The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has proved itself a vital last line of defence in protecting free speech in the UK, not least in defending a free press. It was the European Court that ruled Britain had acted unlawfully in gagging...
CATEGORY: Statements
Driving debate underground is not the answer to extremism
British Home Secretary Theresa May has proposed new laws that would ban extremists from TV and impose stricter controls on what can be said on the internet, in a speech at the annual Conservative Party conference. Index on Censorship is disturbed...

Offensive art: The right to protest but not to censor
We the undersigned members of Artsfex condemn an alarming worldwide trend in which violent protest silences artistic expression that some groups claim is offensive. People have every right to object to art they find objectionable but no right...
Exhibit B: Censorship pure and simple
Before the cancellation of Exhibit B at the Barbican this week, Index published an article from associate arts producer Julia Farrington in which she addressed the role of the institution in managing controversial art and a lack of diversity in...

Myth-busting: European Commission misrepresents right to be forgotten objections
The European Commission (EC) on Thursday released a “mythbuster” on the controversial Court of Justice of the European Union ruling on the “right to be forgotten”.
Ipso’s flaws should not be an excuse for state media regulation
The Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) does not yet meet all the requirements for an effective, voluntary self-regulator. But we should not let flaws in its current design be used as an excuse to turn to state regulation of the press –...
Letter to Honduras: Calling for protection of Dina Meza and all journalists
Index on Censorship and Article 19 Central America demand that the Honduran Attorney General investigates increased threats received by journalist and human rights campaigner Dina Meza
Letter: Wave of repression in Azerbaijan
Mr Thorbjørn Jagland Secretary General of the Council of Europe 67075 Strasbourg Cedex France Fax: +33 3 88 41 27 99 Email: [email protected] 13 August 2014 Re: Wave of repression in Azerbaijan Dear Secretary General, We are writing to you to...

Call for the immediate and unconditional release of Leyla Yunus, Arif Yunus and Rasul Jafarov
60 NGOs from 13 Human Rights Houses call upon the Azerbaijani authorities, in their joint letter to President Ilham Aliyev, to immediately and unconditionally release Leyla Yunus, Arif Yunus and Rasul Jafarov, and lift all charges held against them.
Letter to Article 29 Working Party on the Right to be Forgotten
To: Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin Chair, Article 29 Working Party EUROPEAN COMMISSION B-1049 BRUSSELS DG Justice Dear Ms Falque-Pierrotin, We are writing to express our deep concern over the effects of the so-called Right to be Forgotten ruling, issued...
Statements from freedom of expression organisation Index on Censorship, the global voice of free expression