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Free expression in the news

INDEX POLICY PAPER
Is the EU heading in the right direction on digital freedom?
While in principle the EU supports freedom of expression, it has often put more emphasis on digital competitiveness and has been slow to prioritise and protect digital freedom, Brian Pellot, digital policy advisor at Index on Censorship writes in this policy paper
(Index on Censorship)

AUSTRALIA
Australia doubles down on censorship, refuses R18+ classification to State of Decay
Australia, coming off the back of refusing classification to Saints Row IV yesterday, apparently wasn’t satisfied with just one act of censorship. Today Undead Labs announced that their game too had been refused classification, so for the foreseeable future Australia will not be seeing State of Decay. Again, the issue seems to be related to some sort of drug use. The team is currently exploring their options with Microsoft
(NeoSeeker)

BAHRAIN
Bahrain mulls clamp on Internet calls
Bahrain is considering introducing controls on calls made via the Internet, including those on Skype and Viber, said a top official.
(Trade Arabia)

BRAZIL
Brazil’s left and right struggle for ownership of protests
Rival groups split on the political direction of the protests, with claims two organisations back military rule
(The Guardian)

EGYPT
Egypt journalists to march for free expression on 30 June
Journalists criticise attacks on freedom of expression under President Mohamed Morsi
(Ahram Online)

EUROPEAN UNION
EU adopts guidelines to “protect and promote” LGBTI rights
Coming on the heels of Russia’s enactment of a “gay propaganda” law, the European Union’s decision to adopt guidelines to protect the rights of lebian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons in foreign relations on Monday is welcome. Sean Gallagher writes
(Index on Censorship)

FRANCE
Pro-Israeli activist found guilty of libel
A man has been convicted of defamation in France for his claims about a widely-publicised video which showed a 12-year-old Palestinian boy’s death in Gaza Strip.
(Al Jazeera)

ISRAEL
Knesset members seek libel protection for IDF soldiers
If passed, legislation will enable class-action suits against critics who make false claims about army operations
(The Times of Israel)

INDIA
Censor laws are extremely ambiguous: Anand Gandhi
Independent filmmaker Anand Gandhi was in the city recently to screen his film ‘Ship of Theseus’ for the students of Film and Television Institute of India. Anand spoke to TOI about being an independent filmmaker, film censorship and why serious engagement from the government for Indian films is the need of the hour.
(The Times of India)

JORDAN
Jordan Accused Of Targeting Online Dissent
Jordan’s King Abdullah vowed to make the desert kingdom a “free Internet” country as he began his rule more than a decade ago. On June 2, when local Internet providers were ordered to block hundreds of news websites across the kingdom, Web publishers protested the broken promise and international media watchdog organizations charged censorship.
(NPR)

RUSSIA
Blockage of Major News Websites Raises Censorship Fears
A ruling by a court in the central Russian town of Ulyanovsk ordering a state-run Internet provider to block access to 15 websites, including those of two prominent national newspapers, has sparked fears of a broader campaign of Internet censorship in the country.
(The Moscow Times)

SOUTH AFRICA
South African groups seek arrest warrants for Obama
Two South African groups were trying to obtain arrest warrants for US President Barack Obama, who will visit the country later this week.
(Times Live)

TURKEY
Turkey seeks to tighten grip on Twitter after protests
Turkey said on Wednesday it had asked Twitter to set up a representative office inside the country, which could give it a tighter rein over the microblogging site it has accused of helping stir weeks of anti-government protests.
(Reuters)

UNITED KINGDOM
Banning of Geller and Spencer from UK will only build grievance
Britain’s ban on anti-Muslim activists could do more harm than good, says Padraig Reidy
(Index on Censorship)

Change in libel laws ‘not required in Northern Ireland’
A Stormont committee has been told there is no need to reform antiquated Northern Ireland’s libel laws by a high-profile libel lawyer.
(Belfast Telegraph)

Daily Mail in £110k libel payout over Syrian chemical weapons story
The Daily Mail has been forced to pay more than £100,000 in damages and apologise for a story linking a UK defence company with the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
(Press Gazette)

UNITED STATES
Jeff Olson Faces 13 Years In Jail For Writing Anti-Bank Messages In Chalk
Jeff Olson, a man who is being prosecuted for writing anti-bank messages on sidewalks in water-soluble chalk last year, is facing a 13-year jail sentence.
(Opposing Views)

