Freedom of Speech Roundup

In the weekly Freedom of Speech Roundup, Sampsonia Way presents some of the week’s top news on freedom of expression, journalists in danger, artists in exile, and banned literature.

Zainab Alkhawaja, Bahraini activist and daughter of human rights activist Abdulahadi al-Khawaja, has been in prison since August for tearing up a photo of Bahrain's king, taking part in an illegal demonstration, and entering a prohibited area. Photo: Conor McCabe, 2011.

Zanib Alkhawaja: Bahraini Twitter Activist and One-Woman Protester

IndexUNCUT. November 23 was the International Day to End Impunity; as part of their recognition of journalists and activist affected by impunity in their countries of operation, Index on Censorship presents a profile of 28 year-old Bahraini activist Zanib Alkhawaja, who has been imprisoned and harassed multiple times in the past two years. Read here.

The Legacy of Murderous Regimes

New York Review of Books. Hor Nam Hong, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Cambodia speaks about the lasting effects of the Khmer Rouge and the country’s social, political, and historical recovery process. Read here.

India: Comment is not Free

The Hindu. A slideshow highlighting litigation taken against cartoons, investigation of government corruption, and comments on social media in India, where making a “comment is not free.” See here.

Watch: Julian Assange on Wikileaks, Bradley Manning, Cypherpunks, and the Surveillance State

Democracy Now. In this exclusive video interview Julian Assange speaks to Democracy Now! from inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he has been holed up for nearly six months. Read the transcript here.

China: A Literary Genre with “Chinese Characteristics” ; State Meddling Stifles Film Industry

Words Without Borders. Chinese nonfiction writers are incorporating literary elements into journalistic works, and claiming their writings are pure fiction. In this way, they can skirt government censorship and get sensitive works published. Read here.

New York Times. In this week’s “Letter from China” Didi Kirsten Tatlow explains the financial impact that censorship and government intervention have had on the Chinese film industry, and how such regulations have stifled filmmakers’ creativity. Read here.

Leveson Urges New Independent Regulator for UK Press

CNN. In light of Rupert Murdoch’s recent wire tapping scandal, British Judge Brian Levinson suggested that the media industry set up a private press regulator. This regulator would be backed by legislation from the British parliament so that it meet standards that ensure independence and effectiveness. Read here.

Myanmar Author Explores New Literary Freedom

AFP. As Myanmar’s censors loosen their grip, acclaimed author Nu Nu Yi plans to republish her novel about two gay lovers next year, restoring sex-laced passages once deemed too risque for readers. Read here.

Anti-Censorship Manifesto

Huffington Post. In a new move to fight censorship around the world Reporters Without Borders has developed a new website, WeFightCensorship, for posting content that has been censored, banned, or has given rise to reprisals against the content creator. Read here.