Latest Censorship News

Romania's top court annuls first round of presidential vote won by far-right candidate

Dec. 06, 2024 18:40 PM EST

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court on Friday annulled the first round of the country's presidential election, days after allegations emerged that Russia ran a coordinated online campaign to promote the far-right outsider who won the first round. The Constitutional...

Romania's surprise front-runner says he's not pro-Russia. But Romania alleges he had Moscow's help

Dec. 04, 2024 14:53 PM EST

IZVORANI, Romania (AP) — The surprise front-runner in Romania’s presidential election insisted to The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that he is not pro-Russian — hours before Romania declassified intelligence alleging Moscow ran an online campaign to promote him to voters. ...

New Jersey council says ban on 'props' can include 'performative' use of US flag, constitution

Dec. 03, 2024 19:58 PM EST

EDISON, New Jersey (AP) — A New Jersey township council's decision to bar people from using “props” — which officials say can include the U.S. flag and Constitution — when addressing the council has drawn protests and a warning from a free speech advocacy organization. The...

Human rights court rules against Venezuela in 2013 election case

Dec. 02, 2024 17:31 PM EST

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled Monday that the Venezuelan government violated the political rights of former opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles. The court, based in Costa Rica’s capital, said in a statement that the...

Algeria facing growing calls to release French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal

Nov. 28, 2024 07:40 AM EST

Politicians, writers and activists have called for the release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, whose arrest in Algeria is seen as the latest instance of the stifling of creative expression in the military-dominated North African country. The 75-year-old author, who is an...

Australia withdraws a misinformation bill after critics compare it to censorship

Nov. 24, 2024 05:26 AM EST

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's government has withdrawn a bill that would give a media watchdog power to monitor digital platforms and require them to keep records about misinformation and disinformation on their networks. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said...

Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza

Nov. 24, 2024 00:31 AM EST

UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — Israel’s yearlong crackdown against Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza is prompting many to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society, while some still find ways to dissent — carefully. Ahmed...

American photographer Nan Goldin opens exhibition in Berlin with fiery speech against Israel

Nov. 23, 2024 11:13 AM EST

BERLIN (AP) — American photographer and activist Nan Goldin has used a speech at the opening of her exhibition in Germany to condemn Israel's war in Gaza. Goldin, 71, said Friday she wanted to use her retrospective show at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin “as a platform to...

Foreign governments criticize Hong Kong's sentencing of 45 activists. Beijing defends it

Nov. 19, 2024 17:01 PM EST

HONG KONG (AP) — Forty-five prominent activists in Hong Kong were sentenced to jail for up to 10 years on Tuesday, sparking criticism from foreign governments and rights groups. Beijing defended the decisions. The democracy advocates were among 47 people charged under a...

As China cracks down on bookstores at home, Chinese-language booksellers are flourishing overseas

Nov. 18, 2024 10:44 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Yu Miao smiles as he stands among the 10,000 books crowded on rows of bamboo shelves in his newly reopened bookstore. It’s in Washington’s vibrant Dupont Circle neighborhood, far from its last location in Shanghai, where the Chinese government forced him out of business six...