Filtrar por categoría 'Politics' que contengan 269 posts

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					What is ‘dehumanising’ speech?
				
Eric Heinze provocatively argues that no-platformers need to look into the mirror and examine their own blind spots. 

					The Pnyx and the Agora
				
Designers need to pay attention to the architecture of theatres as possible political spaces, argues Richard Sennett.

					Are you sitting comfortably? How safe spaces became dangerous
				
We must distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate safe spaces, argues Eric Heinze.

					The UK can show the way on platform regulation. But not by treating Facebook and Google as publishers
				
Mark Bunting argues that the tech giants should accept ‘procedural accountability’.

					The left’s version of hate speech: guilt by association
				
Leftists who argue for hate speech bans ignore the far left’s own version, argues Eric Heinze.

					Russia: ‘The Church has an enemy in every home.’ It’s television.
				
Helen Haft explains how the Orthodox Church has eroded freedom of the media and lobbied for the 2013 law against offending religious feelings.

					The internet alone will not set Africa free
				
Iginio Gagliardone explores the surprising technopolitics of two competing visions of the internet, US and Chinese, in Ethiopia.

					Should I go to that conference in Hungary?
				
Boycotts betray free enquiry, but Viktor Orbán’s moves against the Central European University at least make them worth debating, says Eric Heinze

					Barack Obama, John Kerry, and the Palestine saga
				
Avi Shlaim explores whether there was anything Obama could have done to salvage his reputation in the remaining weeks of his lame-duck presidency.

					Antizionism and antisemitism in British politics
				
Avi Shlaim explores the quality of debate within British politics of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and argues that an anti-racist movement has been portrayed as a racist one.

					Should Indian politicians be allowed to appeal to voters based on their religion, race, and caste?
				
Udit Bhatia discusses a landmark ruling concerning the conduct of elections and its potential to stifle democratic debate.

					Can you teach people how to disagree without being disagreeable?
				
Tony Koutsoumbos explores the lessons from his own experiences in building an environment of robust and strong public debate.

					Six monarchs, 140 dissidents, one rule: Keep your mouth shut
				
Nicholas McGeehan explores restrictions on free speech and protest in the Arab Gulf states and the foreign policy responsibilities of Western governments.

					Between Islamists and secularists: debating free speech in the Arab world
				
Sara Khorshid reports from a panel discussion that brought together former hate preachers, feminists and ordinary Arab youth to debate the limits of free speech in the new Middle East.

					Hyperreality beats free speech in Turkey
				
Kerem Öktem describes the dramatic deterioration of Turkey’s media landscape after the attempted coup of July 2016.

					Noam Chomsky: Does America have uncensored, diverse, and trustworthy media?
				
Noam Chomsky talks about Edward Snowden, laws regulating historical memory, no-platforming, internet echo chambers and the lack of diversity in the American media.

					A Turkish newspaper is shut down, condolences accepted
				
Ezgi Basaran cries out at the forced end of Radikal, the Turkish newspaper she used to edit.

					Citizens United: how the US Supreme Court struck down limits on corporate electioneering on the grounds of free speech
				
Max Harris analyses the case and the applicability of US First Amendment rights to corporations.

					Shirin Ebadi on the fight for free speech and human rights in Iran
				
A transcript of our conversation with Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, who spoke to Free Speech Debate about her book ‘Until We Are Free’.

					Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi: How has free speech changed in Iran?
				
Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi talks to Free Speech Debate about her book Until We Are Free and the state of free speech and human rights activism in Iran.

					When is speech dangerous?
				
Jonathan Leader Maynard examines the difficulties in assessing and managing the role of speech in violence.

					The rise and fall of free speech under Turkey’s Islamists
				
Looking at the long sweep of the AKP’s rule, Kerem Öktem shows how the window of free speech in Turkey has closed.

					Self-censorship in Israeli society, or: what can and cannot be said about Gaza
				
Maja Sojref examines the subordination of free speech to politics and security in Israeli society.

