The future for political prisoners in Azerbaijan looks bleak after politicians at the Council of Europe (CoE) failed adopt an important resolution today calling for more than 80 cases to be resolved. Azerbaijani authorities repeatedly deny the...
CATEGORY: Europe and Central Asia
PAST EVENT: 30 Jan: Amazing Azerbaijan! A film screening and discussion
30 Jan: Amazing Azerbaijan! A film screening and discussion
The modern Big Brothers
Autocratic, authoritarian and totalitarian states take it upon themselves to actively stifle freedom of expression. These states can look very different – “socialist” North Korea may seem very different to “theocratic” Iran, but even with vastly differing cultures and political landscapes, we can draw similarities between the methods used by these regimes to suffocate and in some cases entirely suppress free speech
Court dismisses appeal for Pussy Riot member Maria Alekhina
A Russian court yesterday dismissed the appeal of Maria Alekhina, one of the three members of feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Alekhina, 24, appealed to the local court asking to defer the remaining 13 months of her two year sentence until her...
Downloading evil
Writing for Index on Censorship magazine in 2007, the late Stan Cohen argued that child pornography and jihadi violence were testing the limits of tolerance
Northern Ireland: bullet sent to journalist
Bullets were sent to a journalist and politician in Northern Ireland this weekend, as tensions continue to rise over a controversial decision last month to only fly the Union flag over Belfast City Hall on specific days rather than year round....
What Russia censored in November
It became apparent in November that internet filtering introduced in Russia under the pretext of protecting children is actually for a different reason. Six videos of feminist punk group Pussy Riot were banned by the Moscow court in November, and...
As Turkey lifts ban against hundreds of books, we discover how comic Captain Miki offended the Turkish state
Judging by sales figures, Turkish readers love comics magazines and graphic novels, but the political and military leaders of the country have had little patience for them, an examination of Turkey’s banned books revealed last month. On 5 January...
Leveson: The way ahead for a free press in the UK
A tough but voluntary regulator is the best way to ensure a free press and a fair society, Index says in a new policy note
Plus: Why Leveson’s recommendations are more worrying than you think
Nothing to celebrate on second anniversary of Belarus protests
On the second anniversary of the Minsk protests, Index calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus
