Index on Censorship » banned

Egypt: Oscar-winning Iranian film banned from screening at Cairo University

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:41:01 +0000

An Egyptian university banned the screening of an award winning Iranian film last week. The film A Separation”was due to be screened at Cairo University on 8 March, but objections from fundamentalist university groups led to the screening permit to be revoked. The film, which has won several international awards, tackles issues relating to immigration. The fundamentalist groups who objected to the screening of the film claimed it promoted Shiasm, secularism, and al-Assad’s regime at the expense of Syria, though these are not said to be themes of the film.

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Zimbabwe: Mugabe bans music group over “chicken” song

Index on Censorship — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:50:21 +0000

Zimbabwe’s government has banned South African group Freshlyground over a music video that portrays President Mugabe as a chicken afraid to relinquish power. The video that accompanies the song “Chicken To Change” represents the president in the style of satirical show Spitting Image. The song is a product of the band’s collaboration with controversial cartoonist Jonathan Zapiro. Freshlyground was due to perform a concert in Harare next month, but members of the group have now had their working visas revoked. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdf2lBIe4Ac

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Zimbabwe: Government bans “offensive” paintings

Intern — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:16:07 +0000

The government has banned the works of prominent artist Owen Maseko which depict 1980s atrocities committed by a Zimbabwean army unit. An estimated 20,000 civilians, mostly supporters of opposition movement the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), were killed by the notorious Fifth Brigade. Maseko’s paintings were banned under the Censorship and Entertainment Act because the censorship authority claimed they were “offensive” and “tribal”. Police stormed the Zimbabwe National Gallery, where the works were on display, covered them in newspaper, and arrested Maseko. The artist was arrested and charged under laws that prohibit insulting or demeaning President Mugabe.

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YouTube and online libraries banned in Russian city

Index on Censorship — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:54:53 +0000

A ruling to ban YouTube and three online libraries in the Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur will be enforced on 3 August. The video-sharing website will be blocked because of a nationalist video “Russia for the Russians,” which has been listed as extremist content. The online libraries (Lib.rus.ec, Thelib.ru and Zhurnal.ru) have been blocked for carrying Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.

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India: Documentary banned for depicting insurgency

Intern — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:44:11 +0000

New Delhi’s Central Board of Film Classification has refused to certify the documentary Flames of the Snow. The body stated that any film which romanticises and promotes the violence of the Maoist groups in Nepal is inappropriate viewing for the general public. The feature documents over 200 years of relations between Nepalese rebels and the Indian establishment. The director of the film, Ashish Srivastava and its Kathmandu-based producers, Group for International Solidarity, intend to launch a campaign to oppose the banning. Another film entitled, Village of Widows, which features Benazir Bhutto vehemently criticising the Indian state and the burning of an Indian flag in Kashmir has also been censored by the authorities.

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Ukraine bans Brüno

Index on Censorship — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:40:17 +0000

The Ukranian Culture and Tourism Ministry has banned distribution of Sacha Baron Cohen’s new comedy film Brüno on the grounds that it is “too controversial and likely to offend”. Read more here

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U-turn decision over open Burma trial

Index on Censorship — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:41:11 +0000

In a turn-around decision by Burmese authorities, officials have barred international observers including journalists and diplomants from the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, a day after allowing them to attend. Read more here

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