					‘Lee Kuan Yew is Finally Dead!’ blogger prosecuted
				
Julian Simmons examines a Singaporean’s expletive-laden video on the recently deceased leader and his conviction for wounding religious feelings.

					The rise of the left and the fall of free speech in Latin America
				
Maryhen Jiménez Morales explores how leftist political leaders in Latin America have limited free speech in their countries through populist discourse and political propaganda. 

					Del tabú al agravio: la libertad de expresión y la «ley anti-boicot» de Israel
				
Maja Sojref examina cómo una ley de prevención de daños al Estado de Israel expone la tensión entre la libertad de expresión y la seguridad nacional.

					The battle for balance on Ireland’s airwaves
				
Declan Johnston explores whether regulatory requirements for Ireland’s broadcasters worked well in its referendum on same-sex marriage.

					What do artists say about freedom of expression in the arts?
				
Tore Slaatta investigates Norwegian artists’ views on their freedom of expression in contemporary society.

					John Naughton: Are private superpowers a threat to free speech?
				
John Naughton discusses the state of the internet, net neutrality and private companies.

					Silencing India’s daughters
				
Vanya Bhargav explains the battle behind the Indian government’s ban on a BBC documentary about a notorious gang rape.

					What is it like to be a satirical cartoonist in Malaysia?
				
Malaysian cartoonist Zunar talks about what it means to be a satirical cartoonist in Malaysia.

					How a Weibo post gets censored
				
Jason Q Ng traces the path of a censored Weibo post and tracks keywords that trigger automatic review.

					Sin pista alguna en Gaza: los medios occidentales y el conflicto árabe-israelí
				
John Lloyd explora la historia y debilidades de la cobertura de los medios occidentales y sugiere una manera en que la misma puede mejorarse.

					A new initiative to defend free speech in India
				
Hartosh Bal explains the role of the new Freedom Trust in the context of India’s media environment, and how they hope to defend freedom of expression.

					National Security: Sample our intellectual buffet. Or make your own meal.
				
Timothy Garton Ash introduces a sample tour of the content on our site. 

					Religion: Sample our intellectual buffet. Or make your own meal.
				
Timothy Garton Ash introduces a sample tour of the content on our site. 

					Salman Rushdie: What have been the most important changes to free speech in the last 25 years?
				
25 years after the fatwa and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Salman Rushdie discusses with Timothy Garton Ash whether there is now more or less freedom of expression in Europe, worrying developments in India and his critical view of Edward Snowden. 

					Should Europe introduce a right to blasphemy?
				
Alain Bouldoires talks to Timothy Garton Ash about the survival of blasphemy laws in Europe, and calls for a ‘right to blaspheme’.

					Vote for Hong Kong – on the streets and online
				
In 2014, the citizens of Hong Kong staged an unofficial civil referendum in protest against the Beijing authorities’ attempts to undermine its independence. As Rebecca Wong reports, the majority of the votes were cast via a voting app on mobile phones.

					Represión importada en el Medio Oriente
				
Un documento filtrado en junio del 2014 del ministerio del interior de Egipto invitaba a licitaciones de tecnología de ciber-vigilancia para combatir la blasfemia, el sarcasmo y la ‘falta de moralidad’ – La tecnología probablemente provendría de occidente. Max Gallien reporta.

					EU versus intellectual freedom?
				
In a bid to synchronise hate crimes, the EU is seeking unity amongst members states against the denial of historical injustices. Is this the EU versus member states’ appreciation of intellectual freedom? Luigi Cajani explains.

					Egypt: the show is over
				
Bassem Youssef and the Egyptian struggle for freedom of speech.

					How an attempt at ‘libel tourism’ rebounded on a Tanzanian tycoon
				
A British citizen blogged about a Tanzanian media magnate involved in throwing her and her husband off their Tanzanian farm. He sued for libel in a British court. Dominic Burbidge explains.

