2015 is proving to be another deadly year for free speech

There's no question that free speech has been under attack across the globe in 2015.

The year started off with the mass killing of editorial staff at the Paris headquarters of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Most recently, Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was shot dead near the Kremlin in Moscow. 

Globally, at least 17 journalists have been killed in 2015, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. 

The trend appears to be continuing from previous years.

"The total number of deaths in 2014 demonstrates the sustained level of risk to journalists over the past decade," CPJ's news director Shazdeh Omari wrote of last year's numbers. "The past three years are the most deadly period CPJ has recorded."

From social media censorship to crackdowns on political dissent, governments and militant groups alike continue to target voices they disagree with. Writers, cartoonists, photographers, filmmakers, bloggers, protesters and opposition figures can all become targets.

Here are the main incidents that have already made headlines in the first months of 2015.

France

On Jan. 7, 12 people, most of them editorial staff, were gunned down at and near the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the shootings, which were carried out by brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi. A third gunman and friend of the Kouachis, Amedy Coulibaly, killed four hostages at a kosher market two days later in what appeared to be a related attack. Video later emerged that showed Coulibaly declaring allegiance to the Islamic State. 

The string of killings amounted to the worst terror attack on French soil in 50 years. The assault on Charlie Hebdo was widely seen as targeting free speech; the weekly paper is known for running offensive and provocative content, including depictions of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.

The solidarity phrase "Je suis Charlie" — "I am Charlie" — became ubiquitous worldwide in the days that followed the deadly assault.

French comedian Dieudonne, ever controversial, responded with a phrase of his own: "Je me sens Charlie Coulibaly," he wrote in a Facebook post — "I feel like Charlie Coulibaly." For that, he was arrested, charged with inciting terrorism.

"It's an apparent reference to "Je suis Charlie," the message of solidarity that many people shared after the attack on the magazine that was targeted by Islamist extremists for its cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad," NPR's Krishnadev Calamur wrote. 

Saudi Arabia

On Jan. 9, political blogger Raif Badawi, who founded the "Free Saudi Liberals" website, was flogged in Jeddah for reportedly insulting Islam. Badawi's sentence included 1,000 lashes and a 10-year jail term.

Egypt

On Jan. 29, activist Shaima al-Sabbagh was shot and killed in central Cairo. 

"Human rights advocates say the cold brutality of her killing shows how far the military-backed government is willing to go to enforce a return to the old authoritarian order," The New York Times' David Kirkpatrick wrote.

Azerbaijan

On Jan. 29, journalist Seymur Hazi who worked for opposition newspaper Azadig was sentenced to five years in jail, as per Reuters. 

Syria

In late January, the Islamic State released a video that purportedly showed militants affiliated with the group beheading Japanese journalist Kenji Goto in an unknown location in Syria.

"I'm outraged by the despicable terrorist act, and I will never forgive the terrorists," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was quoted as saying.

Denmark

On Feb. 14, a gunman killed two people, including filmmaker Finn Norgaard, at the Krudttonden cultural center in Copenhagen during an event about free speech.

The motive for the killings isn't clear.

"Investigators said the gunman may have been inspired by a terror spree in Paris in January," Karl Ritter of the Associated Press reported.

China

In mid-February, popular Chinese comedian Zhao Benshan's fame was floundering. The reason may have had more to do with his politics than his comedy, GlobalPost contributor Robert Foyle Hunwick noted.

Zhao's "fortunes are plummeting. Many of his 'friends' are in jail," Hunwick wrote.

Bangladesh

On Feb. 26, American blogger Avijit Roy was hacked to death at a book fair in Dhaka.

"The atheist blogger had angered fundamentalist groups through his blogs and books, including Biswasher Virus (Virus of Faith), about science and religion," The Guardian's Saad Hammadi and Mark Twain wrote.

Russia

On Feb. 27, Russian opposition leader and former deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov was killed on a Moscow street. 

"For years, Russia's embattled counted just a few dozen souls. They would come out to the same square in Moscow on the last day of every month (they called it 'Strategy 31') and demand their constitutional right to assembly. … Nemtsov was among their leaders," Buzzfeed's Miriam Elder wrote.

Russian authorities have arrested five people in connection with Nemstov's murder, and some officials are speculating that Nemtsov may have been targeted for his reported anti-Islam remarks following the Charlie Hebdo shooting. The slain politician's allies say that sounds like a convenient theory.

Russian blogger and opposition politician Alexei Navalny, meanwhile, recently spent 15 days in jail for disseminating flyers about an upcoming protest.

Myanmar

On March 10, reports emerged that police in Myanmar beat students who were protesting an education bill. 

The delegation of the European Union released a statement saying that it "deeply regrets the use of force against peaceful demonstrators," Reuters reported.