Human Rights
Internet Opens Russia for Democracy Movement
Russia’s protest movement grew and got organized with speed that startled many in the political establishment. Russia’s uncensored Internet allows people to communicate, coordinate and raise money for rallies, all through their computers. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is running for president in elections March 4. His campaign website photos show him skiing, skating and fighting [...]
Internet Censorship: The Wiki Blackout, One Day Later
Just What, If Anything, Did Wednesday’s Protest Achieve? Not content to leave the battle un-joined, the hacker group Anonymous stepped into the SOPA fray Thursday evening by launching a massive denial of service attack on several SOPA supporters, including Universal Music, the RIAA and MPAA. Also targeted was the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. [...]
Internet Censorship: Copyright Enforcement Vs. Censorship — Impact Of ‘Megaupload’ Case
Joss Wright, a researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, speaks to RFE/RL correspondent Ron Synovitz about the possible impact of the Megaupload copyright case on Internet freedoms around the world. RFE/RL: The U.S. government shut down the file-sharing websites of Megaupload on grounds of copyright infringement [...]
Human Rights: U.S. Accused of Abusing Afghan Prisoners
A commission set up by Afghan President Hamid Karzai is making serious accusations against a U.S.-run prison. In a report released to the media Saturday, the commission accused the United States of abusing and torturing Afghans held at a prison neat Bagram air base, north of the capital of Kabul. The report contains few details [...]
Human Rights: Tunisia Tense Ahead of Revolution Anniversary
An elderly man is in serious condition after setting himself on fire in southern Tunisia this week – in an apparent attempt to draw attention to the dire economic situation in the North African country. The act speaks to simmering tensions days ahead of the one year anniversary of Tunisia’s revolution that launched the so-called [...]
Censorship: 2011 in Review – Internet Freedom in the Wake of the Arab Spring
| By Jillian C. York | Sourced from EFF.org (Creative Commons License) | As the year draws to a close, EFF is looking back at the major trends influencing digital rights in 2011 and discussing where we are in the fight for a free expression, innovation, fair use, and privacy. For several years, discussions about global Internet [...]
Political Censorship: Britain to Maintain Sanctions Until Burma Frees Political Prisoners
British Foreign Secretary William Hague, on a visit to Burma, says European Union economic sanctions will not change until authorities release all political prisoners. The top British diplomat made the comments after holding separate meetings with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s military-backed leaders. Hague held talks Friday morning with Burma’s opposition and [...]
Human Rights: Prosecution Demands Death Penalty for Egypt’s Mubarak
Prosecutors in the trial of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak say they will seek the death penalty for him and at least five security officials. Mubarak faces a variety of charges over corruption and involvement in the deaths of hundreds of anti-government protesters during last year’s uprising that forced him from power. The former [...]
Burma Celebrates Independence Amid Criticism
Burma is marking the 64th anniversary of its independence from Britain Wednesday, amid criticism that the government’s recent clemency program is not doing enough for political prisoners. President Thein Sein, in a statement commemorating independence day, praised the military’s role in bringing about the recent democratic reforms. He said Burma is “marching towards a democratic [...]
Free Speech: Nigerians Protest End to Fuel Subsidy
Protesters in Nigeria marched against a government decision to end a popular consumer fuel subsidy, which has sent prices soaring in the oil-rich nation. Demonstrators in Lagos Tuesday chanted as they carried banners and signs critical of President Goodluck Jonathan. Some protesters went to gas stations to disrupt business. Jonathan has said ending the $7.5 [...]
Media Censorship: Vietnam Writer, Priest Handed Jail Sentences
A court in central Vietnam sentenced a female writer to five years in prison and ordered an activist priest jailed for two years for “activities undermining the state,” official media said Friday. Ho Thi Bich Khuong, 44, was handed three years under house arrest in addition to her five-year sentence, while Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, [...]
Internet Censorship: China Clamps Down on Microblogs
New microblog rules requiring account holders to use their real names are being rolled out in two other major Chinese cities following the first clampdown on Twitter-like services in Beijing earlier this month. Seven major websites in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, in the southern province of Guangdong, began on Thursday to ask new users to register [...]