					The world through the eyes of Russian state television
				
Robert Coalson looks at how Russian television depicts everything from the crisis in Ukraine to the war in Syria.

					The long struggle to bury speech crimes in the English-speaking world
				
Anthony Lester and Zoe McCallum look at how the ghost of the English Court of the Star Chamber has been used to suppress free speech. 

					Hong Kong: two systems, one country?
				
Samson Yuen and Kitty Ho argue that the stabbing of a former Hong Kong news editor is a symptom of a broader squeeze on the city’s freedoms.

					Nineteen arguments for hate speech bans – and against them
				
Free speech scholar Eric Heinze identifies the main arguments for laws restricting hate speech and says none are valid for mature Western democracies.  

					Regulating hate speech: lessons for Asia
				
Cherian George on how hate speech is gaining virulence in Asian countries such as Myanmar, and how peace-building workshops represent a positive step forward.  

					The way Xi moves: free speech under assault in China
				
Shi Yige examines different approaches to censorship in China, and argues that while internet controls might avail the leadership in the short term, they are unsustainable.

					Homage to Catalan
				
Timothy Garton Ash introduces a translation of our ten principles into Catalan and a reflection on having Catalan as your native language. 

					The importance of speaking Catalan
				
Pere Vilanova reflects on his personal experience of learning his ‘native’ tongue – as a third language.

					From incitement to self-censorship: the media in the Kenyan elections of 2007 and 2013
				
Katherine Bruce-Lockhart looks at the media’s role in two Kenyan elections and argues that peace and critical media coverage should not be mutually exclusive. 

					Germans are not especially concerned about privacy and sovereignty
				
Nazi past? Stasi past? Sebastian Huempfer challenges the conventional explanations for Germany’s strong reaction to Edward Snowden’s revelations about NSA snooping.

					Who is threatening free speech in post-revolutionary Tunisia?
				
Middle East specialist Rory McCarthy examines the role of Islamist movement Ennahdha in shaping, and constraining, freedom of speech in Tunisia after the Arab Spring. 

					El uso de la retórica de la libertad de prensa para hacer fracasar a la libertad de expresión
				
Martin Moore, director de Media Standards Trust, alega que la prensa británica le ha negado al público británico un debate apropiado sobre la regulación de la prensa.

					What does George Orwell mean to people in Burma?
				
At  the 2013 Irrawaddy Literary Festival, Burmese writers including Pascal Khoo Thwe and blogpoet Pandora talk about George Orwell in the country where he was once an imperial policeman.

					Internet access in the age of the surveillance state
				
Oxford University’s Ian Brown asks what Europe can do to protect our digital rights and privacy. 

					Why the US needs more open debate about its failures on race
				
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington must be the beginning of the discussion of race, not the end. Bassam Gergi discusses why the depoliticisation of race in the US is problematic and only open debate can lead to progress.

					¿Es Facebook sólo la nueva cámara de comercio y Twitter el nuevo telégrafo?
				
El teórico político Rob Reich discute qué adaptaciones necesitamos a medida que la libertad de expresión y de asociación se mueve rápidamente del mundo desconectado al mundo conectado. 

					Why ramp up internet surveillance in Nigeria?
				
The Nigerian government is rumoured to have sealed a $40m dollar contract for internet surveillance technology. There is no clear justification for this “secret” deal, and no assurance that the technology would be used fairly, given Nigeria’s lack of established rights for citizen privacy. By Nwachukwu Egbunike and Dominic Burbidge.

					Why did the famous Indian painter M.F Husain feel he had to leave India?
				
Shruti Kapila, Patrick French and Faisal Devji discuss freedom of expression and the arts in India.

					Vladimi Pozner: Why Russia does not have a concept of free speech
				
Famous Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner says he thinks Russia really has no concept of free speech. Oh, but there’s one place where you do have complete freedom of expression.

