Global Free Speech Update

 

 

United States:  The Thomas More Law Center filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Freedom Defense Initiative against a Detroit transportation authority that refused to run an anti-Muslim ad on city buses.  Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Center, says that "Americans have a right to know the truth – Islam is a religion of intolerance and violence," and that "Christians, Jews and other non-Muslim minorities are persecuted in every country where Islam dominates."   Um . . . ok, then.

Turkey:  the national telecom agency is accused of withholding information about the number of websites blocked in the past year.  In May 2009, the agency reported 2601 banned sites, (up from 433 sites in May 2008), but has not released an official count since then. 

Sudan:  anti-terrorism and espionage charges are being used to silence opposition party leaders and members of the press.  In one case, the deputy director of an opposition newspaper was arrested on a variety of national-security related counts, including "publishing false news," and "undermining the prestige of the state," after printing an article that said Iran had built a weapons factory in Sudan to supply insurgents.

Japan:  a government task force recommended measures to strengthen the detection of online child pornography, and to require ISPs to block child porn sites immediately upon discovery.  Though it is a crime to make, sell or distribute child porn in Japan, there is no law against simple possession.

-Kathleen Bergin