Freedom of speech by country

This article is about freedom of speech in specific jurisdictions. For the concept itself, see Freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech is the concept of the inherent human right to voice one's opinion publicly without fear of censorship or punishment. "Speech" is not limited to public speaking and is generally taken to include other forms of expression. The right is preserved in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is granted formal recognition by the laws of most nations. Nonetheless the degree to which the right is upheld in practice varies greatly from one nation to another. In many nations, particularly those with relatively authoritarian forms of government, overt government censorship is enforced. Censorship has also been claimed to occur in other forms (see propaganda model) and there are different approaches to issues such as hate speech, obscenity, and defamation laws even in countries seen as liberal democracies.

International law

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, provides, in Article 19, that:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.[1]

Technically, as a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly rather than a treaty, it is not legally binding in its entirety on members of the UN. Furthermore, whilst some of its provisions are considered to form part of customary international law, there is dispute as to which. Freedom of speech is granted unambiguous protection in international law by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is binding on around 150 nations.

In adopting the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Australia and the Netherlands insisted on reservations to Article 19 insofar as it might be held to affect their systems of regulating and licensing broadcasting.[2]

Africa

Protesters use freedom of speech to hold a vigil in front of the Zimbabwean Embassy in London, 2005.

The majority of African constitutions provide legal protection for freedom of speech. However, these rights are exercised inconsistently in practice. The replacement of authoritarian regimes in Kenya and Ghana has substantially improved the situation in those countries. On the other hand, Eritrea allows no independent media and uses draft evasion as a pretext to crack down on any dissent, spoken or otherwise. One of the poorest and smallest nations in Africa, Eritrea is now the largest prison for journalists; since 2001, fourteen journalists have been imprisoned in unknown places without a trial. Sudan, Libya, and Equatorial Guinea also have repressive laws and practices. In addition, many state radio stations (which are the primary source of news for illiterate people) are under tight control and programs, especially talk shows providing a forum to complain about the government, are often censored. Also countries like Somalia and Egypt provide legal protection for freedom of speech but it is not used publicly.

See also: Censorship in Algeria, Censorship in Tunisia.

South Africa

South Africa is probably the most liberal in granting freedom of speech, however in light of South Africa's racial and discriminatory history, particularly the Apartheid era, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 precludes expression that is tantamount to the advocacy of hatred based on some listed grounds.[3] Freedom of speech and expression are both protected and limited by a section in the South African Bill of Rights, chapter 2 of the Constitution. Section 16 makes the following provisions:

§ 16 Freedom of expression

16. Freedom of expression Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which includes a. freedom of the press and other media;

b. freedom to receive or impart information or ideas;

c. freedom of artistic creativity; and

d. academic freedom and freedom of scientific research.

The right in subsection (1) does not extend to a. propaganda for war;

b. incitement of imminent violence; or

c. advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm.

In 2005, the South African Constitutional Court set an international precedent in the case of Laugh It Off Promotions CC v South African Breweries International when it found that the small culture jamming company Laugh-it-Off's right to freedom of expression outweighs the protection of trademark of the world's second largest brewery.[4]

Sudan

Blasphemy against religion is illegal in Sudan under Blasphemy laws.[5]

Tunisia

Despite the Tunisian revolution that led the Arab Spring, freedom of speech is still a controversial issue and a subject of uncertainty. Artists, journalists, and citizens still face many kinds of harassment when they try to express their ideas freely. Making things more complicated is a lack of experience and traditions in the field of free speech on the part of Tunisian justice and judges.

On 13 June 2013 Tunisian Rapper, Alaa Yacoubi (aka "Weld El 15"), was imprisoned and given a two-year jail sentence because his song "El boulisia Kleb" ("Cops Are Dogs") was considered an incitement to violence and hatred. The court judgement was the subject of an appeal and the decision was announced for 2 July 2013, while Alaa Yaacoubi remains in prison.[6]

Asia

Several Asian countries provide formal legal guarantees of freedom of speech to their citizens. These are not, however, implemented in practice in some countries. Barriers to freedom of speech are common and vary drastically between ASEAN countries. They include the use of brutal force in cracking down on bloggers in Burma, Vietnam and Cambodia, Les Majeste in Thailand, the use of libel and internal security laws in Singapore and Malaysia, and the killing of journalists in the Philippines.[7] Freedom of expression is significantly limited in China and North Korea.[8] Freedom of speech has improved in Myanmar in recent years, but significant challenges remain.[9] There is no clear correlation between legal and constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and actual practices among Asian nations.

Hong Kong

Under "Chapter III: Fundamental Rights and Duties of the Residents" (第三章: 居民的基本權利和義務) of the Hong Kong Basic Law:[10][11]

Article 27: Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of speech, of the press and of publication; freedom of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration; and the right and freedom to form and join trade unions, and to strike.
第二十七條: 香港居民享有言論、新聞、出版的自由,結社、集會、遊行、示威的自由,組織和參加工會、罷工的權利和自由。
Article 30: The freedom and privacy of communication of Hong Kong residents shall be protected by law. No department or individual may, on any grounds, infringe upon the freedom and privacy of communication of residents except that the relevant authorities may inspect communication in accordance with legal procedures to meet the needs of public security or of investigation into criminal offences.
第三十條: 香港居民的通訊自由和通訊秘密受法律的保護。除因公共安全和追查刑事犯罪的需要,由有關機關依照法律程序對通訊進行檢查外,任何部門或個人不得以任何理由侵犯居民的通訊自由和通訊秘密。

India

The Indian Constitution ostensibly guarantees freedom of speech to every citizen, but itself allows significant restrictions. In India, citizens are free to criticize government, politics, politicians, bureaucracy and policies. However, speech can be restricted on grounds of security, morality, and incitement. There have been landmark cases in the Indian Supreme Court that have affirmed the nation's policy of allowing free press and freedom of expression to every citizen, with other cases in which the Court has upheld restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press. Article 19 of the Indian constitution states that:

All citizens shall have the right —
  1. to freedom of speech and expression;
  2. to assemble peaceably and without arms;
  3. to form associations or unions;
  4. to move freely throughout the territory of India;
  5. to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India; and
  6. to practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.[12]

These rights are limited so as not to affect:

  • The integrity of India
  • The security of the State
  • Friendly relations with foreign States
  • Public order
  • Decency or morality
  • Contempt of court
  • Defamation or incitement to an offence[12]

Freedom of speech is restricted by the National Security Act of 1980 and in the past, by the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) of 2001, the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) from 1985 to 1995, and similar measures. Freedom of speech is also restricted by Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 which deals with sedition and makes any speech or expression which brings contempt towards government punishable by imprisonment extending from three years to life.[13] In 1962 the Supreme Court of India held this section to be constitutionally valid in the case Kedar Nath Singh vs State of Bihar.[14]

Indonesia

Blasphemy against religion is illegal in Indonesia under blasphemy laws.[15]

Iran

Blasphemy against Islam is illegal in Iran.[16]

According to the Press Freedom Index for 2007, Iran ranked 166th out of 169 nations. Only three other countries - Eritrea, North Korea, and Turkmenistan - had more restrictions on news media freedom than Iran.[17] The government of Ali Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council imprisoned 50 journalists in 2007 and all but eliminated press freedom.[18] Reporters Without Borders (RWB) has dubbed Iran the "Middle East's biggest prison for journalists."[19]

Israel

On 11 July 2011, the Knesset passed a law making it a civil offence to publicly call for a boycott against Israel,[20] defined as "deliberately avoiding economic, cultural or academic ties with another person or another factor only because of his ties with the State of Israel, one of its institutions or an area under its control, in such a way that may cause economic, cultural or academic damage".[21] According to the law anyone calling for a boycott can be sued and forced to pay compensation, regardless of actual damages.[20] At the discretion of a government minister, they may also be prevented from bidding in government tenders.[20] In a survey of Israelis conducted in 2014, the Israeli Democracy Institute found that 46% of Israelis believe that "harsh, public criticism" of Israel should be outlawed.[22]

Japan

Freedom of speech is guaranteed by Chapter III, Article 21 of the Japanese constitution.[23] There are few exemptions to this right and a very broad spectrum of opinion is tolerated by the media and authorities.

Article 21:[23][24]

Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed. (集会、結社及び言論、出版その他一切の表現の自由は、これを保障する。)
No censorship shall be maintained, nor shall the secrecy of any means of communication be violated. (検閲は、これをしてはならない。通信の秘密は、これを侵してはならない。)

Malaysia

In May 2008, the Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi put forward a headline "Media should practice voluntary self-censorship",[25] saying there is no such thing as unlimited freedom and the media should not be abashed of "voluntary self-censorship" to respect cultural norms, different societies hold different values and while it might be acceptable in secular countries to depict a caricature of Muhammad, it was clearly not the case here. "It is not a moral or media sin to respect prophets". He said the Government also wanted the media not to undermine racial and religious harmony to the extent that it could threaten national security and public order. "I do not see these laws as curbs on freedom. Rather, they are essential for a healthy society."[26]

Pakistan

Articles 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees freedom of speech and expression, and freedom of the press with certain restrictions.[27] Blasphemy against Islam is illegal in Pakistan. In practice, local and national politicians with political power or mandate can censor any criticism by opposition or common man through authorities, monopoly or fear and violence. Military establishment is even more powerful when it comes to censorship in Pakistan, since all the state machinery is under its control.[28][29]

People's Republic of China (mainland)

Article 35 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China claims that:

English:- Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration.[30]
Chinese: 中華人民共和國公民有言論、出版、集會、结社、遊行、示威的自由。[31]

There is heavy government involvement in the media, with many of the largest media organizations being run by the Communist-Party-led government. References to democracy, the free Tibet movement, Taiwan as an independent country, the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the 2014 Hong Kong protests, the Arab Spring, certain religious organizations and anything questioning the legitimacy of the Communist Party of China are banned from use in public and blocked on the Internet. Web portals including Microsoft's MSN have come under criticism for aiding in these practices, including banning the word "democracy" from its chat-rooms in China.