					Why Turkey’s mainstream media preferred penguins to protest
				
Kerem Oktem, in Istanbul, reflects on the pernicious influence of the government and business interests on Turkish broadcasters.

					Cuando quedarse callado es hablar
				
Stephen Meili compara el tratamiento que reciben las personas que se niegan a declarar su lealtad política en el Reino Unido y en Estados Unidos.

					When and where should extremists be allowed to march?
				
Protests held by far right groups in ethnically diverse areas are provocation, but banning them can have undesired effects. Josh Black looks at a ban on the English Defence League in East London.

					The ‘Brandenburg test’ for incitement to violence
				
In 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court made history by ruling that, to merit conviction, the violence advocated must be intended, likely and imminent. By Jeff Howard.

					¿Cuándo se hace peligroso el discurso de incitación al odio? Tome en cuenta a Kenia y Ruanda
				
El venidero juicio contra el locutor Joshua Arap Sang plantea importantes interrogantes sobre las conexiones entre las palabras y la violencia, alega Katherine Bruce-Lockhart.

					The three George Orwells and the three Burmas
				
Timothy Garton Ash delivers the Orwell Lecture at an unprecedented literary festival in Rangoon. He talks about three Orwells and three Burmas.

					¿Birmania retrocede hacia los tiempos de la censura?
				
A pesar de sus argumentos a favor de la libertad de prensa, el gobierno ha creado una sorpresiva iniciativa que contiene provisiones muy opresivas y que vulneran al Consejo de Prensa que creó con anterioridad, escribe Ellen Wiles.

					How has the internet changed the relationship between the writer and the state?
				
The relationship between writers and the state is complex, multifaceted and changing. At the Jaipur Literature Festival 2013 a panel of experts explores some of the issues faced by writers around the world.

					La filosofía de expresión pública en China: ¿un caso de poca teoría?
				
La postura del gobierno chino sobre la libertad de expresión está orientada por una compleja pero inteligente filosofía. Rogier Creemers hace un diagnóstico de lo que está en juego. 

					“If you rattle a snake…” The Kenyan government bites its media
				
 In 2006 the Kenyan police violently raided the offices and printing press of the Standard Group media organisation. What was the government afraid of seeing reported? Dominic Burbidge explores a revealing case.

					El asunto del Southern Weekly: ¿Más cerca del sueño chino?
				
2013 comenzó dramáticamente en China con un confortamiento entre periodistas y las autoridades de propaganda del estado sobre una editorial de año nuevo drásticamente reescrita. Timothy Garton Ash introduce la versión original y la versión finalmente publicada.

					Can the treatment of animals be compared to Nazi concentration camps?
				
Not in Germany, said the German courts. And the European Court of Human Rights agreed. 

					¿Existe un derecho a mentir sobre el gobierno?
				
En el caso hito del New York Times v. Sullivan, en 1964, la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos decidió que la crítica a oficiales públicos debe ser protegida, incluso si algunas de las aseveraciones son inexactas. Jeff Howard explica el caso.

					El derruido cuarto pilar
				
Los medios de la India están en peligro de perder su brújula moral ante las presiones del nuevo capitalismo. Puede que sea el momento para un boicot a fin de detener la descomposición, argumenta Manav Bhushan.

					Pressing for freedom: the protest over China’s “Southern Weekly”
				
The Chinese Communist Party aims to control privately owned media without appearing to do so. A strike at a local newspaper imperils that balance, writes Liu Jin.

					Ten cuidado con lo que retuiteas en Filipinas
				
Una nueva ley contra los crímenes cibernéticos en Filipinas dará poderes irrestrictos al estado para monitorear a los usuarios de internet, quitar páginas de internet y encarcelar ciudadanos, escribe Purple S. Romero.

					Prashant Bhushan: The case for a referendum and how Kashmir could become «another Afghanistan»
				
If the territorial dispute over Kashmir is not addressed through open debate, it may become «another Afghanistan», says the Indian supreme court lawyer. 