Companies win U.S. free speech shield over scientific articles
Authors and publishers of controversial scientific articles, and the companies sponsoring those articles, won broad free speech protection from a U.S. appeals court on Wednesday.
(Reuters)

Sexual predator cries censorship over Jaycee Dugard memoir
Eight years ago, a New York journalist named Peter Braunstein, then 41, forced his way into the apartment of a 34-year-old Manhattan woman by pretending to be a firefighter. He proceeded to drug the woman, a former colleague, and sexually assault her for more than 12 hours.
(Los Angeles Times)

VIETNAM
In Vietnam, “Depraved” Blogging Could Get You Locked Up for a Decade
Vietnam is not a good place to be a blogger. At least, it’s not a good place to be a blogger if you actually want to write what’s on your mind.
(Motherboard)

Free expression in the news

19 Jun 13 | In the News

BRAZIL
Brazilian protests see 200,000 take to the streets
As many as 200,000 demonstrators marched through the streets of Brazil’s biggest cities on Monday in a swelling wave of protest tapping into widespread anger at poor public services, police violence and government corruption.
(Reuters)

CAMBODIA
As free expression groups meet in Phnom Penh, police target demonstrators
In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for theIFEX General Meeting and Strategy Conference 2013, Index Director of Campaigns and Policy Marek Marczynski reports back on a protest outside the Royal Palace
(Index on Censorship)

ECUADOR
Stop press!
HE WAS a media darling before his inauguration in 2007, but President Rafael Correa’s adversarial relationship with the press has counted among the defining characteristics of his six-year rule. On June 14th a legislature now dominated by his allies whisked through a bill to regulate the media. Gabriela Rivadeneira, the president of Congress, praised the reform for outlawing practices such as “lynching by media” (roughly, character assassination), and said that the new law would curb the press’s supposed habit of “vetoing and vexing citizens”. Many journalists fear it in fact spells censorship. (The Economist)

EGYPT
Egyptian rights lawyer sentenced to 5 years for defamation of religion
As many as 200,000 demonstrators marched through the streets of Brazil’s biggest cities on Monday in a swelling wave of protest tapping into widespread anger at poor public services, police violence and government corruption.
(IFEX)

Egypt takes steps towards addressing sexual harassment
A proposed bill in Egypt outlawing violence against women has now been proposed by the country’s National Council for Women. But is it a step forward in tackling the silence around sexual harassment in the country? Shahira Amin reports
(Index on Censorship)

JORDAN
The New Arab Censors
The Internet has proved to be a powerful tool for overcoming media restrictions and censorship worldwide. But new restrictions on Web-based news media, such as those in Jordan, threaten to reverse the progress that the Internet has enabled.
(Project Syndicate)

INDIA
India Media Buries Paid News Report
A major new report on the phenomenon of paid news in India’s media is, well, hardly making big news. The report, submitted to Parliament last month by the Standing Committee on Information Technology, is pretty racy stuff.
(Wall Street Journal)

‘Just’ artistes, not arsonists: Free speech vs state
The Social Network: We discuss the narrowing scope of free speech in India as filmmaker K P Sasi and 4 others get booked with ‘rioting’ for their peaceful anti-Capital punishment protests, and Kabir Kala Manch members languish in Pune jail branded as Naxalites even as a film based on them bags National Award. Filmmakers K P Sasi and Anand Patwardhan and lawyer Chinmayi Arun join us.
(NDTV)

IRAN
Adieu Ahmadinejad
The controversial Iranian president leaves office in August. Sara Yasin looks back at how he has restricted freedom of expression during his presidency
(Index on Censorship)

PHILIPPINES
Village captain sues Cebu blocktimer for libel
Radio blocktimer Oscar Pasaporte told CMFR last 14 June 2013 that Patupat barangay (village) captain Leonida Gabales filed a libel case against him after he allegedly accused her of using the barangay hall as her home. A blocktimer is an individual who buys “blocks” of TV or radio time which he then uses to air a program for which he solicits sponsors
(Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility)

SLOVAKIA
Coin bearing cross hits European Union hurdle
The National Bank of Slovakia announced that the European Commission (EC), the union’s executive arm, had ordered it to remove halos and crosses from special commemorative euro coins due to be minted this summer. (Times of India)

