Twitter bomb hoaxer found guilty

May 11th, 2010

Paul Chambers, 26, the man at the centre of the Twitter bomb hoax at a Sheffield airport has been found guilty and fined £1,000. During January’s snow storms Chambers sent a tweat to his followers  saying: “Crap, Robin Hood Airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!”

Turkish journalists face jail for photographing Colonel

March 30th, 2010

Hürriyet newspaper journalist Nurettin Kurt and editorial manager Hasan Kılıç face between one and three years imprisonment for publishing photographs of Colonel E.Y.B. The photographs were taken during the ongoing investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç. Kurt and Kılıç have been charged under Anti-Terror Laws for “identifying officials on anti-terrorist duties as targets of terror organizations”. The court has not yet stated which terror organisations Kurt and Kılıç supposedly identified as targeting the Colonel.

Afghan media allowed to cover live attacks, “disturbing” images disallowed

March 17th, 2010

Afghanistan has watered down plans to ban the media from reporting on live attacks. Authorities had claimed such reports would embolden militants, but an outcry resulted in a new resolution being hammered over three days. The new resolution bars the press from showing the faces of security personal or broadcasting “disturbing” images, but allows media to report on live attacks. The law does not define “disturbing”. Afghan journalists’ groups said they remained suspicious of the motives behind the new guidelines, which they believed could be used to cover up government failings.

What’s in a name?

February 2nd, 2010

A lot, say the press and the Supreme Court agrees. Jen Robinson writes about the landmark decision that reversed an alarming trend of anonymity and ‘alphabet soup’ in the British justice system
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Australia plans new terror laws

August 17th, 2009

Australia has announced plans to amend its anti-terrorism legislation to give more power to the police. Australia has gradually extended laws on detaining and interrogating terrorism suspects since 2001. There are plans to broaden the definition of a terrorist to include individuals planning to inflict psychological damage as well as those intending to cause physical injury. Read more here

India bans Maoist communist party

June 23rd, 2009

The Indian government has banned the Maoist Communist Party of India as a terrorist group, giving security forces enhanced powers of arrest. Read more here

Terror suspects win secret evidence legal battle

June 10th, 2009

Three terror suspects on control orders have unanimously won a major ruling over the use of secret evidence  and will now have their cases reheard in court. Read more here

‘We expect a bias for freedom’

April 22nd, 2009

In a stirring and provocative speech at the Freedom of Expression awards, Sir David Hare presented a challenge for Index on Censorship, and all free speech advocates
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