Celebrity, tawdriness and free speech — the issues surrounding privacy create a perfect storm for those worried about the standards of our tabloid press on the one hand and a secretive state on the other. For advocates of free expression, led by Index on Censorship, the row over privacy and injunctions has proved testing. But it need not be. (more…)
Western policymakers must proceed with caution when considering online surveillance and web-blocking; their actions impact on human rights abroad, argues Cynthia Wong
Parliament Square peace campaigner, Brian Haw, died of lung cancer at the weekend while receiving treatment for the disease in Germany. Haw began his round-the-clock protest opposite the Houses of Parliament on 2 June 2001 and faced numerous attempts to force him from his post. Earlier this year the Greater London Authority evicted Haw and his supporters from the grass area outside the Houses of Parliament, forcing them on to the footpath. Haw’s followers have vowed to continue his work and have paid their respects on his website.
Guardian journalist Waqar Kiani has claimed that he was abducted and tortured by Pakistani intelligence agents on Saturday night. The alleged attack followed a television appearance where he discussed a previous assault which took place in 2008, the details of which had only just been released. Kiani has been working on a story about the illegal detention and torture of Islamist militants by Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence . The 32-year-old claims that he was stopped, dragged from his car and attacked with wooden batons and a rubber whip. He is currently being treated in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.