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.

Mahmoud Dowlatabdi's novel The Colonel was just published in the U.S. but does not yet exist in an authorized Persian-language version. Photo: H.P. Schaefer

Below are links to relevant stories from June 27 to July 4, 2012

‘The Colonel’ by Iranian Writer Mahmoud Dowlatabadi

The New York Times “This has to be an established norm or practice in our country: that people who have different opinions can rationally disagree. It shouldn’t be that I want to kill you, I want to confront you or I want to leave.” Read Here

Film Reportero Features Tenacious Mexican Magazine

Committee to Protect Journalists “The Mexican state is not guaranteeing journalists’ right to practice their profession…” Read Here

The Syrian Electronic Army, Al Jazeera, and the Online War for Syria

Mashable.com Supporters of Syria President Bashar Hafez al-Assad hacked a popular official Twitter account of Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera. Read Here

Index on Censorship The front lines of Syria’s information war. Read Here

Q & A with journalist behind the lines in Syria

MSNBC “One interesting aspect of this is that the U.N. has now stopped giving casualty figures, it has kind of been stuck for quite a long time at around 10,000. Well, it is way way over that.” Read Here

Lebanon Artists Confront Rise in Censorship

The New York Times “Nothing works in this country except the censorship bureau.” Read Here

The trailer for MAMNOU3! a Lebanese mock-umentary web-series about the day-to-day inner workings of the country’s censorship bureau.

Turkey: Index Award Winner Faces Jail

Index on Censorship Musician Ferhat Tunç has been convicted of propagandising outlawed Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) and sentenced to two years in prison. Read Here

China Blocks Bloomberg’s Site and New York Times’ Twitter

Guardian “China appears to have blocked access to the Bloomberg website after it detailed the multimillion-dollar assets of relatives of the man expected to become president.” Read Here

China Digital Times The New York Times’ Chinese-language venture, launched this Wednesday on Sina Wiebo, was shut down hours after its launch. Read Here

Sudan Journalists Rally Against Restrictions

Al Jazeera “Journalists and press freedom advocates said there had been a worsening government attack against critical voices over the past year, with journalists banned from writing, newspapers confiscated after printing, and some ordered to suspend publication.” Read Here



Journalists in South Sudan Facing Harassment—Report

All Africa “A US Department of States report on the human rights situation in South Sudan recently accused the government on failing to respect freedom of speech and the press, as provided for by the country’s transitional constitution.” Read Here

In Fiji a Detour on the road to Democracy

The New York Times “Censors may no longer stalk newsrooms to vet stories before they are published, but editors still risk heavy fines and prison terms if what they publish is deemed objectionable.” Read Here