freedom of speech
US Senate condemns the student movement for Palestine

Republican Senator Josh Hawley successfully pushed a resolution through the Senate, denouncing pro-Palestine student organizing

Jordan cybercrime law Jordanian cybercrime law ratified by king, threatens freedom of speech

The bill introduces a new set of prohibitions and restrictions on speech and posts made on social media and elsewhere on the internet that the government deems to be a danger to national unity

Odhikar state persecution Bangladesh UN experts ask Bangladeshi authorities to end persecution of rights organization Odhikar

Odhikar has been facing judicial persecution with charges filed against its secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and director ASM Nasiruddin Elan for allegedly publishing “fake, distorted and defamatory” information

Palestinian journalist Lama Ghosheh Palestinian journalist Lama Ghosheh sentenced to community service by Israeli court

Ghosheh has already spent 10 months in house arrest with a ban on her social media use. She is accused of causing incitement to violence and “identification with a terrorist group” for her social media posts and writings

UAE unjustified detention Activists and families of 51 people detained in the UAE call for their release

The 51 are part of a larger group of people who were convicted of conspiring to overthrow the government in what is known as the UAE94 case. In 2011, they had signed a petition calling on the government to introduce democratic and political reforms in the country

Black liberation organizers indicted for opposing war

Members of the African People’s Socialist Party, targeted in coordinated raids in July of 2022, face charges amounting to up to 15 years in prison

Pakistan court strikes down sedition law Court strikes down colonial-era sedition law in Pakistan

The petition to annul the law claimed that it had been “recklessly” used in the country to silence freedom of speech guaranteed in Article 19 of the constitution. The law has been used against a number of opposition leaders and members of social movements

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi expelled from parliament after defamation conviction

The move came a day after Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in prison in a defamation case. His conviction, as well as his expulsion, has been criticized by the opposition, civil society and legal experts

Social media influencers arrested Egypt Five social media influencers arrested in Egypt for making a satirical video

All five face serious charges—such as being a part of a terrorist organization, funding terrorism, committing acts of terrorism, and spreading false news—and have been placed in detention for 15 days

Saudi activist Abdullah Jelan Saudi court sentences activist to decade in prison over social media posts 

The sentencing of Abdullah Jelan continues the trend of long-term imprisonment of people critical or vocal on social media about freedom and rights in Saudi Arabia

President of Turkish Medical Association Şebnem Korur Fincancı detained

Dr Şebnem Korur Fincancı was detained on charges of spreading terrorist propaganda after she spoke about alleged use of chemical weapons by the Turkish army against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq

Manzoor Pashteen Pakistan Pashtun leader Manzoor Pashteen faces terrorism and treason charges for speech

On Monday, October 24, the Lahore police booked Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader and activist Manzoor Pashteen on terrorism charges for a speech he made at a civil society conference