SOUTH AFRICA
Cruel, nasty attack
Certain aspects of democracy can sometimes be difficult to stomach. Take, for instance, free speech.
(The Citizen)

SRI LANKA
Media code threat to free speech
A new media code proposed by the Sri Lankan government contains overbroad and vague language that could have a severe and chilling effect on free speech, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today. (Colombo Gazette)

SUDAN
Censorship as a Human Rights Violation in Sudan
The Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Services, or NISS, confiscated over 10 major newspapers in Sudan in May of 2012, banned 13 journalists from operation, and identified several prohibited topics of discussion.
(Enough)

THAILAND
Thai Students Demand Freedom of Expression
In the face of a school system structured around discipline, obedience, and uniformity, students in Thailand are working to express themselves.
(Open Equal Free)

TUNISIA
Tunisia judiciary presses on with witch-hunt of artists and journalists
A Tunisian court on Monday charged two musicians and a journalist implicated in violence that erupted last week at the trial of a rapper who was controversially jailed for two years for insulting the police.
(Middle East Online)

Freedom Online Conference 2013
The third annual Freedom Online Conference is taking place in Tunis. Government and business representatives, civil society, academics and net activists are discussing how freedom of expression on the Internet is helping to promote social, cultural and economic development worldwide. Mike Harris collects the highlights
(Index on Censorship)

TURKEY
Turkey ‘too harsh’ on protesters, says Merkel
Angela Merkel has risked a diplomatic backlash from Turkey by condemning its response to opposition protests as a violation of human rights.
(The Irish Independent)

UNITED STATES
Port Clinton police practice censorship
When it comes to releasing public information state law prohibits public officials from picking and choosing which documents to release.
(Sandusky Register)

Texas Email Privacy Bill Signed Into Law
Texas Gov. Rick Perry gave the green light to an email privacy bill that will guard Texans from warrantless searches by state law enforcement officials.
(Courthouse News)

Indiana Intimidation Law Challenged on Free Speech Grounds
A state law against making intimidating speech will be receiving First Amendment scrutiny from the Indiana Supreme Court.
(Lawyers.com)

Gay Censors Attempt to Cleanse Google of App they Disagree With
LGBTQ pro-censorship activists have gathered 150,000 signatures to a petition demanding that Google remove from the free market an app which promotes a philosophy they disagree with. (Rockland County Times)

Google files free speech challenge to FISA gag orders, renews criticism of Guardian
Google has sued to shine more light on the secret court that approves controversial national security letters — the petition also represents part of the ongoing PR strategy of tech companies caught up in a surveillance scandal. (Gigaom)

ZIMBABWE
Journalist in Zimbabwe battling for life after being kidnapped, assaulted
Freelance journalist, Paul Pindani, is reportedly battling for life after he was abducted from his home and severely assaulted in Mashonaland West’s provincial capital of Chinhoyi on Friday, 14 June 2013.
(IFEX)

Free expression in the news

05 Jun 13 | In the News

INDEX REPORT
Taking the offensive – defending artistic freedom of expression in the UK

INDEX EVENTS
10 June: Caught in the web: how free are we online?
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.

22 June: Turkey vs the UK: what’s the score on free expression?
The Turkish Writers Football Club is coming to London to play the England Writers Team and the pressure is on. But it’s not just about sport. Index on Censorship is grabbing the chance to bring both sides together to debate the state of free expression in both countries.

CHINA
China’s government still mute on Tiananmen
On the 24th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests — when Chinese security forces carried out a violent crackdown on protesters occupying the legendary square in Beijing’s centre killing hundreds – Index on Censorship calls on the Chinese government to honour its constitutional commitment to free speech and to allow free access to information about the events. Sara Yasin writes (Index on Censorship)

CANADA
Defamation law applies to online slanders, too
Former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke’s defamation lawsuit against 18 online commentators who falsely claimed he had an extra-marital affair with, and even fathered a child by, Rogers Sportsnet reporter Hazel Mae, is a gutsy move. (Winnipeg Free Press)

