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Ecuador Closes Last Media Freedom Organization
Ecuadorean officials allege that the U.S.-funded NGO Fundamedios has engaged in “partisan political activities.” TELESUR

Raif Badawi nominated for EU Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
Other nominees for the prize “to honor exceptional individuals who combat intolerance, fanaticism, and oppression” include whistleblower Edward Snowden and murdered Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Honduras Court Ruling Deals Major Blow To Media Freedom
The Honduran Supreme Court declined to implement a legally-biding order by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to protect journalist Julio Ernesto Alvarado, who was banned from working as a journalist after a 2013 defamation suit. CURACAO CHRONICLE

Azerbaijan cancels EU delegation visit after criticism of rights record
The Azeri foreign ministry called a European Parliament resolution calling for the release of journalist Khadija Ismayilova and other Azeri human rights activists “biased.” REUTERS

Bangladesh Arrests Militant Chief Over Blogger Murders
Bangladesh’s elite security force on Thursday arrested Mohammad Abul Bashar, the head of banned hardline Islamist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), in the murders of bloggers Avijit Roy and Ananta Bijoy Das. NEWSWEEK

Beijing Drops Defamation Case Against Journalist Liu Hu
Whistle-blowing journalist Liu Hu has vowed to continue with investigative journalism after Beijing prosecutors decided not to indict him with defamation for his 2013 reporting on corrupt officials. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Turkey deports Dutch journalist who reported on Kurdish regions
Frederike Geerdink was detained on suspicion of aiding Kurdish militants as she covered a group of activists protesting against renewed violence between security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). THE GUARDIAN

9/11 Anniversary: How Should Teachers Discuss Terrorist Attacks In Schools?
“I’m worried about all of the dehumanizing narratives that can creep in and that can fill that vacuum in the place of a real, detailed, deep understanding of what happened on 9/11,” said Cheryl Duckworth, author of 9/11 and Collective Memory in US Classrooms: Teaching About Terror. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES