Let the news run free

A new global study by WorldPublicOpinion.org proves that a majority of people support the concept of press freedom and object to government interference with the internet: A new poll of nations around the world finds worldwide support for the principle of media freedom and broad opposition to government having the right to limit access to…

Human rights, boycotts and nationalism

My following article appears in the Amnesty International Australia’s Uncensor campaign about human rights in China: With only 100 days until the Beijing Games, human rights activists are continuing to pressure the Chinese regime and authorities may be starting to feel the pressure, writes Antony Loewenstein. After months of criticism of its human rights record,…

In bed with Mugabe

My following article appears in today’s ABC Unleashed: The recent rigged election in Zimbabwe has highlighted the impotence of the international community. Bloggers and activists continue to emphasise the need for President Robert Mugabe to relinquish his hold on power, a position shared by Washington. But not unlike the Burmese uprising in 2007 that saw…

How to escape a brutal American friend

A reliable American ally – Egypt continues to repress any kind of political activism – requires creative thinking by anybody caught up in its madness: James Karl Buck helped free himself from an Egyptian jail with a one-word blog post from his cell phone. Buck, a graduate student from the University of California-Berkeley, was in…

Selective outrage at the IDF

Reveal “state secrets” and watch out: A soldier serving in the IDF’s elite 8200 military intelligence unit was sentenced to 19 days in prison on Wednesday for uploading a picture onto the Facebook social networking site. Abuse the Palestinians and human rights group are forced to challenge the rules: Today, … 16 April 2008, The Public…

The Saudi godfather is back

Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan has been released from prison after more than four months away from family and friends. He is a friend and colleague (more on Fouad here.) The father of Saudi blogging is back, but I wonder how willing he will be to continue writing critically in his repressive regime.

Talking to each other now

Global Village TV, co-created by Baha’is and Muslims, aims to provide a forum for inter-faith understanding. One can never have enough debate between the major and minor religions.

One confused company

Yahoo goes green. (It’s a shame, therefore, that the company collaborates with the Chinese dictatorship, though it appears to be making progress towards protecting human rights): Yahoo boss Jerry Yang, whose company once allegedly helped Chinese police nab and jail cyber dissidents, is today in the forefront of a global campaign to free those languishing…

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

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