GREECE
An open letter to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso
Index Award-winning Greek journalist Kostas Vaxevanis addresses an open letter to President Barroso. Vaxevanis is due to stand trial on 10 June for violating privacy laws in connection with the publication of the Lagarde list of alleged Greek tax evaders.(Index on Censorship)

INDIA
Indian broadcasters draw bans for stepping over obscenity lines
Recent decisions by India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have raised questions about the country’s approach to broadcasting regulation. Mahima Kaul reports. (Index on Censorship)

IRELAND
Indian broadcasters draw bans for stepping over obscenity lines
President Michael D Higgins has warned the International Federation of Journalists’ world congress meeting in Dublin that the risk of censorship can present itself in the form of “monopolies and oligarchy”. (Irish Times)

JORDAN
Jordan urged to end censorship of websites
Activists, journalists and the Muslim Brotherhood have criticised the decision. (Gulf News)

SINGAPORE
‘Free My Internet’ Movement Rises in Singapore
Singapore’s new licensing scheme for news websites announced by the Media Development Authority (MDA) was quickly denounced by many netizens as a censorship measure. (Global Voices)

TUNISIA
In Tunisia, a free speech tussle could land a professor in jail
Last year a Tunisian academic complained that a member of the constitutional drafting committee had watered down free speech protections in the document. (Christian Science Monitor)

TURKEY
Turkish protesters using encryption software to evade censors
Facebook and Twitter reported to have been blocked in run-up to protests, with people turning to VPNs to broadcast content (The Guardian)

UNITED STATES
U.S. Attorney Bill Killian greeted by hostile crowd at Manchester, Tenn., free speech event
U.S. Attorney Bill Killian was greeted with shouts of “traitor,” “serpent,” and calls to “resign” or “go home” Tuesday night at an event aimed at improving relations between local residents and their Muslim neighbors. (Times Free Press)

Free speech protester jailed for distributing flyer at court vows to fight
Mark Schmidter is a free man after spending 104 days in the Orange County Jail. He was convicted late last year of indirect criminal contempt by Chief Judge Belvin Perry for handing out flyers at the Orange County Courthouse in the months leading up to and during the Casey Anthony trial. He says his fight over free speech is not over. (Fox / WOGX.com)

Artist Accuses Pentagon of Censoring Christians
The artist whose inspirational painting was removed from an Air Force dining hall because it violated military standards is accusing the Pentagon of censoring Christian art. (Red State)

Verizon Says Net Neutrality Violates Free Speech and FCC has No Authority to Make Rules
The world is changing for operators of physical communications networks, and a host of regulatory issues are literally “on the docket.” And, while the intricacies of policy-making and legal maneuvering in Washington, D.C. tend to be an insiders’ game, some issues are so impactful on the future of how all of us receive and ultimately pay for services that they command attention. Such is the case with the issue of network neutrality, which goes to the heart of who controls the content that goes on a service providers’ network. (Tech Zone 360)

Balancing free speech and accountability
President Barack Obama promised to run the most “open” and “transparent” administration in history, but his administration has developed a reputation for investigating leaks far more aggressively than even the Bush administration. (World Magazine)

Free speech: The new kryptonite for regulators?
With a fight looming over the future of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, law professor Tim Wu offers an excellent analysis of one of the most significant legal trends to emerge as supposedly conservative jurists – including some on that key appeals court – have embraced a new avenue of judicial activism: allowing corporations to use the First Amendment as a shield against regulation. (Philly.com)

Free expression in the news

04 Jun 13 | In the News

INDEX REPORT
Taking the offensive – defending artistic freedom of expression in the UK

GLOBAL
UN report calls for freedom of expression in post-2015 development
Calling for a transformation in the approach to global development that includes a larger role for freedom of expression, the United Nations’ High Level Panel of Eminent Persons released its Post-2015 Development Agenda report, Milana Knezevic writes. (Index on Censorship)

BAHRAIN
Bahrain court jails three protesters
A Bahrain court on Monday jailed three protesters for up to 15 years on charges including attempting to kill a policeman and taking part in anti-government demonstrations, a lawyer said. (AhramOnline)

CANADA
CJFE disturbed by arrest of Toronto Star reporter
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) is concerned about the arrest and treatment of Toronto Star journalist Alex Consiglio, charged with trespassing for taking photos on June 2 of an injured GO Transit officer at Union Station in Toronto. (Press Release)

