Rasul Jafarov, one of Azerbaijan’s most well-known government critics, has been sentenced on charges believed to be linked to his campaigning work
Azerbaijan: Six-year jail sentence for human rights activist
read more
CATEGORY: Europe and Central Asia
Twitter users hijack #HelloBaku to shine spotlight on Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses
The hashtag was launched by organisers of this summer’s inaugural European Games in the country’s capital Baku
28 April: Press briefing: Give human rights a sporting chance in Azerbaijan
How can journalists effectively cover the full scope of human rights, social and political issues surrounding this summer’s European Games in Baku?
Padraig Reidy: Life in paranoid Erdoganistan, where every day brings a new censorship story
Another week, another social media ban in Turkey. Such is life these days in Erdoganistan, where every day brings a new censorship story, greeted now with what my Turkish friend calls “the humour of desparation”.
Lithuania bans Russian language channel for “inciting discord”
Lithuania has banned a Russian TV channel for “inciting discord, warmongering [and] spreading disinformation” according to the country’s media regulator.
Padraig Reidy: The “gay cake” case bedevils Northern Ireland
A new struggle has emerged over what many religious people in Northern Ireland see as threats to their religious freedom and way of life. And a cake has become the latest flashpoint
#IndexDrawtheLine: Does extremism have a place on campus?
After strong lobbying from senior Tory peers, two private members’ debating student societies from Oxford and Cambridge universities were exempted from the controversial counter-terror ban on extremist speakers. Even though the two societies are...
For Juzne Vesti editor, Serbia’s deteriorating media freedom comes as no surprise
In just over five years, journalists at the independent news site have been subjected to verbal harassment or death threats 15 times, reports Ilcho Cvetanoski
Padraig Reidy: Stop saying this isn’t a “free speech issue”. It is.
One wishes sometimes we could be more honest. Say “this is a free speech issue, and I’m OK with this amount of censorship, for this reason”; then we can talk.
Padraig Reidy: Doubting Cambridge University Press’s commitment to academic freedom
CUP are still refusing to publish Putin’s Kleptocracy by Karen Dawisha for fear of libel action — despite saying they have no reason to doubt the veracity of the work