Bulgarians are accusing the privately-owned TV network NOVA of bowing to government pressure last week when it removed all of cartoonist Chavdar Nikolov’s work from its website. Nikolov’s latest animated political cartoon had mocked Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s apparent support…
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City Issues Apology for Women’s History Month Censorship
Photographer Brooke Mason may have been at the center of a free speech controversy in West Hollywood, California, after three of her photographs were removed from a Women’s History Month-themed exhibition last month, but inclusion in a new exhibit and…
Petition Against School Play Backfires in New Jersey
Parents in Cape May, New Jersey, protested the Middle Township High School reproduction of the Broadway musical Pippin, saying the usage of profanity and sexual innuendo is, what one person noted, moving kids away from an “ethical and moral lifestyle.”…
Oregon School Bans Sex Ed Book, Disciplines Librarian Who Bought It
The classic — and frequently challenged — sex ed book It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris has reportedly been removed from an elementary school library in Rainier, Oregon, and the librarian who included it in the collection has been disciplined…
Zunar Trial to Proceed After Court Rejects Challenge to Sedition Act
Malaysia’s High Court yesterday rejected cartoonist Zunar’s challenge to the country’s Sedition Act, clearing the way for his long-delayed trial on nine counts of sedition. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 43 years in prison. A…
Indian Cartoonist Orijit Sen on Being a “Voice of Dissent”
Indian cartoonist Orijit Sen is no stranger to censorship. The artist, whose work has been repeatedly pulled from Facebook, recently spoke with Tehelka about why it is important that his “voice of dissent” rubs some people the wrong way and…
Egyptian Puppet Charged With “Violating Public Morality”
A wildly popular satirical puppet who appears on Egyptian television is being called into court on June 26, accused of “violating public morality” with her bawdy jokes. The case against Abla Fahita (Aunt Fajita) was brought by lawyer Samir Sabry,…
Blastr Supports Free Speech for Comic Book Month
As part of a month-long celebration of the comics industry, its creators, and those who defend artistic free speech, Blastr took a moment to talk about the work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. In an interview with CBLDF…
VICTORY in Michigan: The Bluest Eye Remains in Northville AP Class
In a victory for the freedom to read, the school board in Northville, Michigan voted unanimously last night to keep Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye in the curriculum for AP English Literature and Composition. To accommodate parents who had expressed…
Turkish Comedian Faces 2 Years in Prison for Satirical Tweet
Turkish comedian, actor, and cartoonist Cem Yilmaz went to trial on Monday for a recent tweet “insulting” Governor Selim Cebiroglu. Facing up to two years in jail for expressing his upset over the governor’s verbal abuse of math teacher Halil…