Currently, social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat are banned as a whole and books and foreign films are subject to active censorship.[32] The biggest search engine, Google however, was unbanned on the 25th anniversary of the massacre of Tiananmen Square. However, usage is still limited. Beijing has also lifted bans on foreign websites within the Shanghai free trade zone. Its censorship tactics vary from relatively moderate way of using monitoring systems and firewalls to an extreme end of jailing journalists, bloggers, and activists, as we can see from the recent example of the jailed Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo.[33] Although China’s constitution deals with citizens’ freedom of speech, the language has been vague, thus giving more space for the government’s arbitrary and unilateral judgements. For example, according to the Article 5 of the “Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection and Management Regulations,” issued by the Ministry of Public Safety in 1997, it states:[34]

No unit or individual may use the Internet to create, replicate, retrieve, or transmit the following kinds of information:
  1. Inciting to resist or violate the Constitution or laws or the implementation of administrative regulations;
  2. Inciting to overthrow the government or the socialist system;
  3. Inciting division of the country, harming national unification;
  4. Inciting hatred or discrimination among nationalists or harming the unity of the nationalities;
  5. Making falsehoods or distorting the truth, spreading rumours, destroying the order of society;
  6. Promoting feudal superstitions, sexually suggestive material, gambling, violence, murder;
  7. Engaging in terrorism or inciting others to criminal activity; openly insulting other people or distorting the truth to slander people;
  8. Injuring the reputation of state organs;
  9. Other activities against the Constitution, laws or administrative regulations.

In January 2013, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the headquarters of Southern Weekly after Guangdong's propaganda chief, Tuo Zhen, allegedly rewrote the newspaper's New Year's editorial entitled "China's Dream/ The Dream of Constitution(中国梦,宪政梦)," which called for constitutional reform to better guarantee individual citizens' rights.[35] This is seen, though small, as a victory for press freedom in China; it was the largest and most open protest for free speech in China in decades and the result itself favoured the press, the Guangdong propaganda ministry agreeing not to directly intervene in editorial decisions.[36]

Philippines

Article III Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines specifies that no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech or of expression. However, some laws limit this freedom, for example:

Saudi Arabia

Blasphemy against Islam is illegal in Saudi Arabia, under punishment of death.[42]

South Korea

Further information: Censorship in South Korea

The South Korean constitution guarantees freedom of speech, press, petition and assembly for its nationals. However, behaviors or speeches in favor of the North Korean regime or communism can be punished by the National Security Law, though in recent years prosecutions under this law have been rare.

There is a strict election law that takes effect a few months before elections which prohibits most speech that either supports or criticizes a particular candidate or party. One can be prosecuted for political parodies and even for wearing a particular color (usually the color of a party).[43]

The UN Human Rights Commission expressed concerns about South Korea's deterioration of online free speech.[44]

Some activists send leaflets by balloons to North Korea. The police has intervened and stopped some of the balloon releases in fear that North Korea may retaliate violently. This has resulted in critical discussion on freedom of expression and its limits due to safety concerns. Officially, the South Korean government insists on activists' right to freedom of expression.[45][46]

Thailand

While the Thai constitution provides for freedom of expression, by law the government may restrict freedom of expression to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent insults to Buddhism. The lese-majeste law makes it a crime, punishable by up to 15 years' imprisonment for each offense, to criticize, insult, or threaten the king, queen, royal heir apparent, or regent. Defamation is a criminal offense and parties that criticize the government or related businesses may be sued, setting the stage for self-censorship.[47]

Censorship expanded considerably starting in 2003 during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration and after the 2006 military coup. Prosecutions for lese-majeste offenses increased significantly starting in 2006. Journalists are generally free to comment on government activities and institutions without fear of official reprisal, but they occasionally practice self-censorship, particularly with regard to the monarchy and national security. Broadcast media are subject to government censorship, both directly and indirectly, and self-censorship is evident. Under the Emergency Decree in the three southernmost provinces, the government may restrict print and broadcast media, online news, and social media networks there.[47]

Thailand practices selective Internet filtering in the political, social, and Internet tools areas, with no evidence of filtering in the conflict/security area in 2011.[48][49][50] Thailand is on Reporters Without Borders list of countries under surveillance in 2011[51] and is listed as "Not Free" in the Freedom on the Net 2011 report by Freedom House, which cites substantial political censorship and the arrest of bloggers and other online users.[52]

United Arab Emirates

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it is a crime to use a computer network to "damage the national unity or social peace".[53] The law has been used to convict people for criticising state security investigations on Twitter.[54]

Australia

Australia does not have explicit freedom of speech in any constitutional or statutory declaration of rights, with the exception of political speech which is protected from criminal prosecution at common law per Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth. There is however an implied freedom of speech that was recognised in Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation[55]

In 1992 the High Court of Australia judged in the case of Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth that the Australian Constitution, by providing for a system of representative and responsible government, implied the protection of political communication as an essential element of that system. This freedom of political communication is not a broad freedom of speech as in other countries, but rather a freedom whose purpose is only to protect political free speech. This freedom of political free speech is a shield against government prosecution, not a shield against private prosecution (civil law). It is also less a causal mechanism in itself, rather than simply a boundary which can be adjudged to be breached. Despite the court's ruling, however, not all political speech appears to be protected in Australia and several laws criminalise forms of speech that would be protected in other democratic countries such as the United States.

In 1996, Albert Langer was imprisoned for advocating that voters fill out their ballot papers in a way that was invalid.[56] Amnesty International declared Langer to be a prisoner of conscience.[57] The section which outlawed Langer from encouraging people to vote this way has since been repealed and the law now says only that it is an offence to print or publish material which may deceive or mislead a voter.

The Howard Government re-introduced sedition law, which criminalises some forms of expression. Media Watch ran a series on the amendments on ABC television.[58]

In 2003,[59] CSIRO senior scientist Graeme Pearman was reprimanded and encouraged to resign after he spoke out on global warming.[60] The Howard Government was accused of limiting the speech of Pearman and other scientists.

In 2010, journalist Andrew Bolt was sued in the Federal Court over two posts on his Herald Sun blog in 2009. Bolt was found guilty of breaching the racial discrimination act in 2011 following comments regarded to be representative of a "eugenic" approach to aboriginal identity.[61] This prompted the federal government to propose changes to the Racial Discrimination Act but has met with stiff resistance.[62]

In 2014 the Australian High Court issued a blanket media gag order on the reporting of a high profile international corruption case.[63][64] The gag order prevents the publishing of articles regarding bribes presented to high-ranking officials of Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam by senior executives of the Reserve Bank of Australia in order to secure the adoption of the Australian invented and produced polymer banknote technology.

New Zealand

The right to freedom of speech is not explicitly protected by common law in New Zealand, but is encompassed in a wide range of doctrines aimed at protecting free speech.[65] An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combine to ensure freedom of speech and of the press.[66] In particular, freedom of expression is preserved in section 14 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (BORA) which states that:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form."[67]

This provision reflects the more detailed one in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The significance of this right and its importance to democracy has been emphasised by the New Zealand courts. It has been described as the primary right without which the rule of law cannot effectively operate.[68] The right is not only the cornerstone of democracy; it also guarantees the self-fulfilment of its members by advancing knowledge and revealing truth.[69] As such, the right has been given a wide interpretation. The Court of Appeal has said that section 14 is “as wide as human thought and imagination”.[70] Freedom of expression embraces free speech, a free press, transmission and receipt of ideas and information, freedom of expression in art, and the right to silence. The right to freedom of expression also extends to the right to seek access to official records. This is provided for in the Official Information Act 1982.

Europe

Council of Europe

Charitable organizations can use the freedom of speech to campaign and lobby government ministers.
Local issues are often the subject of free speech.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), signed on 4 November 1950, guarantees a broad range of human rights to inhabitants of member countries of the Council of Europe, which includes almost all European nations. These rights include Article 10, which entitles all citizens to free expression. Echoing the language of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this provides that:

Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.

The Convention established the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Any person who feels his or her rights have been violated under the Convention by a state party can take a case to the Court. Judgements finding violations are binding on the States concerned and they are obliged to execute them. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe monitors the execution of judgements, particularly to ensure payment of the amounts awarded by the Court to the applicants in compensation for the damage they have sustained.

The Convention also includes some other restrictions:

The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or the rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.

For example, the Council of Europe Explanatory Report of the Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime states the "European Court of Human Rights has made it clear that the denial or revision of 'clearly established historical facts – such as the Holocaust – [...] would be removed from the protection of Article 10 by Article 17' of the ECHR" in the Lehideux and Isorni v. France judgment of 23 September 1998.[71]

Each party to the Convention must alter its laws and policies to conform with the Convention. Some, such as Ireland or the United Kingdom, have expressly incorporated the Convention into their domestic laws. The guardian of the Convention is the European Court of Human Rights. This court has heard many cases relating to freedom of speech, including cases that have tested the professional obligations of confidentiality of journalists and lawyers, and the application of defamation law, a recent example being the so-called "McLibel case".

