TikTok faces US ban after Supreme Court rejects appeal

The US Supreme Court ruled against TikTok in its challenge to a federal law that would have required the popular short-video app to be sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance or banned in the United States on 19 January.

Tucker Carlson shreds US media

Tucker Carlson has released a video tearing into American news outlets in his first appearance since parting ways with Fox News, saying genuine debate on major issues is simply “not permitted” in US media.

EU warns of sanctions as Twitter ban journalists

The EU on Friday threatened Twitter owner Elon Musk with sanctions after the accounts of several journalists were suspended.

German prosecutors drop probe into comedian over Erdoğan poem

German prosecutors have said they have dropped their investigation into a TV comic who wrote a crude poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, citing insufficient evidence that he committed any crime.

Merkel allows inquiry into comic's Erdogan insult

The German government has approved a criminal inquiry into a comic who mocked the Turkish president, Chancellor Angel Merkel announced.

Five jailed in Turkey for ‘insulting’ Erdogan. Almost 2,000 people have been prosecuted for “insulting”

Five men have been jailed in Turkey for “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reports, one of several such cases that have intensified alarm over the country’s slide towards authoritarianism.

US Urges Saudi Arabia to Respect Human Rights

The United States called on Saudi Arabia on Sunday to have fair judicial proceedings and respect human rights after Riyadh executed Ayatollah Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 other activists.

Havana, Washington to resume talks over normalizing ties

Cuban and US government representatives are set to resume negotiations Tuesday over normalizing ties.

House Resolution Calls on Turkey to Restore Media Freedom

WASHINGTON—A non-binding resolution, H.RES. 279, backed by 30 members of the US House of Representatives, is urging Turkey to immediately “lift restrictions on freedom of expression” and respect universal human rights.

Chinese media: West facing "payback for colonialism"

The religious and cultural tensions the West faces are “payback” for slavery and colonialism, a Chinese state-run newspaper said on Tuesday. ..

The editorial came in the wake of the Islamist attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine, AFP reported.

Unrest in eastern Ukraine risks ‘seriously destabilizing’ entire country. – Ivan Šimonović, UN rights official

UN, 16 April 2014 – The ongoing unrest in eastern Ukraine, if not addressed as a matter of priority, risks seriously destabilizing the rest of the country, a senior United Nations human rights official warned the Security Council today, as he also urged steps to counter misinformation and bring to an end all incitement to hatred, discrimination and violence.
“At the outset, I wish to emphasize the strong inter-linkages between chronic human rights violations in Ukraine, the Maidan protests and the current situation in the east,” said Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonović, as he briefed the Council on his two missions to the crisis-torn country in March. His first report on the human rights situation there was issued yesterday.

US Representatives introduce resolution against Turkey’s ban on Twitter and Youtube

The U.S. Congress resolutions condemning Turkey have been increasing recently with Turkey’s ban on social websites Twitter and YouTube.

Four members of the U.S. House of the Representatives on April 1 prepared a resolution calling on Turkey to remove the bans on the social media, following a condemnation from two U.S. Senators last month over blocking the social media sites and a complaint letter sent to President Barrack Obama.

EU-Ukraine: "Only a Ukrainian plan can work"

Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle continued EU's political efforts in helping Ukraine to find solution to the political crisis. He held talks with partners in Kyiv on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. After that he made the following statement to the media (watch also video on the link below)

"It is my third visit here in as many weeks. This one is very much connected to the Foreign Affairs Council and has an overarching goal to stress the EU´s concerns and continued willingness to help. My main message is that only one plan can work here: a Ukrainian plan agreed by Ukrainians and implemented swiftly.

Štefan Füle (European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy): Ukraine: how to find way out of the current crisis ...

European Parliament, Plenary Session
5 February 2014
President, Honourable Members,
Let me start by thanking the Parliament for organising today's important debate. It shows that the thoughts of all of us here are with the people of Ukraine in these difficult times. And not only our thoughts: we are working hard and are taking concrete actions to de-escalate the situation and to support the Ukrainian citizen's enjoyment of their freedoms of speech, peaceful assembly, and the freedom of media.

Hellenic MoFA: UN General Assembly adopts Greek initiative for the safety of journalists and ending impunity for crimes against news media personnel

MFA, Wednesday, 27 November 2013

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The UN General Assembly’s Third Committee adopted a Resolution on Tuesday, 26 November, on the “Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity” in crimes against news media personnel.

The adoption of this draft Resolution was a Greek initiative, with the support of Argentina, Austria, Costa Rica and Tunisia, in an effort to raise awareness in and mobilize the international community regarding to the distressing increase, on a global level, of crimes against journalists.

FYROM News: Richard Howitt spoke of a climate of fear and pressure in FYROM, wrapping up a three-day visit mostly dedicated to looking at freedom of speech in the country.

MEP Richard Howitt UK

Referring to the journalist Tomislav Kezarovski who was last week jailed for four-and-a-half years for revealing the identity of a protected witness in a murder trial, Richard Howitt expressed concern.

“I am worried by this and other cases, that the cumulative impact of these cases - deliberately or otherwise - may be to create a culture of caution or even fear amongst journalists, editors and owners,” he said.