CHINA
7 things you can’t talk about in China
They’re like George Carlin’s seven dirty words, except it’s not the FCC who’s banning them, but the Communist Party of China. (Global Post)

JORDAN
Jordan blocks over 200 ‘unlicensed’ websites
The Jordanian government began blocking over 200 websites on Sunday for failing to obtain licenses under a strict set of new guidelines, Ruth Michaelson reports. (Index on Censorship)

MALAYSIA
‘Tanda Putera’: Let the public decide, say legal activists
Show the movie Tanda Putera and let the public decide – as to do otherwise would amount to stifling freedom of speech, say legal activists. (The Sun)

MIDDLE EAST
Freedom of Expression: The Second Arab Battle
Syria and the uprisings in Bahrain and other countries represent one of the two important battles underway in the Arab world, whose outcomes will largely determine the future shape of Arab political systems. The second battle is not about who rules in a country, but rather about the right of a citizen to express him or herself. (Cairo Review of Global Affairs)

RUSSIA
Shutting down Russia’s LGBT community
Elena Vlasenko reports on the continuing official campaign against lesbians and gays. (Index on Censorship)

SINGAPORE
Singapore’s new website licensing seen as censorship
The Government in Singapore has introduced new rules meaning popular news websites have to apply for a licence if they want to keep operating. (ABC/Radio Australia)

TAIWAN
Taiwan backs off plan to block sites violating copyright laws
Taiwan’s authorities in charge of intellectual property protection have decided to give up a plan to block overseas Internet services that violate copyright laws amid opposition to the plan from free-speech advocates.
(Focus Taiwan)

TURKEY
Turkey losing its way on free speech
The protests erupting across Turkey have shown a wider audience – domestic and international – the increasingly problematic nature of Turkish democracy, and its growing authoritarian tendencies. Index on Censorship CEO Kirsty Hughes writes (Index on Censorship)

“There is now a menace called Twitter”
Against a backdrop of unrest that started in an Istanbul park last week and has spread throughout the country, Ece Temelkuran asks why the Turkish government is afraid of the internet (Index on Censorship)

Turkey protests: Union to start two-day strike
One of Turkey’s big trade union groups is staging a two-day strike to support continuing anti-government protests in a number of cities. (BBC News)

UKRAINE
Ukraine holds first gay pride parade amidst intolerance and suppression
Ukraine successfully held the country’s first ever gay pride parade, but the level of intimidation faced by the LGBT community is growing. Andrew Connelly reports from Kiev (Index on Censorship)

UNITED STATES
AFDI to Protest Justice Department’s Attempt to Criminalize Criticism of Islam
The human rights organization American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) is holding a demonstration for free speech in Tennessee, at the site of a Justice Department initiative advising the application of civil rights laws to shut down criticism of Islam. (Press Release)

Christian Group Believes Atheists Have Right to Post Monument at Fla. Courthouse
A member of a Christian organization that posted a Decalogue outside a Florida courthouse said an atheist group posting a monument in the same location has the right to do so. (The Christian Post)

Terminated employee’s free speech case appealed to U.S. Supreme Court
An attorney monitoring a First Amendment case from Ohio being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court says it could set a precedent for religious freedom in the United States.
(One News Now)

The United States vs. Freedom of Speech
The criminalization of journalists in the United States is not a new occurrence, but the overt and veiled threats to reporters and their sources is becoming less of a rarity. (Huffington Post)

Pitching a Tent Is Free Speech, Says ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio has filed a lawsuit against the City of Columbus on behalf of the local Occupy Wall Street group. The complaint, filed on May 30 in U.S. District Court, claimed that placing a tent or other structure that “is not easily movable” in a public space qualifies as free speech protected by the First Amendment and the state constitution.
(National Review)

U.S. Attorney says Muslim tolerance event will discuss free speech rights
An event federal prosecutors and the FBI are planning Tuesday to discuss the enforcement of civil rights laws to protect Muslims will also focus on what kinds of speech are guaranteed by the First Amendment, U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said in a statement Monday.
(Politico)

The Distasteful Side of Social Media Puts Advertisers on Their Guard
As social media sites pursue advertising in a bid for new revenue, they are finding that they must simultaneously create a safe space for the advertisers they attract.
(The New York Times)

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