European Union

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Citizens of the European Union enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration. Currently, all members of the European Union are signatories of the European Convention on Human Rights in addition to having various constitutional and legal rights to freedom of expression at the national level. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union has been legally binding since December 1, 2009 when the Treaty of Lisbon became fully ratified and effective. Article 11 of the Charter, in part mirroring the language of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, provides that

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.
2. The freedom and pluralism of the media shall be respected.

The European Court of Justice takes into account both the Charter and the Convention when making its rulings. According to the Treaty of Lisbon, the European Union accedes to the European Convention as an entity in its own right, making the Convention binding not only on the governments of the member states but also on the supranational institutions of the EU.

Czech Republic

Orthodox priest Libor Halík with a group of followers. Halík has been chanting daily for over five years against abortion via megaphone in front of a maternity hospital in Brno, Moravia.[72]
Punk band Visací zámek which composed a popular song "The President Is a Faggot" about Václav Klaus, 2003-2013 Czech President.[73]

Freedom of speech in the Czech Republic is guaranteed by the Czech Charter of Fundamental Rights and Basic Freedoms, which has the same legal standing as the Czech Constitution. It is the first freedom of the charter's second division - political rights. It reads as follows:[74]

Article 17
(1) The freedom of expression and the right to information are guaranteed.
(2) Everyone has the right to express their opinion in speech, in writing, in the press, in pictures, or in any other form, as well as freely to seek, receive, and disseminate ideas and information irrespective of the frontiers of the State.
(3) Censorship is not permitted.
(4) The freedom of expression and the right to seek and disseminate information may be limited by law in the case of measures necessary in a democratic society for protecting the rights and freedoms of others, the security of the State, public security, public health, and morals.
(5) State bodies and territorial self-governing bodies are obliged, in an appropriate manner, to provide information on their activities. Conditions therefore and the implementation thereof shall be provided for by law.

Specific limitations of the freedom of speech within the meaning of Article 17(4) may be found in the Criminal Code as well in other enactments. These include the prohibition of:

Most of the limitations of the free speech in the Czech Republic aim at protection of rights of individuals or minority groups. Unlike in some other European countries there are no limits on speech criticizing or denigrating government, public officials or state symbols.

Denmark

Freedom of speech in Denmark is granted by Grundloven:[87]

§ 77 Any person shall be at liberty to publish his ideas in print, in writing, and in speech, subject to his being held responsible in a court of law. Censorship and other preventive measures shall never again be introduced.

Hate speech is illegal according to the Danish Penal Code § 266(b):[88][89]

Any person who, publicly or with the intention of disseminating ... makes a statement ... threatening (trues), insulting (forhånes), or degrading (nedværdiges) a group of persons on account of their race, national or ethnic origin or belief shall be liable to a fine or to simple detention or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

The 1991 Media Liability Act (Medieansvarsloven) creates criminal and civil mandates that mass media content and conduct must be consistent with journalism ethics and the right of reply, and also created the Press Council of Denmark (Pressenævnet) which can impose fines and imprisonment up to 4 months.[90]

Finland

Finland has been ranked in the Press Freedom Index as the country with the best press freedom in 2002–2006, 2009–2010, and 2012–2014. According to the Constitution, everyone has freedom of expression, entailing the right to express, disseminate and receive information, opinions and other communications without prior prevention by anyone.[91] The Finnish mass-media has a own self-regulatory organ which regulates the ethics of the press.

A demonstration or other public assembly requires no permission from the police or other authorities. If a public meeting is held outdoors, the police must be notified of the event no later than six hours before the assembly is scheduled to begin, but the police have no authority to prohibit the event.[92]

Defamation is a crime only if the target is a private person. Defamation of corporations is never a crime unless it's covered by competition regulations or similar legislation. Sentences have never been given for publishing pro-drug propaganda.

There are no restrictions regarding obscenity. It's illegal to display obscene visual material in a public place in a manner that is likely to cause public offense.[93] In practice this means that obscene photos and videos may be shown only in places where they are expected to be seen, while there is no restrictions on obscene literature. Drawings and animations showing child pornography are legal. While bestiality is legal as such, videos and photographs showing sex with animals are banned.[93] Motion pictures showing "brutal" violence may not be kept accessible to the public or distributed if the display of violence is not deemed necessary for informative or artistic purposes, possession of such audiovisual recordings being still legal.[93] A Finn was sentenced in 2009 to 40 days of probation after keeping Radical Islamistic execution videos on his website.[94] Finland had a film censorship board until 2001 when the scope of the board was limited to giving age ratings to movies. After the abolition of film censorship there are no restrictions on sex shown in movies regardless of the venue of display, violent pornography being the only exception to the rule.[93] After the abolishment of film censorship, banning movies that contain brutal violence has been extremely rare.

Disparagement of the flag of Finland is an offense that can be punished with a fine. The ban specifically includes using a flag with unauthorized addenda.[95] This is the only law restricting disparagement of the state and its symbols and institutions.

Blasphemy and hate speech are forbidden. The blasphemy law applies to all religions. The hate speech law protects people of different sexual orientations, races, skin colors, places of birth, national or ethnic origins, religions or beliefs and disabled people.[96] The sentence for committing these crimes could theoretically be imprisonment, but during the modern juridical history the sentence has always been a fine.

The hate speech law is relatively lax. It prohibits only threatening, insulting and defaming the aforementioned groups, while criticism and expression of opinions against these groups of people are not per se forbidden. For instance, unlike in 16 other European countries and Canada, denying the Holocaust is legal. During the years 2000–2013 there were 21 successful court cases regarding hate speech. The expressions ruled illegal include stating that some groups are trash, a group is a racial monster that needs to be destroyed, and comparing asylum seekers to animals and saying that violence against foreigners is acceptable.[97]

A Finnish member of EU parliament Jussi Halla-aho was sentenced for both blasphemy and hate speech in 2012 by the Supreme Court after saying that "Islam is a paedophilia religion" and "it's a national and possibly even genetic special characteristic of the Somali people to rob passers-by and to be parasites living on the tax-payers' money".[98] According to Jussi Halla-aho himself, the latter was meant to criticize the fact that saying that Finns drink a lot and then kill people due to possibly genetic reasons was held to be in accordance of the ethics of the press by the self-regulatory organ of the mass-media.[99] Fines are income-based in Finland. Halla-aho was sentenced to 50 day-fines and had to pay €550 based on his income.

France

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, of constitutional value, states, in its article 11:

The free communication of thoughts and of opinions is one of the most precious rights of man: any citizen thus may speak, write, print freely, save [if it is necessary] to respond to the abuse of this liberty, in the cases determined by the law.

In addition, France adheres to the European Convention on Human Rights and accepts the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights.

The Press Law of 1881, as amended, guarantees freedom of the press, subject to several exceptions. The Pleven Act of 1972 (after Justice Minister René Pleven) prohibits incitement to hatred, discrimination, slander and racial insults.[100][101] The Gayssot Act of 1990 prohibits any racist, anti-Semite, or xenophobic activities, including Holocaust denial.[101] The Law of 30 December 2004 prohibits hatred against people because of their gender, sexual orientation, or disability.[102]

An addition to the Public Health Code was passed on 31 December 1970, which punishes the "positive presentation of drugs" and the "incitement to their consumption" with up to five years in prison and fines up to €76,000. Newspapers such as Libération, Charlie Hebdo and associations, political parties, and various publications criticizing the current drug laws and advocating drug reform in France have been repeatedly hit with heavy fines based on this law.

France does not implement any preliminary government censorship for written publications. Any violation of law must be processed through the courts.

The government has a commission recommending movie classifications, the decisions of which can be appealed before the courts. Another commission oversees publications for the youth. The Minister of the Interior can prohibit the sale of pornographic publications to minors, and can also prevent such publications from being publicly displayed or advertised; such decisions can be challenged before administrative courts.[103]

The government restricts the right of broadcasting to authorized radio and television channels; the authorizations are granted by an independent administrative authority; this authority has recently removed the broadcasting authorizations of some foreign channels because of their antisemitic content.

As part of "internal security" enactments passed in 2003, it is an offense to insult the national flag or anthem, with a penalty of a maximum 9,000 euro fine or up to six months' imprisonment. Restrictions on "offending the dignity of the republic", on the other hand, include "insulting" anyone who serves the public (potentially magistrates, police, firefighters, teachers and even bus conductors). The legislation reflects the debate that raged after incidents such as the booing of the "La Marseillaise" at a France vs. Algeria football match in 2002.

Germany

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Freedom of expression is granted by Article 5 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, which also states that there is no censorship and that freedom of expression may be limited by law.

