Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognised as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and international human rights law. Many countries have constitutional laws that protect freedom of speech. Terms such as free speech, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression are often used interchangeably in political discourse. However, in legal contexts, freedom of expression more broadly encompasses the right to seek, receive, and impart information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.
Article 19 of the UDHR states that "everyone shall have the right to hold opinions w...
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Apostasy laws map. Laws affecting the right of an individual to leave his or her religion by birth o...
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First page of Areopagitica, by John Milton
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Icon of a scale
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English (en): Blasphemy laws worldwide.
No blasphemy law
Repealed
Blasphemy is a common...
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Eleanor Roosevelt reads the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1949; FDR Presidential Library ...
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A colored Emoji from emojione project
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Photograph of the Free Speech Wall in Charlottesville, VA taken using a Canon EOS REBEL T2i
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George Orwell Statue - BBC Broadcasting House London (2017)
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page from Henric van Cuyck, Bishop of Roermond (1546–1609) "Panegyricae orationes septem", Philippu...
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Countries with laws against Holocaust denial
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The Index Librorum Prohibitorum ("List of Prohibited Books") is a list of publications which the Cat...
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Page of Legenda aurea sanctorum by Jacobus de Voragine, Madrid: Juan Garcia, 1688. A censor has dele...
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One of earliest "unexpurgated" (or "complete and unexpurgated"?) editions, published in 1959, of the...
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Map showing the countries which have lèse-majesté laws as of January 2023.
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New York Times
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Crowd of people listen to a speaker, who is gesticulating, at Hyde Park Speakers' Corner in London, ...
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Iconic image for social science.
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From http://hypernews.ngdc.noaa.gov
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Sample 09-F9 protest art, Free Speech Flag by John Marcotte.svg
SVG version of a flag protesting the suppression of an HD-DVD encryption key, see AACS encryption ke...