Free Speech

Finland's Supreme Court has convicted parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola of insulting a group based on sexual orientation over a 2004 church pamphlet. In a 3-2 decision, the court ordered the removal of specific statements from the pamphlet and imposed fines on the pair and the publishing foundation. Räsänen plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

March 06, 2026 Reported by AI

Kenya's Court of Appeal has ruled that certain sections of the 2018 Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act are unconstitutional. The decision came in a case brought by the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE). These provisions had been used by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to arrest critics and bloggers accused of spreading false information.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has initiated administrative actions against Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, following a video in which Kelly urged troops to refuse unlawful orders. The moves include a formal censure and a review that could reduce Kelly's retirement rank and pay. Kelly vows to fight back, defending his right to speak out.

December 08, 2025 Reported by AI

Joshua Aaron, creator of the Iceblock app for crowd-sourcing Immigration and Customs Enforcement sightings, has filed a lawsuit against top Trump administration officials. He accuses them of pressuring Apple to remove the app from the App Store in violation of the First Amendment. The suit seeks to restore the app and block any criminal investigations against its users.

The European Commission’s first report on the Digital Services Act, published Monday, describes the law as “content‑agnostic” and aligned with fundamental rights, while civil society groups and U.S. officials warn it could chill speech and burden American tech firms.

November 13, 2025 Reported by AI Fact checked

In a Nov. 13 podcast, journalist Katie Couric pressed Sen. John Fetterman to weigh in on whether the posthumous honors for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk were excessive. The Pennsylvania Democrat declined to second‑guess the decisions, condemned political violence, and said disagreement never justifies assassination.