The press is regulated by the law of Germany as well as all 16 States of Germany.[104] The most important and sometimes controversial regulations limiting speech and the press can be found in the Criminal code:

Outdoor assemblies must be registered beforehand.[105] Assemblies at memorial sites are banned.[106] Individuals and groups may be banned from assembling, especially those whose fundamental rights have been revoked and banned political parties.[106] The Love Parade decision (1 BvQ 28/01 and 1 BvQ 30/01 of 12 July 2001) determined that for an assembly to be protected it must comply with the concept of a constituent assembly, or the so-called narrow concept of assembly whereby the participants in the assembly must pursue a common purpose that is in the common interest.[107]

Greece

The 14th article of the Greek Constitution guarantees the Freedom of Speech, of Expression and of the Press for all but with certain restrictions or exceptions; for example although it generally forbids any preemptive or after the fact censorship, it allows public prosecutors (Greek: εισαγγελείς) to order a confiscation of press (or other) publications (after having been published, not before) when the latter:[108][109]

Hungary

Articles VII, VIII, IX, and X of the Fundamental Law of Hungary establishes the rights of freedom of expression, speech, press, thought, conscience, religion, artistic creation, scientific research, and assembly.[110] Some of these rights are limited by the penal code:[111]

Section 269 - Incitement against a community
A person who incites to hatred before the general public against
a) the Hungarian nation,
b) any national, ethnic, racial group or certain groups of the population,
shall be punishable for a felony offense with imprisonment up to three years.

This list has been updated to include: "people with disabilities, various sexual identity and sexual orientation", effective from July 2013.

It is also illegal under Section 269/C of the penal code and punishable with three years of imprisonment, to publicly "deny, question, mark as insignificant, attempt to justify the genocides carried out by the National Socialist and Communist regimes, as well as the facts of other crimes against humanity."[111]

Ireland

Freedom of speech is protected by Article 40.6.1 of the Irish constitution. However the article qualifies this right, providing that it may not be used to undermine "public order or morality or the authority of the State". Furthermore, the constitution explicitly requires that the publication of "blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter" be a criminal offence, leading the government to pass a new blasphemy law on 8 July 2009.

The scope of the protection afforded by this Article has been interpreted restrictively by the judiciary, largely as a result of the wording of the Article, which qualifies the right before articulating it. Indeed, until an authoritative pronouncement on the issue by the Supreme Court, many believed that the protection was restricted to "convictions and opinions" and, as a result, a separate right to communicate was, by necessity, implied into Article 40.3.2. This judicial conservatism is at variance with the concept of speech as a democratic imperative. This, albeit trite, justification for free speech has underpinned the liberal, progressive interpretation of the First Amendment by the United States Supreme Court.

Under the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003, all of the rights afforded by the European Convention serve as a guideline for the judiciary to act upon. The act is subordinate to the constitution.

Italy

In Italy the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, as stated in Article 21, Paragraph 1:[112]

Anyone has the right to freely express their thoughts in speech, writing, or any other form of communication.

The Article also gives restrictions against those acts considered offensive by public morality, as stated in Paragraph 6:

Publications, performances, and other exhibits offensive to public morality shall be prohibited. Measures of preventive and repressive measure against such violations shall be established by law.

Such restrictions are enforced through the Italian Penal Code which, for example, includes articles that prohibit:

Commercial advertising of artwork owned by the government, such as Michelangelo's David (created in the 16th Century), require an assessment of the adequacy of the image, which must respect cultural dignity.[113]

Malta

Blasphemy against the Roman Catholic church is illegal in Malta.[114]

The Netherlands

De Schreeuw (The Scream) is a memorial commemorating Theo van Gogh and a symbol of the freedom of speech.

Article 7 of the Dutch Grondwet in its first paragraph grants everybody the right to make public ideas and feelings by printing them without prior censorship, but not exonerating the author from his liabilities under the law. The second paragraph says that radio and television will be regulated by law but that there will be no prior censorship dealing with the content of broadcasts. The third paragraph grants a similar freedom of speech as in the first for other means of making ideas and feelings public but allowing censorship for reasons of decency when the public that has access may be younger than sixteen years of age. The fourth and last paragraph exempts commercial advertising from the freedoms granted in the first three paragraphs.[115]

The penal code does have laws sanctioning certain types of expression. Such laws and freedom of speech were at the centre of a public debate in The Netherlands after the arrest on 16 May 2008 of cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot. On 1 February 2014, Dutch Parliament abolished the law penalizing blasphemy. Laws that punish discriminatory speech however still exist and are occasionally used to prosecute.

The Dutch Criminal Code § 137(c) criminalizes:[88]

… deliberately giv[ing] public expression to views insulting to a group of persons on account of their race, religion, or conviction or sexual preference.

Poland

Historically, "Statutes of Wiślica" introduced in 1347 by Casimir III of Poland codified freedom of speech in medieval Poland e.g. book publishers were not to be persecuted. The Constitution of the Republic of Poland (1997), specifically forbids, the existence of "political parties and other organizations whose programmes are based upon totalitarian methods and the modes of activity of nazism, fascism, and communism, as well as those whose programmes or activities sanction racial or national hatred, the application of violence for the purpose of obtaining power or to influence the State policy, or provide for the secrecy of their own structure or membership". On 18 July 2003, about 30 human rights activists were temporarily detained by the police, allegedly for insulting Vladimir Putin, a visiting head of state. The activists were released after about 30 hours and only one was actually charged with insulting a foreign head of state.[116]

Spain

Article 578 of the Penal Code of Spain prohibits the "Glorification or justification, by any means of public expression or dissemination, of the crimes included in Articles 571-577 of this Code or of those who participated in its execution, or performance of acts involving disrepute, contempt or humiliation of the victims of terrorist offenses or their families[...]".[117] In January 2014, a judge of the Audiencia Nacional banned a planned march in Bilbao in support of jailed members of the Basque separatist group ETA that was organized by the group Tantaz Tanta ("Drop for drop" in Basque) on the basis that he considered the group to be the successor to Herrira, whose activities had been banned because of its suspected links to jailed ETA militants.[118][119][120] In February 2014, a Twitter user was convicted for expressing praise for the separatist group GRAPO.[121][122]

Sweden

Freedom of speech is regulated in three parts of the Constitution of Sweden:

Hate speech laws prohibit threats or expressions of contempt based on race, skin colour, nationality or ethnic origin, religious belief or sexual orientation.[127]

In the weeks preceding the election of 2010, the privately owned TV channel TV4 refused to show an advertisement of the Sweden Democrats party, fearing that it could be prosecuted for publishing hate speech.[128] The ad displayed women in traditional Islamistic burkhas reaching for an emergency brake labelled with the text "Pensions", and an elderly woman reaching for an emergency brake labelled with the text "Immigration", thus implying that there is a fiscal conflict between pension payments and allowing immigration. The law regulating TV and radio broadcasts had previously expressly prohibited discrimination against advertisers, granting a rejected advertiser the right to complain to a national board. However, the ban was lifted just two months before the election, thus making it possible for TV and radio broadcasters to opt out on some parties while showing the commercials of other parties.[129] This was the first election when the Sweden Democrats gained seats in the Swedish Parliament. Some Danish ministers criticized the TV4 decision as democratically unacceptable.[129]

Prior to the election of 2014, the General Secretary for the Swedish Red Cross and former discrimination ombudsman Peter Nobel demanded that the Nazistic Swedes Party be banned.[130][131][132][133] A former police intendent, Erik Rönnegård, stated in the juridical newspaper, Dagens Juridik, that not banning the party showed incompetence of both the police and the judiciary.[133] A large newspaper, Aftonbladet, interviewed "many lawyers" who said that the party must be banned and not banning the party is not in accordance with the United Nations convention on racism.[130] According to the largest Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter the governmental decision to not to ban the party has been criticized "by many".[133] Both the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice said that freedom of speech must be respected and no parties should be banned.[130] Holding a demonstration requires a permission by the Swedish police. The police have so far granted demonstration permissions to the Swedes Party, but Swedish Left Party leader Jonas Sjöstedt has criticized the police for issuing permissions "so generously".[134] The Swedes Party was disbanded the 10th of May 2015.

United Kingdom

The Bill of Rights 1689 grants the parliamentary privilege for freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament and is still in effect.

United Kingdom citizens have a negative right to freedom of expression under the common law.[135] In 1998, the United Kingdom incorporated the European Convention, and the guarantee of freedom of expression it contains in Article 10, into its domestic law under the Human Rights Act. However, there is a broad sweep of exceptions including threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior intending or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress or cause a breach of the peace (which has been used to prohibit racist speech targeted at individuals),[136][137][138] sending any article which is indecent or grossly offensive with an intent to cause distress or anxiety (which has been used to prohibit speech of a racist or anti-religious nature),[139][140][141] incitement,[142] incitement to racial hatred,[143] incitement to religious hatred, incitement to terrorism including encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications,[142][144][145] glorifying terrorism,[146][147][148] collection or possession of a document or record containing information likely to be of use to a terrorist,[149][150] treason including advocating for the abolition of the monarchy (which cannot be successfully prosecuted) or compassing or imagining the death of the monarch,[151][152][153][154][155] sedition (no longer illegal, sedition and seditious libel (as common law offences) were abolished by section 73 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (with effect on 12 January 2010)),[152] obscenity,[156] indecency including corruption of public morals and outraging public decency,[157] defamation,[158] prior restraint, restrictions on court reporting including names of victims and evidence and prejudicing or interfering with court proceedings,[159][160] prohibition of post-trial interviews with jurors,[160] scandalising the court by criticising or murmuring judges,[160][161] time, manner, and place restrictions,[162] harassment, privileged communications, trade secrets, classified material, copyright, patents, military conduct, and limitations on commercial speech such as advertising.

UK laws on defamation are among the strictest in the western world, imposing a high burden of proof on the defendant. However, the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 guarantees freedom of speech (within institutions of further education and institutions of higher education) as long as it is within the law (see section 43 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986).[163] UK defamation law may have recently experienced a considerable liberalising effect as a result of the ruling in Jameel v Wall Street Journal in October 2006. A ruling of the House of Lords—the then highest court of appeal—revived the so-called Reynolds Defence, in which journalism undertaken in the public interest shall enjoy a complete defence against a libel suit. Conditions for the defence include the right of reply for potential claimants, and that the balance of the piece was fair in view of what the writer knew at the time. The ruling removed the awkward—and hitherto binding—conditions of being able to describe the publisher as being under a duty to publish the material and the public as having a definite interest in receiving it. The original House of Lords judgment in Reynolds was unclear and held 3–2; whereas Jameel was unanimous and resounding. Lord Hoffman's words, in particular, for how the judge at first instance had applied Reynolds so narrowly, were very harsh. Hoffman LJ made seven references to Eady J, none of them favorable. He twice described his thinking as unrealistic and compared his language to "the jargon of the old Soviet Union."

The Video Recordings Act 2010 requires most video recordings and some video games offered for sale in the United Kingdom to display a classification supplied by the BBFC. There are no set regulations as to what cannot be depicted in order to gain a classification as each scene is considered in the context of the wider intentions of the work; however images that could aid, encourage, or are a result of the committing of a crime, along with sustained and graphic images of torture or sexual abuse are the most likely to be refused. The objectionable material may be cut by the distributor in order to receive a classification, but with some works it may be deemed that no amount of cuts would be able to make the work suitable for classification, effectively banning that title from sale in the country. Cinemas by convention use BBFC classifications, but recordings refused a classification by the BBFC may still be shown in cinemas providing the local authority, from which a cinema must have a licence to operate, will permit them.

Norway

Article 100 of the Norwegian Constitution has granted freedom of speech since 1814 and is mostly unchanged since then. Article 142 of the penal code is a law against blasphemy, but no one has been charged since 1933, though it was upheld as late as 2004. Article 135a of the penal code is a law against hate speech, which is debated and not widely used.

Article 100 in the Constitution states:

Norway has however several laws the bans the right to impart information, such as laws against alcohol and tobacco-advertisement in TV, radio, newspapers and on the internet.

Russia

Various aspects of the contemporary press freedom situation are criticized by multiple international organizations.[164][165][166][167][168][169][170][171] Russian constitution provides for freedom of speech and press, however, government application of law, bureaucratic regulation, and politically motivated criminal investigations have forced the press to exercise self-censorship constraining its coverage of certain controversial issues, resulting in infringements of these rights.[164][165][172] According to Human Rights Watch, the Russian government exerts control over civil society through selective implementation of the law, restriction and censure.[168]

The 2002 Federal Law on Counteracting Extremist Activity codifies a definition of "extremism", prohibits advocacy of extreme political positions, imposes liability on organizations that do not disavow the "extremist" statements of their members, and allows government authorities to suspend, without court order, social and religious organizations and political parties.[173] In 2014, Russia strengthened criminal responsibility for crimes under Art. 280 ("public calls for extremist activity"), Art. 282 ("inciting hatred or hostility, and humiliation of human dignity"), Art. 282 Part 1 ("the organization of an extremist community") and Art. 282 Part 2 ("the organization of an extremist organization") of the Criminal Code.[174] Under the strengthened laws, those convicted of "extremist activity" face up to six years in prison.[175]

Switzerland

The Swiss Constitution also guarantees Freedom of speech and Freedom of information for every citizen (Article 16).[176] But still the country makes some controversial decisions, which both Human Right Organizations and other states criticizes. The Swiss animal rights organization "Verein gegen Tierfabriken Schweiz" took the country to the European Court of Human Rights twice for censoring a TV ad of the organization, in which the livestock farming of pigs is shown. The organization won both lawsuits, and the Swiss state was convicted to pay compensations.[177] Another very controversial[citation needed] law of Switzerland is that persons who refuse to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915 have to face trial. The Turkish politician Doğu Perinçek was fined CHF 12,000 for denying the genocide in 2007. Switzerland was criticized by Turkish media and Turkish politicians for acting against the freedom of opinion. Perinçek's application for a revision was rejected by the court.[178] Holocaust denial is also illegal.

North America

Canada

Freedom of expression in Canada is guaranteed by section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: ... (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication

Section 1 of the Charter, the so-called limitations clause, establishes that the guarantee of freedom of expression and other rights under the Charter are not absolute and can be limited under certain situations:

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. (emphasis added)

This section is double-edged. First it implies that a limitation on freedom of speech prescribed in law can be permitted, if it can be justified as being a reasonable limit in a free and democratic society. Conversely, it implies that a restriction can be invalidated, if it cannot be shown to be a reasonable limit in a free and democratic society.

Other laws that protect freedom of speech in Canada, and did so, to a limited extent, before the Charter was enacted in 1982, include the Implied Bill of Rights and the Canadian Bill of Rights.

In the landmark Supreme Court of Canada case R. v. Zundel (1992), the court struck down a provision in the Criminal Code that prohibited publication of false information or news, stating that it violated section 2(b) of the Charter.

Under section 318 of the Criminal Code it is illegal to promote genocide. Under section 319, it is illegal to publicly incite hatred against people based on their colour, race, religion, ethnic origin, and sexual orientation, except where the statements made are true or are made in good faith. The prohibition against inciting hatred based on sexual orientation was added to the section in 2004 with the passage of Bill C-250. A prohibition against inciting hatred based on "gender identity" is slated to be included in section 318 with the passage of Bill C-279, once it has been given Royal Assent.[179]

Canada has had a string of high-profile court cases in which writers and publishers have been prosecuted for their writings, in both magazines and web postings:

Cuba

Main article: Censorship in Cuba

Books, newspapers, radio channels, television channels, movies and music are censored. Cuba is one of the world's worst offenders of free speech according to the Press Freedom Index 2008.[189] RWB states that Cuba is "the second biggest prison in the world for journalists" after the People's Republic of China.[190]

United States

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
1st Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 15, 1791

The five freedoms of the citizens of the United States of America:

  1. Freedom of Religion
  2. Freedom of Press
  3. Freedom of Speech
  4. Freedom of Petition
  5. Freedom of Assembly

In the United States freedom of expression is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. There are several common law exceptions including obscenity,[191][192] defamation,[191][192] incitement,[192] incitement to riot or imminent lawless action,[191][192] fighting words,[191] fraud, speech covered by copyright, and speech integral to criminal conduct; this is not to say that it is illegal, but just that either state governments or the federal government may make them illegal. There are federal criminal law statutory prohibitions covering all the common law exceptions other than defamation, of which there is civil law liability, as well as terrorist threats, making false statements in "matters within the jurisdiction" of the federal government,[193] spreading false and misleading information (which has been used to punish hoaxes on 4chan),[194][195][196][197] speech related to information decreed to be related to national security such as military and classified information,[198] false advertising,[192] perjury,[192] privileged communications, trade secrets,[199][200] copyright, and patents. There also exist so-called "gag orders" which prevent the recipient of search warrants[201] and certain court orders (such as those concerning national security letters,[202][203][204] subpoenas,[205] pen registers and trap and trace devices,[206][207] 18 U.S.C. § 2703(d) orders,[208][209] suspicious activity reports[210]) from revealing them. Most states and localities have many identical restrictions, as well as harassment, and time, place and manner restrictions. In addition, in California it is a crime to post a public official's address or telephone number on the Internet.[211][212]

The Newseum's five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

Historically, local communities and governments have sometimes sought to place limits upon speech that was deemed subversive or unpopular. There was a significant struggle for the right to free speech on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley in the 1960s. And, in the period from 1906 to 1916, the Industrial Workers of the World, a working class union, found it necessary to engage in free speech fights intended to secure the right of union organizers to speak freely to wage workers. These free speech campaigns were sometimes quite successful, although participants often put themselves at great risk.

In some public places, freedom of speech is limited to free speech zones, which can take the form of a wire fence enclosure, barricades, or an alternative venue designed to segregate speakers according to the content of their message. They are most often created at political gatherings or on college or university campuses. There is much controversy surrounding the creation of these areas—the mere existence of such zones is offensive to some people, who maintain that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution makes the entire country an unrestricted free speech zone.[213] Civil liberties advocates claim that Free Speech Zones are used as a form of censorship and public relations management to conceal the existence of popular opposition from the mass public and elected officials.[213]

Neither the federal nor state governments engage in preliminary censorship of movies. However, the Motion Picture Association of America has a rating system, and movies not rated by the MPAA typically only receive limited release in theatres. Since the organization is private, no recourse to the courts is available. However, unlike comparable public or private institutions in other countries, the MPAA does not have the power to limit the retail sale of movies in tape or disc form based on their content, nor does it affect movie distribution in public (i.e., government-funded) libraries. Since 2000, it has become quite common for movie studios to release "unrated" DVD versions of films with previously removed content put back in.

Unlike what has been called a strong international consensus that hate speech needs to be prohibited by law and that such prohibitions override, or are irrelevant to, guarantees of freedom of expression, the United States is perhaps unique among the developed world in that under law hate speech is legal.[214][215]

For instance, in July 2012 a U.S. court ruled that advertisements with the slogan, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel Defeat Jihad", are constitutionally protected speech and the government must allow their display in New York City Subway.[216] In response on 27 September 2012 New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved new guidelines for subway advertisements, prohibiting those that it "reasonably foresees would imminently incite or provoke violence or other immediate breach of the peace". The MTA believes the new guidelines adhere to the court's ruling and will withstand any potential First Amendment challenge. Under the new policy, the authority will continue to allow viewpoint ads, but will require a disclaimer on each ad noting that it does not imply the authority's endorsement of its views.[217]

In response to libel tourism, in 2010 the United States enacted the SPEECH Act making foreign defamation judgments unenforceable in U.S. courts unless those judgments are compliant with the First Amendment.

