Freedom of the Press, Governance and Press Standards: Key Challenges for the Leveson Inquiry
Freedom of the Press, Governance and Press Standards: Key Challenges for the Leveson Inquiry
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CATEGORY: Europe and Central Asia
Duma criminalises defamation in attempt to silence opposition
The pro-Putin United Russia party has re-criminalised defamation, just half a year since it was decriminalised on the initiative of ex-president Dmitry Medvedev. The move is in line with Russian government's authoritarian response to a number of...
Ukraine: Tax police raid TV station before election
Ukraine's tax police raided the office of television station TVi yesterday, accusing the often critical outlet of tax evasion. TVi interrupted its usual programming to show tax inspectors going through financial documents in its Kiev office. The...
The Kremlin makes its move on Facebook
Russian parliamentarians have passed legislation that will establish a central register of banned websites. The new laws are ostensibly designed for child protection, but Andrei Soldatov says the real aim is to take control over the country’s burgeoning social networks
READ: INDEX ON CENSORSHIP CONDEMNS RUSSIAN INTERNET BLACKLIST PLAN
American agriculture’s great cover-up
US lawmakers have introduced measures limiting documentation of abuses within the agricultural industry. Jeanne Firth explains how “ag-gag laws” have been used to silence activists
Open letter | Russian NGO law threatens free speech
Last week the Russian parliament pushed through a bill that in its current form would brand non-profit organisations receiving funds from abroad as “foreign agents” and would require them to take part in a stringent reporting process. Opponents say...
Index urges British MPs to back creation of EU special representative on human rights
On Thursday 12 July, British parliamentarians will vote on a government motion on whether to back the creation of a European Union special representative on human rights
Index condemns Russian internet blacklist plan
Russia's Wikipedia and LiveJournal blacked out today to protest a draft law that would allow websites that promote drugs, suicide or contain contain porn or “extremist” materials to be blacklisted without judicial oversight. Activists fear the...
Is this the start of the Great Firewall of Russia?
Today Russia’s Wikipedia and LiveJournal blacked out to protest political plans to create a digital blacklist of Russian websites. Elena Vlasenko reports
Leveson, politics and the press
The Leveson Inquiry must put press freedom first, says Kirsty Hughes
PLUS: Read our policy note on the challenges facing Leveson here