We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, are writing to you to express our strong concerns about the prosecution on criminal defamation charges of journalist Rafael Marques de Morais.
CATEGORY: Statements

Government plans pose serious risk to free expression
The new UK government’s plans to tackle extremism and introduce a British bill of rights, as outlined in the Queen’s Speech on 27 May, raise the stakes significantly for freedom of expression in the United Kingdom

Index condemns decision to move for conviction of Rafael Marques de Morais
Index is appalled to learn that a decision to pursue charges against Index award winning investigative journalist Rafael Marques de Morais is moving forward despite apparent agreement between the parties.

Pre-vetting broadcast content? That’s what dictatorships do, not democracies
The idea that the government should have a role in assessing content before it is broadcast should set alarm bells ringing, writes Jodie Ginsberg
Free expression groups welcome Supreme Court ruling on memoir
A Supreme Court judgment today has overturned an injunction preventing publication of the musician James Rhodes’ memoir Instrumental.

Malaysian authorities must drop charges against cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Haque
Index on Censorship joins Article 19, English PEN, Media Legal Defence Initiative and PEN International in writing to the Malaysian prime minister calling for the charges against cartoonist, Zunar, to be dropped.

New extremism laws would stifle free speech
The UK Home Secretary’s preview of a proposed new counter-extremism bill raises the stakes for freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. Index on Censorship is disturbed by the potential impact on free speech embedded in the proposals.
Index condemns murder of Bangladeshi secular blogger
Index on Censorship condemns the brutal murder of Bangladeshi blogger Ananta Bijoy Das -- the third such attack since February. AFP reported that attackers wearing masks hacked atheist blogger Das to death with machetes. The murder follows that of...

Joint letter to Lord Sebastian Coe about Azerbaijan and the European Games
Index on Censorship and a number of other organisations have signed a joint letter to Lord Sebastian Coe of the British Olympic Association, to highlight violations against freedom of expression and threats to human rights defenders in Azerbaijan ahead of the European Games

Bahrain: End imprisonment of democracy campaigner Nabeel Rajab
Index on Censorship has condemned the latest extension to the detention of the prominent Bahraini human rights activist on spurious charges
Statements from freedom of expression organisation Index on Censorship, the global voice of free expression