November 18th, 2010
A Swedish prosecutor today requested that Julian Assange, founder of the Wikileaks whistleblower website, be detained for interrogation concerning a re-opened sexual assault investigation. The application could lead to an international arrest warrant.
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Tags: Tags: John Kampfner, Julian Assange, Mark Stephens, Sweden, wikileaks,
April 14th, 2010
In collaboration with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics will be running a series of panel discussions at UK universities throughout the 2009/2010 academic year. These will focus on the important role of academics and academic freedom in society and the specific problems faced by academics in trying to carry out their work under repressive conditions.
15th April, 5-6.30pm – Academic Freedom in the 21st Century
Lawyer Mark Stephens, Chair of UEL Governors and trustee of Index of Censorship will chair a panel discussion by three academic refugees from Cameroon, Iraq and Rwanda covering the personal threats and difficulties they faced as academics.
The event will be held at the University of East London, East Building, G08
To RSVP to any CARA/BIS Academic Freedom Discussion please email adi.cara@lsbu.ac.uk
Tags: Tags: freedom of expression, Mark Stephens, refugee,
December 21st, 2009
Trevor Phillips, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said the BBC may be sanctioned if comments made by the public on its website do not comply with Labour’s new anti-discrimination laws. The move follows public criticism pver the BBC hosting an online debate on its news website asking whether gays should be executed in relation to a proposed anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda. Mark Stephens, a media lawyer who has been leading a commonwealth campaign against a proposed law in Uganda said: “ We must protect freedom of speech whether it is offensive or not. The alternative is to drive the debate underground.” Read more here