Global Voices · Citizen media stories from 2012 January 22

22 January 2012

Daily archive · 3 posts

Stories from 22 January 2012

Tunisia: ”Do Not Censor Pornographic Content”

Written by Afef Abrougui · Middle East & North Africa

In early February, the Tunisian Internet Agency will appeal to the Court of Cassation's verdict issued in May 2011 by a court in Tunis ordering the agency to block access to pornographic content on the web. For Tunisian netizens, and free speech activists, this kind of censorship is not a solution, but rather a threat to freedom of speech.

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Yemen: Saleh Gets Impunity After All

Written by Noon Arabia · Middle East & North Africa

Yemen's parliament has endorsed the law granting outgoing Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh total immunity from any crimes committed during his rule, including the killing of protesters since the beginning of the popular uprising against his regime in February. Netizens react to the news.

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Poland: Netizens Protest Government's Plan to Sign ACTA Next Week

Written by Kasia Odrozek · Eastern & Central Europe

With the world still talking about the aftermath of the SOPA/PIPA Blackout Day, Polish netizens are confronted with another backstabbing development in the fight for free Internet. Katarzyna Odrozek reports.

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Updates from 22 January 2012

Bhutan

Tshering Tobgay engages in a debate whether state funding for political parties is legal in Bhutan.

• Rezwan

Pakistan

Saira Ahmad condemns sectarian Jiyalas’ hate speech against Ahmadiyya Muslims. The blogger thinks it was a major crime of the PPP as well as other parties in Pakistan’s parliament in 1974 to declare Ahmadis as non-Muslims.

• Rezwan

Sri Lanka

The introduction of metered taxi in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo has made the lives of many commuters easy. Sayanthan has already become a fan of these taxis.

• Rezwan

Iran

Iranian police close down shops selling Barbie dolls in Tehran. Sabzgosh says” Iranian police has banned selling Barbies dolls.For Iran's police Barbie dolls are considered as an instrument in the Western soft war against Islamic Republic.”

• Fred Petrossian

Human Rights

While Tehran is experiencing snow and severe cold weather, there are serious concerns over prisoners' safety in the major prison, Evin. Saeid Pourheydar, former prisoner, writes [fa]: “The only heating system in solitary confinement cells at [Theran's prion] Evin's ward 240 is a warm water pipe. Now the prison has been out of gasoline for past couple of days. That's cold there.”

• Hadi Nili

International Relations

Press TV, the Iranian state-run English-language TV, lost the license in UK due to what Ofcom says “breaching the Communications Act”. Maziar Nazemi, a presenter at Iran state-run TV believes [fa]: “It is obvious that every media is fulfilling the goals of its sponsors. So Ofcom's decision is a political one”. On the other hand, Mizan Ghalam supports UK decisions and considers[fa] “justice is done”.

• Hadi Nili

Togo

Ayetan Charles wrote [fr]: “Beyond the formal proceedings, the public and the private hearings on the Commission on Truth, Justice and Reconciliation (CVJR), it is once again possible for the population to listen to other revelations about the political violence that the country experienced from 1958 to 1960. “

• Abdoulaye Bah

Brazil

Solidariedade Pinheirinho [pt] recounts the surprise with which the Pinheirinho occupation, in Sao Jose dos Campos near Sao Paulo, was surprised this morning: ”Pinheirinho is being evacuated in a violent and ostentatious way by the Military Police despite the court ruling to the contrary! THE ACTION IS ILLEGAL! [There are] Helicopters, bombs, shootings rubber, everything imaginable. ”

• Paula Góes