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posted by FatPhil on Friday March 29 2019, @09:55PM   Printer-friendly
from the Think-what-you-like dept.

Free speech has potentially been taken down another peg in NZ with a woman arrested for a Facebook post about the Christchurch shootings. The woman has been arrested on suspicion of "inciting racial disharmony" after a message was posted to her Facebook page. She faces a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment or a NZ$7000 fine and living in a society that condemns free speech. However, given the recent ruling in Australia that 'Muslim' is not a 'race' she may get off given that the law she is accused of breaking is of one who “publishes or distributes written matter which is threatening, abusive, or insulting” to other people . This means that it may very well be legal at this time to insult people of a specific religion.

Decades ago they relied on neighbors to find subversives; now they just check social media.

[Ed.: The above is a paraphrase of the linked-to story, not a direct quote, and with submitter's editorialising left in. -- FP (honouring people's right to free speech ;-) )]

Also covered by the NZ Herald.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by NotSanguine on Friday March 29 2019, @11:44PM (2 children)

    I mean, really, do you also expect people charged with CP offenses to have their desktop background reprinted on page five?

    No. But as someone who lives in a place where just about all speech is protected, it seems strange to me that (especially) news organizations wouldn't provide real details.

    A little bit of culture shock, I guess. If/when I visit New Zealand, I guess I'll have to grow an internal editor.

    --
    No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @12:57AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @12:57AM (#822144)

    it seems strange to me that (especially) news organizations wouldn't provide real details.

    It's best to keep the story vague, so their narrative doesn't fall apart. The case they constructed is more frail than an Indian T-shirt factory.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @08:11AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @08:11AM (#822265)

      The case they constructed is more frail than an Indian T-shirt factory.

      Dot or Feather?