Fifty years after the establishment of the Tunisian Republic on 25 July 1957, the country is still ruled by the same party, the Neo-Destour, nowadays renamed the Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique (RCD). Habib Bourguiba, the historic leader...
Yemen and Kuwait have both bound themselves to a number of international human rights treaties guaranteeing freedom of expression, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to ‘seek, receive,...
What took al Qaeda so long? Ayman al Zawahiri has been a little slow in making a response to Salman Rushdie’s knighthood. Is it perhaps because there actually hasn’t been much Muslim anger – beyond a few pockets of politically motivated protest? Al...
‘If I see you’re involved in self-censorship, or covering up information, I’ll fire you myself!,’ Alexei Venediktov, editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy, the independent Russian radio station, tells his staff at a meeting discussing the current media...
Taking offence seems to be turning in to a full-time occupation in Iran. Just days after being gravely offended by the awarding of a knighthood to Salman Rushdie (an author who, ironically, was honoured by the Iranian literary establishment for his...
‘It became quite hard to imagine normal life again,’ Johnston said of his ordeal. ‘The last 16 weeks have been the very worst of my life. I was in the hands of people who were dangerous and unpredictable. I literally dreamt many times of being free...
How many times is Israel going to make an example of Mordechai Vanunu? He was released from prison in 2004 after serving 18 years – much of it in solitary confinement. He has just been jailed again for ‘talking to foreigners’. The stringent terms...
Journalists and environmental activists investigating deforestation in Cambodia are facing harassment, death threats and censorship after a report accused senior officials within the country’s government of involvement in illegal logging,...
Here’s the premise for the recently banned videogame, Manhunt 2. ‘An experiment at a secret research facility has gone catastrophically wrong. Daniel is sent to the Dixmor Asylum, where six years later a freakish storm of lightning hits the power,...
The response to Salman Rushdie’s knighthood has been predictable, as Muslim leaders and politicians compete with each other to register their outrage – if Rushdie gets an honour, it must be an affront to Islam. Let’s get one thing straight. This is...
His Excellency Mr Rasoul Movahedian Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran 16 Prince’s Gate London SW7 1PT Fax: 020 7589 4440 19 June 2007 Your Excellency, ARTICLE 19, English PEN and Index on Censorship call for the immediate release of three...
Lord knows, I’ve had my differences with Ken Livingstone, especially when it comes to the politics of the Middle East - but there’s one issue he’s got absolutely right. Last week, to the enormous surprise of much of London’s...