19 Mar 2018 | Awards, Fellowship 2018, News and features
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/tNKQ_C9VxKY”][vc_column_text]Jamal Ali is a young Azerbaijani rapper living in exile in Berlin who – with one song – challenged the authoritarian regime of President Ilham Aliyev this year. His contribution is significant because he is one of the few musicians from the former Soviet Bloc channelling social protest through his music, and getting a reaction back home.
The song in question, was released by Ali on New Year’s Eve 2016. It criticised human rights violations in Azerbaijan, particularly the torture and 10-year prison sentence meted out to two young men who desecrated the statue of the president’s father. The song was called Heykəl Baba (Monument Grandpa). Azerbaijan’s authorities arrested Ali’s mother and threatened his relatives who were still living in Azerbaijan. They said they would not release Ali’s mother until he took down the song from YouTube.
“It was the first time I saw so many people having courage to start and proceed such a campaign. It was a huge support and amazing feeling to know, that so many people understand how is it to lead a fight alone. Because my mother was involved, there was a huge emotional side of the story too. It became our fight together, there was a big feeling of unity, which we miss very much in our country” Ali said.
They also threatened to fire 40 of his relatives from their jobs and impose a travel ban on them. The way the government reacted sent the music video viral on social media sites and Ali’s only compromise was to change the YouTube settings to private for three weeks. In 2017, Heykəl Baba had almost 152,000 views. Later in May of the same year, the authorities tried to intimidate Ali further. His brother, was arrested at the airport when trying to fly back to Prague and forced to denounce Ali.
This blackmail so outraged the online community both inside and outside Azerbaijan that they shared and re-shared the video, which went viral. It was as much the government’s attempt to suppress free speech with such crude methods as the content which outraged them and united them in anger. By provoking such a harsh response from the government, Ali with one action highlighted the repressive nature of the regime, its ruthlessness in attacking the families of exiles and its lack of tolerance for dissent and free speech.
Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship 2018.
Ali left Azerbaijan in 2012 after being beaten in police detention for taking part in youth protests several months before the Eurovision Song Contest was held in the capital Baku. But he continued his challenge to the regime by releasing a video called Vermişel which he put out just before the Eurovision song contest. Ali’s protest song, covered by the UK’s Panorama programme among other international media, marred the government’s attempts at using the contest for positive publicity for the country, which lead to his nomination for the Index Awards in 2018.
After receiving word of the shortlist Ali said, “I was very glad to hear about my nomination. It’s motivating to know that what we do is important and appreciated. I’m working on new songs and trying to create a broader impact and to give a new hope to the people. The nomination is another chance for me to open my favorite topic and remind the international audience about our fight for freedom.”
See the full shortlist for Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Awards 2018 here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content” equal_height=”yes” el_class=”text_white” css=”.vc_custom_1490259018105{background-color: #cb3000 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”Support the Index Fellowship” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:28|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indexoncensorship.org%2Fsupport-the-freedom-of-expression-awards%2F|||”][vc_column_text]
By donating to the Freedom of Expression Awards you help us support
individuals and groups at the forefront of tackling censorship.
Find out more
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19 Mar 2018 | News and features, Press Releases
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Three former winners of the Freedom of Expression Journalism Award have written a letter in support of Index on Censorship’s media freedom month, which aims to raise £15,000 to support its work on media freedom over the next six months.
The three journalism fellows, Syrian Zaina Erhaim, Saudi Safa Al Ahmad and Maldivian Zaheena Rasheed spoke of their forced exiles from their home and families due to their career as journalists.
“None of us consider ourselves brave or courageous. We are not reckless. We are women who simply want to write and broadcast freely about what is happening in the world.”
They continue to do this, even as exiles. Erhaim works for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Rasheed for Al Jazeera, and Al Ahmad continues to work as a freelance journalist.
They shared their determination not to be silenced: “We need to speak out on media freedom. We need to support those speaking out. To continue to do this effectively in the challenging times ahead, Index needs your help.”
A donation of £20 ensures a verified attack against media freedom is mapped publicly online; a gift of £100 enables an official report to pressure governments; a gift of £1000 supports our work helping journalism fellows.
Read the full letter here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Mapping Media Freedom” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_separator color=”black”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-times-circle” color=”black” background_style=”rounded” size=”xl” align=”right”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]
Since 24 May 2014, Mapping Media Freedom’s team of correspondents and partners have recorded and verified more than 4,000 violations against journalists and media outlets.
Index campaigns to protect journalists and media freedom. You can help us by submitting reports to Mapping Media Freedom.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator color=”black”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Don’t lose your voice. Stay informed.” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_separator color=”black”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Index on Censorship is a nonprofit that campaigns for and defends free expression worldwide. We publish work by censored writers and artists, promote debate, and monitor threats to free speech. We believe that everyone should be free to express themselves without fear of harm or persecution – no matter what their views.
Join our mailing list (or follow us on Twitter or Facebook) and we’ll send you our weekly newsletter about our activities defending free speech. We won’t share your personal information with anyone outside Index.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][gravityform id=”20″ title=”false” description=”false” ajax=”false”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator color=”black”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
16 Mar 2018 | Index Reports
Mapping Media Freedom has been recording threats to press freedom since 2014, highlighting the need for protection for journalists. The project monitors the media environment in 42 European and neighbouring countries. In 2017 1,089 reports of limitations to press freedom were verified by a network of correspondents, partners and other sources based in Europe, with a majority of violations coming from official or governmental bodies.
Six journalists were killed during 2017; 178 reports of assault or injury were made; 220 media workers were detained or arrested; 193 reports included criminal charges and lawsuits; there were 367 reports of intimidation, which includes psychological abuse, sexual harassment, trolling/cyberbullying and defamation; in 113 incidents media professionals had their property vandalised or confiscated; there were 178 instances of journalists or sources being blocked; and journalists’ work was altered or censored 68 times.
Read the full report here.
15 Mar 2018 | Campaigns -- Featured, Media Freedom, media freedom featured, Statements
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Press freedom groups have urged the parliamentary committee considering a proposed new UK data protection law to drop amendments that would force news publishers to sign up to a state-backed regulator or face potentially crippling costs.
The Data Protection Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on March 5 and now passes to the committee stage where it will be scrutinised by a cross party committee of MPs.
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“The amendments proposed by the Lords reintroduce measures that the government has just said it plans to axe from legislation,” said Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of Index on Censorship.
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On March 1 the UK government said it would not enforce Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act. Had this section been enforced it would have meant that any organisation that refuses to sign up to a state-backed regulator could have faced crippling court costs in any dispute, whether they won or lost a case.
“We remain concerned about the prospect of this worrying cost-shifting provision under any guise. These measures threaten press freedom, and have no place in the Data Protection Bill,” said Rebecca Vincent, UK Bureau Director for Reporters Without Borders.
Clauses 168 and 169 of the Data Protection Bill effectively reintroduce the now defunct section 40 via another route because they would force all those news organisations who choose not to join a state backed regulator to pay the costs of data protection actions, even if the claim is unjustified.
Faced with the threat of crippling costs even if the courts found in their favour, news outlets might shy away from important public interest investigations.
Speaking during a Lords debate on the amendments earlier this year, crossbench peer Lord Pannick said the measures would have a “chilling effect”on the industry.
Antonia Byatt, Director of English PEN said: “We must make certain that in ensuring we respect an individual’s right to privacy we do not trample all over our free expression rights.”
[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1521114184076-36cd9369-d842-4″ taxonomies=”3895″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Don’t lose your voice. Stay informed.” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_separator color=”black”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Index on Censorship is a nonprofit that campaigns for and defends free expression worldwide. We publish work by censored writers and artists, promote debate, and monitor threats to free speech. We believe that everyone should be free to express themselves without fear of harm or persecution – no matter what their views.
Join our mailing list (or follow us on Twitter or Facebook) and we’ll send you our weekly newsletter about our activities defending free speech. We won’t share your personal information with anyone outside Index.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][gravityform id=”20″ title=”false” description=”false” ajax=”false”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator color=”black”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