South America

In Brazil, freedom of assembly and expression are Constitutional rights.

Brazil

In Brazil, freedom of expression is a Constitutional right. Article Five of the Constitution of Brazil establishes that the "expression of thought is free, anonymity being forbidden". Furthermore, the "expression of intellectual, artistic, scientific, and communications activities is free, independently of censorship or license".

However, there are legal provisions criminalizing the desecration of religious artifacts at the time of worship, hate speech, racism, defamation, calumny, and libel. Brazilian law also forbids "unjust and grave threats".

Historically, freedom of speech has been a right in Brazilian Law since the 1824 Constitution was enacted, though it was banned by the Vargas dictatorship and severely restricted under the military dictatorship in 1964–85.

Ecuador

Accusations or insults without factual basis can be punished by three months to three years in prison according to Article 494 of Ecuador's penal code.[218] It is usually interpreted in media as criminal defamation and/or libel.

In 2012 the Supreme Court of Ecuador upheld a three-year prison sentence and a $42 million fine for criminal libel against an editor and the directors of the newspaper El Universo for "aggravated defamation of a public official".[219] In 2013 Assemblyman Cléver Jiménez was sentenced to a year in prison for criminal libel.[220][221]

See also

References

  1. General Assembly of the United Nations (1948-12-10). "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (pdf) (in English and French). pp. 4–5. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  2. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "List of Declarations and Reservations to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights". Archived from the original on 2007-01-22. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  3. "Freedom of Expression". Archived from the original (doc) on 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  4. Laugh It Off Promotions CC v South African Breweries International (Finance) BV t/a SabMark International (Freedom of Expression Institute as Amicus Curiae) 2006 (1) SA 144 (CC)s http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZACC/2005/7.html
  5. Terri Judy (2007-11-27). "Teacher held for teddy bear 'blasphemy'". London: The Independent.
  6. "Tunisie: le verdict du procès en appel du rappeur Weld El 15 reporté au 2 juillet" ("Tunisia: the verdict on the appeal of rapper Weld El 15 postponed to July 2"), Fethi Belaid, L'Express (AFP), 25 June 2013
  7. Harry Roque Jr. (7 November 2013). "Freedom of expression in Asean". Manila Standard Today. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  8. "Asia and the Pacific Human Rights", Amnesty International. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  9. "Burma: Freedom of expression in transition", Mike Harris, Index on Censorship, July 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  10. "Chapter III : Fundamental Rights and Duties of the Residents". The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. July 13, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  11. "Chapter III : Fundamental Rights and Duties of the Residents".
  12. 1 2 "19. Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc." (doc). The Constitution of India. 1949-11-26. p. 8. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  13. "Section 124A - Sedition", Indian Penal Code, 1860, VakilNo1.com
  14. Kedar Nath Singh vs State Of Bihar on 20 January, 1962, 1962 AIR 955, 1962 SCR Supl. (2) 769, indiankanoon.org
  15. "Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom May 2009" (PDF). Indonesia. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. May 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  16. "Iran Report" (PDF). Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2009. May 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  17. "Eritrea ranked last for first time while G8 members, except Russia, recover lost ground". Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007. Reporters Without Borders. 19 October 2007.
  18. Power, Catherine. "Overview of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Repression Revisited". World Press Freedom Review 2007. International Press Institute. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2016. nine journalists remain in prison at year's end and the opposition press has all but been quashed through successive closure orders
  19. "Iran Report". Annual report 2008. Reporters Without Borders. 13 February 2008.
  20. 1 2 3 Lis, Jonathan (11 July 2011). "Israel passes law banning calls for boycott". Haaretz.
  21. Sherwood, Harriet; Kalman, Matthew (8 May 2013). "Stephen Hawking joins academic boycott of Israel". The Guardian.
  22. "Israeli Democracy Institute (January 2015)"
  23. 1 2 "The Constitution of Japan", Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Public Relations Office, 3 November 1946, retrieved 16 March 2013
  24. "Constitution of Japan" [日本国憲法]. National Diet Library (in Japanese). Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  25. Thestaronline.tv
  26. Thestar.com.my
  27. "The Constitution of Pakistan". pakistani.org.
  28. "Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom May 2009" (PDF). Pakistan. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. May 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  29. The relevant articles of Pakistan penal code against "Blasphemy 1) Religion 2) Quran 3) Prophets of Allah" are 295 (a), (b) and (c).
  30. "Chapter II. The Fundamental Rights and duties of Citizens". Constitution of the People's Republic of China. 1982-12-04. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  31. 中华人民共和国宪法 [Constitution of the People's Republic of China]. The Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China (in Chinese). Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  32. Riley, Charles. "Banned! 8 things you won't find in China". CNN Money. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  33. Xu, Beina. "Media Censorship in China". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  34. "Freedom of Expression and the Internet in China". A Human Rights Watch Backgrounder.
  35. Chao, Steve (7 January 2013). "China's 'Freedom of Speech' Standoff". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  36. Stokols, Andrew. "China Free Speech: Protests in Guangzhou Are a Small Win for Press Freedom". Policy.Mic. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  37. Republic Act No. 8491: An Act Prescribing the Code of the National Flag, Anthem, Motto, Coat-of-Arms and Other Heraldic Items and Devices of the Philippines, approved February 12, 1998, Government of the Republic of the Philippines.
  38. Libel law violates freedom of expression – UN rights panel, Frank Lloyd Tiongson, The Manila Times, 30 January 2012.
  39. "UNHRC: Philippine criminal libel law violates freedom of expression", InterAksyon (TV5, Manila), 28 January 2012.
  40. "Blasphemy a UN-guaranteed human right, PHL group says", Paterno Esmaquel II, GMA News, 14 August 14, 2011
  41. "Articles 200 and 201, Chapter Two of Title Six: Offenses Against Decency and Good Customs", The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, Government of the Philippines
  42. Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom May 2009
  43. Google.com
  44. Ryu (류), Nan-yeong (난영) (2011-05-31). 유엔 인권이사회 "한국, 인터넷상 표현의 자유 훼손 심각". Newsis (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  45. "Balloon activist sends 'thousands of copies' of The Interview to North Korea". The Guardian. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  46. Son Won-je (21 January 2015). "N. Korean refugee group holds surprise launch of propaganda leaflets". The Hankyoreh. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  47. 1 2 "Thailand", Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State
  48. "Thailand Country Profile", Access Contested: Security, Identity, and Resistance in Asian Cyberspace, Ronald J. Deibert, John G. Palfrey, Rafal Rohozinski, and Jonathan Zittrain, MIT Press and the OpenNet Initiative, November 2011, ISBN 978-0-262-01678-0
  49. OpenNet Initiative, "Summarized global Internet filtering data spreadsheet", 8 November 2011 and "Country Profiles", the OpenNet Initiative is a collaborative partnership of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto; the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; and the SecDev Group, Ottawa
  50. Due to legal concerns the OpenNet Initiative does not check for filtering of child pornography and because their classifications focus on technical filtering, they do not include other types of censorship.
  51. Internet Enemies, Reporters Without Borders (Paris), 12 March 2012
  52. "Country Report: Thailand", Freedom on the Net 2011, Freedom House, 18 April 2011
  53. Duffy, Matt J. (27 August 2013). "UAE Professor Challenges Cybercrime Law on Twitter". Al-Monitor.
  54. "Emiratis jailed for 'insulting' state security on Twitter". Emirates Centre for Human Rights. 11 March 2014.
  55. "Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation".
  56. Triple J (2004-06-30). "The story of Albert Langer". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
  57. Amnesty International (1996-02-23). "Australia: Political activist becomes first prisoner of conscience for over 20 years (Albert Langer) – Amnesty International". Retrieved 2007-05-05.
  58. Media Watch (TV program) (2005-09-24). "Seditious opinion? Lock 'em up". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australian). Retrieved 2007-05-05.
  59. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/scientists-bitter-over-interference/2006/02/12/1139679479548.html
  60. Chandler, Jo (2006-02-13). "Scientists bitter over interference". The Age. Melbourne.
  61. BODEY, MICHAEL (2011-09-29). "Bolt breached discrimination act, judge rules". THE AUSTRALIAN. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  62. Massola, James; Kenny, Mark (2014-05-28). "George Brandis forced to rethink discrimination act changes". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  63. "Australia bans reporting of multi-nation corruption case involving Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam". WikiLeaks. 2014-07-29. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  64. Dorling, Philip (2014-07-30). "WikiLeaks publishes 'unprecedented' secret Australian court suppression order". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  65. Butler, Andrew; Butler, Petra (2005). The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act: a commentary. p. 305. ISBN 978 0408716390.
