Geopolitics

What I've seen from any discussion about this, is that it is singularly measured against a dimension of freedom of speech. I don't think that does justice to the complexity of this matter. Sure, freedom of speech is important, but certainly not the only important freedom. Due to an over-focus on our freedom to be able to say whatever we want, we forget about other freedoms. We don't live in individual bubbles, we live in societies, and in these societies, we need to find a way to safeguard that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights" as the Universal Declaration of Human rights puts it. 
Arresting Durov might not be the way, but I don't think that it's unfair to say that the over-focus on freedom of speech is currently undermining other freedoms, such as "the right to life, liberty and security of person" (article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) too often.

no. freedom of speech is first and foremost. there can never be any over-indexing on it. the rest of the rights exist in relation to speech in a free society. 

negative rights are more important than positive ones, and the positive ones are illusory where it would require any abrogation of non-interference. one could even argue that positive rights provide cover for escalating authoritarianism — asset seizure, over -taxation, repressive “safety” measures, corrupt spending programs, militarization. 

regardless of the laborious political history of the UN, for a sovereign individual which is the spirit of human rights, my “freedom from” as a protection from govt interference is always more important than your “right to.”

cypherpunk • human rights lawyer • actress • queen  // hosting /aaina • also indivisible.fm 

“negative rights are more important than positive ones, and the positive ones are illusory where it would require any abrogation of non-interference”

Am I correct in understanding this as “positive rights to the fruit of the labor of others is an illusion because your right can’t violate someone else’s”?

under the UN system positive rights refers to rights where a state is doing something, like providing services — healthcare, education, enforcement. negative rights refers to rights that require the state to refrain from doing something like free speech, seizure, imprisonment etc.