Apple should be part of the open online society, rather than the architects behind a system of control, argues Bill Thompson
Freedom sacrificed for an easy life, in Apple’s Brave New World
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Index on Censorship
Belarus: British actors put on blacklist
Influential US and British actors and musicians including Oscar winners Kevin Spacey and Kelvin Kline, the Pet Shop Boys, Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Tom Stoppard and Samuel West, have been put on a “blacklist” of artists banned...
Post-traumatic libel syndrome
His three-year defamation battle may be over, but Hardeep Singh still faces an uphill battle to recover his costs
Venezuelan journalist shot dead
Venezuelan journalist Clara Fernandez has been killed in a shooting in Valencia. She was allegedly caught in crossfire in a fight between two rival gangs. The details relating to her death are as yet unclear. The Venezuelan National Journalism...
Pakistan: Minister for minorities assassinated
Shahbaz Bhatti, the minister for religious minorities has been assassinated . Bhatti, a Christian, was a vocal opponent of the controversial blasphemy law and had repeatedly asked for it to be reformed. Pamphlets found at the scene of his killing...
KGB attempted to recruit Belarusian journalist
Index on Censorship award nomineee Natalia Radzina of Belarus's Charter 97 has revealed that the KGB tried to recruit her as an informant. She alleges that KGB officers psychologically tortured her whilst she was held at the KGB detention centre in...
“The only speakable truth is that we cannot speak the truth”
Censorship and its fear-fed sibling, self-censorship, frequently take on farcical qualities in China. One of the most eloquent speeches on this subject for a long time was given by a young Chinese writer, Murong Xuecun, last week. The 30-something...
International media coverage was key to breaking through Gaddafi’s wall of silence
“Listening to the fear in people’s voices had been heartbreaking but not hearing anything was terrifying.” Filmmaker Huda Abuzeid on bringing Libyan voices to the world
Journalists arrested in Nepal
Chief editor Ram Pukar Raut, and editor Pravin Sharma Jha, of the New Times Today have been arrested by police in the Southern Nepalese district of Rautahat. They were charged with having links with a militant underground group, and printing a...
Vietnam: Restrictive media decree comes in to effect
A new decree that places serious restrictions on the media became effective on 25 February. The new decree forces media outlets to reveal their sources, with a fine of $1,000 for not revealing them. It also includes a fine of $2,000 for publishing...
Iran’s cyber army on the offensive
The Islamic Republic’s online saboteurs are rushing to counter coverage of new protests
Zimbabwe: 46 arrested for watching videos of Egyptian and Tunisian demonstrations
Police in Harare this week arrested 46 activists and trade union members who were watching videos of demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia. They have been charged with treason for trying to organise an uprising against the government. Lawyers for...