  66. "New Zealand". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  67. "New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 No 109 (as at 01 July 2013), Public Act 14 Freedom of expression – New Zealand Legislation". www.legislation.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  68. R v Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Simms [2000] 2 AC 115 at p125
  69. A Bill of Rights for New Zealand: A White Paper (New Zealand Parliament House of Representatives) 1985. AJHR. 6 , p 79.
  70. Moonen v Film and Literature Board of Review [2000] 2 NZLR 9 para 15
  71. Explanatory Report on the additional protocol to the convention on cybercrime
  72. http://brnensky.denik.cz/rozhovor/halik-stat-s-krizem-pred-porodnici-prace-20090321.html
  73. Kolář, Petr (11 January 2013). "Prezident je buzna! Visací zámek oživil legendární píseň novým klipem [The President is a Faggot! Visací Zámek revived legendary song with a new music video]". reflex. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  74. Czech National Council (16 December 1992). "Charter of Fundamental Rights and Basic Freedoms the Czech Republic". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic. Prague. 2 (1993). Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  75. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §180". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  76. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §184". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  77. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §191". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  78. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §287". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  79. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §355". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  80. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §356". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  81. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §356". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  82. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §364". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  83. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §365". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  84. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §404". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  85. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §405". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  86. "Criminal Code of the Czech Republic, §407". Collection of the laws of the Czech Republic (in Czech). Prague. 40 (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  87. Constitution of Denmark (English translation).
  88. 1 2 Weinstein, James (2011). "Extreme Speech, Public Order, and Democracy: Lessons from The Masses". In Hare, Ivan; Weinstein, James. Extreme Speech and Democracy. Oxford University Press. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-19-954878-1.
  89. Danish Penal Code (In Danish)
  90. Media Liability Act (In Danish)
  91. "Section 12 - Freedom of expression and right of access to information", The Constitution of Finland, Ministry of Justice, Finland.
  92. "Notification of a public meeting", Police of Finland. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  93. 1 2 3 4 "Ch. 17: § 17: Distribution of depictions of violence / § 18: Distribution of a sexually offensive picture / § 20: Unlawful marketing of obscene material", Criminal Code of Finland, Ministry of Justice, Finland.
  94. "Telotusvideoista ehdollista vankeutta helsinkiläismiehelle" ["Helsinkian man punished with probation for execution videos"] (Finnish), Helsingin Sanomat, 16 December 2009.
  95. "Laki Suomen lipusta" ["The Flag of Finland Act"] (Finnish), 26.5.1978 / 380, Finlex.
  96. "Ethnic agitation: Ch. 11 § 10 / Breach of sanctity of religion: Ch. 17 § 10", Criminal Code of Finland, Ministry of Justice, Finland.
  97. "Rasisteja vai sananvapauden marttyyreja?" ["Racists or the martyrs of freedom of speech?"] (Finnish), Yle News, 23 December 2013.
  98. "Supreme Court finds Finns Party MP Jussi Halla-aho guilty of incitement against an ethnic group", Helsingin Sanomat, 8 June 2012.
  99. "Muutama täky Illmanin Mikalle" ["A few bait Mika Illman"] (Finnish), Scripta, 3 June 2008.
  100. Loi n° 72-546 du 1 juillet 1972 relative à la lutte contre le racisme, Journal Officiel of 2 July 1972, 6803.
  101. 1 2 Bribosia, Emmanuelle; Rorive, Isabelle; de Torres, Amaya Úbeda (2009). "Protecting Individuals from Minorities and Vulnerable Groups in the European Court of Human Rights: Litigation and Jurisprudence in France". In Anagnostou, Dia; Psychogiopoulou, Evangelia. The European Court of Human Rights and the Rights of Marginalised Individuals and Minorities in National Context. Koninklijke Brill. p. 77. ISBN 978-9004-17326-2.
  102. Mbongo, Pascal (2011). "Hate Speech, Extreme Speech, and Collective Defamation in French Law". In Hare, Ivan; Weinstein, James. Extreme Speech and Democracy. Oxford University Press. p. 229. ISBN 978-0-19-954878-1.
  103. Loi n° 49-956 du 16 juillet 1949 sur les publications destinées à la jeunesse
  104. Esser, Frank; Hemmer, Katharina (2008). "Characteristics and Dynamics of Election News Coverage in Germany". In Strömbäck, Jesper; Kaid, Lynda Lee. Handbook of Election Coverage Around the World. pp. 291–292. ISBN 978-0-8058-6037-5.
  105. FRA 2008, p. 24
  106. 1 2 FRA 2008, p. 23
  107. "Legal Study on Homophobia and Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation – Germany" (PDF). European Union Fundamental Rights Agency. February 2008: 23.
  108. 'Αρθρο 14: (Ελευθερία του Τύπου). Hellenic Parliament (in Greek).
  109. According to said article (paragraph 14.4), within twenty four hours of such a confiscation, the public prosecutor is obliged to present the case to the Judicial Council (Greek: δικαστικό συμβούλιο); the latter has then twenty four more hours to decide whether to allow it to continue or to have it stopped. Otherwise said confiscation is lifted automatically, ipso jure (Greek: αυτοδικαίως).
  110. The Fundamental Law of Hungary, 25 April 2011
  111. 1 2 (Hungarian) 1978. évi IV. törvény a Büntető Törvénykönyvről (1978th Act IV. The Criminal Code) as amended, accessed 13 November 2012
  112. "The Italian Constitution" (PDF). The official website of the Presidency of the Italian Republic.
  113. "Il David testimonial di un fucile, il fotomontaggio scatena la polemica". la Repubblica (in Italian). 7 March 2014.
  114. Matthew Vella. http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2009/03/08/t13.html Maltatoday on Sunday, 8 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  115. "De Grondwet". www.overheid.nl. 2011-04-29.
  116. "28 Detained for insulting Putin?". Independent Media Center. Retrieved 2007-05-07. "Relacja z demostracji w Krakowie" (in Polish). centrum niezalez'nych medio'w Polska (Independent Media Center, Poland). Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  117. "Ley Orgánica 10/1995, de 23 de noviembre, del Código Penal", Boletín Oficial del Estado, 24 November 1995
  118. "Spain judge bans demo for ETA prisoners". GlobalPost. Agence France-Presse. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  119. Pérez, Fernando J. (10 January 2014). "PNV and Sortu back new rally for ETA inmates after court bans march". El País. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  120. "Velasco prohíbe la marcha a favor de los presos de ETA por convocarla la sucesora de Herrira". RTVE (in Spanish). 10 January 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  121. "One-year prison sentence for 21-year-old Twitter user who glorified terrorists". El País. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  122. Minder, Raphael (22 February 2014). "In a First for Spain, a Woman Is Convicted of Inciting Terror Over Twitter". The New York Times.
  123. "Chapter 2. Fundamental rights and freedoms". The Instrument of Government. 1974. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  124. Summary of The Freedom of the Press Act, Swedish Riksdag
  125. Dagspress.se In English, TU/Tidningsutgivarna, Swedish Media Publishers' Association
  126. Summary of The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression, Swedish Riksdag
  127. Piano, Aili (2009). Freedom in the World 2009: The Annual Survey of Political Rights & Civil Liberties. p. 689. ISBN 978-1-4422-0122-4.
  128. "SD:s valreklam och TV 4 - en värderingsövning" ["SD's election advertising and TV 4 - a valuation exercise"] (Swedish), Mediekompass. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  129. 1 2 "TV4 får rata politisk annons" ["TV4 may level political ad"] (Swedish), Johan Hellekant, Swedish Dagbladet (SvD), 5 September 2010.
  130. 1 2 3 "Tung kritik mot svensk hållning kring nazidemonstrationer" ["Heavy criticism of the Swedish attitude about Nazi demonstrations"] (Swedish), John Granlund and Pär Karlsson, Aftonbladet, 31 August 2014.
  131. "Tumultet kring Svenskarnas parti", ["Tumult about Swedes Party"] (Swedish), Swedish Dagbladet (SvD), 23 August 2014.
  132. "Svenskarnas parti får massivt polisbeskydd" ["Swedes party gets massive police protection"] (Swedish), Lars-Olof Strömberg, Kvällsposten (KVP), 23 August 2014.
  133. 1 2 3 "Jurister: Inget hinder för att förbjuda nazistorganisationer" ["Lawyers: No obstacles to ban Nazi organizations"] (Swedish), Ossi Carp and Erik de la Reguera, Daily News (DN.se), 31 August 2014.
  134. "Nazisternas nyttiga idioter" ["The Nazis' useful idiots"] (Swedish), Sakine Madon, Expressen, Kvällsposten (KVP), 29 August 2014.
  135. Klug, Francesca (1996). Starmer, Keir; Weir, Stuart, eds. The Three Pillars of Liberty: Political Rights and Freedoms in the United Kingdom. The Democratic Audit of the United Kingdom. Routledge. p. 165. ISBN 978-041509642-3.
  136. Hensley, Thomas R. (2001). The Boundaries of Freedom of Expression & Order in American Democracy. Kent State University Press. p. 153. ISBN 9780873386920.
  137. Klug 1996, pp. 175–179
  138. Public Order Act 1986
  139. Quinn, Ben (11 November 2012). "Kent man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet". The Guardian.
  140. Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988
  141. Cockerton, Paul (25 May 2013). "Woolwich attack: Man held in malicious Facebook comments probe after soldier murder". Mirror Online.
