Stories about Freedom of Speech
Turkey heads to the polls for local elections
All eyes are on the CHP's Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been in office for five years and AKP's Murat Kurum, the former Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.
Under threat: The life of Karakalpak activists in Kazakhstan
The latest activist arrested in Kazakhstan at the request of Uzbekistan is human rights activist and informal leader of the Karakalpak diaspora Akylbek Muratov.
Deepfakes and the risks from the growing use of video fraud
" ... [T]he truth is on the edge of "death" because, with the increase of deepfakes in circulation, it will be more and more difficult to understand what the truth is."
Women march for Palestine and against patriarchy in Pakistan
Women in Pakistan's major cities, such as Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Multan, rallied on International Women’s Day, demanding gender equality, justice, and safety, challenging patriarchal norms for the seventh consecutive year.
Lotteries, dressed-up figures, and other peculiar entertainment at the Putin's sham elections
Current regime needs people to come to the polls in order to show the regime's legitimacy inside the country. Authorities find ways of 'entertainment' that would attract people to vote.
Chad: The media environment fails to protect journalists
With less than two months to go before the presidential elections in Chad on May 6, 2024, death threats continue to loom over local journalists.
US-funded news outlet Radio Free Asia to withdraw from Hong Kong
US funded-news outlet Radio Free Asia (RFA), which had been accused of being “anti-China” by Beijing-backed newspapers, is set to withdraw from Hong Kong.
Independent media wage losing battle against censorship in Azerbaijan
Since 2017, independent and opposition online news outlets have faced censorship via blocking on spurious grounds.
A decade of digital repression and resistance in Southeast Asia
Global Voices Southeast Asia editor Mong Palatino highlights the major trends, challenges, and prospects of upholding freedom of expression in the region
Another wave of blasphemy in Pakistan
Blasphemy allegations in Pakistan resurfaced, prompting a smear campaign against the Chief. He faced criticism for ordering the release of a minority Ahmadiyya man accused in a blasphemy case.
New song titled ‘Mom has a Secret’ features mothers from Russia who are anti-war activists
All of the women featured in the video for the song, as well as Monetochka herself, are mothers but also high profile activists who oppose the war and the regime.
Turkey's Erdoğan Silences Critics with “FETO” Terrorist Label
To date, tens of thousands of Turkish citizens have been accused of being FETO members, resulting in the loss of their jobs, possessions, livelihoods, and in many cases, their freedom.
Little Suad received a letter from her father detained in Azerbaijan
Hasanli was sentenced on November 21, 2023, to four months’ pre-trial detention on a charge of “smuggling foreign currency.” If convicted he is facing a possible eight-year prison sentence.
An overview of the media landscape in Tanzania
Reporters Without Borders notes that many media outlets are either owned by politicians or influenced by them, compromising editorial independence and leading to biased coverage.
‘Am Abgrund’: The story of Azerbaijan's influence in Europe
The movie, which exposes corruption both within Azerbaijan and in numerous European countries, comes at a time of deteriorating ties between Azerbaijan and the West.
Senegal: The seeds of an institutional coup
By unilaterally and without any legal basis ending the electoral process three weeks early, Macky Sall has plunged Senegal into an unprecedented institutional crisis
Hong Kong: Annual prophesy says ‘all efforts will be in vain’ this year of the Dragon
Some prophecy interpreters refrained from presenting their readings to the public out of fear that negative comments on Hong Kong may cause trouble.
Why journalists are worried about the five new offences proposed in Hong Kong’s domestic national security law
Foreign public broadcasters and media organizations that receive direct or indirect governmental funding, their employees and other collaborating third parties, may be classified as "external forces."
The untold stories of transgender people in Bangladesh as they navigate misconceptions
“How would you feel If you were wrapped in an air-tight box? I have been feeling suffocated the exact way throughout my life ..."
Silenced voices: The X and VPN ban after Pakistan’s elections
During the political uncertainty following the elections, the voices of Pakistani citizens have been stifled through Twitter and VPN bans.
A veteran Hong Kong journalist’s choice to coexist with censorship
"My only belief is that it is better to have one more voice than one less and that having one more reporter is better than one less."