Almazbek Tashiyev, a freelance reporter who wrote for the Bishkek-based opposition weekly Agym in Kyrgyzstan has died in hospital from injuries he recieved eight days before. Upon his admission to hospital he said he had been assaulted by “about 10 policemen” and his brother who witnessed the assault has also stated this to be true. Read more here
A group of British academics including the historian Orlando Figes and the poet and translator Robert Chandler have spoken out after authorities in Russia closed down a website dealing with the country’s controversial Soviet past. Read more here
Qantas airline has put a halt on online activist group GetUp’s latest anti-censorship campaign, refusing to run the “Censordyne” advert, which criticises the Australian government’s forthcoming Internet filtering scheme, on its flights. The group had planned to run the parody advert on all domestic flights into Canberra next month to ensure it was seen by politicians around the first sitting week of parliament. Read more here
Burma is preparing to release political prisoners to allow them to take part in national elections next year. Burma’s UN envoy Than Swe did not say how many of the estimated 2,100 inmates would go free and did not mention if the jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, would be included. Read more here