FEATURED
From the Danube to the Baltic Sea, Germany takes an authoritarian turn
Since the Hamas attacks on 7 October and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza, German authorities are using increasingly illiberal measures to curtail pro-Palestine activism
By Jakob Guhl
NEWS
LATEST FROM INDEX ON CENSORSHIP
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The unravelling of academic freedom on US campuses
When the lines between speech and action have been ambiguous, US colleges have moved too far towards clamping down on what people say. Now pro-Pale...
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The world needs to learn from Masha Gessen moments
The Russian-American writer was at the centre of a controversy yet things were not exactly as they first seemed
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What does Tusk’s victory mean for oppressed groups in Poland?
The ousting of the Law and Justice party after eight years in power is cause for celebration, but change will not happen overnight
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Putin’s control threatens Russian dissident voices
Whilst war rages in Ukraine it is easy to lose sight of those saying loudly that the Russian state doesn’t act in their name
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MAGAZINE
LATEST ISSUE: VOLUME 52.03 AUTUMN 2023
In bad faith: How religion is being weaponised by the right
The Autumn 2023 issue of Index looks at blasphemy laws, and how they are being weaponised by the religious right as a means of imposing intolerance. We wanted to understand the ways in which religion is being used by states as an excuse for censorship, and how this has played out in a global context.
The writers in this issue have examined blasphemy laws in countries all over the world, shining a light on the those who have been left voiceless or have been persecuted in the name of religion. These worrying stories paint a picture of a growing movement amongst the religious right that threatens to suppress those who do not conform to increasingly strict cultures and norms.
ARTISTIC FREEDOM
UNCENSORED ARTWORK
Index commissions censored and exiled artists and illustrators from around the world
INDEX WRITERS
Ruth Anderson
CEO[ba_post_list include_categories="41669" order="DESC" posts_number="4" show_date="on" date_format="d M y" list_type="grid" items="2" item_spacing="11px"...
Ruth Anderson
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Putin’s control threatens Russian dissident voices
Whilst war rages in Ukraine it is easy to lose sight of those saying loudly that the Russian state doesn’t act in their name
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We must not stay silent on Iran’s use of the death penalty
Hundreds have been executed in Iran this year as the regime continues to punish those involved in the protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's death
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Moments of Freedom in a bleak year
Our CEO Ruth Anderson talks about our year-end campaign, launched next week, which will focus on the times when light breaks through the darkness
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If X is so hateful, why are we still on it?
When Elon Musk bought Twitter, we decided to wait and see whether it would remain a bastion of free speech as he promised. How's that going?
Jemimah Steinfeld
Editor-in-chief[ba_post_list include_categories="42893" order="DESC" posts_number="4" show_date="on" date_format="d M y" list_type="grid" items="2" item_spacing="11px"...
Jemimah Steinfeld
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Turkey’s elections: “No rule of law anymore”
The country’s human rights landscape has disintegrated since Erdogan took over in 2003
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Don’t give up on Myanmar
The country has a vibrant future believes author Oliver Slow, despite the military junta's attacks on dissent
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Censoring Roald Dahl is not the answer, just a problem
Rewording Dahl's classics sets a worrying precedent. Instead of censoring his works we should invest in promoting new, diverse talent
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Hong Kong’s travesty of a show trial begins
The Hong Kong 47 are now on trial. There is nothing free or fair about this
Katie Dancey-Downs
Assistant Editor[ba_post_list include_categories="42894" order="DESC" posts_number="4" show_date="on" date_format="d M y" list_type="grid" items="2" item_spacing="11px"...
Katie Dancey-Downs
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Why we need Banned Books Week more than ever
In just one year, book bans in the USA have increased by a third – largely targeted at works containing content on LGBTQ+ rights, race and racism, ...
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Turkey and Thailand: Two elections, different outcomes
One poll remains deadlocked while another has seen the population vote for a change of direction
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The daily risks taken by Afghanistan’s female journalists
Life for women in the media has been bleak since the Taliban takeover, and experts don’t see that changing anytime soon
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The shock waves from Turkey’s Twitter restriction
Criticism of the Turkish government in the wake of this week's deadly earthquakes led to the blocking of the social media platform
Martin Bright
Editor at large[ba_post_list include_categories="42895" order="DESC" posts_number="4" show_date="on" date_format="d M y" list_type="grid" items="2" item_spacing="11px"...
Martin Bright
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Sir Salman Rushdie wins Freedom to Publish Award
Author says has freedom of expression has never been under greater threat in the West in his lifetime
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New play gives a voice to the forgotten Crimean Tatars
The powerful work tells the stories of indigenous Tatar dissidents and their families on the Russian-occupied peninsula
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Journalism is at risk from the National Security Bill. We’re fighting back
Imagine a country where the authorities target investigative journalists as spies, and outlaw news and campaigning organisations that receive forei...
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Mikhail Gorbachev: the Soviet leader who learned to love freedom of expression
The former president, who has died at the age of 91, wrote presciently in the pages of Index on Censorship
Francis Clarke
Editorial Assistant and 2022-23 Tim Hetherington Fellow[ba_post_list include_categories="42896" order="DESC" posts_number="4" show_date="on" date_format="d M y" list_type="grid" items="2" item_spacing="11px"...
Francis Clarke
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Argument for urgent intervention in Jimmy Lai case laid bare in new report
Pressure on UK government to intervene in Lai case highlighted in a new report, which exposes the destruction of media freedom in Hong Kong
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Defying the Taliban – A stark reminder of the collapse of Afghan women’s rights
Last Thursday, human rights organisation Anotherway Now hosted a screening of the Sky News documentary ‘Defying the Taliban: women at war in Afghan...
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Bunker Cabaret: From the bomb shelters of Kyiv to Somerset House
Ukranian collective explores the making of art in time of war
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Seeing Auschwitz is a timely reminder of the importance of documenting atrocities
A new exhibition in London takes a different viewpoint on the horrors of the Holocaust
Jessica Ní Mhainín
Head of Policy and Campaigns[ba_post_list include_categories="42898" order="DESC" posts_number="4" show_date="on" date_format="d M y" list_type="grid" items="2" item_spacing="11px"...
Jessica Ní Mhainín
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Yulia Tsvetkova’s hunger strike: “I have reached a dead end”
Index award-winner calls on her supporters not to waste any more time "on the farce called Russian justice"
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New report on protecting the media against Slapps
What measures can be introduced to protect journalists facing vexatious legal actions?
