An audit by Poland’s bureau of internal affairs (BSW) has uncovered that two informal press surveillance units of police were set up to monitor journalists
Poland: Audit finds secret police unit monitoring journalists
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CATEGORY: Europe and Central Asia
Andrei Bastunets: Press freedom has never been easy in Belarus
Belarusian authorities were busy in 2015: the government introduced new laws aimed at restricting media outlets and distributors; freelance journalists contributing to foreign media outlets found themselves facing prosecution; and websites publishing material that “may harm the national interests of the Republic of Belarus” were extrajudicially blocked.
T0ad: “Pornography is the sacred veil covering the plain (non-sexual) body”
All over the world there are taboos that stop things being discussed, when a discussion might make people aware of a problem and sometimes
Matt Brown: An important learning experience
Matt Brown spent July to December 2015 on the Index on Censorship Youth Advisory Board. He has written a post to tell us about his time on the board. For the last 6 months, I have worked for the Index on Censorship’s Youth Advisory Board. The board...
Padraig Reidy: What’s the difference between “offensive” and “grossly offensive”?
Judge Liam McNally’s decision to allow the unpleasant Pastor James McConnell walk free is a little triumph for free speech
Vatican: Italian journalists face eight years in prison
Two Italian journalists are being prosecuted by The Vatican for revealing confidential information and could face up to eight years in prison
Bulgaria: Investigative journalist hits back at smear campaign by media mogul
Journalists of the Bulgarian investigative news website Bivol.bg are facing an orchestrated smear campaign that’s unusual even for Bulgaria
Mapping Media Freedom: 2015 was “tumultuous” for media workers
To highlight the most pressing concerns for press freedom in Europe, Index’s Mapping Media Freedom correspondents discuss the violations the stood out most
One year on from Charlie Hebdo, dissenting voices must be protected
On the anniversary of the brutal attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo we, the undersigned, reaffirm our commitment to the defence of the right to freedom of expression
After Charlie Hebdo: The free speech fight begins at home
Threats against freedom of expression come in all shapes and sizes. We need to stand up to the bullies together.