
The internet: free open space, wild wild west, or totalitarian state? However you view the web, in today’s world it is bringing both opportunities and threats for free expression. More >>>
GLOBAL
Stockholm Internet Forum: Balancing rights and security
Does surveillance and monitoring chill free expression? Is population-wide mass surveillance always a bad idea? Amongst many questions and debates at today’s Stockholm Internet Forum, the answers to these two questions are surely obvious – yes to both, writes Index on Censorship CEO Kirsty Hughes from Sweden. (Index on Censorship)
Religion, freedom and social peace
I RECENTLY watched an impassioned 18-minute film on the subject of religion and freedom, made as a kind of personal statement by Jacob Mchangama, a Danish human-rights lawyer. (The Economist)
How to Fix the EU’s ‘Right to Be Forgotten’
It has been more than a year since the European Union Data Protection Regulation (DPR) was unveiled, including a controversial proposal known as the “Right to Be Forgotten” (RTBF). While the proposal is intended to give Internet users more control over their data, many critics, including CDT, have charged that the new right would pose significant unintended risks for free expression online. As the European Parliament considers amendments to the Data Protection Regulation, ensuring that good intentions do not undermine the free expression rights of EU Internet users must be a top priority. (Huffington Post)
BURMA
Myanmar’s media faces fresh challenges
It is a new dawn for media in Myanmar—censorship has been lifted; 10 daily newspapers are now being printed, with another 14 on the way; and, reporters are free to write what they please. But the rush to this liberalized market has brought with it a fresh batch of problems for journalists, editors and media company owners. (Burma News International)
ISRAEL
Al Jazeera reposts ‘anti-Jewish’ article after censorship backlash
Al Jazeera has republished a controversial article on its website after inexplicably removing it amid claims the story was “anti-Jewish”. (Al Arabyia)
JAPAN
Japanese Chat App LINE Kowtows To Chinese Censorship
Japan’s chat app LINE which is reportedly challenging Facebook in terms of the number of users, is now set to bow down to the Chinese government by building a mechanism to censor contends of its users in China. (International Digital Times)
MALAYSIA
Adam to face sedition charge tomorrow
The student activist was arrested on May 18 for remarks he allegedly made during a post-GE13 forum on May 13. (Free Malaysia Today)
NIGERIA
Court awards N750m against The Nation, Ogele over libel
AN Ado-Ekiti High Court has awarded the sum of N750 million damages against The Nation Newspapers and a human rights activist, Mr. Morakinyo Ogele, for libel and defamation of character of the Mr. Segun Ilori, former Chief of Staff to Ekiti State Governor, Segun Oni. (The Guardian Nigeria)
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa’s secrecy bill signals growing political intolerance
The so-called secrecy bill’s passage through the South African parliament mirrors an increasing political intolerance towards diverse views that in some cases has spilled over in violence, Christi van der Westhuizen reports. (Index on Censorship)
Controversial Youth Website Dodges Censorship
“Outoilet” is an Afrikaans word meaning “old toilet”, but it also refers to a cellphone chat site, aimed mainly at Cape Flats youth. Its URLs are blocked by several service providers, but the site frequently re-emerges with different URLs. (AllAfrica.com)
SYRIA
Today is Bassel’s second birthday in prison
Software engineer and open-source advocate Bassel Khartabil will spend his second birthday in prison today. Palestinian-born Bassel was arrested on 15 March last year by Syrian security forces, and has been in prison ever since. On his birthday and the 799th day of Syria’s conflict, Index calls on the Syrian government to release Khartabil. (Index on Censorship)
UNITED STATES
Obama’s War on Free Expression
It’s the most fundamental right. Without it all others are endangered. Obama’s waging war to destroy it. He’s done so throughout his tenure. (The People’s Voice.org)
Convicted drug trafficker sues local newspaper for libel
A newspaper, which published a story about a man who pled guilty to a federal drug case, is being sued in federal court. (KGBT)
Notice of appeal filed in Campfield libel lawsuit
A former Democratic candidate for the state House has filed notice that he will appeal the dismissal of his libel lawsuit against state Sen. Stacey Campfield. (SeattlePI)
Why Facebook ‘likes’ won’t be a ‘vital’ part of free speech any time soon
Facebook recently argued in court that the “Like” feature is an integral part of free speech. A lawyer for the company argued that “Likes” are “vital” to the 500m people who use Facebook every day and that they should be protected by the US Constitution. (memeburn)
Ordinance Targeting Free Speech in Residential Zones Results in Arrests of Peaceful Christians
A Florida ordinance that was passed with the intention of hindering pro-life Christians from picketing the homes of abortionists has resulted in the arrests of three Christians. (Christian News)
ZIMBABWE
Playwright Seeks Legal Intervention Over Banning of Peace Play
An award winning playwright in Zimbabwe is seeking legal intervention after his play, whose central theme is peace, was banned last year. (AllAfrica.com)
Ruy Sposati, who works for the Indigenist Missionary Consel (Conselho Indigenista Missionário, CIMI), was covering a land repossession operation carried out by the Federal Police in the city of Sidrolândia on Saturday May 18th.