					Is self-regulation of the media in India sufficient?
				
In a panel John Lloyd, T.R. Andhyarujina, Harish Salve and Daya Thussu discussed whether self-regulation can continue to remain a viable way forward for the Indian media.

					Arundhati Roy on national security & the Indian media
				
The award-winning Indian novelist and activist speaks to Manav Bhushan about the limits to free speech in India, including government censorship through the media and «goon squads».

					¡La Guerra no es cricket!
				
Un estudiante indio y otro pakistaní de Oxford reflexionan sobre cómo sus países reportaron la misma historia cada uno a su manera.

					El futuro de la libertad de expresión
				
El activista de derechos humanos Aryeh Neier habla sobre el futuro de la libertad de expresión.

					Después de dos años, ¿sigue siendo primavera en Túnez?
				
El 17 de diciembre de 2010 el vendedor ambulante tunecino Mohamed Bouazizi se inmoló -y comenzó la primavera árabe. A pesar de las presiones islámicas sobre la libertad de expresión y los derechos de las mujeres, Rory McCarthy continúa viendo una causa para la esperanza.

					Brasil en la encrucijada entre el autoritarismo y la democracia
				
A pesar de los avances democráticos en Brasil, leyes creadas en 1960 todavía son usadas para regular las páginas de internet, dando poderes arbitrarios al Estado. La propuesta de un “Marco Civil del Internet” puede cambiar esto, afirma Marcos Todeschini.

					Should Russian speakers be obliged to learn Estonian?
				
FSD’s Olga Shvarova criticises the language-based discrimination ethnic Russians face in Estonia.

					Brasil confronta a Google y es personal
				
Un alto ejecutivo de Google fue arrestado en Brasil cuando la compañía se rehusó a remover de YouTube videos que hacían acusaciones contra un candidato a una alcaldía local. Felipe Correo discute el caso.

					¿Puede el algoritmo de Google calumniar la esposa de un político?
				
Escribe ‘Bettina Wulff’, el nombre de la esposa de un ex presidente Aleman, en Google y la función de autocompletar incluye “acompañante” ¿Es esta adición del algoritmo una forma de difamación? Sebastian Huempfer explora el caso.

					The Kremlin’s grip tightens on Russia’s answer to Facebook
				
Russian social network VK launched six years ago and has since attracted 122 million users. But as Olga Shvarova explains, political and copyright crackdowns are limiting the free flow of information and ideas its users once enjoyed. 

					The silenced sex? Women’s voices in US election coverage
				
A new report shows only 12% of US election coverage on the abortion debate quotes women. Judith Bruhn explores why this under-representation of women’s voices is undermining women’s freedom of speech.

					¿Sátira o sedición? Las caricaturas políticas en India
				
El Caricaturista Indio Aseem Trivedi fue arrestado recientemente por cargos de sedición. Manav Bhushan discute cómo una sección arcaica del código penal de la India ha sido usado para silenciar a los críticos del gobierno.

					Zambia’s secret freedom of information bill
				
If a decade of stalled attempts to enact Zambia’s Freedom of Information bill seems comical, there is underlying tragedy in how politicians have fallen short of their free speech rhetoric, writes Dominic Burbidge. 

					Tras el rastro de los antiguos libros egipcios
				
El historiador Khaled Fahmy investiga el caso de 165 libros de medicina que dejaron Egipto para reaparecer en una pequeña biblioteca de Nueva York, y analiza cómo la censura del gobierno continúa reprimiendo el conocimiento en Egipto tras la revolución.

					Censoring a billion voices to save a nation
				
Manav Bhushan, an Indian member of the Free Speech Debate team, makes the case for blocking hate-filled websites in his country.

					La caricatura del libro de texto en India
				
En mayo de 2012, el parlamento de la India retiró una serie de libros de texto que contenían una caricatura política que, según algunos diputados, resultaba denigrante. Antoon De Baets plantea si la reputación, los derechos y la moral pública deben prevalecer sobre la libertad de expresión en el ámbito educativo.

