· July, 2013

Stories about Freedom of Speech from July, 2013

Germany: Demonstrations Against Surveillance

  29 July 2013

#stopwatchingus was the motto of demonstrations that took place last Saturday in Germany. The participants were protesting against surveillance by the secret services and government inaction.

Bangladeshi Blogger Writes About Prison Experience

  28 July 2013

Bangladeshi Blogger and activist Asif Mohiuddin, the winner of the best social activism blog from the Deutsche Welle Best Of Blogs Awards 2012, was arrested last April on charges of “hurting religious sentiment of Muslims through writing”. He has been released under bail and is now writing about his experiences...

Taiwan: Flash Protests Against Land Expropriation

  28 July 2013

The dispute over land expropriation in Miaoli County has lit a fire for a series of flash protests targeting the President and the Premier for their indifference to citizens’ suffering. Several policemen from a “special district branch” were reported to check protesters’ I.D. and take away those who refused to...

South Korea: Over 25 Thousands Protested Against the Secret Agency Scandal

  28 July 2013

Mass protests against the state secret agency's electioneering scandal thundered across South Korea over the weekend. More than 25 thousand Koreans (Police estimated little below 8000 people) allegedly have attended a candlelight vigil in Seoul and dramatic photos and a video clip of the protest have been shared in major online venues.

Ethnic Slurs Haunt Alexey Navalny

Alexey Navalny came under harsh criticism from Russian opposition movement colleagues just days after he was released from Kirov jail, and as soon as it became clear that he would continue to run for mayor of Moscow throughout the appeals process for his 5-year long prison sentence.

Petition to Amend Vietnam Laws that Restrict Media Freedom

  24 July 2013

More than 60 Vietnamese bloggers signed a unity statement urging the Vietnam government to improve its human rights record and commitment as it vies for membership in the UN Human Rights Council: The Vietnamese government also needs to review the human rights situation in their own country and the Vietnamese...

How Vietnam Controls the Press

  21 July 2013

Asia Sentinel publishes an article written by Pham Doan Trang about the situation of journalists in Vietnam: The press card system is a sophisticated method of controlling reporters. No card, no access. Without a press card, reporters can't hope to meet high-ranking officials, visit contacts at public offices or cover...

China: Crackdown on Citizen Movement Activists

  19 July 2013

Chinese Human Rights Defenders has an update on the arrest of citizens and activists in China. The latest detainee is prominent activist Xu Zhiyong, who is considered a moderate reformer. 25 individuals have been confirmed criminally detained since February for publicly appealing for an end to official corruption and for...