Index’s submission to Commons Justice Select Committee on freedom of information

February 15th, 2012

Any reduction in the scope of the Freedom of Information Act in limiting its costs or capping the number of requests organisations can make will have an impact on Article 10 rights to freedom of expression, Index has said in a submission to the Commons Justice Select Committee.
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Sudan: Monte Carlo Arabic radio denied license

October 7th, 2010

The Sudanese Ministry of Information has refused to renew the license of Monte Carlo radio’s Arabic service, which broadcasts in Sudan from Paris. The radio station was told that certain laws and regulations prevent the license renewal from taking place.  Similarly vague reasons were given to the BBC, when the British broadcaster’s Arabic radio service was banned from Sudan a few weeks ago. The government has insisted that neither decision was political, but the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) drew attention to the popularity of both stations, leaving no real cause for discontinuing broadcasts.

Kyrgyzstan: New government claims to be in full control

April 9th, 2010

Following dramatic scenes in the capital Bishek in the last few days, Roza Otunbayeva, the leader of Kyrgyzstan’s Social Democratic Party said today that a coalition of opposition parties have seized control of the country’s security headquarters, state television and various government buildings. Otunbayeva called on President Kurmanbek Bakiyev — who fled the capital on Wednesday night — to resign and said she would lead an interim government until elections are called. In a press conference on Thursday morning, she claimed that the opposition’s actions were in response to the government’s attacks on freedom: “what we did yesterday was our answer to the repression and tyranny against the people by the Bakiyev regime. You can call this revolution. You can call this a people’s revolt. Either way, it is our way of saying that we want justice and democracy.” Since he took office in 2005, Bakiyev has cracked down on opposition parties and the independent media.