					El “periodismo de sobre marrón” oprime a África subsahariana
				
Dominic Burbidge analiza la corrupción entre la clase política y los principales medios de comunicación que oprime el auténtico debate democrático en África.

					¿Es necesario tener un título para ejercer de periodista?
				
El Senado de Brasil restableció recientemente una ley que obliga a los periodistas a tener un título universitario. Por otro lado, una propuesta de enmienda constitucional podría restringir aún más la profesión. Un caso de Felipe Correa.

					Evgeny Morozov: What is the dark side of internet freedom?
				
Author Evgeny Morozov highlights the dangers that sometimes emerge when governments and corporations harness the internet to serve their own objectives. 

					La protesta de las Pussy Riot en una iglesia no fue más que disidencia políticav
				
Olga Shvarova analiza la actuación de la banda de punk Pussy Riot contra el régimen de Putin en una iglesia de Moscú ¿Fue dicha actuación “vandalismo de odio religioso” o una expresión artística de disidencia política?

					¿Por qué la “maquinaria armonizadora” de la Unión Europea debería mantenerse alejada de la historia?
				
Claus Leggewie y Horst Meier explican porqué las leyes sobre la memoria son el camino equivocado para recordar y debatir el difícil pasado de los europeos.

					Haiyan Wang: What is it like being an investigative journalist in China?
				
Former investigative journalist Haiyan Wang describes the ways in which Chinese reporters push the boundaries of press freedom. Interview by Judith Bruhn.

					Dispárale al bóer: ¿música de odio?
				
En 2011, una corte surafricana prohibió la canción anti-apartheid Dispárale al bóer, luego de dictaminar que era un discurso de incitación al odio, escribe Nimi Hoffmann.

					Guilt by association: the London 2012 Olympics
				
The drive to control all references to the Olympic Games is part of a global creep of intellectual property law that has led to a «right of association», writes Teresa Scassa.

					El Mein Kampf de Hitler como sátira
				
El comediante Alemán Serdar Somuncu recita extractos del Mein Kampf para resaltar lo absurdo de la propaganda de Hitler, escribe Sebastian Huempfer.

					Polémica por el nuevo libro de historia de Japón
				
Un libro de historia resta importancia al imperialismo japonés y causa controversia nacional e internacional. Por Ayako Komine y Naoko Hosokawa.

					El caso del ‘espía’ ruso
				
Igor Sutyagin, un investigador nuclear ruso condenado a 15 años por cargos de espionaje, fue víctima de un acuerdo de intercambio de espías en 2010. Por Olga Shvarova.

					How open access to scientific journals can help the developing world
				
Open access publishing models are having a significant impact on the dissemination on scientific information but their impact on the developing world is uncertain, writes Jorge L Contreras.

					Japan: Korean ‘comfort women’ photo exhibit sabotaged
				
A South Korean photographer explains his ordeal in holding an exhibition in Japan that documents ageing ‘Comfort Women’, writes Lee Yoo Eun.

					Improving media ethics in Turkey
				
A grassroots organisation set up by journalists attempts to create positive change in Turkish media, writes Yonca Poyraz Doğan, a correspondent at Today’s Zaman.

					Free speech in an unfair world
				
Free Speech Debate’s 10 draft principles benefit those in positions of privilege and power, writes Sebastian Huempfer.

					Is it time for a global conversation on free speech?
				
A panel of experts joins FSD Director Timothy Garton Ash at London’s Frontline Club to discuss some of the world’s most pressing free speech issues.

					Maureen Freely: Why is there a sustained hate campaign against the Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk?
				
Writer Maureen Freely talks about the sustained hate campaign in Turkey against the author and Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk.

