Uzbek radio host sentenced to six years

June 2nd, 2010

Uzbek poet, radio host and sports commentator Khayrullo Khamidov was sentenced to six years in prison on 28 May after being found guilty of belonging to a banned Islamic group. His lawyers plan to appeal the ruling to reduce his sentence. Uzbekistan has one of the highest rates of incarcerated journalists in Europe, with at least 11 currently behind bars.

Turkish director faces jail for insulting PM

March 23rd, 2010

Haldun Açıksözlü, actor and director of the theatre play Laz Marks, faces two years in jail over allegations that he insulted the prime minister in his play. The show has run for a year and has been shown in over 80 provinces. The charges came only a week after British artist, Michael Dickenson, was fined for superimposing  Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s head onto the body of a dog.

Iran releases 140 political prisoners

July 29th, 2009

The Iranian government has released 140 people who were being detained for their part in the unrest following the disputed election. Another 150 people are believed to be still in detention. This comes amid increasing reports of abuse and torture in prison. Read more here