The absurd lengths required to maintain censorship were once again illustrated this week, this time by numerous Chinese consumers who noted that their government routinely “edits” English-language dictionaries before they’re sold, specifically by covering up or otherwise eliding the entry…
Category: International
Singapore Bookstore Chain Pulls Webcomic After Parent Complaint
In response to a single complaint on Facebook, a Singapore-based bookstore chain has reportedly removed collected editions of the Malaysian webcomic Bro, Don’t Like That La, Bro by Ernest Ng from its stores. Even though the books bear a self-imposed…
Kurdish Children’s Network Latest Victim of Turkey Media Crackdown
A TV network that airs cartoons and children’s shows in Kurdish is among the latest group of media outlets shut down by the Turkish government, causing consternation and outrage among viewers. Zarok TV (Kid TV) was the only Kurdish-language children’s…
Hattar Assassination Inspires Mixed Reactions
When Jordanian writer Nahed Hattar was shot dead last week outside a courthouse in Amman before the start of his blasphemy trial for a cartoon he shared on Facebook, many Middle Eastern free speech advocates were troubled even if they…
Nahed Hattar Assassinated Before Start of Cartoon Blasphemy Trial in Jordan
Jordanian writer Nahed Hattar, who was facing a blasphemy charge for sharing a cartoon depicting God and an ISIS militant on Facebook, was assassinated outside an Amman courthouse yesterday before the start of his trial. The alleged shooter, Riad Abdullah,…
Now Available: CBLDF Defender #7!
CBLDF Defender is our free quarterly news magazine coming to you from the front lines of the fight for free speech, and the seventh issue is now available! You can find it at comic book stores across the nation, on comiXology, and right here at CBLDF.org!…
Algerian Man Sentenced to Three Years for Religious Insult
An Algerian appeals court last week sentenced 49-year-old Slimane Bouhafs to three years in prison for insulting Islam and the prophet Muhammad on Facebook. One of the posts included a 2006 Charlie Hebdo cover which showed the prophet weeping over…
Facebook Blocks, Then Restores Famous Vietnam War Photo Due to Nudity
In the face of international condemnation and ridicule, Facebook reversed course Friday after initially blocking one of the most famous war photographs of all time because it includes a nude minor. Taken by photographer Nick Ut, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo…
“Smut and Trash:” A Brief History of Comics Censorship in Germany
The United States wasn’t the only country that harbored a crusade against comics this past century. Germany, too, has had its own sordid history with the medium, complete with public fears over an alleged increase in juvenile delinquency and subsequent…
Daughter of Detained Hong Kong Publisher Campaigns for His Release
The daughter of Gui Minhai, the Hong Kong-based publisher who has been detained in an undisclosed location on the Chinese mainland for almost a year, is hoping to promote international awareness of his case with a recent op-ed in the…