					Ukraine: a raiders’ state
				
Ukrainian cultural journals have become the target of «raiders» – shady groups working on behalf of powerful interests who use bogus property claims to close down businesses, says Mykola Riabchuk.

					Frontline SMS: How can mobile technology be used to help social change across Africa?
				
Amy O’Donnell explains how she’s using text messages to help African radio stations engage their listeners on important political issues.

					The tension between data protection and freedom of expression
				
EU member states should reform the data protection framework to address the realities of life in the Web 2.0 age, writes David Erdos

					Is China actually helping free media in Africa?
				
China may provide censorship tools to autocratic regimes in Africa, but western companies still dominate this market, writes Iginio Gagliardone, a post-doctoral fellow at Oxford University.

					The vital presence of the past
				
History is a sensitive issue in China with some of it desperately remembered and some, deliberately forgotten, writes Judith Bruhn.

					Punishing users of extremist websites
				
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed a law to punish readers of websites promoting terrorism and violence, writes Clementine de Montjoye.

					Open government in Chongqing?
				
Environmental information is tightly controlled in China despite the existence of access to information regulations, writes Sam Geall.

					Why hate speech should not be banned
				
Restrictions on hate speech are not a means of tackling bigotry but of rebranding often obnoxious ideas or arguments are immoral, argues writer Kenan Malik.

					La ética de los medios de comunicación y el juicio de Anders Behring Breivik
				
El testimonio del asesino Anders Behring Breivik debería transmitirse en vivo para disuadir el extremismo, argumenta Anne Ardem, editora ejecutiva de la NRK, compañía de medios estatal noruega.

					ACTA: Open agreement secretly arrived at?
				
The secretive approach adopted by parties in negotiating the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement constrained the ability of the public to challenge limits on free expression, writes Graham Reynolds.

					Raising a «religious youth» in Turkey
				
A new law allowing parents to send their children to Islamic schools at an earlier age has polarized Turkish society, write İrem Kök and Funda Üstek.

					Shami Chakrabarti: Why robust civility works from an ethical but not from a legal perspective
				
The director of civil liberties group Liberty calls for a review of all speech crime legislation in the UK.

					Hasan Cemal: Freedom of expression in Turkey
				
From communism to Kurdish separatism, the Turkish state has used a series of pretexts to deny freedom of expression to its citizens, says journalist Hasan Cemal.

					Moez Chakchouk: Can the Tunisian Internet Agency defend net neutrality?
				
Online censorship is futile as it can almost always be circumvented, says Moez Chakchouk, the head of the Tunisian Internet Agency.

					Hungary’s new media regulation
				
In 2010, the Hungarian prime minister passed a series of laws, giving excessive control over all private media to the government, writes Peter Bajomi-Lazar, a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford.

					Rebecca MacKinnon: How do we ensure that the consent of networked citizens?
				
The co-founder of Global Voices discusses the nexus between governments, internet companies and citizens.

					La periodista mexicana y el presidente «alcohólico»
				
La periodista mexicana Carmen Aristegui fue despedida por solicitar públicamente una aclaratoria del Presidente Felipe Calderón sobre los rumores de que padecía de alcoholismo, escribe Felipe Correa.

					La huelga de hambre como libertad de expresión
				
El año pasado, Anna Hazare, un indio de 74 años que lucha contra la corrupción, emprendió una huelga de hambre como una forma de presionar al gobierno para que promulgara una legislación anti-corrupción. ¿Debería protegerse la huelga de hambre como forma de libertad de expresión? Manav Ghushan y Katie Engelhart ofrecen contrastantes puntos de vista.

					Rede Globo & the 1989 Brazilian election
				
Beyond Citizen Kane, a documentary on the 1989 Brazilian election, argues that broadcaster Rede Globo manipulated the montage in favour of one of the two remaining candidates, writes Felipe Correa.

					Can Europe and the Middle East agree on the terms of freedom of expression?
				
A lecture by Timothy Garton Ash in Egypt at the AUC New Cairo.