  142. 1 2 Joint Committee on Human Rights; Parliament of the United Kingdom (2005). Counter-Terrorism Policy And Human Rights: Terrorism Bill and related matters: Oral and Written Evidence. Counter-Terrorism Policy And Human Rights: Terrorism Bill and related matters. 2. The Stationery Office. p. 114.
  143. Sadurski, Wojciech (2001). Freedom of Speech and Its Limits. Law and Philosophy Library. 38. p. 179. ISBN 9781402002816.
  144. Conte, Alex (2010). Human Rights in the Prevention and Punishment of Terrorism. Springer. p. 643. ISBN 9783642116087.
  145. Terrorism Act 2006
  146. Crook, Tim (2010). Comparative Media Law and Ethics. p. 397. ISBN 9780203865965.
  147. Joint Committee 2005, p. 116
  148. "Sinn Fein theory on memorials break law by glorification of terrorism". Tyrone Times. 21 June 2013.
  149. "Blogger who encouraged murder of MPs jailed". BBC News. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  150. Possession of Inspire has been successfully prosecuted under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000. "Online extremist sentenced to 12 years for soliciting murder of MPs" (Press release). West Midlands Police. 29 July 2011. In addition, Ahmad admitted three counts of collecting information likely to be of use to a terrorist, including the al-Qaeda publication Inspire. This is the first successful prosecution for possessing the online jihadist magazine.
  151. Treason Felony Act 1848
  152. 1 2 Klug 1996, p. 177
  153. Lemon, Rebecca (2008). Treason by Words: Literature, Law, and Rebellion in Shakespeare's England. Cornell University Press. pp. 5–10. ISBN 9780801474491.
  154. Emmerson, Ben; Ashworth, Andrew; Macdonald, Alison (2012). Human Rights and Criminal Justice (3rd ed.). Sweet & Maxwell. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-847-03911-8.
  155. Dyer, Clare (27 June 2003). "Guardian vindicated in treason case". The Guardian. Advocating the abolition of the monarchy in print is lawful and no one can be prosecuted for it, despite a 19th-century act still on the statute book that bans it…
  156. Klug 1996, p. 172
  157. Klug 1996, p. 173
  158. Klug 1996, pp. 169–170
  159. Klug 1996, pp. 156–160
  160. 1 2 3 Helsinki Watch; Fund for Free Expression (1991). Restricted Subjects: Freedom of Expression in the United Kingdom. p. 53. ISBN 9780300056242.
  161. "'Scandalising court' under review". BBC News. 9 August 2012.
  162. "Brown 'to change' protests laws". BBC News. 3 July 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2010. A 2005 law created an "exclusion zone" inside which all protests required police permission. ... The requirement for police permission was introduced in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
  163. Education (No. 2) Act 1986
  164. 1 2 International Press Institute: Russia
  165. 1 2 Human Rights Reports: Russia; US BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR; 2013
  166. Reporters Without Borders: Europe no longer so exemplary, Russian tragedy deepens
  167. Reporters Without Borders: Indeks svabody pressy 2009 god, (Russian).
  168. 1 2 Human Rights Watch: World Report, Russia p. 393
  169. Amnesty International: Amnesty International Report 2009 - Russia
  170. Amnesty International: Freedom curtailed in the Russian Federation
  171. The October 2009 Concluding Observations of the United Nations Human Rights Committee
  172. Index of Reporters without Borders, 2009
  173. Gross, J. Brian (2003). "Russia's War on Political and Religious Extremism: An Appraisal of the Law "On Counteracting Extremist Activity"". BYU Law Review (2): 717–760.
  174. Крупа, Владислав (22 January 2014). Депутаты ужесточили наказание за экстремизм [MPs toughen penalties for extremism]. Утро.ru (in Russian).
  175. Weir, Fred (1 April 2014). "A bit of satire in Russia earns a big backlash". The Christian Science Monitor.
  176. Article 16 of the Swiss Constitution
  177. German: 3sat TV: Switzerland's violation against Freedom of speech
  178. Turkish politician fined over genocide denial
  179. "Private Member's Bill C-279". Parliament of Canada.
  180. "Imam drops rights dispute". Calgary Herald. 13 February 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  181. Human rights complaint dismissal spurs more debate by Paul Lungen, Canadian Jewish News, 21 August 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  182. Mark Steyn: Canadian Islamic Congress human rights complaint, English Wikipedia, 7 March 2012
  183. "Montreal man jailed for racist website", Montreal Gazette, 24 January 2007
  184. Politicians allow hurt feelings to trump basic rights: http://www.canadianconstitutionfoundation.ca/article.php/188
  185. Supreme Court to hear appeal over anti-gay leaflets: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/882255--supreme-court-to-hear-appeal-over-anti-gay-leaflets
  186. Murphy, Jessica (27 February 2013). "Anti-gay crusader can't distribute flyers: top court". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  187. "'F*CK HARPER' Sign Leads To $543 Fine For Edmonton Man". huffingtonpost.
  188. "Sign splits Lebanese, riles Jews". canada.com.
  189. "Press Freedom Index 2008" (PDF). Reporters Without Borders. 2008.
  190. "Updated information on imprisoned Cuban journalists". Reporters Without Borders.
  191. 1 2 3 4 Neisser, Eric (1991). Recapturing the Spirit: Essays on the Bill of Rights at 200. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-945612-23-0.
  192. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Biederman, Donald E. (2007). Law and Business of the Entertainment Industries. Law and Business of the Entertainment Industries Series. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 457. ISBN 978-0-275-99205-7.
  193. 18 U.S.C. § 1001
  194. "Ex-Grocery Clerk Gets 6 Months for NFL Stadium Attack Hoax". Fox News. AP. 5 June 2008. Brahm said the postings were not meant to be taken seriously and were at a Web site, www.4chan.org, that is 'outrageous.' … Welle said Brahm bragged in a posting, 'This is the most epic win ever.' … The charge is part of the Patriot Act.
  195. U.S. v. Jake Brahm, Indictment, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1038(a)(1) and 2
  196. Stop Terrorist and Military Hoaxes Act of 2004, Subtitle H of Title VI of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act; codified at 18 U.S.C. § 1038 et seq.
  197. "Violators of Military Hoaxes Act could receive fines, prison time", United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, 22 February 2007. "Persons making false or misleading statements … could be … imprisoned … According to the Stop Terrorist and Military Hoaxes Act of 2004 …"
  198. Protection of National Security Information (PDF), Congressional Research Service, 30 June 2006
  199. Miller, Roger LeRoy; Cross, Frank B.; Jentz, Gaylord A. (2008). Essentials of the Legal Environment (2 ed.). Cengage Learning. p. 245. ISBN 978-0-324-64123-3.
  200. DVD Copy Control Association, Inc. v. Bunner, 116 Cal. App. 4th 241
  201. California Electronic Communications Privacy Act § 1, codified at California Penal Code § 1546.2. "(b)(1) When a warrant is sought or electronic information is obtained in an emergency under Section 1546.1, the government entity may submit a request supported by a sworn affidavit for an order delaying notification and prohibiting any party providing information from notifying any other party that information has been sought. The court shall issue the order […]"
  202. 18 U.S.C. § 2709
  203. "ACLU Roadmap of Justice Department Inspector General's Review of the FBI's Use of National Security Letters". American Civil Liberties Union. 19 March 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  204. Kravets, David (20 October 2009). "Judge Refuses to Lift 5-Year-Old Patriot Act Gag Order". Wired News. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  205. McKinley, James C., Jr. (8 October 2015). "Judge Finds Fault With Gag Order in U.S. Attorney's Subpoena". The New York Times.
  206. 18 U.S.C. § 3123(d)(2)
  207. In Re: Sealing and Non-disclosure of Pen/Trap/2703(d) Orders of May 30, 2008, p. 5
  208. 18 U.S.C. § 2705(b)
  209. In Re: Application of the United States of America for an Order Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2703(d) of January 25, 2013, p. 4, from the Wikileaks-related Twitter subpoenas
  210. 31 U.S.C. § 5318(g)(2)
  211. California Government Code § 6254.21(c)
  212. California Penal Code § 146e
  213. 1 2 Secret Service Ordered Local Police to Restrict Anti-Bush Protesters at Rallies, ACLU Charges in Unprecedented Nationwide Lawsuit. ACLU press release, 23 September 2003
  214. Liptak, Adam (11 June 2008). "Hate speech or free speech? What much of West bans is protected in U.S.". The New York Times.
  215. Schauer, Frederick (February 2005). "The Exceptional First Amendment". Working Paper Series from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. doi:10.2139/ssrn.668543. On this cluster of interrelated topics, there appears to be a strong international consensus that the principles of freedom of expression are either overridden or irrelevant when what is being expressed is racial, ethnic, or religious hatred. … In contrast to this international consensus that various forms of hate speech need to be prohibited by law and that such prohibition creates no or few free speech issues, the United States remains steadfastly committed to the opposite view. … In much of the developed world, one uses racial epithets at one's legal peril, one displays Nazi regalia and the other trappings of ethnic hatred at significant legal risk and one urges discrimination against religious minorities under threat of fine or imprisonment, but in the United States, all such speech remains constitutionally protected.
  216. "Pro-Israel 'Defeat Jihad' ads to hit New York subway", BBC News, 20 September 2012
  217. "M.T.A. Amends Rules After Pro-Israel Ads Draw Controversy", Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, 27 September 2012
  218. Correa Continues Assault on Freedom of Expression in Ecuador, Freedom House, retrieved 5 May 2013
  219. "Ecuador's Assault on Free Speech". The New York Times. 21 February 2012. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  220. Solano, Gonzalo (17 April 2013). "Condenan a prisión a asambleísta en Ecuador" [Assemblyman sentenced to prison in Ecuador]. MSN Noticias (in Spanish). AP.
  221. Reich, Otto J.; Vázquez-Ger, Ezequiel (2 May 2013). "Ecuador's Correa: A continued assault on freedom". Miami Herald.

Further reading

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.