Category: News Blog

This will show up on the main blog page

2017 CBLDF Gift Guide!

As a holiday service to you, our appreciated donors and supporters, the CBLDF staff has compiled a list of the coolest, newest, and most special items from our Rewards Zone to thank you for your holiday donations. These are items that…

Giving Thanks for Free Speech!

It’s Thanksgiving, which means it’s time to give thanks for the the right to read. CBLDF has scored a number of notable victories in 2017, defending the legal rights of our community of retailers, educators, librarians, creators, and readers! Here’s…

Egyptian Police Raid Indie Press, Arrest Volunteer for ‘Posession of Unregistered Books’

Egyptian police on Sunday raided the office of a small independent press, Merit Publishing House, and detained a volunteer staff member for “being in possession of unregistered books without ISBNs,” implying they likely weren’t approved by government censors. The same…

Two Libya Comic Con Organizers Released Without Charge

Two of the five Libya Comic Con organizers who were detained by an armed militia when the show was raided and shut down on November 3 have now been released without charge, according to a report from the independent news…

Spanish Cartoonists Release Free Expression Manifesto

Dozens of Spanish political cartoonists have signed their names to a manifesto in defense of free speech, citing recent attempts to prosecute comedy under the country’s two-year-old ‘gag law’ as well as a recent string of cartoonists abruptly fired from…

Zunar Asks Top Malaysian Court to Rule on Freedom to Travel

In a judicial hearing yesterday, Malaysian cartoonist Zunar requested that the country’s highest court consider his challenge to a punitive order that prevents him from traveling abroad. The personal travel ban was imposed last year by Inspector-General of Police Khalid…

Coalition Comes to Defense of Imprisoned Cartoonist

A coalition of human rights organizations, free expression advocates, and cartoonist groups have sent a letter to the leader of Equatorial Guinea, calling for the release of cartoonist Ramón Esono Ebalé. Ebalé , an Equatoguinean political cartoonist and graphic novelist, now lives in…

Conejo Valley School Board Approves ‘Red-Flagging’ of Books

During a contentious meeting Tuesday night that dragged on for six hours, California’s Conejo Valley school board passed a new ‘red-flagging’ policy that will require high school English teachers to warn parents of any assigned book considered to have “mature…