					Paolo Mancini: Will the internet transform Italian politics?
				
Professor Paolo Mancini argues that while new technologies offer opportunities, they also lead to political and social polarisation.

					The trial of Naguib Sawiris
				
Naguib Sawiris was accused of contempt for tweeting an image of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, respectively sporting a bushy beard and veil, writes Jacob Amis

					Turkey’s new reform bill
				
The Turkish government has proposed a bill that will suspend all media offences committed before December 2011. But will the draft law actually improve press freedom, asks Funda Ustek.

					Is criminalisation an effective way of eradicating fascism?
				
The co-chair of the German Green Party tells Free Speech Debate that fascist ideologies cannot be banned and must be confronted in a democratic way.

					Death of a journalist in Pakistan
				
Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad was found dead after publishing an article on the links between al-Qaida and Pakistan’s military, writes Ayyaz Mallick.

					La vida privada de un héroe nacional
				
Un documental representando al fundador de la República Turca, Kemal Atatürk, como un “alcohólico libertino” fue visto como un ataque a la “identidad Turca”, escriben Irem Kok y Funda Ustek.

					How Turkish taboos perpetuate immaturity
				
Professor Ayşe Kadıoğlu of Sabancı University speaks of her experience growing up in Turkey where taboos, many imposed by law, have trapped citizens «in a state of immaturity».

					Turkish journalists: Şık and Şener
				
In March 2011, two prominent investigative journalists were arrested in Turkey because of their alleged ties to a terrorist organisation. Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener faced 15 years’ imprisonment if they were convicted, write Funda Ustek and Irem Kok.

					Daniel Bell: What would Confucius make of free speech in the internet age?
				
Confucianism’s defence of political speech does not necessarily apply to other forms of expression, says Bell.

					Blasphemy law and violence in Pakistan
				
In 2009, Aasia Bibi, a Christian Pakistani woman was accused of blasphemy. The governor who called for a review of her case was killed two years later, writes Ayyaz Mallick.

					Yan Xuetong: When can a value such as free speech be considered universal?
				
For values to be considered universal, at least half the world should accept them, says Professor Yan Xuetong, director of the Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University.

					Tim Wu: Why do information empires fall?
				
Tim Wu, author of The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires, tells us why Facebook should not go into China and why Twitter’s new take-down policy may harm the microblog

					Timothy Garton Ash at the Brandenburg Gate: Should we all become a bit more German, or not, when it comes to privacy?
				
Speaking at the Brandenburg Gate on the 22nd anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Timothy Garton Ash, director of Free Speech Debate, discusses the new barriers to information and communication. 

					Maldivian president was pathbreaker for freedom of expression
				
Deposed president Mohamed Nasheed will always be remembered as the man who brought free speech to the Maldives, writes Maryam Omidi.

					Does money have the right to speak?
				
The US supreme court’s decision on Citizens United raises a vital issue: should corporations have the same free speech rights as individuals? Brian Pellot discusses the case.

					Geert Wilders on trial
				
In 2011, Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders was cleared of charges of group defamation, incitement to hatred and discrimination against Muslims. Rutger Kaput looks at the case.

					When doing nothing is free expression
				
In 2011, the Belarusian police arrested scores of people at a silent protest in Minsk. Annabelle Chapman looks at the case.

					Aryeh Neier: Why more speech is the cure to bad speech
				
The president of the Open Society Foundations talks about free speech as a universal aspiration, group libel and the Skokie controversy. 

					La informante israelí
				
La informate israelí, Anat Kamm, filtró 2.000 documentos militares clasificados que obtuvo durante su servicio en la Fuerza de Defensa Israelí. Maryam Omidi se adentra en un debate entre la seguridad nacional y el interés público. 

					Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s ‘perp walk’
				
Was it right to make Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the IMF, do the «perp walk» after he was charged with sexually assaulting a hotel maid in New York? Clementine de Montjoye argues no.