The Crime and Courts Act 2013, as it stands, is a danger to a free press. Under the act, a publisher can be ordered to pay both sides’ costs in a dispute if the publisher is not a member of an approved regulator.
Index on Censorship believes that everyone has the right to express their opinion, no matter how vile or offensive those views, unless their words directly incite violence.
Introducing the theme of the current issue of Index on Censorship (UK), Rachael Jolley writes that anonymity 'protects from danger, and it allows those who wouldn't be able to speak or write to get the words out. ... From the early days of Index on...
We, the undersigned organisations, recognise that the Turkish government has the right and responsibility to investigate the violent events of the July 2016 coup attempt and to bring all those responsible to justice.
We, the undersigned organisations, write to you regarding the systematic targeting of journalists, human rights defenders and online activists by the Internal Security Service (ISS) in Oman.
The British government has been condemned by press freedom groups for seizing an award-winning Syrian journalist’s travel documents upon her arrival at London’s Heathrow airport. Read the full article
An award-winning Syrian journalist who had her passport confiscated in the UK at the request of the Syrian Government says she fears she may not be reunited with her family if the document is returned to Damascus. Read the full article
Killings, imprisonments and other methods to silence journalists happens all too often, in Europe as elsewhere in the world. In this editorial, the importance of being on the side of those who are threatened Read the full article
Free speech advocates have warned about new prosecuting guidelines which open the door to social media users being jailed for “offensive” and “sinister” posts. Experts from the Index on Censorship and English PEN both voiced unease that moves in...
Kaya Genç's Index on Censorship magazine piece runs in Fountain Ink. Artists in Turkey have been hiding their real identities with increasing frequency for more than a decade, creating innovative and subversive art works in the safety of anonymity....
Index Awards 2017: Celebrating defenders of free expression
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.
Index’s aim is to raise awareness about threats to free expression and the value of free speech as the first step to tackling censorship.
Index relies entirely on the support of donors and readers to do our work.
We work in four ways:
Index on Censorship publishes an award-winning quarterly magazine that has featured some of the world’s best-known writers. We publish original creative writing and articles about free expression from across the globe.
Our website offers additional information to help people understand the current threats to free expression globally. And we reach a wider audience through social media.
Each year, Index on Censorship identifies some of the greatest threats to free speech around the world and develops advocacy campaigns to push for change in legislation or public attitudes. We choose topics where our work can make a significant impact – and deliberately choose areas where others might not be focused. You can see our current areas of focus on our Campaigns and Projects work.
We use a mixture of research, reporting, direct advocacy and media campaigning to achieve our goals.
Index on Censorship believes that free expression encourages more open and tolerant societies. We actively promote debate with an exciting series of events each year to help people better understand the value of free speech. This includes performances, exhibitions, talks and concerts. We are also regularly quoted in international media on free expression issues. Read more about our current events programme here.
Index on Censorship directly supports groups and individuals facing censorship through our Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship. The fellowship offers a year-long programme of tailored support to a small group of fellows selected for their outstanding work in the fields of journalism, arts, campaigning and digital advocacy. Read more about this innovative work here.