Leading international free expression and press freedom groups condemn politically motivated trial
Turkey should drop criminal charges against journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül
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CATEGORY: About Index
Music in Exile: recent cases of censorship
It’s hard for many of us to imagine, but all around the world, people are being intimidated out of playing music
Political prisoners released in Azerbaijan
Sport for Rights coalition expresses its relief over the release of 15 political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
Bahrain must immediately release Zainab Al-Khawaja
Index on Censorship calls for the immediate release of human rights activist Zainab Al-Khawaja, who was arrested on Monday 14 March 2016 with her one-year-old son Abdulhadi.
Syria: Renewed calls for Bassel Khartabil’s release on fourth anniversary of detention
Syria’s authorities should reveal the whereabouts of Bassel Khartabil, a software developer and free speech activist, and release him immediately
Letter: EU must not ignore collapse of media freedom in Turkey
Index and international press freedom organisations issued a joint letter ahead of the upcoming meeting between EU leaders and Ahmet Davutoğlu, Prime Minister of Turkey, to express concern over the collapse of media freedom in Turkey.
Taiwan: An interview with politician and heavy metal frontman Freddy Lim on music and censorship
Lim recently won a seat in parliament representing the New Power Party and defeating Chinese Nationalist Party member Lin Yu-fang, who had held his seat for 20 years.
#IndexAwards2016: Marking International Women’s Day
From a journalist who trains women to tell the story of Syria’s civil war and a comedian who uses her routines to campaign for women’s rights in Indonesia
Music in Exile: Smockey playlist
Serge Bambara, aka Smockey, is a hip-hop artist, producer and activist within Le Balai Citoyen, or the Citizen’s Broom, a grassroots political movement
Writers and artists condemn seizure of Zaman news group
Artists and writers joined Index in condemning Turkish government’s seizure of Zaman newspaper
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:
Informing
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.
Influencing
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.
Debating
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.
Supporting
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.