Freedom of Speech Roundup

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.

Three members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot were denied appeal this month. They will be detained until trial for charges of “hooliganism” on June 24. Photo: Игорь Мухин

Russian Punk Collective Pussy Riot Speaks Exclusively to Index on Censorship

Index on Censorship. Russian feminist punk collective plans to continue protest performances despite scrutiny and arrests. Read here.

Alleged Tibetan Immolation Photos Show Man Ablaze

Miami Herald. A Tibetan writer tweeted photos of men self-immolating in Lhasa in protest of Chinese restrictions and the Dalai Lama’s continued exile. Read here.

Copies of Anti-Censorship Software Used in Iran and Syria contain Keylogger

Computer World. A version of Green Simurgh, an Internet proxy application often used to bypass censors, has begun to circulate with malware that transmits the user’s every action. Read here.

Sina ‘information credit score’ Restricts Weibo Users

CPJ. Already heavily-censored, users of the Chinese microblogging site will now be given a score that will drop if the user is deemed to be “spreading rumors, impugning China, or calling for protests.” Read here.

Julian Assange and America’s Vendetta Against WikiLeaks

The Guardian. Columnist Amy Goodman argues that Assange’s extradition case for sexual assault is largely political. Read here.



Lawyer and columnist Glenn Greenwald speaks about why defending WikiLeaks is “so crucial.”

Alexandria, VA-based News Outlet Loosens Shackles of Censorship for Ethiopians

Alexandria Times. Exiled Ethiopian journalists at Ethiopian Satellite Television seek to objectively cover the situation in their country from across the Atlantic Ocean. Read here.

Free Expression in Americas Goes Beyond Left or Right

CPJ. Journalism expert Frank Smyth details the current battle within the Organization of American States over measures that would curtail freedom of expression and the press in the Americas. Read here.

Melissa Chan: Journalist Can’t Explain Expulsion from China

LA Times. A correspondent for Al Jazeera English believes her press credentials may’ve been provoked for reporting about “black jails” and Tweeting about her interaction with Chinese authorities. Read here.

Author Mohammed Hanif on Secrets and Lies in Pakistan

NPR. Pakistani journalist and novelist speaks about his work and the interpretation of fiction as fact: “I used to find it a bit scary at the beginning that, my God, these people are running my country and they actually believe all the lies that I’ve written.” Read here.

Exiled Cubans Living in Spain Feel Abandoned as Benefits Dry Up

The New York Times. An international solidarity effort that seemed at first to have been a “diplomatic masterstroke” is accused of receiving inadequate planning and follow-up. Read here.